The fascinating evolution of the snowmobile from its rudimentary beginnings to the technologically advanced machines we know today is remarkable. In the early days, snowmobiling was both a mechanical challenge and a simple pleasure. Each outing required almost as much effort to prepare and maintain as to ride, but the thrill of taming the snow and sharing those moments with loved ones far outweighed it. I remember sitting in a sled with my sister when I was very young, taking off with my parents for hikes lasting a few hours. We covered very few kilometers in those days, went to dinner in the woods and came back. And let’s face it, in those days, pollution and ecology weren’t part of the discussion. And this was true of all motor vehicles developed at the time. The automotive world was no exception: big displacement, very little technology, it was the era of big, strong, it works!
Since those early days, snowmobiling has undergone spectacular advances, marking a transformation similar to that seen in the automotive industry. Remember the craze of the 70s, when there were over 100 snowmobile manufacturers – Alouette, Kawasaki, Boa-Ski, Skiroule, SnoJet to name but a few.
Here are a number of key milestones in this evolution:
The arrival of injection systems:
Oil injection, in the 70s, eliminated the need to manually mix fuel and oil, was a giant step forward in ease of use. Yamaha was the first manufacturer to market a snowmobile with oil injection, the 1968 SL350.
Later, the introduction of electronic fuel injection (EFI) systems enabled more reliable starting and consistent performance, regardless of weather conditions or altitude. Early versions used a simple principle of simply introducing petrol into the intake manifolds via an injector. The first evolution of this technology came from Ski-Doo in 2004. It was called semi-direct injection. It worked by positioning an injector directly in the cylinder transfer port, so fuel no longer passed through the engine base, improving response and fuel consumption. In 2009, Ski-Doo introduced direct injection with its E-TECH system. Still in use today, this system injects fuel directly into the combustion chamber. Much more precise and efficient, and above all much less polluting.
Technological advances in engines :
The 2-stroke engines of the 60s required constant maintenance, with spark plugs that had to be adjusted by hand (the famous matchbox for the oldest 😊).
Modern 2-stroke engines, such as Rotax E-TEC, C-TEC2 or Patriot, offer far greater reliability, enhanced performance and a very significant reduction in pollutant emissions, while requiring much less maintenance.
The arrival of four-stroke engines in recent years has literally changed the industry. BRP introduced its famous V1000 in 2003, a big V-twin with around 85 horsepower. I remember the launch of the first Yamaha RX1, the first performance snowmobile with a four-stroke engine. The company had pulled out all the stops to impress the press. The day before the test, the top executives had gathered us in a garage where we could see several snowmobiles under canvas, and suddenly one of the executives slipped his hand under the canvas and started the engine, then raised the back of the canvas where we could see the exhausts and the sound of a high-performance bike. It was the birth of high-performance four-stroke engines in the industry!
Suspension sophistication :
From the original rudimentary suspensions, with the famous Boggey and leaf springs at the front, we’ve moved on to more complex, long-travel systems. Whether Polaris’ Xtra 10 or 12, or Ski-Doo’s sc10, the latter in their own way marked the evolution we know today. Although various geometries have been developed over the years, it was in 2022 that BRP introduced the first fully electronically controlled suspension with hyper-fast sag-rate readout and three stiffness modes. Polaris also introduced a similar concept in 2025. Arctic Cat also uses an electronic system to adjust stiffness, however this is not adaptive.
The electronic revolution:
Systems that interact with the rider are at the forefront. As in the automobile, we are in the age of connectivity. It is now possible to receive calls directly in your helmet.
– The addition of GPS displays like the Polaris 7S
or the BRP Connect
with connected features, brings snowmobiles closer to modern automobiles. They give you incredible visibility of your ride, and an incredible amount of real-time information.
Increasing power:
The last few seasons have seen the introduction of turbo compression. This involves boosting the amount of air in the engine to inject more fuel. The aim, of course, is to develop more power. This phenomenon has been around for several years on 4-stroke engines, and for some seasons now on 2-stroke engines… More power without more displacement.
What does the future may hold?
It’s hard to say, but we’d wager that the safety aspect is likely to take a step forward in the next few years, why not the introduction of standard airbags? Could we imagine brake-based impact detection systems? Certainly more and more electronic assistance, from suspension to air-fuel mixture calibration.
Electric motorization is also just around the corner. A system designed for trail use is not viable in the short term, but in a resort, ski resort or other place that doesn’t require long travel, this system has its place.
Despite all these innovations, the essence of snowmobiling remains the same: escape and fun. Whether off-piste to explore snow-covered landscapes, or on the trail to cover thousands of kilometers, snowmobiling remains an essential part of Canada’s winter landscape.
