“Wind, drive, dizzying views” How did snowmobiles turn from ordinary transport in Siberia into an extreme sport?

Classification by technical characteristics

Today, manufacturers produce several types of snowmobiles, which differ from each other in technical features, speed characteristics and purpose.

Utilitarian, or working type . These units have fairly wide tracks (50×60 cm), which makes it easy to move through deep snow, both in open space and across rough forest terrain. This machine is equipped with luggage racks and a towbar, which makes it possible to deliver the necessary cargo to the most inaccessible places. Due to their increased cross-country ability, utilitarian snowmobiles are characterized by low speed in movement? their maximum speed usually does not exceed 120 km/h. Such devices are used for fishing, hunting and household needs when there is a need for cargo delivery.

Tourist type . These cars have increased comfort and are used for traveling across snowy expanses. Almost every model of such a snowmobile is equipped with a four-cylinder engine and has many additional functions, which turns a walk into a fairy tale. Due to additional units and a powerful engine, such devices have a lot of weight, which limits speed. But for those who like fast driving, manufacturers produce high-power tourist-class units, up to 170 horsepower. Their maximum speed reaches 200 km/h.

Sports class . Snowmobiles of this type in their design do not have a reverse drive and an electric starter. This was done to reduce the weight of the cars and increase the speed they are capable of developing on special tracks. In order to ride such units, you need to have special skills, as they are adapted for racing and competitions. Their peak speed is 200 km/h. Such a high speed limit and maneuverability is also achieved due to the short track and the ability to transport only one person (actually, the driver).

Mountain type . These are the most versatile models, as they are able to quickly move through deep snow in mountainous areas and on flat trails. Such high cross-country ability is ensured by the special design of the tracks, which have a large length and special hooking elements. If we compare speed, this type is not inferior to the sports class, but is significantly behind in maneuverability, since it has more weight. Cars of this class are designed for fast driving over mountainous rough terrain.

Children's class. Such models are made specifically for children aged 8 to 13 years.
They are equipped with a limiting element that does not allow them to develop high speeds. [ads-pc-1]

Mini snowmobiles

The most economical and convenient device for fishing and hunting. When disassembled, the mini-transport will fit into any car. The low price will keep your wallet intact. It is a means of moving from one point to another.

"Husky"

pros

• Low fuel consumption
• Small price
• Small transport dimensions
• High payload
• Simplicity

Minuses

• Low speed
• Lack of comfort
• Weak nodes
• Plywood delaminates
• The chain rubs against the casing
• Small track area
• It’s unpleasant to move along ruts

From 63,900 ₽

A good helper for hunters. Provides fast movement in the absence of roads and shallow snow. Possibility of transporting sleds up to 100 kg. Assembles without tools in 3 minutes.

Ways to increase speed

Many people wonder how to make snow machines faster. This problem can be solved if you follow the instructions for re-equipping the domestic model of the snowmobile “Buran”.

Stage ?1. Install the centrifugal regulator assembly from “Taiga”. To do this, you need to make a cone adapter. The size of the internal part should be taken from "Buran", and the cone itself should be taken from "Buran". from ?Taiga?.

Stage 2. Increased engine power by increasing the number of purge valves. It is worth knowing that the crankcase manufactured by manufacturers is characterized by versatility. Therefore, old type cylinders with two channels are suitable for it. To increase engine power, it is necessary to mill the channels and remove all irregularities. After which it is advisable to install a Mikuni carburetor, since it has a diffuser diameter of 38×40 mm.

Stage ?3. It is necessary to remove the standard muffler. The air filter also needs to be redone. To do this, you need to attach a metal mesh with a fine mesh to the carburetor.

The speed will change significantly if the bearings in the track rollers are replaced with analogues marked 205. This will maintain the highest torque by preserving lubrication.

Taiga Varyag 500

The leader in the budget snowmobile category is the inexpensive domestic Taiga. The RMZ engine installed on it is 500 cc with a power of 43 hp. quite enough for hunting medium game.

