Looks like you guys race on snow these days not shear ice as in the old days when it was colder – I guess.
You have some great looking replica stuff. The water cooled should be covered, for best tuning – but it looks much meaner hanging out.
The sled in my picture is a factory snopro sled. The shot is it winning at Peterborough in 1976 in 340cc. It entered that turn in the high 90 mph range. Look at the balance of the sled – like on a rail.

Adema was on the US Yamaha team when he was killed the week before. Our team came home with the first ever Jim Adema Memorial Award.
It won by almost ½ lap, both days if front of all the other factories. The 440 that weekend was 2nd Saturday and hit by Yvonne D. on Monday while in 3rd. It was later sorted out with a softer clutch setup. The team was contracted to race in Canada only so missing Eagle River the week after was hard to take with the speed it had.
Both these sleds are someplace in Ontario.
If you’re interested the factory sleds .
The bolt holes were in the stock position and the chassis looked stock but it was about ½ the weight of the consumer model.
The track was made by Raider twin trackers in Michigan. It was a gates belt with a material called arboly bars. Weighed about 12 to 15 pounds and would spin almost full revolution by hand spinning. The drive was also a gates involute drive however it wasn’t lowered like the factory Polaris sleds. The lower chaincase was made bigger for accommodate a larger gear. The gears were 7075 T4 aluminum, double row.
The drive and jack shaft were steel but turned down very thin and gun drilled. The hood soooo good looking weighed nothing. The suspension was all aluminum thin thin thin. It was modified as I said before. The strap was there but just hung loose. The suspension balanced the sled. A twitch on the sled would bring it up on one ski going straight as it wanted to turn. I can’t remember the rear geometry –but it was unique. It carried the skis the full straight. It was unique as you didn’t have to lift off going into a turn to get the skis down – a shift it weight and little fear would do it.
The engine sat a little higher in the chassis than stock with shims. This was done to allow correct weight transfer. The ski saddles were kind of fake to give it a wide look. The caster was slightly upright from stock, not noticable. Again – engineered so the transfer was hitting the right carbide which was about 7” long. Note the picture how it steers at speed. The clutching had a lot to do with how it handled as well. It was always – right there! When you have to lean on a spring chassis – you are steering with the inside ski.
Both clutches were Cat – that’s before the press ever thought to look under the hood.
The engine had the stock crankcase and crank. The ignition was off a road race bike. The rods were polished. The pins were all thin wall. The pistons were very light one ring. The jugs were hand cast at the factory in Japan about $25,000 each. The porting was almost identical to the GYT barrels but water cooled. The ports were straight but not polished the exhaust was a mirror. The pipes weighed nothing the frequency was tested in the factory piano sound room. They were so thin you could bend them with your hand if you wanted. Race fuel was not used. One set or two of new Circle M carbs were used every race weekend. The tach would RIP to 8750 (I think that was the #) bounce then slowly climb. Just the blip of the throttle did this. It was never on the dyno on this side. No need – who cared – it was fast the way it was. No engine work was done.
The sled could almost be picked up by the handlebars. The sled in 76 got to race a third time against a few other factories. The fastest competition was Jacques V. on the 75 independent Skirule. The late Gilles was already in Formula Atlantic cars with Ecuri Canada. The Yamaha spring setup actually out handled the independent. His ignition quit ending his race one lap early. By reading what Jacques has made – they still haven’t figured it out – how to balance the suspension. Having looked at Dave W. clutching – he got that figured out. His statement once – we will always be in the first turn first several years ago tells me he understands that part well.
For a test, a solid piece of Titanium rod 1” in D. was made in a 90 degree to support the ski. In one lap the Ti. bent and stayed bent holding the ski under. That’s 1” material. So stupid back then – with shear ice – why were front springs even used. A fellow could have just made it solid. Then you would have to lean to keep it down.
