GOT RISERS?

Stand up and the loud can bark! Our call out for big risers has been met with cheers and plenty of enthusiasm. More than a few of you “know a guy” who not only likes to ’stand-up” but does so with nothing less than 12-inches of finely crafted riser. With that we tip our hat and give you a proper salute with a cheap can of ale to this issue’s best riser submissions.

Have you seen a crazy handlebar riser set-up on a snowmobile in your neck of the snow belt? If so, snap a few pics and send them to info@osmmag.com and if we print them you will find a new OSM t-shirt in your mailbox.

If this doesn’t scream ‘winner’s circle’ we’re not sure what would. - Breaden Morabito Thank you Breaden, who submitted this photo of his Pro X 440, and we really liked the fact that he noticed that with such a tall riser on his Pro X he’d need a little help in the corners, so he installed handlebar hooks.

This guy and his sled look like they’ve come straight out of a Mad Max movie. The best that I can tell is the sled looks like a ‘80’s era Yamaha SS440. He’s obviously spent a considerable amount of time, energy, and coin on this sled. Spray bomb custom paint job, custom seating, wheelie bar, and two, yes two sets of sweet risers with ape hanger bars. And that custom intake? Furgetaboutit! Now I don’t know anything about this guy, nor do I want to because frankly he scares me, but iIf you lads are still running the “Got Riser Brah?” section in the mag I would certainly like to be considered for a sweet “Got Riser” tee-shirt. Don Thompson, Inver Grove Hts, MN Good day. I do believe you have a section in your mag regarding “got risers”. This premium beauty has 2 sets of bars so you don’t have to fuss with a silly lever to select height. Let me know if this works for you. Enjoy the day, Don. Hey Don, This works for us! Next month you should resubmit this for our Lawn Ornaments feature. That way you can bag yourself another OSM T-shirt.

Snocross sleds went through a “confusing” time for many who were busy trying to emulate a certain guy with “ginger” hair from Saskatchewan who dominated tracks in North American while racing standing up.

time tracks

‘71Ski-Doo X4R

A YELLOW BEAST IS RESURRECTED!

You find vintage sleds in the craziest of places. Any avid vintage collector knows that part of the excitement around collecting is ‘the hunt’. Finding a sled, you remember from your youth behind a barn, scouring in someone’s basement to see a sled that’s been lost to time, or working, precious family heirloom sleds that have been handed down through the ages. This is all part of being a vintage enthusiast.

The Collector The crème-de-la-crème

Paul Robinson is not your typical vintage collector. He is a Ski-Doo magnet of sorts. His collection holds some extremely rare sleds, including the one-of-one, 1971 double-eagle with two 797cc triple motors and triple pipes. He lives in Texas but has been all over North America, adding incredible SkiDoo sleds to his unbelievable collection. We met him at his booth at the Toronto Snowmobile Show, and with one look at his bright yellow Ski-Doo shirt, Ski-Doo sportcoat, Ski-Doo custom pins and incredible display, you knew this guy was serious about his Ski-Doo’s… even if his southern locale is a bit out of the way.

Mr. Robinson (no connection to the kids-show, or the basketball player) is as straight up as a flag-pole. He makes his connections honestly, but has a determination not seen in many collectors. When he finds what he wants, he asks a price and either shakes hands on the deal, or thanks the person for their time. There is no negotiation, and that’s the way he works. Honest, straight up, friendly and to-the-point. He is also willing to put in the time and sniff out some of the best examples of Ski-Doo history, aside from the museum in Valcourt.

The most draw-dropping, showstopping, and most rare machine in this collection is by far the 1971 Ski-Doo X4R. We were able to talk with Paul and get the full story on this machine. It started life as a straight-line speed machine, back when all the OEM’s were in full-force trying to build the fastest, and often most wild and interesting sleds in the history of snowmobiling.

This twin-track (cleated) has a total of four 3-cylinder 2-stroke 797cc free-air motors, all with chromed out, custom triple-pipes. Up-front is an example of one of the earlier double A-arm front suspensions and polished up to perfection. This is not just a sled that doesn’t run though. Paul actually fired it up at the big vintage event in Waconia, MN a few years ago… much to the delight of the massive crowd. It was overheard that a few naysayers were quickly silenced by the skull-rattling sound of all these massive motors firing at one time.

The pilot of this machine sits in an open-air cockpit with pedals for the gas and brake. I would liken it to an old-school open-wheel Formula F1 seating arrangement, but much, much cooler (both literally and figuratively). The steering wheel and the downforce wind spoiler on the rear confirms this, and it truly seems to be half snow-machine and half fighter jet. Massive cool air intakes on either side also add to the jet-like appeal of the sled. Roll-bar and a streamlined fiberglass hood-piece that slopes aggressively to a squared off front are truly unique.

HWY 48, Pefferlaw, Lake Simcoe 705-437-1122 • quinnsmarina.com

JUST 50 MINS NORTH OF TORONTO

The backstory

The X-4R started as a prototype racer, and was driven by Lucien Lamoureux. He was a famous Ski-Doo racer, driving modified sleds including the L-P2, and racing at places like Eagle River, with other Ski-Doo legends like Yvon Duhamel. Racing was big business in 1970-1971, and Ski-Doo’s race budget that season was $1.3 million US. It had a short life on the snow, and was eventually shuffled to the back of a warehouse at Ski-Doo’s plant in Valcourt, Quebec. Eventually Bombardier needed the space and was going to get rid of the machine. The original racer was given the opportunity to have the machine. Through the course of time and owners, the sled ended up being stored in a boathouse in Quebec.

Paul was able to track down the owner through trade-shows and other connections. He knew it existed, and he knew this was something that deserved to be shown to the public. After the sale, it was fully restored, as well as three additional engines for the machine.

Currently the X-4R is on a 50th Anniversary World tour. The sled has been shown in Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan, Ontario, Quebec, and other places so far. Over 30,000 lucky sledheads were able to view it at the Toronto show alone! Paul also has plans to show the sled across the pond at several European locations. Trust us when we say that this is one machine that will blow you away if you ever get a chance to see it.

It was a long road for this piece of sled-history, but now it lives on for vintage enthusiasts to see at numerous events around the U.S. and Canada each year.

PAUL WAS ABLE TO TRACK DOWN THE OWNER THROUGH TRADE-SHOWS AND OTHER CONNECTIONS.