The Varyag model is also compact. Weight is only 273 kg, which significantly increases control. True, it also lost an electric starter, so starting is only manual.

The weak side of the Varyag is its stiff and short suspension. Ease of control suffers partly from this.

Pros:

1. Price.
2. Components from Dukati and Minuki.
3. Good maneuverability.

Minuses:

1. Unstable quality.
2. Stiff suspension.

Price – 300,000 rubles.

Comparison of speed capabilities

Many craftsmen make vehicles for traveling on snow from old motorcycles and even walk-behind tractors. As a rule, such vehicles have high maneuverability, maneuverability and simplicity in design. They are capable of achieving fairly high speed performance.

But, despite the listed technical criteria, homemade devices do not achieve the parameters that are included in factory-made models. This is especially true for speed of movement. If the same level can be achieved in terms of cross-country ability and fuel consumption, then the speed remains far behind due to insufficient engine power. [ads-pc-2]

Lynx 59 Yeti 600 ACE

A reliable snowmobile from Canada, ideal for the harsh conditions of the north. The designs equipped the Lynx with a good Rotax 600 water-cooled engine. It copes well with overheating thanks to water cooling, so you can take it for deer hunting. In addition, the Rotax is a four-stroke engine, which means it has a longer service life and is more economical in consumption.

The transmission is CVT, with low gear and reverse. It is perfect for deep snow and snowdrifts, because... Its cross-country ability is above average.

Pros:

1. Minor fuel consumption - 8/100. This is very little for a snowmobile.
2. Good traction motor.
3. Excellent maneuverability, even in snowy conditions.

And only minus 1 is the price. It is 1,007,000 rubles.

Car rating

Popular utilitarian type model? Polaris Widetrak LX. Engine power is 85 horsepower. The steering system is heated. The model is equipped with wide tracks, which increases the vehicle's maneuverability. This model is capable of towing a load of up to 400 kg on a trailer.

Cool tourist class model? BRP Ski-Doo GSX ACE 900. 90 horsepower engine installed. With a full charge of 40 liters and the economy mode turned on, the unit is capable of traveling 350 km without refueling.

Best sports model? BRP Ski-Doo MXZ-RS 800 E-TEC. The engine capacity is 800 cm3. Built on the lightweight REV-XP RS platform. It is specially made for racing and ski jumping. The design includes remote adjustment of the suspension position.

The most passable mountain type? BRP Ski-Doo Summit X 800R E-TEC. Offers increased maneuverability thanks to the PowderMax 2 FlexEdge tracks, allowing it to compete on mountain trails. The device is equipped with an 800 cc engine. Its design includes a modernized muffler.

Snowmobile for hunting? Yamaha VK540 IV. It is equipped with wide skis, which allows the car to move freely on the loosest snow at a fairly high speed. The powerful 535 cc engine does not allow loading in the snow.

With the advent of powerful engines and modern front and rear suspension designs, the speeds of almost all snowmobiles have increased significantly compared to models that were produced in the 80s and 90s. We are, of course, talking about production cars that have not been subjected to special adjustments or modifications. The engine power of some “tuned” snowmobiles often exceeds 200, and sometimes 300 hp. With. But these are exceptions.

If with cars and motorcycles everything is more or less clear in terms of maximum speed, then it is very difficult to say exactly what the speed of a snowmobile will be in certain conditions. The speed is greatly influenced by the quality of the snow, its composition and the shape of its particles, and finally humidity. The depth of the layer, the degree of rolling of the track, the height of the snow mounds, the number of slopes and descents, and so on also influence. Therefore, the data that we present below should be treated not as an established fact, but as information for thought. Well, if necessary, it will be possible to say with confidence that your personal snowmobile is capable of accelerating to the speed indicated by the manufacturer. This will be true, especially if you add that the stated speed was achieved under ideal conditions. The last amendment will not affect either you or the snowmobile one iota, but at the same time it will give you a chance to be honest in the event that at some point the snowmobile does not show the indicated speed, and blame the failure on “bad” snow. We are, naturally, talking about bets, arguments and “weakness”.

