Back to the Future: Poll

[gary_in_neenah]

Here's a chance to express your opinion and impress us with your knowledge of snowmobiles. Select which decade saw the most improvements and changes in snowmobiles. We'll break it out into the 60's, 70's, 80's, 90's and 2,000 to present day. We're talking Bogie Wheels to Rider Forward and the Lightweight 4 Strokes of today with everything inbetween.

So go ahead and vote your choice and tell us which 10 year period had the most change and improvement in our sport.

I'll go first, Giddyup!!

I chose the 70's because we went from Free Air to Liquid Cool and Bogies to Slide Rails. That was also the period of the "thinning of the herd", a lot of marginal manufacters dropped out of the business of building snowmobiles.

 

[jr37]

I chose the '60s because they pretty much got the ball rolling. Without the '60s we have no sleds.

 

[skiroule]

Boy, you’re asking a really tough question Gary. On the surface, it would be easy to claim the 2000’s because Ski-Doo literally changed the way we ride snowmobiles, but this was not the first revolution. Moving from the Sno-Travelers to the first generation of lighter, faster, designs in the late 60’s was no less significant. Even so, I’m voting for the 70’s.

The 70’s was the heyday of snowmobile manufacturing. I think there was something like 200 manufacturers and others such as Sears simply contracting for Sleds. It was awesome to get a fall snowmobiling magazine back then and see page after page of makes and models. Some of the coolest things came out of the 70’s: aluminum sub-frames, polycarbonate pans, slide rails, disc brakes, liquid cooling, etc., and not to be underestimated, styling. This decade changed the way we looked at the snowmobiles and the public began to take image into consideration.

It’s strange how it settled out. Some great sleds went by the wayside and in some cases these manufacturers came up with great ideas before the “Big Four”. It’s true that some were in it for the quick buck, some invested little in R&D, and others simply couldn’t establish the dealer network needed to survive but the vintage movement has proven that there are a lot of extinct sled brands that are highly valued.

I will say it was a great privilege to be part of this evolution and I’m extremely thankful that I was able to experience it first-hand.

 

[ezra]

03 hands down

 

[snoluver1]

03 hands down

X2. Love it or not, the Rev changed the game.

 

[xsledder]

I would say the eighties when more manufactures were adopting IFS. More engines were becoming oil injected. The rear travel was increasing from nothing to 6 to 8 inches of travel. The trail system was starting to become the complex system it is. You can ride from as far south as Elburn, Illinois, to Copper Harbor, Michigan, on a continuous trail. 100+ hp production snowmobiles were coming around. Better clutching. You could ride 100+ miles a day without much mechanical issues (normally none).

 

[ssdsts24]

X 2

i would say the eighties when more manufactures were adopting ifs. More engines were becoming oil injected. The rear travel was increasing from nothing to 6 to 8 inches of travel. The trail system was starting to become the complex system it is. You can ride from as far south as elburn, illinois, to copper harbor, michigan, on a continuous trail. 100+ hp production snowmobiles were coming around. Better clutching. You could ride 100+ miles a day without much mechanical issues (normally none).

 

[mjkaliszak]

In the 70's ( early ) a 643 Yama was a big sled top of the line . In the 90's the sleds manu's had 1000 cc's. But... as far as technology making leaps & bounds in 10 years... it has to be 2000+. ( JIMO ) we now have high-tech in almost every facet of the sled, heated seats, power steering, wraps/graphics,ski's,GPS,shocks,motors, and on & on.

 

[G]

'03. AC came with the F series which is still winning stock class drag races. Yami came with the RX 1 which is still your best bet if you want to anchor a barge. 'Doo came with the Rev which everyone else has copied in some fashion. And Pol came out with lumpy stickers for their hoods. Truly a banner year for the industry.

 

[oldguy]

My vote is for 2 decades. The 60’s went from snowshoes to the same basic design we have now. Motor on top of the skis. Seat on top of the track. CVT transmission hooked to a 2 or 4 stroke engine. Yes, they made huge jumps in technology from that basic design, but aside from a Raider or Manta, it’s the same concept.

The next giant leap in snowmobiling is in the 70’s. That is when they created the state supported snowmobile trail.