Motor Mouths

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Commence Winter: Hay Days 2014

Posted 2 years ago by Ross Halvorson

AmSnow is en route to Hay Days 2014 in North Branch, Minn. Will we see you there? The "official start of winter" is less than 48 hours away. In case you’re in need of some motivation, here are 10 reasons to attend this year’s event. 10. Ideal weather. We don’t want to jinx it, but the weatherman is calling for sunny skies and highs in the low-to-mid 70s. It doesn’t get much better than that! 9. Fair fare. In case you didn’t get your fill of cheese curd...

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AmSnow Adding More Race Coverage!

Posted 2 years ago by AmSnow

American Snowmobiler magazine is pleased to announce we will be doing even more race coverage this year. A new correspondent, Todd Myers, will be bringing our race fans even more in depth snowmobile racing coverage this season with blogs, articles and insights. “We’re very excited to have Todd as our eyes and ears on the race track this season,” said Ross Halvorson, AmSnow’s associate editor, “His experience and behind-the-scenes knowledge of various racing d...

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Polaris 800 H.O. Engine Update

Posted 2 years ago by Ross Halvorson

It’s rare for us to test a product in pre-production stages and have it hit the consumer market without any type of update or last minute tweak. So when we were summoned with the rest of the snowmobile media world to a conference call with Polaris engineers on Monday regarding the new 800 power plant. We were armed with pens in hand anxiously awaiting some juicy updates. We waited to hear the ‘big’ news, like new fuel mapping or perhaps even more weight savings, but the bi...

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Arctic Cat Recalls 2014 and 2015 Snowmobiles

Posted 2 years ago by Ross Halvorson

Arctic Cat has recalled model year 2014 Arctic Cat XF 7000 and ZR 7000 and model year 2015 XF 7000 and ZR 7000 snowmobiles. They were sold in a variety of green, black, orange and white color combinations. All XF and ZR 2014 models are included in this recall. Recalled 2015 model vehicles have the last six digits of the vehicle identification number (VIN) in the following ranges: 100920 through 100993 for the XF 7000 models and 100792 through 100919 for the ZR 7000. The fourth and fifth dig...

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New Lightweight Scale Rack and Ramps from Intercomp

Posted 2 years ago by Ross Halvorson

Intercomp Racing announces the release of their all new Quik Rack! This lightweight scale rack system is precision machined out of solid, super-dense foam and holds up to a 6,000 lbs. vehicle. It provides a lower-cost alternative to metal rack systems. The high grip, rugged exoskeleton provides additional reinforcement, won’t slip or slide out, and won’t mark-up or scratch floors. The system’s modular design makes it easy to set-up anywhere providing you with enhanced fl...

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Problem Solved! TurboSiphon Gets it Done

Posted 2 years ago by Ross Halvorson

Easy, safe and environmentally friendly are not typically associated with powersports, especially when we talk about fueling our sleds. The new TurboSiphon is about to change that! I’m sure 99 percent of you will agree the new gas cans we have these days are horrible. I’m not willing to rule out my own user error, but I have yet to find a new gas can with its fancy safety mechanism that actually makes fueling anything easier and safer. Lake, garage, yard, driveway, trailer, I’...

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Shape Up for the Season

Posted 3 years ago by Ross Halvorson

Being the best rider you can be is a year-round task for snowmobilers. Click here to find out how Klim riders Cole Wilford and Jared Sessions stay in peak riding condition so they’re ready to conquer the mountains when RMSHA season finally arrives!...

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AmSnow's Must-See Midwest Summer Snowmobile Events

Posted 3 years ago by Ross Halvorson

Searching for a cure for your summertime blues? Check out these must-see summer snowmobile events from the heart of the Midwest! First, I have to apologize as we’re a bit late on the uptake for this one. But the Three Lakes Shootout held in Three Lakes, Wis. (10 miles south of Eagle River) is just too much fun not to mention. Held in late June, it’s got almost anything a motor-head could want – planes, powerboats and sleds on a drag strip of some high quality H2O! There’...

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Canadian Snowmobile Trails Get a Boost

Posted 3 years ago by AmSnow

The Ontario Federation of Snowmobile Clubs (OFSC) announced a portion of the $10 million trail funding investment from the Canadian Government will be used to improve infrastructure of Ontario’s more than 30,000 km of Snowmobile Trails. “By investing in trail infrastructure, the Government of Canada is encouraging job creation, linking communities and increasing recreational opportunities for Canadians. Through this agreement, the Government of Canada continues to support economic g...

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AmSnow’s Top Summer Snowmobile Mods

Posted 3 years ago by AmSnow

3 shop sessions to get you ready for winterBy now you’ve undoubtedly taken all the steps to properly store you sled through the summer. So, are you just going to sit around waiting for snow? Heck, no! Read on to find out what AmSnow’s editors recently debated as their top three summer shop sessions to install new mods!What to do, what to doThe winter goes by in a blur, and all the while you’re thinking, ‘I’m going to do this, that and the other to my ride.’ Bu...

