THE GOVERNOR Posted January 15, 2017 Share Posted January 15, 2017 After a following the OC website for the last year or so I thought I should join. I have snowmobiled for as long as I can remember, from riding if front of my Dad on frozen lakes in the Kawartha's in late 60's early 70's on our Snow Jet to renting a sled this season for a mid week romp in the Muskoka's. It's hard to stay away even when you don't own a sled anymore, anyways the title states what was your first sled? When I was 11 years old (1975) my dad bought me a 1972 Johnson Rampage. This Puke Green beast was my pride and joy, it's compression switch was a life saver when tying to turn over that single cylinder on a -20 morning. Drove this sled until my Dad bought me a 1974 Rotary combustion Evinrude Trailblazer (in 1978) with reverse, electric start and a cigarette lighter off our neighbour who worked for OMC in Peterborough. So what was the first sled that you remember? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
revrnd Posted January 15, 2017 Share Posted January 15, 2017 Welcome to OC. Where in the kawarthas did you ride as a kid? Our 1st sled was a '70 'doo Olympique 335 single. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
THE GOVERNOR Posted January 15, 2017 Author Share Posted January 15, 2017 Thanks revrnd, Pigeon Lake was our neck of the woods. My Dad had a 1979 Olympique 340 that we kept for 25 years, always turned over on the first pull, after the battery died. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Baylaker Posted January 15, 2017 Share Posted January 15, 2017 2000 SRX 700 for me, sure do miss it at times... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
extreme600 Posted January 15, 2017 Share Posted January 15, 2017 First sled I rode was a 1972 Sno Prince. Than I graduated to the 1974 440 Moto Ski. My parents also had an Evinrude. I think it was a 73 for some reason. First sled I purchased was a 1979 Polaris 340 TXL. My brother still has that one and runs it at least once a year. The good old days, no reverse, no hand warmers, no electric start, bogie wheels and ZERO suspension. The sno prince and evinrude use to take a lot of pulls to start. LOL Oh and the carb right at your crotch. Priceless. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
snowchopper Posted January 15, 2017 Share Posted January 15, 2017 Started riding when i was 5 years old with my parents. Parents got out of sledding when i was 16.Next winter when i was 17 i bought a used 1980 Blizzard 5500. It was three years old. Had a lot of fun with it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cuyuna Posted January 15, 2017 Share Posted January 15, 2017 Apart from a first ride on a Bolens HusSki "knee breaker" in the 60's, I got into snowmobiling for real when I traded a car for a pair of Scorpions in 1980. One was a 73 340 Stinger 340 and the other was a brand new 1980 Whip 440. I loved the Cuyuna 440. It is still my favourite. The Whip had these kind of weak rear coil springs for suspension that kept breaking and I received the nickname "Cuyuna Fats." The name has stuck for all of these years although I have encouraged the use of just Cuyuna now. I thought the Whip was the most advanced machine ever, until, a few years later, when getting some spare springs at the former Scorpion - then Polaris dealer - I encountered a gleaming 1984 Indy 600 LE. Triple, liquid cooled, IFS and drop-dead beautiful. I was hooked for life. (I am looking for a 1980 Whip 440 - or close - if anyone has one for sale ) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
manotickmike Posted January 15, 2017 Share Posted January 15, 2017 Bought a '72 440 TNT in '79 when I got my first "real" job ( Mitel Corp) and moved from the parental units place in the 'burbs out to the country where I felt I belonged. After a few weeks, I bought a '74 340 TNT fa so I could have something to ride when the other one was broken. Seemed to happen a lot. Mostly the ratchet and pawl mechanism, always took a few yanks to get things going. I sure learned a lot about repairing stuff in a short period of time. And scaring the crap out of myself. I'm glad I was more flexible back then. Some of the dismounts I had must have been spectacular. Might have contributed to my somewhat conservative style today. One thing I noticed after a LONG hiatus, 75 mph on a snowmobile is still fast. I just don't feel that death is imminent like it was on that '74. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Baylaker Posted January 15, 2017 Share Posted January 15, 2017 So glad I never had that privilege of having a carb right in front of me. Haha! Sometimes I can smell the exhaust on my gear from my fourstroke and I'm not a fan of it...lol Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cuyuna Posted January 15, 2017 Share Posted January 15, 2017 Having the carb right in front of you brought a new definition to the term crotch rocket. Especially with backfires and broken off covers ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RIVERMAN Posted January 15, 2017 Share Posted January 15, 2017 First ride was on a Snow Pony, first sled was a Boa Ski so long ago I don't remember what year they were. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chez-nous cest skidoo Posted January 15, 2017 Share Posted January 15, 2017 I started off by riding my neighbors sled at about 14, then my parents helped me to buy a " 1975 Olympic 300 twin deluxe " it was my pride & joy as it was just 2 years old & had only 750 miles on it. My first season i put 5700 MILES on it & had an absolute blast doing it. I owed it for two years, then sold it & bought a 1975 Acrtic Cat Pantera which i also owed for two years. Great thread ! cheers mike Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
