It is always exciting to see the weather change from the hot humid days of summer to the cooler mornings of late August and early September. Just this past week we were up in the Western U.P. of Michigan (a great place to vacation in the summer as well as the winter) and the one morning when we woke up it was only 39 degrees out. For some strange reason my thumb started twitching, must be a reflex or something. The days start to get shorter, the air gets dryer and cooler, and the one that really gets me excited – some of the new sleds start to show up at the dealerships.

Driving past an Arctic Cat dealer this week we noticed a brand new 2012 PRO-CLIMB sled sitting there. Damn near drove off the road as my head cranked around. Everyone in the car thought I must have seen a naked lady or something by my reaction. Even though I have seen and ridden various forms of prototype Cats last winter, to see an actual production sled sitting out in front of a dealer was still thrilling. OK, maybe I’m not normal, at least that’s what most people tell me, but we’re snowmobilers and by that alone we’re not normal. We’re unique and different. Think about it. We get excited when several feet of snow fall and we get to go outside for an entire day in sub-zero temperatures, and enjoy it. We actually look forward to it. That’s not normal.

Or maybe it’s the countdown that starts right about this time of year. I like to post a great big number on the wall that shows how many days are left until December 1st. That’s the day the trails (could) officially open in Michigan and Minnesota, where we do most of our riding and testing. Once we get down to about 100 days the countdown begins. On August 31st you have 91 days ‘till December 1st (30 days in September, 31 days in October and 30 days in November).

That means any service work that needs to be done that takes time should get on the schedule. Shock rebuilds are going to need to get done. Time to order hyfax and wear bars so we get them before the stock runs low. Time to get enough oil to last the winter. Order the windshields and whatever else we need for accessories.

And then the best part – the new long term test sleds start to show up. We maintain a fleet of several long term test sleds, with eight to ten brand new sleds each and every winter, along with the stable of “measuring sticks” – sleds that are carried over from the year before, or many years, because they are too good to let go. We keep them around to compare the new sleds to so we can be sure as to how good they all are (or in some cases how they do NOT measure up to the hype).

I’m sure you’re curious as to what we plan on testing all winter long – the 2012 Long Term Test Sleds. We hope to have one of the new Ski-Doo MXZ X-package sleds with the rMotion rear suspension in it, with a 600 E-TEC. This rear suspension was most impressive during early testing, able to go through rougher terrain faster and with less disruption than any other sled tested. For our long-distance trail riding we hope to get our hands on one of the Ski-Doo GSX SE sleds with the 800R E-TEC. This was a sleeper in spring testing, super capable and so very comfortable, a groomed trail riders delight. All BS aside, this sled was unbelievable and hardly anyone knows about it.

Then we have those horny-looking new Arctic Cats. The longer tracked XF Turbo SnoPro is high on our list, as was an XF 800 two-stroke. Maybe an F 800 in a shorter track. They’re all going to be good runners for our type of riding. The riding position is perfect, steering light, ride quality what we expect from Cat – smooth and compliant.

Yamaha is most likely going to see a RS Vector of some sort head our direction. We had an Apex SE last winter, and it was the best Yamaha we’ve had in a number of years. With the addition of power steering to the RS Vector it is the logical choice for us to stay on top of the new and different.

Polaris has a new Switchback for 2012, several of them. The RUSH models have been somewhat lacking the past two seasons, great bump sleds but they still pushed through the corners, something they seem to have gotten better at for 2012 now with the suspension changes. But we like long tracks, so we hope to do some testing on a Switchback Adventure (really the only high-performance groomed trail sled they offer) and maybe a Pro-R 800 Switchback to keep up (or try to) with the XF Turbo.

That’s about all for now from SnowTech central. We’re sorting through the information trying to give you another great magazine full of unique perspective and inside information so you can better enjoy the sport and to help you make more informed decisions. The October-November issue comes off the press in late September so subscribers should get it by the end of September and into the first week of October, and it always takes longer for them to get into the far reaches of Canada. We hope you enjoy reading it as much as we enjoy preparing it. Ride on.

