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View Full Version : Are Arctic Cat and Ski doo both American companies?



bassman
01-21-2007, 10:31 AM
Just wondering.

sandpuppi101
01-21-2007, 11:22 AM
Arctic Cats are put together up in Minnisota but have the suzuki motors in them and Ski-doo's are put together up in Canada and have Bombadier motors in them,FYI Can -Am now on the market again with the ATV's is also Bombadier!!!

nate b
01-21-2007, 12:17 PM
ski doo uses rotax motors.

84honda200s
01-21-2007, 12:36 PM
ski doo uses rotax motors.




ski doo used rotax an kholer. artic cat used so man engines i cant even tell all of them. suzuki, kowasaki, and a few others.

as stated ski doos were assembled in canada and artic cat i have no idea :lol: .

Tecate250
01-21-2007, 03:20 PM
I have never seen a kohler motor in a ski doo. Ski doo uses exclusive rotax motors.

honda250sx
01-21-2007, 07:52 PM
Ditto, Kohler in a ski-doo never seen it. As for Cat the list goes on. Cat started early with some Wisconsin engines, Later switched to Kohler for there durability in bitter temps. They also ran Hirth,JLO,Sachs,Wankel,kawasaki,and finally signed a deal in the mid 70's to run exclusively with Suzuki. Try being a dealer in the mid-70s with 6 different engine inventory's. Constant recalls and nightmare's

84honda200s
01-22-2007, 12:01 AM
I have never seen a kohler motor in a ski doo. Ski doo uses exclusive rotax motors.



in the real old ski doos did.

the 1962 alpine had a k141 Kohler had 16.2 ci (cubic inches)

the 1963 R had the same engine as the 1962 alpine.

ski doo also used the jlo in 1962 i was a l152 and l197 the i52 had 148cc and the 197 had 198cc.

the Kohler was also used in the 62,63, and i believe 64 john deere lawn tractors.

ski doo started to move to the rotax in 1963. then on thats all they used. now as far as artic cat

1965-1972 they used almost every engine out there hirth, onan, kohler, sachs, wankel, jlo, and kowasaki.

1973-1984 they used kowasaki till 1975 (they used the wankel in 1975 for the cheeta 295) then from 1976 to 1984 they used only spirit. (in 1976 they used a kowasaki on the lynx 250)

Chevy200s
01-22-2007, 10:01 AM
I think 84honda200s is right on this one, I cant be positive but i think the really early ski doos had kohlers in them. Does anyone know what motors they had in the really really early sleds, like from the mid to late 50's era with the light kinda stuck out funny on the cowl? Lots of interesting facts in this thread, keep it going!

sandpuppi101
01-22-2007, 11:53 AM
Yep my Bad Nateb ,the ski doos use the Rotax motors,LOL !! I am a Cat guy not much on the ski doos,but I used to have a elan one lunger,and that thing would start every time.. As far as the Cats I would have hated to have dealt with them in the 70's.. just way too much as far as motors back then..you still need to basically take the vin# in with ya to get parts and make sure that's it's a numbers correct set-up when you get em' !! I just worked on a '72 Panther with a '73 TIB KAW 399 cc motor which had a '74 eletriacal set-up. It was like being Sherlock Holmes figuring that one out,not fun at all !!

Tecate250
01-22-2007, 04:27 PM
Wow! Thanks for clearing that one up. Why did kohler stop making engines if they were around that long?

84honda200s
01-22-2007, 05:47 PM
Kohler is a good engine like the Wisconsin. that was their flaw. they were so good they hardly ever broke down. you could say they built their self out of work. i believe they really early sleds had the Kohler s also. along with a few other odd ball engines. when i get a chance i will see if there is any info in my books. but i dont think i have any info for sleds in the 50's.

honda250sx
01-22-2007, 07:58 PM
Spirit is Suzuki. They are not an independant company

84honda200s
01-22-2007, 09:52 PM
lol sorry. i didnt know that im mostly a ski doo guy.