It's been a while since we've seen any news on Deeres alliance w/ bombardier, and info on the wildfire. What I've found out is that they still have 20 or so brand new fire series sleds at polaris in roseau.....but there was apparently never a wildfire there. What I was told was that all of these fire series were being produced w/ IFS, and Polaris was actually producing their sleds with Deere's technology. This would mean that eventually if Deere kept making sleds that the fire series would have had IFS. He showed me exactly why things on the belly pan were shaped like they were, why there is a certain flat spot by the vent in the LF belly pan..... These sleds are apparently going to be crushed soon for some reason, and he knows a guy who knows a guy who is trying to acquire these 20 or so sleds. Apparently Deere still has the ellusive wildfire in their possesion. I don't believe this 100%, or even 50%, but it's another exciting tale of some of the things that happened behind closed doors in Horicon. I'd be curious to know more info on these IFS fire series and if we'll ever see a leaping deere on a sled again.
~Jack Durand
New Deeres/Wildfire
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guitardude081
- Posts: 990
- Joined: Sun Sep 11, 2005 12:00 am
- Real Name: Jack Durand
- Location: Brainerd, MN
New Deeres/Wildfire
Owner, Durand Motorsports
1980 Trailfire 340 (Grandpa bought new)
1983 Trailfire LX
1982 Spitfire (Grandpa bought new)
(3)1974 295/S
1975 340/S
2020 Polaris Indy 600 XC 129 40th Anniversary Edition
1980 Trailfire 340 (Grandpa bought new)
1983 Trailfire LX
1982 Spitfire (Grandpa bought new)
(3)1974 295/S
1975 340/S
2020 Polaris Indy 600 XC 129 40th Anniversary Edition
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Horicon Joe
- Posts: 1091
- Joined: Mon Jul 18, 2005 12:00 am
- Real Name: Joe Wanie
- Location: ROLLING PRAIRIE WI
New Deeres/Wildfire
Jack .. Thanks for the post ....... I always like hearing about this type of scuttle butt .......
I know we lost all the posts on this topic so I will recap what I wrote about this about a year ago.
What I have heard about the "Wildfire" is that after Deere sold out to Polaris, one of them went into private hands around Horicon ..... nobody seems to know for sure. The gentleman shown in this picture told me first hand that he drove and tested the piss out of two of these machines. They were prototype independent front suspension machines that exactly reflected the patent shown on the US patent site and I thought they had pictures on this site as well. They were made from the 84 Liq body with a 540 fan cooled Kawasaki engine in them. They also had modified suspensions in them. They only made two and that is basically all I ever heard.
Joe
I know we lost all the posts on this topic so I will recap what I wrote about this about a year ago.
What I have heard about the "Wildfire" is that after Deere sold out to Polaris, one of them went into private hands around Horicon ..... nobody seems to know for sure. The gentleman shown in this picture told me first hand that he drove and tested the piss out of two of these machines. They were prototype independent front suspension machines that exactly reflected the patent shown on the US patent site and I thought they had pictures on this site as well. They were made from the 84 Liq body with a 540 fan cooled Kawasaki engine in them. They also had modified suspensions in them. They only made two and that is basically all I ever heard.
Joe
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New Deeres/Wildfire
Horicon Joe:
Hello Joe: Could one of you Horicon guys track down Stan Hayes and get the real story on the Wildfire? See my prior post in FAQ regarding the Wildfire. To repeat, he is still apparently in Horicon and continued or continues to work at Deere after Deere went out of the sled business, his name is on the IFS patents, he was a factory racer for Deere as an employee running "research model Liquifires", and prior to that he was a factory sponsored racer for Mercury and Polaris, etc. He should know the Wildfire story. Several sled magazines have interviewed him in the past on the Deere Fire Series development and Deere's future sled plans current to the time of the Polaris buyout. He was quoted in an August 1993 Snow-Goer article (entitled Time Line) that the 3rd generation Liquifire would have been light weight, 500cc, IFS strut front suspension, long travel rear suspension and EFI.
TIMELINE Article From August 1993 Snow-Goer Magazine shown below, Last two paragaphs only
John Deere Liquifire
Nothing ran or handled like a Deere.