It is always fun when people ask us, “What do you guys do in the summer?”

Sure, we’re a snowmobile magazine, so the question and curiosity is logical. They often wonder if we have some other publication, or some other business venture that keeps us busy during the no-snow months of the year.

In fact, publishing SnowTech is our primary and full-time occupation. That’s not to imply we work full-steam ahead 52 weeks a year at it, at least not all of us at the same time. We do get the chance to relax and take a sigh of relief from about mid-April to mid-June, but other than that it is full-steam ahead the only thing we do. Snowmobiles.

Maybe they’re asking us what we do for fun the rest of the time. Some of our staff are avid bass fisherman, both sport and tournament, outfitted with Ranger boats and Evinrude E-TEC motors. Big ones (225 & 250). And they really work good for us. At least these new ones. The earlier ones with the old-style injectors were not as good, for sure.

Since we live in the Minnesota lakes area, we really enjoy being on the water when possible. Anything from kayaking to paddleboats to fishing to pontoon rides, or just plain swimming. It is a way of life around here for us just like snowmobiling. We still have a couple of GTX RFI Sea-Doo personal watercraft (the first SDI motors), but they have not seen as much use the past few summers with everything else that has been keeping us busy.

What about ATVs? We have some of those too, right now we’re down to a Yamaha Grizzly, a couple of Arctic Cats and an old Honda TRX. Can’t kill them old Hondas, they just seem to keep going and going. That’s why we ride Honda dirt bikes as well – and we have a really good Honda bike dealer locally (we lost our local Yamaha dealer, bad deal). We’ve had several side-by-side UTVs as well, from the Yamaha Rhino to Arctic Cat Prowlers to a three-cylinder John Deere (very tough machine).

And of course there are the Spyders. Both of the 2008s now have over 20,000 miles on them, with over 8,000 this summer alone. The cool year earlier this summer made for some sweet riding, from the Dakotas to Wisconsin and the U.P. of Michigan.

Those who walk into our modest shop are always delighted to see the mix of machines in and around the place. Boats, trailers, bikes, Spyders, and of course the place is still crammed with sleds. A couple of Ski-Doo E-TECs (the current industry standard in our eyes), a couple of trailing arm Yamahas, a 2002 BLADE (that hasn’t run much for maybe four years), an old Arctic Cat Z 440 (kid sled) and a red and black 2011 Polaris RMK 800. Just haven’t been able to part with this sled quite yet. It’s the standard model, not the Pro, so it is somewhat Spartan in many respects (shocks, fuel gauge) but use it in the conditions it is designed for – deep snow – and it excels.

But now that August is almost upon us, it is time to quit catching up on everything else (like servicing the trailers) and time to get back into the snowmobile mindset. We continue to scour the information we have accumulated and find the latest and greatest in technology to explain and introduce. Or shall we say, sort through the hype and B.S. and explain it in easier to understand “how does it apply to you” terms. We firmly believe in providing accurate information so you can better figure it out for yourself. We report the facts, honestly and fairly, and share our own knowledge and experience so you can benefit from it. That formula has worked well for us for over 40 years and has evolved into a trusted and respected voice.

Well, it has quit raining here for the first time in many days, so it is time to fire up a Spyder and go out for a ride. Not quite snowmobiling, but pretty dang close. If it gets hot we’ll hop on the watercraft. When it cools down we’ll go ride dirt bike. When it snows, then it really gets fun. The desire to ride must be hard-wired into our being. Doesn’t really matter if it has a throttle or not, it’s all good. The sense of exploration and adventure is a thrill every time out – what is over the next hill, what is around the next corner, always seeking new places and new experiences.

Time to ride.

It’s amazing what good snow early in the season does for the snowmobile industry. We tend to call it “White Gold” falling from the sky. Anytime you get decent snowfall before Christmas, the entire industry seems to take a collective sigh of relief It’s amazing what good snow early in the season does for the snowmobile industry.

