Build yourself a model Jet Ski® or Sea-Doo® Here's a fun exercise for younger readers—and the young at heart. Peter White Cycles is a small custom shop specializing in wheelbuilding, lighting systems, touring and commuting bikes and equipment for. Real-World Weight Comparison: 2013 Mountain Sleds from Cat, Polaris and Ski-Doo. Here's How To Restore Your Crappy Exhaust System. The exhaust system on your motorcycle takes one hell of a beating. Rust, dents, scratches, and general weathering will leave it looking like scrap. However, if your exhaust is made of stainless steel, you may be in luck. I’m going to show you some procedures on how to turn back the clock on this critical, yet often neglected, motorcycle component. Animation, the twelfth incarnation of Hanna-Barbera's Scooby-Doo animated series. Drama: Kill Me, Heal Me Revised romanization: Kilmi, Hilmi Hangul: Kars4Kids makes car donation easy! Donate a car online and join over 400, 000 satisfied donors, you’ll get free towing, a tax deduction and a vacation voucher. The exhaust system I am using for an example is a Yoshimura stainless steel unit for a 2. Suzuki GSX- R 6. 00/7. I picked it up on Craigslist for $2. The new price of this system would be over $1. I figured I would try my hand at cleaning it up and then attempt to resell it for a profit. The pictures in the ad made it look a lot nicer than it really was. When I arrived to pick it up, I had second thoughts about buying it. I didn’t realize it had a sizable dent in the bottom of the muffler or that the corrosion looked like some terrible skin disease.“Oh well,” I thought. I could at least try to revive it for the sake of science, or at the very least a Jalopnik story. Here we go! Tools Of The Trade. The tools and materials shown here represent everything I used to overhaul this exhaust system. Depending on how neglected your exhaust is, you may or may not need everything I’ve listed. Items like the bench grinder and Dremel tool are not required, but they will save you a few years by speeding up the corrosion- stripping and scratch- removal processes. Shining It Up. This Yoshimura system looked like hot garbage. I mean, just look at it. I won’t give too many details of the seller whom I bought it from, but let’s just say his residence had wheels and was located in a “park.” No judgement on the man, but this exhaust definitely wasn’t a treasured piece that was kept indoors, out of the elements. Before I began the monumental rescue operation, I had to first disassemble the system into its individual components. Unlike stock exhausts, which only have three parts (header, mid pipe, and silencer), this Yoshimura unit consisted of eight individual pieces. Each one was thoroughly fused together thanks to a decade of moisture- capturing neglect. I completely drenched every pipe connection with rust penetrant and let it sit for a few hours. Following a few choice verbs I had the exhaust system separated. What a state it was in! The initial procedure in the overhaul was to remove the outer layer of corrosion and rust. It’s always a good idea to start with the least invasive method first, such as applying polishing compound. Once you determine that the light approach won’t cut the mustard, progress to the more severe methods such as sand paper. I knew that polishing compound wouldn’t be severe enough for me, so I went straight to the 2. I applied WD- 4. 0 to the pipe surface and rubbed the sand paper back and forth until the first layer of corrosion was removed. I then progressed to finer sand paper, going to 4. I used brake parts cleaner to prepare the surface in between each sanding sprint. I’m not going to lie to you, this is a very demoralizing procedure that makes you want to chuck the whole damn project in the trash. It is dirty, it is time consuming, and it is probably bad for your overall health. But heck, that could be said about just about any mechanical restoration! Now that the bulk of the rust and corrosion had been removed, it was time to send the pipes to the bench grinder. I fitted a brass wire wheel to the grinder so that the resulting polish would not scratch the metal. The grinding wheel made quick work of the job. The resulting finish turned out pretty good considering what it started out like. I decided, for the sake of time, that I was satisfied with brushed look of the exhaust system. The shiny, mirrored finish that stainless steel exhaust systems have when new would require many, many more hours of fine sanding and polishing. Dent Reformation. The center muffler portion of the exhaust has the unique pleasure of being the lowest component on the motorcycle. This means that if you try to hop a curb on your GSX- R while you’re running from the police, the muffler acquires a nice dent. I couldn’t