"..........What would the ' fire be like if it was still around today? Stan Hayes, who still works for John Deere in Horicon, Wisconsin, didn't skip a beat when we posed this question to him. He described an independent strut front end that was being tested back in the '80s. To complement the front, a long-travel rear would have to be utilized. Hayes indicated the emphasis would still be on an efficient, lightweight package. Meaning, he told us, that the engine would be a 500cc twin equipped with EFI. EFI??!!
Don't go looking for this machine in your local Deere dealer's showroom. It does not exist. The only deere born after 84 were of the four -legged flavor or ones that plowed fields or cut grass. John Deere is out of the snowmobile business, but the legacy of the Liquifrre lives on in the woods."
Hello Joe: Could one of you Horicon guys track down Stan Hayes and get the real story on the Wildfire? See my prior post in FAQ regarding the Wildfire. To repeat, he is still apparently in Horicon and continued or continues to work at Deere after Deere went out of the sled business, his name is on the IFS patents, he was a factory racer for Deere as an employee running "research model Liquifires", and prior to that he was a factory sponsored racer for Mercury and Polaris, etc. He should know the Wildfire story. Several sled magazines have interviewed him in the past on the Deere Fire Series development and Deere's future sled plans current to the time of the Polaris buyout. He was quoted in an August 1993 Snow-Goer article (entitled Time Line) that the 3rd generation Liquifire would have been light weight, 500cc, IFS strut front suspension, long travel rear suspension and EFI.
TIMELINE Article From August 1993 Snow-Goer Magazine shown below, Last two paragaphs only
John Deere Liquifire
Nothing ran or handled like a Deere.
"..........What would the ' fire be like if it was still around today? Stan Hayes, who still works for John Deere in Horicon, Wisconsin, didn't skip a beat when we posed this question to him. He described an independent strut front end that was being tested back in the '80s. To complement the front, a long-travel rear would have to be utilized. Hayes indicated the emphasis would still be on an efficient, lightweight package. Meaning, he told us, that the engine would be a 500cc twin equipped with EFI. EFI??!!
Don't go looking for this machine in your local Deere dealer's showroom. It does not exist. The only deere born after 84 were of the four -legged flavor or ones that plowed fields or cut grass. John Deere is out of the snowmobile business, but the legacy of the Liquifrre lives on in the woods."
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guitardude081
- Posts: 990
- Joined: Sun Sep 11, 2005 12:00 am
- Real Name: Jack Durand
- Location: Brainerd, MN
New Deeres/Wildfire
I like the info on the wildfire, EFI would have moved Deere so far ahead of anyone that they would still be the best today. What is the story on the alliance w/bombardier? Will we see a new Liquifire someday or do we just keep dreaming?
~Jack Durand
~Jack Durand
Owner, Durand Motorsports
1980 Trailfire 340 (Grandpa bought new)
1983 Trailfire LX
1982 Spitfire (Grandpa bought new)
(3)1974 295/S
1975 340/S
2020 Polaris Indy 600 XC 129 40th Anniversary Edition
1980 Trailfire 340 (Grandpa bought new)
1983 Trailfire LX
1982 Spitfire (Grandpa bought new)
(3)1974 295/S
1975 340/S
2020 Polaris Indy 600 XC 129 40th Anniversary Edition
-
Horicon Joe
- Posts: 1091
- Joined: Mon Jul 18, 2005 12:00 am
- Real Name: Joe Wanie
- Location: ROLLING PRAIRIE WI
New Deeres/Wildfire
Guy ....... I do know where Stan lives and the last time I stopped in he was not
around. I have been meaning to talk to him about a number of topics for some
time. He and his brother both worked at Deere during the glory days. There is a
picture of Stan in one of the sales brochures with a Spitfire in the back of his
pickup truck........ I think it is the 81 booklet. As far as the wildfire keeping them
in business is kind of a dream ...... It is known that Deere knew they were getting
out of the snowmobile business back in 81 and that is the big reason you did
not see any major fire series changes on these sleds as they coasted out of the
game .................
Joe
around. I have been meaning to talk to him about a number of topics for some
time. He and his brother both worked at Deere during the glory days. There is a
picture of Stan in one of the sales brochures with a Spitfire in the back of his
pickup truck........ I think it is the 81 booklet. As far as the wildfire keeping them
in business is kind of a dream ...... It is known that Deere knew they were getting
out of the snowmobile business back in 81 and that is the big reason you did
not see any major fire series changes on these sleds as they coasted out of the
game .................
Joe
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