The economy types keep telling us we should have hit bottom by now and things should be looking up, but for many of you that just hasn’t happened yet. New snowmobile sales slid yet again last season, down to just over 60,000 new units. This was past what many of us thought would be the bottom (80,000 units). Many dealers, however, did a great job at getting rid of their non-currents and used sleds, which always take away some from new sales.

This coming season, actual snowfall is (again) going to have more to do with the situation than anything else. We do know that snowmobile registrations continue to be strong and keep rising, so all of the sleds are still being readied for the coming season. This is a good sign.
Based on the response we received from our latest SnowTech reader survey (sent out to a random few thousand, not every single reader) your enthusiasm remains high and you still plan on going snowmobiling. You (basically) told us that you would rather eat hot dogs and rice than give up your slush fund for sledding.

At least the low gas prices (compared to last year) are in our favor. And if fewer people are buying new sleds, their existing equipment is going to have get some work done. As you can see from the advertising in this issue, the snowmobile aftermarket is (overall) still quite strong. They also know that there is an opportunity in this black cloud. More out-of-warranty sleds typically means more bolt-ons and go-fast parts will be sold.

That’s the way we look at things. One person’s misery is yet another’s opportunity. We run a tight ship around here, because we’ve seen the snowmobile industry have its share of ups and downs over the past 42 years that we’ve been doing this. Sure, the OEMs might be advertising less overall this year and many aftermarket shops have trimmed their budgets, but not with SnowTech. They know this is where they find the sport’s most intense readers and the most active snowmobilers, the guys who would rather give up most anything else OTHER than snowmobiling. This is still your escape, your way to get away from it all. You are the passionate ones who keep this sport alive and clicking, and our advertisers know this.

But through all of this fog we should try to concentrate on the future. The future of snowmobiling lies more in the hands of the youth and newcomers. You guys reading this are going to be on a snowmobile, hell or high water, but what about those who might want to get into snowmobiling? They don’t have the fire burning within them like we do, and they have so many other interests tugging at their time and money. We have to take them into our sport and mentor them. Invite them along for a ride. Show them where to park, where to get gas, where to ride (and where not to go). Make it easier for them to enjoy the sport. Help them find a good clean sled and show them what they should do to make it really work. Each and every one of them could become as passionate about snowmobiling as you and I, given the chance. Let’s not have these current tough times douse their flame of desire. Without new blood, snowmobiling has no future.

- Kevin Beilke

It’s kind of funny, almost comical, to see and hear the reaction and predictions of non-snowmobilers towards our sport in these times of high fuel prices. Some of them actually think that we’re just going to give up and go away. This simply demonstrates how little they actually know and understand us in the first place.

Many will slowly change their habits, a process that humans are quite adept at; I call it “improvise and adapt”. So, gas prices are pretty high. Do you really think that somebody who loves to snowmobile (like all of us, evidenced by reading a publication like SnowTech) are really going to roll over and walk away from their passion? It will be one of the LAST things they give up, not the first. Instead, we will all improvise and adapt.

Instead of going for a 250 mile ride on a given day, we might start later, end earlier, ride slower, and ride fewer miles. Instead of making numerous weekend trips from Friday to Sunday over the course of a winter, we might make fewer trips for more days to reduce the travel expense. Instead of hauling your sleds back and forth, you might leave them there and just transport the riders. Instead of trailering to far away riding areas, we might tend to stay closer to home.          Instead of riding a ten-year old sled without powervalves, we will ride a newer four-stroke machine, or one of the newer two-strokes with almost twice the fuel economy of the older technology. From transfer-port injection to the all-new direct-injection technologies, snowmobile fuel economy has almost doubled in the past ten years – yet our industry is rarely recognized for such a monumental improvement.

And yes, there will likely be a trend away from the one-ton and 3/4 ton trucks that some of us drive, back down to 1/2 ton and unibody-style trucks that are lighter and get better fuel economy. And some of us will get rid of their trucks altogether and be more like the Europeans, using a car to pull a trailer. Most cars have at least a 1,000 pound tow capacity with no trailer brakes. Add brakes to the trailer and a tranny cooler and the towing capacity rises.