simply buy a new muffler section from Yoshimura. This meant I had to completely disassemble the muffler to try and remove as much of the dent as I could. The first step in the disassembly is to drill out all of the rivets that secure both end caps of the muffler. With all of the rivets removed, you can then separate all of the pieces of the muffler section. Inside of the muffler you will see fiberglass packing material. This stuff is nasty, but you will either want to save it or replace it with new material. I decided to save and reused it. With the muffler separated, it becomes obvious that the dent was purely a cosmetic defect. The center perforated cylindrical section is where the exhaust gasses pass through which was not affected by the dent. It was at this point where I observed how difficult it is to reshape metal. It was also at this point where I decided to give up on a perfect repair, and just do something that made the dent, well, less of a dent. My dent removal “method” was to pass a metal pipe through the center of the muffler skin, and then slowly roll the dent out similarly to how you would roll pizza dough. The only difference was that I was rolling metal, and I was standing on the roller. My body weight was just enough to push out most of the dent. Again, not perfect, but better than before. Satisfied with the shape of the muffler skin, it was then time to reassemble it. I placed a bead of high- temp sealant around the lip of each muffler end cap, then refitted them to the muffler skin. I re- packed the fiberglass material into the void between the muffler skin and the center perforated pipe. Finally, I riveted it all back together. The end result for the muffler was much better than before. It was a lot easier to swallow the less- than- perfect outcome knowing that the dent was nothing more than a cosmetic imperfection. Road Rash Ointment. Dents and corrosion weren’t the only eye sores present on this exhaust system. There were some small scrapes visible on the silencer section. The silencer is the most visible part of the exhaust when installed on the bike. As a result, it is important to get this part as perfect as possible. Removing scratches from metal can be accomplished in nearly the same fashion as you would do for removing gouges from wood. I broke out the Dremel tool and slowly started to grind back the scratches. The key to this is to apply very light pressure with the Dremel and keep the the tool moving. You don’t want to create an obvious repair area. You want to try and blend with the surrounding metal. Don’t worry too much about creating a wide grinding area as everything can be polished out. Once you have ground away the depth of the scratch, use your various grits of sand paper to blend the area. You will eventually reach a mirrored finish as you use increasingly finer- grit sand paper. With one scratch successfully ground away, it was time to tackle the scratch near the carbon end cap. I did not want to accidentally grind away any of the carbon fiber, so I used masking tape to act as a buffer. Using the same grinding progression as before, the scratch was easily removed. The badge that was riveted to the silencer was looking worn out. Luckily, I was able to purchase a new badge straight from Yoshimura. I also bought some new clamping springs to give the exhaust a fresh look when reassembled. The badge was easily removed by drilling out the old rivets. Using some degreaser, I was able to clean up adhesive backing residue left from the old badge. I then permanently affixed the new badge to the silencer with four new rivets. With the scratches removed and the new badge applied, it was time to go over it with polishing compound. Wiping the polishing compound off with the microfiber towel, it became obvious that the work I had put into reviving the silencer was worth it. It looked almost new! Laborious Success. All- in, it took about 1. I think the results go to show that even if something looks decrepit at first glance, beauty can be unlocked with a little bit of time and effort. Once the exhaust was cleaned up, I no longer had any use for it. I didn’t own a bike that the exhaust fitted, nor did I have any intention of purchasing such a bike. I immediately tossed it up on Craigslist for $6. The price was a complete shot in the dark because I couldn’t find any exhausts out there to compare it to. Within two days of posting the ad, a buyer came by and picked it up. It’s a good feeling taking an item like a neglected exhaust system, something that was destined for the trash heap, and turning it back around into an asset that people actually want. While the exhaust rescue did occupy a good portion of a weekend, I just had to reflect on the figures to understand why the restoration made sense: PURCHASE COST: $2. PARTS & SUPPLIES COST: $1. LABOR HOURS: 1. 