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When does snowmobile season start?

Posted 3 years ago by AmSnow

Have you ever wondered why snowmobile trails open when they do? Here are a few factors you might not know about that influence the start of the snowmobile season.As snowmobilers go, we’re ready to rip the pull cord at the first sight of flakes. (No that’s not snow in June, it’s the cottonwood trees seeding.) But hold your horses! Are your trails open yet? As the calendar reads, snowmobile season typically runs from December through the end of March. Weather permitting, of cours...

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Signs it’s Time to Replace your Track

Posted 3 years ago by AmSnow

Like the tires of a car, your snowmobiles track is what makes it go… and stop, turn, etc. And like a car’s tires, your track will eventually need to be replaced. Here’s how you’ll know when! It’s summer, unfortunately, but it’s a great time to check on pesky maintenance items like track-wear. Over the course of many seasons, tracks will eventually degrade… they just do. Being proactive about maintaining them will help prevent damage to your sled and p...

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Are 4-Strokes Really Closing the Gap?

Posted 3 years ago by Ross Halvorson

Many of the snowmobile industry’s biggest accomplishments in the consumer market can be traced back to the race tracks. We once again look to the track to see if there’s evidence of what all the media outlets (including AmSnow) have been saying recently. Are 4-stroke sleds really closing in on 2-stroke machines? Many of the consumers’ favorite snowmobile innovations have migrated from the track to the showroom. Much of our modern chassis, engines, suspensions and more started ...

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Snowmobile Trailer Maintenance

Posted 3 years ago by AmSnow

Once the snow is gone, it’s time to take inventory of all your equipment. There’s one very important piece that’s often overlooked by snowmobilers. What is it?Snowmobile trailers are often an afterthought! We go through sleds with a fine tooth comb changing oils, inspecting clutches, etc. I used to be a part of the group that paid no attention to trailers. It makes no sense when you think about it. Without our trailer, many of us don’t ride. It’s as essential to the...

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Another New Affordable BRP product - Outlander L

Posted 3 years ago by mboncher

In case some of you are keeping tabs, BRP has started getting serious about affordability. I know, I know, sleds are still expensive, but we all know that we have to pay to play. However, if the moves BRP is making in its other segments are any indication of what is coming next for Snowmobiles we might all have something to get excited about. Recently BRP introduced the new Spark watercraft, which for all of us that live on water and love recreate in the summer, this was an...

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Frozen MOTO Brings Fresh Faces to Snow Industry

Posted 3 years ago by Ross Halvorson

As media types, we’re always on the lookout for the ‘next big thing.’ Snow bikes certainly aren’t anything we haven’t seen before, but one company is making big waves and credits the snowmobile industry for their success (or at least part of it). Founded in 2010, Frozen MOTO is owned and operated by Dan Shanahan in Lewiston, Idaho. The company manufactures and sells conversion kits to turn your dirt bike into a snow bike. AmSnow had the chance to catch up with Dan ...

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Snowmobile Club Fundraising Season

Posted 3 years ago by AmSnow

Just because the snow is gone doesn’t mean you’re done with snowmobiling! Here’s how the AmSnow staff stays involved with the sport we love year-round. You can too!Associate Editor Ross Halvorson joined the Menomonee Falls SnoBirds Snowmobile Club in southeastern Wisconsin on Friday, April 25 for their 45th annual Smelt Fry fundraiser. (If you’re unsure of what a smelt is, think big minnow.) Each year the club serves up around 600 lbs. of breaded fish to nearly 700 hungry...

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EPA Acknowledges ethanol damages engines

Posted 3 years ago by AmSnow

On Friday, April 18, 2014 the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency publicly acknowledged the using ethanol in gasoline can damage internal combustion engines. The use of ethanol gasoline increases exhaust temperatures, thus indirectly causing component failure. According to a statement released by the EPA, “Ethanol impacts motor vehicles in two primary ways. First, ethanol enleans the [air/fuel] ratio (increases the proportion of oxygen relative to hydrocarbons) which can lead to increased...

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Summer snowmobile storage 101

Posted 3 years ago by AmSnow

Run it dry, or not? That is the question. There are many schools of thought on this most common end-of-season maintenance question.Let’s start with why you would consider doing this. If I don’t leave a full tank of gas in my fuel tank during storage, water may condensate on the inside of the tank causing a myriad of possible issues. Also, I actually have to run it dry and that isn’t always easy. If I leave a full tank of gas in there I may end up having a bunch of bad gas when...

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Cheers! To a Great Season

Posted 3 years ago by AmSnow

As the snowmobiling season winds to a close for most of us, American Snowmobiler magazine would like to say THANK YOU!We’d like to say thank you to the entire snowmobiling community for an unforgettable season. Each year is unique, and they all offer their own set of challenges (this year’s primarily being frigid temperatures and unstable snowpack out West). But each year is also full of unique accomplishments or events that make every season one to remember all on its own.Our thanks...

