Motoneige

A motoneige (also called scooter of snows in France) is small a Véhicule motorized, driven using one or two caterpillars, and equipped with Ski S for the direction. Invented with the Quebec by Joseph-Armand Bombardier, it was spread in the whole world.

Its ground of predilection, as its name indicates it, is the Neige or the Glace. It requires neither Route, nor track. The motoneiges are used for the Randonnée in the urbanized areas of the south of the Scandinavian Pays, and in the area septentrional of the North America. They practically replaced the sledges with dogs like means of transport in the Arctic territories.

Description

] A motoneige with the shape of a sledge having skis for the direction, under the front part, and a caterpillar like system of propulsion under the back part. The majority of the motoneiges are propelled by driving at two times air cooled. But with the increase in the cubic capacity, they are more and more replaced by four-stroke engine with liquid cooling, definitely less polluting. The average of the models in 2007, according to the sites of various manufacturers, ranges between 600 and 1000 Cm3 DC. However, of the more powerful engines, especially used for the races, can reach more than 250 horsepowers.

The transmission is normally of type with centrifugal clutch which makes patent the invention in 1923, with the Canada and the the United States. It had transformed a car and makes the Mount-Pretty voyage 40 kilometers between and Rimouski with its process. Of 1924 with 1948, a hundred vehicles of the same series are produced, especially for forest industry.

But it is Joseph-Armand Bombardier, of Valcourt to the Quebec, which had the ambition to make winter one season when it is as easy to move as during the three other seasons. During the winter 1936 - 1937,), gears covered with rubber and caterpillars on the aft wheels. It is this system of traction partially out of rubber which makes instantaneously all the vehicles of Bomber highly more effective on snow than all the other metal tracked vehicles which could have been invented at the time. B7 is a success, but it is not enough for the inventor.

During the Second world war, it produces large half-tracked rubber belting vans reinforced with steel blades for the troops based on its B-12 (1942). They are used then of ambulances, school buses and local transport in winter in rural area at the side of the series of B (B-12 and B-18). The advent of the Déneigement of the roads cuts this crenel of sale drastiquement. Industries Bombardier turn then to work in forest and produce large caterpillars of transport. Later, one produces vehicles which are used to ram the ski slopes and of small like Chasse-neige of pavement.

Motoneige

The history of its creation is the fruit of a long research task bringing together several inventors. It starts with the turning of the Années 1920 - 1930 with Carl Eliason who built the motor toboggan . It was about a sledge provided with an engine which involved, by chain, a belt of fabric like system of traction. A few hundreds will be manufactured whose certain bought in 1942 by the American army but which will not see the European face. During the Years 1950, several manufacturers produce versions mini autoneiges for one or two people. They are heavy vehicles, mûs by engines four cylinders and caterpillars. The pioneer of the industrial production of these vehicles was the company Polaris located at Roseau in the Minnesota whose vehicles were especially used for the delivery of the mail in certain rural areas. The Manitoba was a ground of predilections for these machines with the Artic-Glider , Autoboggan , Bosak , Huski-Mobile and Leschasin . They are rather powerful in the snow hardened by the wind of the Canadian Prairies and of the American Midwest but cannot advance in snow soft and deep is continent. Indeed, following the loss of a son that J. - Armand Bombardier had not been able to bring in time at the hospital in winter, it dreamed to equip people with the rural areas of the equivalent on snow with an individual car. He had butted a long time against the fact that the weight of the engines made the autoneige individual not easily realizable. But after the development of lighter engines and grace also to the use of a caterpillar without fine revolutionist designed and patented by his German son.

Production

The number of manufacturers of motoneige largely varied since its beginnings. In 1959, Bombardier sells 225 units and the passion for the Ski-Doo is fast during the Années 1960, one period prosperous where the middle-class migrates towards the suburbs, discovers the leisures and the car. Several companies compétitrices are formed and of the multinationals create divisions to produce motoneiges. In 1971, one counts hundred different companies which sell a record of: 495000 motoneiges:

And some manufacturers specialized like:

  • Alpina S.R.L of Vicence, Italy, which manufactures motoneiges of work to double caterpillars;

In 2006, it was sold: 164860 motoneiges throughout the world, including three quarters in North America. They are initially regroupings in general very little structured. However, as of 1962, the first clubs with charter and the Canadian Association of autoneige (ACAN) are created.