0SALE PRICE: $6. NET PROFIT: $3. 00. You don’t have to be chasing a profit in order to perform such a restoration. If your stainless steel exhaust system is looking a bit worse for wear, you owe it to yourself to bring it back around. With some elbow grease and a little bit of time, you may just have your crappy exhaust looking great once again. Bombardier Recreational Products - Wikipedia. Bombardier Recreational Products. Public company. Traded as. TSX: DOOIndustry. Recreational Vehicles. Founded. 19. 42. Founder. Joseph- Armand Bombardier. Headquarters. Valcourt, Quebec, Canada. Area served. Worldwide. Key people. Jos. Once part of Bombardier Inc., it was founded in 1. L'Auto- Neige Bombardier Limit. As of October 6, 2. BRP has manufacturing facilities in five countries: Canada, the United States (Wisconsin, Illinois, North Carolina), Mexico, Finland, and Austria. The company’s products are sold in more than 8. The Ski- Doo personal snowmobile brand is so iconic, especially in Canada, that it was listed in 1. CBC's The Greatest Canadian Invention list in 2. Snowmobiles. His work with snowplane designs can be traced to before 1. He quickly abandoned his efforts to develop a snowplane and turned his inventive skills to tracked vehicles. From the start, the company made truck- sized half- track vehicles, with skis in the front and caterpillar tracks in the rear, designed for the worst winter conditions of the flatland Canadian countryside. After producing half- tracks in World War II for the Canadian Army, the company experimented with new forms of track systems and developed an all- tracked, heavy duty vehicle designed for logging and mining operations in extreme wilderness conditions, such as heavy snow or semiliquid muskeg. They produced it under the name Muskeg tractor. Each track is composed of two or more rubber belts joined into a loop. The loops are held together with interior wheel guides and exterior cleats, commonly called grousers. The tracks are driven by a large drive sprocket that engages the grousers in sequence and causes the track to rotate. Two belt tracks were common on early model Bombardiers and muskeg machines. For deep- snow use, wider tracks, employing additional belts, are used for added flotation over the snow. The research for the track base made it possible to produce a relatively small, continuous- rubber track for the light one- or two- person snowmobile the founder of the company had dreamed about during his teen years. This led to the invention of snowmobiles. The company created the snowmobile market. From the 1. 94. 0s through the early 1. Bombardier built the most successful. Both were similar in design with long tracks in the rear and skis used to steer the vehicle. The B1. 2 and C1. Most historic and most modern snowcats have a top speed of barely 2. The Bombardier B1. C1. 8 were probably the precursors to the more modern snow coach currently used by resorts for transporting tourists. In their day, the B1. C1. 8 vehicles were used as school buses, mail delivery and emergency vehicles in northern United States and Canada, and were best suited to flat land conditions, frozen roadways, or frozen lakes. While more than 3,0. Bombardier B1. 2/C1. Bombardier had competitors in both the North American and world markets. Most of the Bombardier production stayed in North American. The front ski design was incapable of being used in deep snow and rough ground conditions, which opened the door for the development of dual- track and quad- track snowcats. Unfortunately, the front ski design was not easily adapted to change for other ground conditions, so while it was successful on flat lands, frozen lakes, and snow- covered roads, it could not compete on rough, off- road conditions. The combination of the lack of design flexibility, incompatibility with off- road conditions, and the advent of modern snowplowing practices of public roadways beginning in the 1. B1. 2/C1. 8 design. Today, B1. 2s are still in used in large- scale ice fishing in northern Canada. Notable competitors included the Aktiv Snow Trac ST4 from Sweden, Thiokol, and Tucker Sno- Cat from the USA. The Snow Trac was produced, virtually unchanged, until 1. Winter Olympics in Sapporo, Japan. Tucker Sno- Cat grew to become one of the world's largest builders of these vehicles, and currently produces a wide range of large commercial and exploration vehicles from its location in Medford, Oregon, USA. Thiokol produced many popular units, notably the Imp, Super Imp, and Spryte models, but changed ownership and name several times before going out of business in 2. Logan Machine Company and manufacturer of the LMC brand. Development of the small snowmobile. In the early 1. 