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Editor's Note: Last month, our Motohistory Quiz #94 featured an AMF Ski-Daddler snowmobile, the predecessor to the AMF/Harley-Davidson snow machine (see Motohistory News & Views 8/31/2011). Motohistory contributor and Vincent expert David Wright asked if we had ever heard of a Vincent snowmobile, and of course we were intrigued. Wright sent us and secured permission for us to republish a story that appeared August, 1971 in “MPH,” official magazine of the Vincent H.R.D. Owners Club. Our thanks to Wright, author Jeffrey Barkes, the editors of “MPH,” and the VOC for permission to share this story with Motohistory readers.
As you are probably aware, ski-doos have become a very important winter sport here in Canada and the Northern U.S. Two winters ago, while talking at work with a ski-dooing enthusiast in search of an engine for his proposed racing snowmobile, I suggested a Vincent engine and it just so happened that a friend of mine had a spare set of Vincent casings slightly damaged in the gearbox area. He was interested in the relatively small size of the engine gearbox package but wondered if an engine as old as this would produce the kind of power and torque which he required (pictured here is the author on the Vincent snowmobile).
On our assurance, he bought the engine and began working on it. First the gearbox section was removed to be replaced by ski-doo type variable speed pulley and clutch of his own manufacture. The remainder of the engine was brought up to Shadow standards, along with considerable polishing of vital engine internals.
In spring, while waiting for parts and still wondering how successful the engine would be, we paid him a visit on a Black Shadow and gave him a small demonstration of Vincent power. Well, as you might have guessed, he was rather impressed with the fierce acceleration and endless torque.
With the coming of the first snow, the final touches were put on the ski-doo and it was taken out for a test run. There were a few problems with the fuel system, but after some very clever engineering, these were soon overcome.
At the first event in which the machine was entered, on a snow-covered lake near St. Agathe, Quebec, the weather was quite cold—about 5 below zero! Other ski-dooers looked at the home-built machine with its somewhat rough fibre-glass engine cover and chuckled; as they were buzzing around the course on their two-stroke powered machines, the Vincent was very slowly warming up.
Then came the first practice lap with a few experts taking part. The best time was 1.00 minute to cover the one mile track. Now it was time for the Vincent powered special! The roar from the Vincent twin straight through exhausts was somewhat deafening compared to the two-strokes as the machine accelerated down the first straight. Time for the first lap: 45 seconds flat!
Suddenly there was great interest in the strange black machine. The scrutineers came over and were rather fascinated by what they saw, but unfortunately disqualified the machine, saying the engine was too big, even though the race was billed as an unlimited class.
Poor losers, if you ask me!
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