It became the means of transport in the bases of research of the the Antarctic and Arctic forwardings. On this subject, the American Ralph Plaisted, a salesman of insurances of Minnesota, organized the first forwarding to reach the North pole by terrestrial way since Robert Peary (1909) and Frederick Cook (1908). In 1966, it obtained the permission of the Canadian government to try to reach the Pole starting from Eureka, Nunavut. In April 1967, its forwarding left with ten motoneiges Ski-Doo provided by Bombardier but only 83º 50 ' North could reach, that is to say with approximately 600 kilometers of its goal, because of the weather conditions.

The following year, it again tried its chance with more powerful news motoneiges, Ski-Doo SUPER Olympic 300 DC, having a traction improved thanks to insertion of iron cramps inside the rubber caterpillars to ensure a better traction on the ice. Plaisted is financed by Bombardier, the American television network CBS, the Canadian army and several other Canadian and American lobbys. It chooses its fellow-members according to their specialities of which Gerry Pitzl (navigator), Walt Pederson (engineer mechanical) and Jean-Luc Bombardier, nephew of Joseph-Armand Bombardier (technician and scout).

They fly away of Montreal towards the island of Ward Hunt, just in the north of the Île of Ellesmere, that is to say a point more in north that its preceding departure. They thus leave on the ices the Arctic Ocean the March 7th 1968. They must face freezing colds, peaks of ice of more than 12 meters height and cracks which they must circumvent. They arrive finally at their goal the April 19th at 15:00, after a tour of 1  330 kilometers. A plane of the US Air Force flies over them and confirms their position. Plaisted even affirms that its forwarding is really the first to reach the North pole by the terrestrial way within sight of the doubts about the position reached at the time of the voyages of Perry and Cook.

Competitions

The first motoneigists , want to compare their address and launch out challenges between friends. When the first clubs of motoneiges are formed, one organizes races at the local level, in a rather spontaneous way. The popularity of its races, and the strong competition between the very many manufacturers, rather quickly brings national competitions and international.

As of the medium of the Years 1960, the manufacturers finance them, produce especially models for these races and sponsor teams. All that in order to increase their sales. There is creation of categories according to the cubic capacity and the type of races: speed races, of cross-country race, etc a regulation appears for the safety of the participants in North America which divides those between amateurs and professionals:

  1. Race on oval track: it goes back to the whole beginning when the competitions proceeded on cold lakes. Initially on hardened snow, it is done since the years 1970 on ice. The track is from approximately 1 kilometer and one must make a given number of turns. The race on the oval track most known is that of Eagle River in the Wisconsin (the United States);
  2. Cross-country race: it dates from the same time and consists of a course through snow-covered wood and fields arranged. Reliability is the most important factor of these competitions. Most known is the International 500 which starts from Saint Paul (Minnesota) (the United States) and finishes with Winnipeg (Manitoba, Canada);
  3. Race of mountain: as its name indicates it, the course occurs in rough ground with rises and steep slopes, deep snow, zones of ice and the whole non made-up. The machines must be robust, fast, stick to the track and the technique of the pilot is very important. The world championship proceeds with Jackson Hole in the Wyoming (the United States);
  4. Race of acceleration: on a right track a given length of hardened snow or ice, the pilot must make the fastest time, on the basis of the rest. The engines reach there more 1  000 cubic centimeters and 230 horsepowers. Most known are the World Series off Ice Drags and the Minocqua Ice Drags ;
  5. Relay race: this type is connected with a long-distance car trek. One can traverse by stages of the thousands of kilometers on a course non made-up in full nature. One of most prestigious is the race Harricana (“long way” in algonquin), with the Quebec. It is about a raid of more than 2  000 kilometers. The idea was launched in 1988 by the French Nicolas Hulot and his compatriot Rene Metge, one of gaining Paris-Dakar. First Harricana took place in 1990 and was held Montreal in Radisson (Baie James);
  6. Race of snocross: it is a race on track having tight obstacles, jumps and turns. Similar to the Motocross, it became very popular. The most important race of snocross is the X-Ranges which takes place at various places each year.

There exist also races except season on other types of grounds.

One of the large gatherings of this kind is that of the Hay Days of Mineapolis, in the Minnesota, which puts in the high-speed motorboat races of acceleration on grass. The competition Wisconsin Snowmobile Watercross & Summerfest of Granstburg (Wisconsin), which puts in the high-speed motorboat professionals and semi-professionals in races of cross-country race and acceleration on lake, can however be regarded as a sport.