The fact of the matter is that just because fuel prices are higher than they have been in the past doesn’t mean the passionate snowmobiler is going to fade away. Quite the contrary. We will work harder and smarter, and we will improvise and adapt. Maybe we will see consumer demand go back to wanting smaller, lighter sleds with more fuel efficient engines, as this trend is already in place. Sales of the 600cc class sleds remains strong, but it wasn’t too many years ago that a 600 was considered “big”. By today’s standards, a 600 is considered “small”. Ski-Doo enjoys great demand with their 500SS models, which are actually a fuel-efficient 600cc liquid-cooled CARBURETED two-stroke that gets fuel economy remarkably close to the all-new direct-injection ETEC models. The difference isn’t as huge as you might think, except in the $$$ each costs.

Polaris knows their Indy 500 was one of the best selling snowmobiles of all time, and they would love to re-introduce that kind of model to the industry once again. Light, agile, responsive, and inexpensive, an Indy 500 could get you up to 70-75 mph with plenty of acceleration and not drain the fuel tank as quickly as a sled with twice the horsepower. Maybe the time is right for their “new” Indy 500 to be introduced.

Yamaha is poised well, with their efficient Phazer models. The 500cc four-strokes really do sip the fuel, and while they’re not 100 mph rockets, you can throw them around and have a complete and total riot riding them, especially in pairs. We love them for paint-swapping tight quarters riding, almost like going to a high-powered go-kart track.

Even Arctic Cat has kept a fuel-efficient 500cc in their line, with the single-throttle body F5 that still gives you a respectable 80 HP but does so with economy in mind, instead of blistering acceleration.

And with even more EPA rules coming for 2010, the sled offerings and the average fuel economy are only going to get better. Remember, the EPA snowmobile rules were brought about VOLUNTARILY by the snowmobile manufacturers.

Point is, all of the snowmobile manufactures are capable of building sleds that we are willing to buy. As our habits change, so will what they offer. Snowmobiling is healthy and here to stay, make no doubt about it. It will simply be a matter of improvise and adapt.

By Kevin Beilke

Each year when we get the chance to see and ride the prototypes of next year’s snowmobiles, we continue to be amazed at the time and effort that each manufacturer puts into their line-up for the next season. It used to be that introductions with huge changes only happened every few years, but lately it seems like each OEM is coming out with something really wild quite a bit sooner. We are truly privileged to be able to attend the new model presentations, ride some of the prototype hardware and report to you what our impressions are. And, most of the time, the full-build production sleds in the fall are fairly close to what we report on so you can make informed buying decisions. That is our goal.

New sled sales haven’t been exactly been on fire, but in our neck of the woods used sleds and carry over units went out the door faster than they have in several years. Many buyers walked into a dealership for the first time in many years and about fell over when they saw the sticker prices on the new sleds, the HP numbers, and the overall bulk and massiveness of the new iron. Whatever happened to the $4,000-$5,000 machines? This is what happens when the casual riders, the ones that come and go with the snow, come out of the woodwork.

The OEMs have been forced to build what they can sell, and in years of low snow they build what the hard core riders, people like you (qualified by reading a techie magazine like this) want to buy. We’re the ones they have always been able to count on, regardless of local riding conditions. But as this demographic ages (and shrinks), the manufacturers try to guess on how to expand the market for the future. What types of products will again create higher demand (and sales and profits)?

To this end, there is a concerted effort to revitalize the market and bring new riders into the sport. To a point, this has more to do with good snow than product offering, but it really came to light with the likes of the Ski-Doo Freestyle last season. Cheaper, lower powered sleds have long been the “old” stuff, but not any more. This new breed is hi-tech smaller and lighter, and the kicker; more affordable.

