RIDING THE VEHICLE
capable of vehicle control. Beware of
hidden rocks or tree stumps partially
hidden by a recent snowfall.
Deep Snow
In deep “powder” snow, your vehicle
could begin to “bog” down. If this oc-
curs,turninaswideanarcaspossible
and look for a firmer b ase. If you do get
“bogged”, and it happens to everyone,
do not spin your track as this makes the
vehicle sink deeper. Instead, turn the
engine off, get off and clear the snow
under running boards and bottom pan
with your feet or a shovel. If possible
tilt your snowmobile on side and pack
new snow under the track with your
feet and tilt snowmobile back to its
skis. Then tramp a clear path ahead
of the vehicle. A few feet will gener-
ally suffice. Restart the engine. As-
sume the standing position and rock
the vehicle gently as you steadily and
slowly apply the throttle. D epending
on whether the front or rear end of the
vehicle is sinking, your feet should be
placed on the opposing end of the run-
ning boards. Never place foreign ma-
terial beneath the track for support. Do
not allow anyone to stand in front of, or
to the rear of, th e snow mobile with the
engine running. Stay away from the
track. Personal injury will result if con-
tact is made with the revolving track.
Frozen Water
Traveling frozen lakes and rivers can be
fatal. Av oid waterways. If you are in
an unfamiliar area, ask the local author-
ities or residents about the ice c
ondi-
tion, inlets, outlets, springs, fast mov-
ing currents or other hazards. Never
attempt to operate your snowmo
bile
on ice that may be too weak to sup-
port you and the vehicle. Operating
a snowmobile on ice or icy
surfaces
can be very dangerous if you do not
observe certain precautions. The very
nature of ice is foreig
n to good con-
trol of a snowmobile or any vehicle.
Traction for starting , tu rning or stop-
ping is much less than that on snow.
Thus, these distances can be multi-
plied manyfold. Steering is minimal,
and uncontrolled spins are an ever
present danger. When operating on
ice, drive slow ly with caution. Allow
yourself plenty of room for stopping
and turning. This is especially true at
night.
Hard Packed Snow
Don't underestimate hard packed
snow. It can be difficult to negotiate
as both skis and track do not have as
much traction. Best advice is to slow
down and avoid rapid acceleration,
turning or braking.
Uphill
There are t wo types of hills you can en-
counter — the open hill on which there
are few trees, cliffs or other obstacles,
and a hill that can only be climbed di-
rectly. On an open hill, the approach is
to climb it by side hilling or slaloming.
Approach at an angle. Adopt a kneeling
position. Keep your weight on the up-
hill side at all times. Maintain a steady,
safe speed. Continue as far as you can
in this direction, then switch to an op-
posite hill angle and riding position.
A direct climb could present problems.
Choose the standing position, acceler-
ate before you start the climb and then
reduce throttle pressure to prevent
track slippage.
In either case, vehicle speed should be
as fast as the incline demands. Always
slow down as you reach the crest. If
you cannot proceed further, don't spin
your track. Turn the engine off, fre
ethe
skis by pulling them out and downhill,
place the rear of the snowmobile uphill
restart the engine and ease it out
with
slow even throttle pressure. Position
yourself to avoid tipping over, then de-
scend.
________
SAFETY INF
ORMATION
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19
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