Temple of the fame

One finds several museums dedicated to the motoneige of which one centered in particular on the sport. It is about the Snowmobile Hall off Famed and Museum (Temple of re-elected races of motoneige) of Saint-Germain to the Wisconsin. One finds there a collection of machines of race and other objects of collection connected to this sport. One also sees there a photograph gallery of the champions, of which Gilles Villeneuve which will become a famous runner of Formule 1.

Motoneige in arts

Several films used motoneiges in scenes of action, quote:

One finds the motoneige in video games of which:

Toys and other miniatures

There exist various miniatures using the motoneige as topic. Let us quote:

  • various trophies connected to the races of motoneiges;

  • the French company of building sets Meccano manufactures a unit which makes it possible to mount a scooter of snows toy using parts and bolts;
  • the company Lego offers a unit similar to go up with spare parts;
  • of the miniature models of motoneiges of production and which are radio-controlled toys.

Disadvantages

Pollution

Like any motor vehicle with internal combustion, the motoneige rejects into the atmosphere of the gases which increase the Pollution, in particular for the users who follow themselves. Like the motor cycle, its noise level can be important. The manufacturers worked much to reduce these factors. Thus the driving at two times is replaced more and more by that with four times more effective and less noisy. The current motoneiges produce for example 90% less noise than those of the years 1960. However, this noise has effects cumulative in the users and repetitive at the residents of the tracks.

The scientists note damage caused by the compressing of snow: proofing of the surfacing which causes problems of Ruissellement at the time of winter rains, greater thermal conductivity which increases the frost level du on the tracks and spring erosion. The effects on the animals are more difficult to evaluate. The studies are contradictory on this subject, certain animals are held far from the paths, fleeing the noise, and others use them for their displacements. Independent researchers concentrate themselves on the problem as in the case of the car. Even students interfere themselves as those with the Polytechnic school of the Université of Montreal which submitted a project of Quasiturbine to improve the performances of the motoneige and others which work on more ecological motoneige.

Disrespectful behaviors

Certain followers have not very respectful behaviors of the others and property of the residents of the tracks. Excessive speed, the excursion out-paths which damages the vegetation and the aggressive behavior are their characteristics. Exceeded by their behavior, some took measures to put an end to the activity of the paths in their sector and to make prohibit the motoneige in the parks of conservation. Thus in 2004, from the owners in edge of the path which passes in the area of the Laurentides, in the north of Montreal, obtained a stop of court in order to prohibit the access to the motoneiges. In a new intervention, the government of Quebec emitted a special law to give again this access temporarily in order not to disturb an important economic activity in the area and the remainder of Quebec.

Accidents

As for the car, each year brings its batch of accidents fatal, especially at the time of collisions with others motoneiges or trees. One can quote the case of the Minnesota, where each year, approximately ten people die in this type of accident. A frequent factor in these accidents is the alcohol whereas certain motoneigists tend to believe that the fact of being on leave and out of the road withdraws them from the ethical . In Saskatchewan, on 25 deaths raised between 1995 and 1999, 21 were related to alcohol.

The tracks pass on the occasion on lakes or rivers cold and it arrive that the thickness of the ice is not sufficient to support the weight of the machines because of a rise in temperature. One thus counts cases of drownings among the drivers. The motoneigists who practice the out-tracks can also be implied in accidents.

Regulation

The rules governing the use of the motoneiges evolved/moved with the increase in the use and according to the jurisdictions. With the Canada and the the United States, the road rules are spring of the provinces and states what creates a disparity when one passes the borders between those. In Scandinavia, each country has its regulation. The places which have the most motoneigists tend to have the most restrictive laws.

The rules of the road apply to the paths that police officers patrol. They relate to the age, the registration, the rights paid for the use of the paths, the insurances, the speed limits and the accessories of safety. In general and for the United States in the east of the continent and for the Mid-West , it is at least necessary to be 14 years old to lead a motoneige and to follow a course to obtain the license but certain jurisdictions require 16 years a minimum age. It is also necessary there to be assured against the collision and for the civil responsibility on levels which vary and to carry the safety cap. Expenses of use for the tracks are included or not in the registration.

In Large-North, as with the Yukon, there is no minimum age, license, of registration, insurances or of obligatory wearing of the helmet because one regards the motoneige as essential means of transport in these distant zones. In the west of the continent of North America, the rules are some share between these two extremes according to the use of the motoneige and the mentality which is there in general more Libertaire.

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