RIDING THE VEHICLE
Ungroomed Trail
Unless there has been a fresh snow-
fall you can expect “washboard” and
snowdrift conditions. Taken at exces-
sive speeds, such conditions can be
physically harmful. Slow down. Hold
on the handlebar and assume a post-
ing position. Feet should be under the
body assuming a crouched position to
absorb any jarring effect. On longer
stretches of “washboard” trails, the
kneeling position of one knee on the
seat can be adopted. This provides a
certain amount of comfort, while at the
same time keeps the body loose and
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 base. If you do get
“bogged”, and it happens to everyone,
do not spinyour track as thismakes the
vehicle sink deeper. Instead, turn the
engine off, get off and move the back
of the vehicle onto new snow. Then
tramp a clear path ahead of the vehi-
cle. A few feet will generally suffice.
Restartthe engine. Assume the stand-
ing position and rock the vehicle gently
as you steadily and slowly apply the
throttle. Depending on whether the
front or rear end of the vehicle is sink-
ing, your feet should be placed on the
opposing end of the running boards.
Never place foreign material beneath
the track for support. Do not al
low any-
one to stand in front of, or to the rear
of, the snowmobile with the engine
running. Stay away from the t
rack.
Personal injury will result if contact is
made with the revolving track.
Frozen Water
Travelingfrozenlakesa
nd rivers can be
fatal. Avoid waterways. If you are in
an unfamiliar area, ask the local author-
ities or residents abo
ut the ice condi-
tion, inlets, outlets, springs, fast mov-
ing currents or other hazards. Never
attempt to operate your snowmobile
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 foreign to good con-
trol of a snowmobile or any vehicle.
Traction for starting, turning 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 slowly 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 two 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.
Approachatanangle. 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 a
nd 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
________
SAFETY INF
ORMATION
________
15
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