95. Armand set aside his dream to focus on developing his company's other tracked vehicles. But by the end of the decade, smaller, more efficient engines had been developed and were starting to come on the market. Armand resumed his efforts to build a . He worked alongside his eldest son Germain, who shared his father's mechanical talents. Armand and Germain developed several prototypes of the lightweight snowmobile and finally, the first Bombardier snowmobile went on sale in 1. By accident, a printer misinterpreted the name and printed . Suddenly a new winter sport was born, centred in Quebec. In the first year, Bombardier sold 2. Ski- Doos; four years later, 8,2. But Armand was reluctant to focus too much on the Ski- Doo and move resources away from his all- terrain vehicles. He vividly remembered his earlier business setbacks that forced him to diversify. Armand slowed down promotion of the Ski- Doo line to prevent it from dominating the other company products but still dominate the entire snowmobile industry. The snowmobiles produced were of exceptional quality and performance, earning a better reputation than the rival Polaris and Arctic Cat brands of motosleds. In 1. 97. 1, Bombardier completed the purchase of the Moto- Ski company to expand the Ski- Doo line and eliminate a competitor from the marketplace. Some of the sleds made by Ski- Doo are the Formula III, Mach 1, and Mach Z with Rotax engines. While it is a commonly held misconception that all Ski- Doo snowmobiles were powered by rotary valved engines, this is not true. Only two cylinder Rotax engines were equipped with rotary valves. As a rule, the later rotary valved sleds were liquid cooled as well. Fan cooled sleds were usually piston port (2- stroke) induction. Sleds such as the formula III, later model mach- 1's and the mach Z were powered by three cylinder, 2- stroke, Rotax engines. In 1. 99. 4 the company produced the first snowmobile equipped specifically for mountain riding, the Ski- Doo Summit. Ski- Doo snowmobiles have consistently been extremely competitive for performance and in the marketplace up to the current day, taking a number of national titles in racing events from Sno- X to hill- climbing. In 1. 99. 9 Ski- Doo introduced the ZX aluminum chassis which was lighter weight with better suspension and thus very successful in sno- cross competition. In 2. 00. 3 Ski- Doo introduced rider- forward REV chassis, which changed the sport and was followed by other manufacturers. In 2. 00. 8 Ski- Doo introduced the XP chassis, which moved the rider further forward with major weight reduction. The XP was the lightest machine available, with power- to- weight ratios in the Summit models for the first time under 3 lb per HP. For the 2. 01. 7 snow year, Ski- Doo will release its most powerful engine. The engine produces 1. Etec. This makes the 2. Summit models. Motorcycles and ATVs. The bikes competed successfully in professional racing with Gary Jones winning the 1. US 2. 50cc AMAmotocross national championship. Can- Am. In 2. 00. Bombardier renamed their all- terrain vehicle line of products Can- Am. Can- am Off- Road has seven models of ATVs, the Outlander, the Renegade, the Commander, The Maverick, the DS, the Traxter, the Quest, and the Rally. The Traxter and Quest (no longer in production) had two engine sizes 5. The Rally (also no longer in production) was available with a 2. The Outlander is a utility style ATV available in multiple engine sizes, including 4. V- Twin engines. The Outlander MAX is available for 2- up riding and the Outlander X- MR is built specifically for mud riding. The Renegade is also available with multiple engine choices, a 5. V- Twin engine. The Renegade X- XC is a separate trim level built specifically for cross country racing. The Outlander 8. 00. R X- XC is a version of the Renegade with the same trim level for cross country racing and non- racing trail riding. The XT- P is the modern outlander XXC and features the XT package with front sway bar and beadlock wheels. The 1. 00. 0cc engine was introduced into the quad classification in the 2. Outlander and the Renegade series. The DS has four engine choices, a 4. A 6. 50cc engine was once available but has since been discontinued. The Commander is a SSV or Side by side introduced for 2. Commander has several trim levels, including XT, X and LTD (Limited) at the time the only engine option for the extra packages was the 1. The XT had upgraded wheels, winch, front bumper and upgraded gauge and steering wheel. The X package had Bumpers, rock sliders, XT gauge and steering wheel, X package seats, and beadlock wheels. Commander Limited includes air ride suspension, an am/fm radio with four speakers, an i. Pod adapter,XT package and built- in touch screen GPS. All Can Am ATVs except the DS- 7. DS- 9. 