The table does not show data for all 2009 Arctic Cat snowmobiles; the selection was made by the author at his own discretion. The numbers, you see, are impressive. Even if in the lap of nature there will be a loss of maximum speed of 10-15%, it will still be fast. Here is a small conclusion. When buying a snowmobile, you need to at least roughly imagine its potential, so that you can be confident in your abilities. Traveling in the snow is not easy fun on the asphalt, where for many even 150 km/h is enough to feel like Schumacher or Alesi. What then can we say about difficult snowy roads, where for many, 70 km/h can already become a real obstacle to safe driving. Although the power is 177 hp. With. (Z1 turbocharged engine) and the potentially possible speed of “over 200” tempt you with the release of buckets of adrenaline into your blood... But, gentlemen, control yourselves! The problem of safe snowmobiling is becoming more and more pressing today. The power is growing, the speed is increasing, but most of the nouveau riche of snowmobiling either have the wind in their heads or are clearly out of oil.

A modern snowmobile is one of the most dangerous types of transport; you should remember this both before purchasing it and while riding. It has many more “degrees of freedom” than, for example, a car or even a motorcycle. The driving surface is unpredictable and can change repeatedly over the course of even a short trip - sometimes it’s a compacted track, sometimes it’s powdery, which you don’t expect in this place, sometimes it’s hard crust, sometimes... There can be a lot of options. A great danger is posed by thoughtless driving in the forest at high speed, as well as in open unknown spaces with a small layer of fresh “light snow”. Be careful!

What to wear? In order to live longer without problems, it is worth purchasing special clothing designed specifically for riding snowmobiles.
The higher the speed, the higher the clothing requirements. A padded jacket and felt boots are no longer suitable... It is also better to have a specialized helmet, that is, designed specifically for riding snowmobiles in different weather conditions.

Yamaha Sidewinder B-TX LE 153

A rare bright Yamaha that has all the makings of a review leader. It has a 1-liter three-cylinder engine and a turbocharger. The engine power is 182 hp, which allows you to safely use it in impassable snow.

This is the best snowmobile for active hunting if you like to chase deer or saigas. Traction also makes itself felt - load capacity up to 700 kg.

Pros:

1. High power.
2. Excellent maneuver control.
3. Fast-acting brakes.

Minuses:

1. Finding it is not so easy.

Price – 1,500,000 rubles.

The legendary Yamaha Viking 540 family

In addition to high power, snowmobiles of the Yamaha Viking 540 family have good handling .
And this property makes them suitable for any need.

The plastic body kit of the Japanese snowmobile hides a two-cylinder two-stroke engine, the volume of which is 535 cubic meters.

The efficient carburetor of the Mikuni model ensures economical fuel consumption . At the same time, the engine produces 46 horsepower.

Forced air cooling is used here, so the equipment can be used at low positive temperatures.

Regardless of the two-stroke engine, the snowmobile will smoke only during warm-up. And when the operating temperature is reached, the smoke is almost invisible.

The power unit is equipped with a separate automatic lubrication system , so the owner does not need to prepare a mixture of gasoline and oil.

The octane number of gasoline poured into the tank must be at least 92. Well, the lubricant tank is filled with 2.5 liters of two-stroke oil specialized for snowmobiles.

It should be noted that similar models of domestically produced snowmobiles are not capable of mixing gasoline with oil automatically, but their price is much lower.

History of the Viking 540 model range

The Yamaha Viking VK540 snowmobile lineup is the result of continuous improvement of this technology.
Japanese manufacturers always try to ensure high quality, reliability and at the same time achieve maximum simplicity of design.

The first snowmobile of this line came out in the early 80s. To this day, a lot has changed in it, only its high popularity has remained unchanged.

From 2001 to 2011, the Yamaha Viking VK540 III model was used and actively improved.

