Things I am learning about Snowmobiles – Part II

With each time starting my snowmobile and each ride I learn a little more and get a little more experience. Now the idea of hitting the throttle is not quite so unknown and I am getting a better feel for how the machine handles in different snow conditions. I haven’t has the chance to ride in fresh powder or on groomed trails yet. Hopefully that will happen this winter still. We have had a terrible stretch of plus side temperatures which have melted a lot of snow and turned the remaining snow to hard packed and crusty. The forecast shows the weather turning to more central Saskatchewan mid-February weather so really hoping the snow in the forecast brings us a good foot of powder to play in.

But first, the dogs love to run loose out on the lake.

I also like to take them for a run out here so they can burn off some energy before I go for a ride on the snowmobile. Then they can sit on the deck and watch.

Now, before starting, the pre-ride check list of all the important things. Gas, coolant, oil, and then ensure the skis and track are free from being iced in and stuck.

Electric vs pull start, we are only part way into the learning on this one. My used snowmobile was bought with electric start, but the owner had never installed a battery. So, it’s there, if I want to add the battery. Fortunately, the batteries from my SeaDoos, sitting on a shelf in winter, will do the job nicely. The pull start works just fine for me, a couple pulls and it starts. But the pull start is too hard of a pull for my wife, who has a shoulder with a habit of popping out. So, either I do the pull, or we put in a battery. I already have the battery, so may as well give that a try and see how much we appreciate the convenience.

Track Paddles come in various sizes. I have also heard them called lugs. I don’t have much to compare to but mine came with 2-1/2″ paddles. So far I haven’t found any snow to deep to get traction. That includes a ride today through some ditches with some very deeply gathered snow. In the summer, the ditches are about 3 feet below the level of the road. The snow is currently even with the road.

Coolant. Some sort of cooling method is obviously important for any engine that will be running for a extended period of time. My owners manual recommend pre-mixed with a ratio of coolant to water of either 60:40 or 50:50. Reading the manual, there is more to the engine cooling than just maintaining a coolant level. You also need some snow throwing on the track which in turn is used to cool the coolant. Get too hot and you can actually boil off the coolant.

My buddy, who has owned snowmobiles for many years and rides in the same geography as me, recommended a 144″ or 144″ track length. That’s what I started shopping for, but found they are quite hard to find. Many 163″ track lengths, but those are primarily designed for mountain riding. Not many mountains in site around here. The 155″ track length seemed pretty popular and some research identifies this length as a cross-over. Shorter is more maneuverable. Longer is better deep snow traction. The 155″ is right in-between.

Hand Grip Warmers seem like they will be a nice feature. All the days I have been at my cabin and gone riding so far this winter have been at coldest -10 C so the warmers have been in the low position. Not really cold enough to need them at all with a decent pair of ski gloves on my hands. Living in Saskatchewan, I anticipate there will be a day when I find these a great feature.