Yamaha jacks this effort up a notch for 2007 with their outstanding Phazer models, starting with a retail price of $6,399 (low by today’s standards). Radical styling like this is sure to appeal to younger riders who don’t have as much jing in their pockets as the rest of us, but these sleds can be appreciated by all of us.

In our own test fleet, one of the best bang for the buck sleds we have is a 2006 Ski-Doo MX Z Trail (500 SS) that retailed for $6,649. This was $3,100 less than a MX Z Adrenaline 800 H.O. that looks (and functions) nearly identically in many respects. Most anyone can hop on it and have a riot riding it, and there’s no need to break the bank doing it. This is no slow-poke, it is a 100+ HP hi-tech sled at a great price; that’s value.

The good thing for consumers is the competition keeps the OEMs working hard to provide better product at competitive prices. There is no need to have to buy a $10,000 sled that is capable of going well over 100 mph to have hi-tech fun.

Case in point; the “Indy Lite Rally” that used to be held at our local Polaris dealer. Some of us would get together (informally) and all hop on 340 Indy Lites and race up to the state park and back. Wide open throttle, drive with your brake, one of the funnest rides of the year. You could manhandle those little light sleds, throw them around instead of being thrown around, laughing all the way. Less seriousness; more casual fun.

Now, it looks like the days of smaller, lighter, and full-of-fun sleds are coming back. Maybe the less expensive sleds aren’t for you, but you’re going to see a bunch of them out on the snow next season, with their owners having a riot. New riders want to be comfortable, not have the hell scared out of them, so if you introduce somebody new to the sport, keep this in mind if you ever want them to come back and do it again.

After talking at great length to somebody from a California toy importer not too long ago, I realized what a difficult question this is to answer; what is snowmobiling?

The toy manufacturer was simply trying to get a better understanding of the sport. Being from southern California, their exposure to our sport was mostly from ski hills and magazines. So in the course of their research, they happened to call SnowTech.

I started out by explaining how snowmobiling had started out primarily as a means of winter transportation and utility, but now days the basis was more the “sport” aspect. I laid out the typical usage, with around 75% of the users (midwest and east) riding on a vast interconnected groomed trail network, like a system of backcountry highways groomed by ski hill groomers (easy for him to understand). Then in the western states where snow was more plentiful (as well as public land) users were more typically explorers and freestylers, riding off trail when possible, using the groomed trails primarily as a means to get to the “good stuff”.

Next I was asked about racing. They wanted to make some toy snowmobiles and, of course, the racing image was important. How were snowmobiles used in racing?

This was an even more diverse answer than that of usage. We have snow cross, a closed-course version of motocross with bumps, jumps, and plenty of tight left-right action, usually in a stadium or other setting that was conducive to large crowds of spectators.

But there were also ice ovals, enduros and cross-county racing, as well as hill climbs, water cross (he had a hard time comprehending that one) and the one he fully understood – drag racing. Until I told him we do it on the snow, on ice, on grass, and yes, even on water.

I also explained how snowmobiling was enjoyed by the young and the old; that it was both a family sport and one of the boys, the weekend warriors if you will. It was work and play. It was both escape and competition. It was the lifeblood of the economy in many rural areas during the winter months. And even when people can’t actually ride a snowmobile on snow, they will do all sorts of things simply as an excuse to get together with and talk about snowmobiling with others who feel the same way. This is how I justified the grass drags and the watercross events, as well as the vintage shows.

The gentleman on the other end of the phone was quite impressed. His prior vision of our sport had been muddied by general perceptions of noisy, smoky machines that chased animals and terrorized the winterscape. What he now envisioned was a complete society of polite, friendly northerners who liked to share their passion with those they enjoyed spending time with, regardless.

So what is snowmobiling? It continues to evolve. It is many different things to many different people. But to all of them, it is fun. That’s why we do it.

Kevin Beilke

One of the concepts that busy lifestyles seem to overlook is that of “balance”. Think of it as a “give and take”, where one needs to balance their taking and consuming with giving and producing. If everyone was a “taker”, who would do all of the giving?