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Engine Tuner Programming 101

Posted 3 years ago by AmSnow

Editor's Note: This article was given to AmSnow from Bull Dog. Given today’s price of gas and the escalation of “car wars” power supremacy, vehicle owners are searching for even the slightest of improvements. So, do engine programmers really deliver the goods?1. What exactly are these things and how do they work?Whether known as programmers, engine performance tuners, chips, or gauge tuners, these small electronic devices are used to manage and optimize engine performance...

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Advantage of Spring snowmobile buying

Posted 3 years ago by AmSnow

It’s the time of year for last rides, cleaning up the sled and… don’t say it… summer-izing! But OEMs are already teasing us about next season with Sneak Peeks of 2015 sleds and demo rides. Each sled maker has special offers to try and convince consumers that the time is now to buy your new ride. So, why buy spring? Besides being on the shiniest new sled come the start of next season, we thought we’d put all the benefits in one spot for you to compare. Here’s...

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Real World Powder Eval Correction

Posted 3 years ago by AmSnow

In the “2014 Powder Eval” story (Spring 2014, p. 25) American Snowmobiler rated five 2014 mountain sleds in the areas of weight, handling and hillclimb ability. Ski-Doo’s Summit 800 SP 154 was incorrectly credited with fourth place in both weight and handling. The Summit ranks third in both categories with a weight of 551.8 lbs. and an average handling course time of 31.51 seconds. The change in scoring for weight and handling places the 2014 Summit 800 SP 154 in a tie for sec...

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Smooth Sailing: Yamaha’s Performance Damper

Posted 3 years ago by AmSnow

More control, precise handling and a smoother ride. Yes, I’ll take all of that! Find out just how one manufacturer is trying to deliver it right here!There’s been no lack of techy innovations for MY2015. We’ve got new suspensions, chassis, engines, etc. and while Yamaha’s chassis performance damper hasn’t gotten the flashy fanfare of any of those, it is meant to improve ride quality for some of its longtime leading sleds in the lineup.In a nutshell, the Performanc...

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Yamaha Viper M-TX First Ride Impressions

Posted 3 years ago by AmSnow

AmSnow Western Editor, Stephen Clark, had a chance to throw a leg over the 2015 Yamaha Viper M-TX. Here’s his take on his first ride.Mountain terrain has been long-ruled by the 2-stroke engine, and there’s no doubt creating a 4-stroke mountain machine is a challenge for any manufacturer (otherwise they’d all do it, right?). Weight and power delivery are two stumbling blocks that have challenged 4-stroke mountain sleds for years.The M-TX is the first venture into the mountains f...

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Lake Country Riding in MN

Posted 3 years ago by AmSnow

It’s no secret that Minnesota’s Brainerd Lakes Area has long been a favorite riding destination for decades, but check out the secret eats we found on the Lake Country trails! Although warm temps and quickly deteriorating conditions made it more of a challenge than we would have liked, we still managed to do some exploring in this sledder’s Mecca of Central Minnesota. Here’s a few of our favorite stops for your next trip to the area. What’s a day on the trail with...

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Shuffling the Grand Finale

Posted 3 years ago by AmSnow

"This could be called the Lake Geneva Shuffle," said Carly Aplin, ISOC's announcer, as a racer chased his sled down the first hill on Saturday at the Grand Finale at Grand Geneva in Lake Geneva, Wis. The new layout actually felt like a shuffle or musical chairs in the beginning trying to find the regular sights like the VIP viewing area. After attending this event for five years, I have seen numerous interesting sights. From no snow and attendees in speedos one year to torrential...

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See What I Saw

Posted 3 years ago by AmSnow

Constant documentation of our miles through life has become a cultural obsession. Snowmobilers may be a bit slower to embrace technology, but it’s obvious the latest tech gadget in our sport is here to stay. I’m talking about the POV (point of view) cameras you see in almost every group while out on your machine. Whether you’re sticking to the trails, boondocking or anything in between, nothing seems to escape the camera lens anymore. What was once viewed as a novelty item on...

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Up in the ‘UP’

Posted 3 years ago by AmSnow

With temps climbing and snow disappearing faster than you can say “daylight savings” in southern Wis., it meant it was time to head up North… Waaaayyyy U.P. So we loaded up the sleds, kid and in-laws (Go big or go home, right?) and headed for Hancock, Mich. in the Upper Peninsula’s Keweenaw Peninsula. Surrounded by Lake Superior, the Keweenaw Peninsula is Michigan’s northernmost point and BIG snow country. Measurable snow falls almost daily here throughout the win...

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2015 - The Coolest of What's Coming

Posted 3 years ago by Ross Halvorson

The AmSnow team just returned from five days of riding, evaluating and photographing the 2015 sleds. Here are our top coolest things that are coming for 2015! Yamaha climbs the mountains. By introducing the Viper M-TX available in a 162-inch and 153-inch track, Yamaha has announced it believes its 3-cylinder 4-stroke Genesis engine can be a player in the mountain segment. While they’ve not made the dry-weight of the sled public knowledge, they’ve assured us the weight differential b...

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