snowmobile trivia

[Liquifire 4/6]

qwerty...I can't believe that it took me this long to figure out how you came up with your nic. The hood is too big to ship by any shipping company that comes to my little town. Here's the deal, you show up at my derby on Feb 2, and it's yours for free. Heck, I'll even end my ebay store listing on it if you say it's a go. Where are you located? Too bad bout the dator......I figured as much....lol

[qwerty]

im just west of edmonton. are you having a little show and shine in february? sounds like it would be a good time.
ps. (qwerty) nothing like making it easy to type/ and remember

[JoeRainville]

Hey Guys,

Most that guessed got my question pretty much right. Kawi "square block" 440 and 530cc motors were never used in Deere sleds. Kawi used them in the 81-82 LTD and 82 Interceptor "550". I wasn't counting the T-7 based dual carb Intruder since Deere did use a single carb F/C T-7 in the Sport, but it's also a correct answer.

Differances from a Kawi Intruder to a Sportfire: Both were 440cc "T-7" type motors, but as stated above the Kawi sled had dual carbs, and a jackshaft driven oil injection pump like Liquifire/Invader Used. Kawi also mounted the motor by the ends like the Invader.

Yup, you guys got it right about Allouette, Chappy and Ski-Roule all having IFS racers, but failed to capitalize on it for the consumer market. Looking at IFS Chappy parts is amost scary to how simular it was to the 1980 Indy...considing the first ones were built in 72.

Yes, "Das Brute" was the first consumer available L/C sled in both twins and tripple. I belive Brutanzia Corp. was started by disgruntled Polaris employees.

The largest T-7 based Kawi motor was the 650cc "Sno Pro" used by Team Arctic in 1975. Only a handfull built. The tripple 650 F/A was called a T-8, and the Square Block 530 was not a T-7.

Doc Jim is Larry Prestons brother from www.vintagesleds.com. Doc reciently joined up over here after taking a slight interest in Deere sleds.

RP: Your busted on a few things. All the Deere's do not use the same cam sliders. The early gen Sally's used different ones from the Comet 90-D's vs. Deere's reverse cam secondary. The later Deere's from around 82 or 83 through 84 used 3 bolt wear bars vs. two for the older ones.

Late Liquidator,
-Rainville

[basketdators]

- Name re-badged Polaris ,and who sold them?
- Was the Moto-ski bullet a direct drive?
-What farm implement manufacturers built snowmobiles? Besides JD.
-Wild One snowmobiles were built in Regina Sask late 60's and early 70's. What famous American company built the building where they were made? What did they manufacture there?
FIII- silence!!

[_FIII]

Ha HA

That last one is tough. Don't know if anyone will get that.

[Rodimus Prime]

gone

[River Rat]

Question One ?????? Q-2..Yes Q-3 Massey Q-4..I'm thinking maybe alouette?? I think it had yammi motor..


:huh: Frankie

[Liquifire 4/6]

Basketdadtor, here's my guesses

Polaris rebadged sleds: Hiawatha, Eatons Viking & Eatons Power King, several Sears sleds from around 67-69, Homelite, later Larson models, Marshall Wells, Sno-Trac, Autoboggans (they were rebadged Polaris Sno Travellers sold in Canada), Canab (also rebadged Sno Travellers marketed in Europe), also in Sweden, a company called Aktiv sold some Polaris ( & Cat) sleds under their own name.

Moto Ski Bullet: I vaquely remember hearing something about that sled and I know it had some unique feature for it's time. Mighta been that it was direct drive, but the thing that stands out in my memory was that it used some type of early fuel injection system.....maybe I'm mistaken though

Farm Implement manufacturers (besides JD) that marketed sleds: Massey Ferguson (Ski Whiz), Smith Roles (they sold a variety of short line type farm equipment such as swath rollers and moisture testers, but also sold Roll O flex sleds under their own brand name), Roll o Flex ( known better for their sleds, but also made some sort of tiller or harrow), Hustler & Rustler (built by Allied Farm Equipment), 1970 Snow Eagle built by McCormack International ( it was more of an ATV than a sled, but it had tracks, so I guess it counts), Robin-Nodwell (built a sled called a Sno Scoot in the mid 60's and also built some farm tractors, thouh the company was better known for it's heavy duty tracked vehicles),and finally, Polaris Industries ( I believe they got their start building combine straw choppers & grain augers)