This fundamental principal applies to snowmobiling. Every time we ride a groomed trail, a club spent hours brushing, grooming and maintaining it for your enjoyment. But what did you give in return?

Most riders believe it is their tourism dollar that is their form of “giving”, or their trail permit that should be enough. Fact is, these dollars don’t make it often enough to the club who does all of the work. They need you on THEIR membership list. Are you?

Why is it so many snowmobilers do not belong to a local snowmobile club of any sort, either where they live or ride? Nor do they belong to a state snowmobile association. Nor do they belong to a fight-to-ride group or land use group, like the Blue Ribbon Coalition. With the amount of money invested in the toys, wouldn’t you think each and everyone of us would be doing everything possible to ensure the continued access to the land and trails we hold so dear to our hearts?

Here’s our challenge; every one of us needs to increase our memberships in all of these organizations. Strength is in numbers, and snowmobilers are grossly outnumbered when it comes to political issues that are dealt with on a daily basis by all of these organizations.

Further, each of us needs to lean on our riding buddies to do the same. Anytime you go somewhere and enjoy the land or the trails they have to offer, it is the LEAST you can do to join their club. Clubs are not for the locals only, they should be joined by everyone who rides in that area! You may not be able to volunteer your labor to help maintain and groom the trails, but you can sure show your support in the form of joining and contributing.

Ideally, it could become near cult-status to be a member in more clubs than anyone else you know. This should be sheik, a cool thing to boast about, that you are such a staunch supporter of your sport that you belong to clubs in four or five states! Don’t stop with the local clubs, join the state snowmobile associations also. They need your name on a “paid” list to demonstrate their support in their political battles, fighting to keep the land you use open for future generations. They also need your money to fight the mounting legal battles against well-funded city-slickers who don’t have a clue what really happens in the forest, but are so gullible to contribute to every “save the forest” campaign that shows up in their mailbox or at their door.

Most local club memberships amount to a measly $20, as do most state associations. If this is too much to ask for to support the club that grooms the trails you ride on, then maybe you shouldn’t have bought such expensive equipment!

I can already hear the whiners now. “We already pay registration fees, gas taxes, and we spend gobs of cash in their communities at the motels, food & drink establishments and on gas. They already get a bunch of our money!-Do you really think much of that cash ever sees the clubs and state associations we’re talking about? Yes, gas tax revenues and trail permits do end up fueling the grooming funds in many areas, but with something like only 3% of northern states’ populations involved in the sport of snowmobiling, those who support us and provide the path of enjoyment for all of us need our help. Yes, you spend a lot of money on this sport already, but an attitude of complacency is only going to catch us all flat-footed. When you pull up to your “favorite trail” only to find a “closed” sign on it because some new landowner shut us out, don’t complain. Don’t complain when a law is changed regarding where and when we can ride. It happened to personal watercraft, and it can happen to us. Curfews are already being imposed in some areas, how far behind could outright closure be?

If we can afford all of the cash it takes to buy our adrenaline-infused toys, then we can squeeze out a few extra bucks and add our names to the lists of those who are doing their part. Clubs could provide stickers or something that could be worn or displayed like stars on a general (remember all of the club patches riders used to sew onto their nylon suits back in the late 60s & early 70s?). He who wears the most stars should be held in high regard, as they clearly care for the future of our sport enough to take the time and effort to be counted.

I’ll be the first to admit that local clubs really don’t do a great job at making visitors aware of who they are and how to join, but stop in and talk to any of the businesses who are map advertisers and they usually will know the info you are seeking.

It is the hard-cores, the readers of SnowTech, that continue to provide the fuel for the fire in this sport. SnowTech readers are the ones who continue to buy new sleds, regardless of what they see outside their windows at home. We know there is good snow somewhere, and we’re willing to go find it. We truly are a special and unique group, and we need to flex our muscle and show everyone just how special we really are. Don’t be a cheapskate or freeloader. An investment in our clubs and associations is an investment in our own future and the future of this sport.