Vintage snowmobile ride in Cadillac Saturday 23'rd of February during the SGGW weekend. We will be meeting up at a park and ride off of Pole road at approximately 9:00-9:30 am, then departure will be around 10:00 am...need to get out asap for smooth trails. We will head over someplace for some lunch and some good friendly b.s. sessions about the good old days.

Destination will be be determined that week as snow and trail conditions are constantly an issue. Figure on a 20-30 mile ride one way then back. 1985 sleds and down. Please use your most RELIABLE vintage sled, not your full mod Arctic z or 77 srx running race gas. We want this to be a fun ride without problems.

Map to the meeting point is attached.

Any questions please feel free to call me at 586-823-4315.

saw a big group in alba this past weekend, must have been 15-20 sleds going down along 131, and also saw a half dozen or so at the east jordan snow blast, the things we used to do!

Hi D,

I guess maybe I will hafta pull the 79 Panteras out of the barn, that way I only need to replace my trailer to go ridin.

I should pull at least one out and see if I can get it running, would be a blast, have not ridden it in a couple years.

Mike, yes, please come. It will be a blast. You could use some fun right about now after the stolen sleds incident. Get that Pantera running asap! lol

Hi Mike... I might be interested in going witcha if my work schedule allows... I have a trailer so if you would need a ride I could help out.... I will have a better idea when it gets closer but it sounds like it would be alot of fun......

Anyone else coming? Here's a couple of the rides I'll have out there!

i am trying to get my 71 ski doo going to bring it up too

Hi Sting,

Thanks for the offer but my plans just keep a changin. Just got out of a 10 day stay in the hospital getting my appendix out only a week ago. Unfortunately, the only thing I can ride at caddy is going to be a bar stool, but come on up, it should be a great time with some great people.

I'm hoping to make the ride on Sat but won't know for sure till Thrusday. Heading to the VIntagesleds.com Live on Skis meet in International Falls MN this weekend and don't want to exceed my limit of "fun points". Don't think I can stay for the festivities on Sat night............

Will probabily have a 1980 Polaris TX.

Later,
Roger Jordan
Coloma MI

Well, the ride was lots of fun! Cadillac had sixteen inches or more on the ground, and the trails were in great shape. Temperature stayed in the 20's the whole time, and it was sunny.

The six snowmobiles drew quite a crowd wherever it was we stopped, and at one point in Boone, we lined them up for an impromptu six-sled drag race, which brought laughs, cheers, and photographers to watch the action.

We were out there from 9:30 until 3:30 and probably drove about a total of 60 miles.
Chris's "Secret field of snow" - below. No one had discovered it in the last week or two, it seemed. The trail in & out was only about fice feet wide.




More pictures here

It turns out that Chris and I have the same model and year of sled: A 1980 Enticer 340 deluxe.



Now, since my snowmobile experience consists ENTIRELY of what I've logged in 2008 on my two vintage snowmobiles, so this ride was great fun. The suspension on my Excel V seems rather plush because I didn't KNOW any different! That is, until Chris loaned me one of his Arctic Cat 700's (I think I got that right) with, like, ten inches of travel, 170-some studs, and 148 horsepower. I got to take it out onto Lake Mitchell and squirt the gas. It was like the acceleration of a CBR900RR, but on ICE! Then I took it onto the campground where the roads are seriously whooped out, and all I had to do was stand up and let the suspension do the work. What a difference! It was like old times on my motocross bike. Wow, the power of a CRB900RR and the suspension of a YZ250. What a combination. Chris, you are definitely a snowmobile apostle and I now can blame you when my wife gets mad if I end up submitting to next year's impulse buy... That machine is really neat. However, for now I think I'm sticking to these old vintage machines, at least until it's time to trickle them down to the kids... (in about one or three years I think)

Cheers,
-Dan

Dan, great pics! If I wasnt upset already on what I missed out on, seeing these pics and that awesome untouched field upset me even more, BUT I'm glad you had a great time. Next year again for sure as I'm out for this year...unless we have snow in April?

Isn't Chris, Val and Rob about the nicest people you could ever hang out with(I dont know who else was with you guys, if I missed you sorry, lol)? As far as Chris and his Firecat, that sled is bad ass. I would elaborate more but you already rode it, and no big bore, no pipe just properly tuned.

Anyway, glad you had a great time. I cant wait untill next year, so I can finally get the Merc in my avatar out that I bought for this ride! lol.

Now THAT was cool - if ANYONE on this board got that picture, could you be so kind and post it??

I was humbled on my Yamaha B00st took us all on the 340 Jag.... Those damn pesky cats

Guys

Sorry to have missd the fun. Wife got called into work at the last minute................... sucks to be me!

Later,
Roger

Awww - now I'm blushing Thanks for the kind words. I don't think some people thought that of me Friday night......

Here's me lining up with an 800IQ at LPL...............

Hey I sure wish we could do it again THIS weekend! ...I just found the source of my troubles on the Excel V, and it's fixed. I haven't tried it yet, but throttle response is now instantaneous, and when you nail the throttle, the snowmobile wants to stand up and leap off the trailer! It was the emulsion holes in the main jet pickup tube. They were plugged with melted (and then solidified) mouse droppings. It was quite a job to get that pickup tube out, but a cinch to get it back together once it was cleaned up! I guess the last of the holes finally plugged up on the ride, which is why I got stuck until you fellows figured out the super-cool "cold-start primer lever" trick!!

Without those emulsion holes, the carb cannot slurp fuel up through the main jet.

I guess that loud ass silencer on the IQ didnt help make enough power to tackle the old reliable f7 did it? lol!

Very glad to hear you got it fixed. I may tackle the carb on the old Jag this weekend - as it's having similar issues. It was the only carb I didn't take off and clean thoroughly when I got the old sleds out. It started and ran fine, so I said heck with it. I think it may have either a bad inlet needle or a bad fuel pump.

Look us up this weekend - we're headed to Caddy sometime tomorrow afternoon / evening!

Click to view attachmentOn the subject of vintage sleds,do any of you guys know how to ID a Hirth motor (with regard to size) ? Also, what is the wrench that is required to remove the spark plug? It looks to be a 23 or 24 mm deep socket, need to get one.