What famous American company built the Roll o Flex plant in Regina: Darned if I know, so I'll take a shot in the dark. How about maybe it was originally a Coca Cola bottling plant????????? lol

[_FIII]

-Wild One snowmobiles were built in Regina Sask late 60's and early 70's. What famous American company built the building where they were made? What did they manufacture there?
FIII- silence!!

A hint- the building was built for the war effort

[Liquifire 4/6]

A hint- the building was built for the war effort

could it have been Boeing?

[_FIII]

It was an assembly line for General Motors during WWII. It is on Winnipeg Street if your ever in town. Can't miss it, it's the building a half block wide by two long.

[JoeRainville]

I was wondering if it was an old GM plant that built Rollo's. Very cool trivia.

As for the longest running name plate in the industry, has to be Cat's Panther. Although they didn't build them in the US from 82-83, they were built by Aktiv under licence back then in Europe. So, I "think" the Pather was in regular production from 1967 (not including the 1966 pilot built of 21 or so) to current times. That would be about 40 years straight!

RP: I am pretty sure Deere make 3 stud skags and carbide for the later years sled. I will check my 82-84 sleds. I may have just been that the ski's had 3 holes in them too.

More off beat trivia:

Name what sled companies were either directly or indirectly absorbed by Cat and Polaris.

What drive lug pitch did Deere abandon after 78, only to become the industry standard years later? (This should be an easy one!)

A few Deere ones for the new guys:

Name the only Deere to have optional suspensions:
Extra Credit: Name them:

Only Deere to have dual pipes factory:

First Deere with Mikuni Carberation:

First Deere with CDI?

First Deere with aluminum centered bogies: (Ask Lindner if you don't know this one!)

Name the lowest production number Deere sled:
Extra credit: 2nd and 3rd lowest:

Later Liquidator!
-Rainville


B)

[Liquifire 4/6]

Rainville, I don't know if you'd term it "absorbed" when a sledbuilder builds sled under contract for another company, but I'm guessing that counts too. Here's my guesses: Arctic Cat---Rupp, Scorpion, Boa Ski (I know I'm missing lots here)
Polaris---- John Deere & all the other makes I mentioned earlier

I'll leave the JD questions for the new guys to answer, partly out of being a sport, but more because I don't know many of the answers

I had no idea that Aktiv actually built Panthers during Arctic Cat's vacation. You know your stuff, Joe!

[JoeRainville]

Hey Pete,

You missed two that Cat indirectly absorbed. Scorpion bough out Massey Fergison, as all the later Ski-Wizz models were built by Scorpion, and Scorpion bought out Brute too, and even built Scorpion Bruts for a year or two, and even had a Massey version, called the Cyclone I think.

So, Cat ended up with Massey and Brute by absorbing Scorpion in the late 70's.

Thanks for the compliment, but many of the other question stumped me too. I knew Polaris built lots of sleds under contract, but I didn't know it was that many obscure brands!

Cat also assembed Rupp, Sno*Jet and some Kawi sleds too, but they were not re-badged Cats like the Suzuki Fury and the Scorpion Sidewinder were. But, I don't think Cat absorbed Rupp, I think they just went out in 78.

And, of course Polaris purchased the Deere sled line. Feb 22nd, 1984 the anouncement was made, and I am almost over it, but still holding a grudge


:huh:

-Rainville


B)

[Spitfire79]

Hey Guys, this is all very interesting. Some great and extensive knowledge out there.

As far as track widths, didn't Sno-Cruiser hav a 30" track width? My dad had one on the farm he used for hauling wood, hay, etc with. Super heavy, built like a tank and not much faster, but lots of pulling power.

Jeff