In 2012, the world saw an improved version of the Yamaha Viking VK540 IV.

Wide plastic skis and a new adjustable rear suspension are already used here.

A new variator belt has also been used, the service life of which has been significantly increased.

In 2014-2015, fans of snow racing could enjoy the wonderful sensations of riding the Yamaha Viking 540 IV Limited camouflage.

All these models have their differences , and most importantly, improvements that were used on the basis of the latest modern developments.

Appearance

Dashboard

Tuning: yes or no?

Regardless of whether you use an old model, such as a Buran with two skis, or a brand new sports car, you are probably worried about the question of whether it is possible to improve its performance and ease of use? The answer lies in the skill of snowmobile tuning, when standard factory parts or elements are adjusted to specific tasks or replaced with new ones.

For example, craftsmen increase the traction force of the engine by adjusting the crankcase - to do this, it is necessary to mill its channels and clean out the remaining irregularities. Tuning the “Buran” snowmobile allows, after such manipulations, to develop engine power of 36 horsepower, then the maximum declared is 34.

Sometimes tuning snowmobiles is driven by the desire to make the device quieter. Drivers who have been using the Laika snowmobile for more than one year note that over time the noise level interferes with a normal trip. Therefore, the solution is to replace the roller bearings. The fact is that standard bearings are open, which requires frequent replacement of lubricant, which is not always possible. Sealed bearings solve this problem.

Also, using inexpensive plastic, you can line the engine compartment, which also significantly reduces the noise level.

In addition to replacing critical parts for a snowmobile, tuning includes the installation of all kinds of accessories that can adapt the snowmobile for hunting or other outdoor activities. For example, installing a bumper and soft pads on the sides of the machine will help optimize the snowmobile for hunting in the forest, since they can protect both the health of the driver and the integrity of the vehicle in rough terrain or forest conditions.

Design Features

The choice of a snowmobile is primarily determined by the type of its design. Based on this feature, two-track and single-track variants are distinguished.

Models of the first type are practically no longer produced due to their poor controllability and stability. As the name suggests, their design features two tracks at the rear and a handlebar that turns one ski at the front.

Models of the second type involve control of two skis, and one track is driven by a gasoline engine. In addition to the absence of disadvantages of the first type, these units weigh less and redistribute the load better, which is much more practical for hunting on snowmobiles.

The engines are two-stroke and four-stroke. The fastest snowmobiles are equipped with four-stroke engines, which are preferable due to lower fuel consumption and lower noise levels.

The power system on modern models is of the injection type; this is an extremely economical option, although not as easy to use as a carburetor system.

Depending on the type of “snow machine,” it may have one transmission installed, or an additional gearbox, which is designed to reduce gears, may be added. In addition, on the most off-road snowmobiles, the gearbox is also designed to reverse, which cannot be achieved with the transmission alone.

The front suspension may also differ between models. For better maneuverability, a lever suspension is installed. Its disadvantage is very low strength, so to reliably pass a complex obstacle course, a telescopic suspension is chosen.

About the manufacturer

The history of Yamaha Motors Corporation dates back to 1955 in Japan. Then the company assembled the YA-1 motorcycle on machines designed for aircraft manufacturing. This motorcycle won local motorcycle races, which became the company's first advertisement.

Yamaha Motors Corporation

The company did not stand still, but constantly improved production methods, increased its workforce and hired highly qualified personnel. Already in 1970, Yamaha moved to a new level of motorcycle production - the company began to use four-stroke engines.

The same oil is poured into them as into engines for walk-behind tractors. These engines are as reliable as Subaru engines.

After success in the motorcycle market, the production of other small-sized vehicles is launched: snowmobiles, scooters, scooters, and jet skis.

An interesting milestone in the history of snowmobile production is the release of special models for schoolchildren. This technique was used primarily in northern Canada. Although the line has already been closed, those models are still the ultimate in childhood dreams.

You will find all the necessary information about the company on the company’s official website www.yamaha.com.

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