AATV's vs Snowmobile

[mightymaxIV]

I know a lot of folks on this site have a lot or experience with Snow mobiles/machines but my experience with them is limited so bare with me. My wife and I recently took a trip to Yellowstone and we had the chance to drive/ride two up Ski Doo snowmobiles, one with the 600cc four stroke and with a 900cc four stroke. Both machines had a load of power with 9,000 rpm red-lines but most impressive was the three available settings on the clutching system.

Ski Doo also makes an 800cc two stroke with 163 horse power that is BLAZING fast!! (I saw the 600cc two stroke version and it was smoking powerful!!!!!)

Anyway as I was driving these machines with a very high tech engines I couldn't help but wonder why we can't have a 600cc Argo engine with three clutch settings that let you set the clutch according to conditions etc.

Also of note-the snow machines are fast and cool but if you don't know what your doing and you get off the groomed trail you can get stuck very, very quickly!

I kept thinking how nice it would be to have a tracked Argo with a 900cc four stroke and three clutch settings and be able to go anywhere you wanted. What about it Argo? Why can't we can't get a high tech drive train?????????

How come the snow machine folks can make a very nice suspension system and Argo can't-you could easily apply the same suspension design to an Argo with track with very little effort and make an 8x8 blazing fast and blazing smooth!

[tbone9]

While out ice fishing one day a fishing guide pulled up on an Actic Cat sled all decked out for fishing. Said he had an amphib and pawned it for the sled because it rode too rough and was way too slow. To which I replied I'm safer if I were to break through. I also asked him what he does with his sled in the summer. He said he stores it in his garage after fogging the engine and blocking it up. To which I replied " I fish out of my machine year round, open or hard water". So I guess it's different strokes for different folks. When it comes to fishing I'll take an amphib every time. The suspensions on aatv's are really nice. But do you really wanna soak all those extra components in the water, mud, and muck? Not to mention all the extra weight. The snowmobile only sees nice clean snow, never gets submerged in any of the stuff we get in to. Without suspension I'm not sure I'd want to go any faster. These are just my thoughts.

[jpswift1]

Dan,

I think the reason the technology is more limited in the AATV world, (high powered engines, suspension, highly advanced clutching systems) is because there snowmobiles have a much larger market than we do and because of this the manufacturers have the capital to work with to develop their machines beyond ours. Is it possible to have a high tech AATV that you describe? Absolutely. Is it cost effective to build while still selling a new unit at a competitive price point? More than likely, no.

[mightymaxIV]

While out ice fishing one day a fishing guide pulled up on an Actic Cat sled all decked out for fishing. Said he had an amphib and pawned it for the sled because it rode too rough and was way too slow. To which I replied I'm safer if I were to break through. I also asked him what he does with his sled in the summer. He said he stores it in his garage after fogging the engine and blocking it up. To which I replied " I fish out of my machine year round, open or hard water". So I guess it's different strokes for different folks. When it comes to fishing I'll take an amphib every time. The suspensions on aatv's are really nice. But do you really wanna soak all those extra components in the water, mud, and muck? Not to mention all the extra weight. The snowmobile only sees nice clean snow, never gets submerged in any of the stuff we get in to. Without suspension I'm not sure I'd want to go any faster. These are just my thoughts.

All good points, I really don't want all the suspension stuff in the mud but I really would enjoy that three phase clutching system!

[mightymaxIV]

Dan,

I think the reason the technology is more limited in the AATV world, (high powered engines, suspension, highly advanced clutching systems) is because there snowmobiles have a much larger market than we do and because of this the manufacturers have the capital to work with to develop their machines beyond ours. Is it possible to have a high tech AATV that you describe? Absolutely. Is it cost effective to build while still selling a new unit at a competitive price point? More than likely, no.

More good points J.P., but can I at least have the 3 phase clutching system?

[jpswift1]

More good points J.P., but can I at least have the 3 phase clutching system?

I don't think that's too much to ask, Dan. Some more advanced clutching could certainly wake our machines up without adding too much to the price tag.