snowowl Posted January 15, 2017 Share Posted January 15, 2017 My dad bought a 1970 panther in the fall of 1969 and it sparked my lifetime addiction to all things Cat. The picture is my restored '70. We ran it into the ground and it kept coming back for more (or I should say Dad would fix it so it could keep coming back for more). The first sled I bought with my own money was a 1979 eltigre 5000 free air. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wildbill Posted January 15, 2017 Share Posted January 15, 2017 1970 Moto Ski Zepher was a great old tank 400 cc JLO single between that and the 1970 Ski Doo Olymipique,1974 Ski Doo TNT 340 1976 Moto Ski Futura they sure taught me how to be a mechanic. Then I saw the light and got a cat Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
02Sled Posted January 15, 2017 Share Posted January 15, 2017 Damn we need more snow. I was tempted to say I found this picture of Bill and his first sled but that would make me evil. Time to go riding. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wildbill Posted January 15, 2017 Share Posted January 15, 2017 25 minutes ago, 02Sled said: Damn we need more snow. I was tempted to say I found this picture of Bill and his first sled but that would make me evil. Time to go riding. nope that guy is skinny. by the way up your giggy with a wire brush Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cuyuna Posted January 15, 2017 Share Posted January 15, 2017 up your giggy with a wire brush Now that's an expression that dates oneself ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
02Sled Posted January 15, 2017 Share Posted January 15, 2017 21 minutes ago, Wildbill said: nope that guy is skinny. by the way up your giggy with a wire brush have a great day Bill Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wildbill Posted January 15, 2017 Share Posted January 15, 2017 17 minutes ago, 02Sled said: have a great day Bill u2o2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
catinental couch Posted January 15, 2017 Share Posted January 15, 2017 First sled I drove,1967 Snow Cruiser. First sled I owned,1961 Snowbug rear engine West Bend. Next 1961 Skidoo tin cab, 7hp Kohler 4 stroke replaced by 10hp Rotax when the Kohler blew up. Many , many sleds since. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PISTON LAKE CRUISER Posted January 15, 2017 Share Posted January 15, 2017 First sled that I drove was my dad's Bolens Hus-Ski. I think it was a 1964 model. He got a 444 Hus-Ski about 1966 then a couple of 12 Hp. Elan's in 1971. First sled purchased was a 1973 Skidoo SS 250 Elan (twin carb). That Elan sure liked laying on its back! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Viperules700 Posted January 15, 2017 Share Posted January 15, 2017 My first sled was a Polaris starfire 250 Tx that I got used from my mom. It was still on trails until late 90's, when I sold it to a collector in U.S., after the engine went. Should have kept it and rebuilt it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Freedom Posted January 15, 2017 Share Posted January 15, 2017 First ride? 1965 Moto Ski ... don't know the model, we just called it "Thumper"... because it went thump thump thump up a hill and thump thump thump down a hill. Uncles and cousins all had varies years and models of Moto Ski... dad bought a 1969 Zepher in 1970. My first purchase was a 1971 Capri 400 with a 398 JLO... 28hp!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Big Pussy Posted January 15, 2017 Share Posted January 15, 2017 First sled I owned was a 74 Arctic Cat Lynx II 340. The thing still exists if there are any vintage builders here. Next was an 80 Pantera 5000 fan. Next was a 95 Wildcat Touring 700 EFI. Still ride it. Next was a 2001 Thundercat. Still ride it, love it. Now I have a 2015 XF7000 LXR. Still trying to make a sled out of it. BP Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Techdenis007 Posted January 15, 2017 Share Posted January 15, 2017 4 hours ago, manotickmike said: And scaring the crap out of myself. I'm glad I was more flexible back then. Some of the dismounts I had must have been spectacular. Might have contributed to my somewhat conservative style today. One thing I noticed after a LONG hiatus, 75 mph on a snowmobile is still fast. I just don't feel that death is imminent like it was on that '74. lol @ Dismounts !!! My first ride was either a 12/3 Olympic, or a Polaris Colt 295, we had both at the same time. Most likely the Colt, I think the 12/3 came a bit later. I was 5 or so. We'd ride out with mom and dad (with us in a homemade enclosed plexiglass covered sleigh) & the uncles and cousins, to a little trout lake not far North of Manitouwadge, they'd build a big bonfire, fish, we'd sip Baby Duck from the wineskin, and we'd play Indy 500 on the lake trying to avoid the fishing lines. A dozen kids on sleds going round & round... best childhood memories right there. First sled I owned was a JD295 on bogies, with a 340 Nuvik transplanted in it. I converted it to a Mikuni, it would cruise reliably at 60mph, all day long. Had a couple of TX & TX-L's after, beat a guy at a radar race in Virginiatown on a -31 day with the 340 TX, he was running a 400 Indy with a tuned pipe... I heard he sold it the next day .... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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