0 feature four- stroke Rotax engines. The maverick side by side was introduced to stand up to the commander's rival the Polaris RZR XP 9. The Maverick has an updated version of the commander's 1. V- Twin Rotax engine (1. R) this engine had a massive 1. This was achieved by using high flow dynamics to increase exhaust and air flow. The maverick was a revolution into the horsepower triple digits. The maverick comes in 6 packages today (February 2. Base, XRS, XRS DPS, XMR, X ds, and X ds Turbo. In the X ds lineup Can Am brought the first factory installed turbocharged engine to the industry. The turbo boosts the horsepower of the maverick from 1. Invention of the three- wheeled roadster. Though the company is a major manufacturer of two stroke engines and four stroke motors for several industries it is better known for its consumer recreational products. Real- World Weight Comparison: 2. Mountain Sleds from Cat, Polaris and Ski- Doo. Most of us have heard the axiom, . The axiom was borne from the fact that there have been a lot of engines (and high perf parts) built over the years that produce a nice big number on the dyno, but that don't show the same supremacy in the field. Something along those same lines seems to exist for snowmobile weight in the field versus in the shop. Here's an interesting and informative video comparing the weights of 2. Arctic Cat, Polaris and Ski- Doo mountain sleds both in the snow and out of it. The sleds: 2. 01. Arctic Cat M8 Limited 1. Ski- Doo Summit SP 1. Polaris Pro- RMK 1. The Test: Weigh each machine in the shop when it's full of fuel and containing a spare belt and tool kit. Those numbers are shown above. After riding the backcountry for a while, the group weighed the sleds again via the same scale (but this time hung from a tree branch in their riding area). Here's how much weight each sled gained. The 2. 01. 3 Arctic Cat M8 LTD 1. Thanks to its short heat exchanger and powder- coated tunnel (which don't hold snow the way the other brands' sleds do), it gained the least amount of snow weight during regular mountain riding. The Ski- Doo 8. 00 Summit SP 1. They also gained the most snow- weight, 9. The white bars indicate snow packed weight. Pretty interesting! Freerider/racer Rob Kincaid sums it up nicely: ! Never thought of it that way,UM Akrider says: 2/5/2. AMI wish they would have done a better job at showing the scale during the snow weigh in. I watched and rematches it, freezing the video and you can't read the scale well at all during the Cat and Doo weigh in. The ice build up in a tunnel of a Yamaha contributes a ton of extra weith to the sled. But, this test is too subjective. Who's to say the Polaris didn't gain more snow weight because it is easier to throw around and was ridden more aggressively? It could be done in a flat meadow with fresh snow just so every sled can be ridden exactly the same. Have them do a loop, simultaniously with a series of carved powder turns and then weigh them, filled back up. The whole thing could be shot in 5- 1. That would be more objective and have the sleds all use the same scale. Then notice the cat ski's are turned towards the camera so you can see how much is on them. This test is a joke as cat can make it come out however they want. They are just rying to hide the fact that they have the heaviest 2 stroke mountain sled out of them all. Instead of a stupid teast like this they should have thier engineers working on innovative new things to make thier sleds better like the other 2 relevant sled makers. And I am a die hard Cat guy! Each sled was ran for the same amount of time prior to be being weighed, in the same part of the mountain, same snow conditions, same riding style, same everything! I was surprised by the findings myself! Jim. R says: 2/5/2. AMJamie: Are you really this blind? THe Cat Ski's are black and the tops sure look white. You are so way off on this that it is not even hardly worth bringing up. Doo and Poo Suck but you already know this. Why else would you be on a Cat site? Jamie says: 2/5/2. AMJim. R. I'm not blind at all. Just not buying this BS. I bet if doo runs the test they come out lighter and if Polaris runs the test they come out way lighter! I love AC and currently run a 2. F8 LXR. I like the sled even though it has had some first year gremlins. I also have a 2. 01. CFR 8. 00 HO in the garage, a 1. El Tigre in the garage and a 2. AC 6. 50 ATV. I like Cat and that is why I would rather see them finding real ways to be the best and lightest sleds out there rather then trying to sell us that less snow stick sto thier heavier sleds. Cats not having the rearword cooler is the main reason it is lighter than the Doo real world wet and dead even with the pop can poo. Use some thought and read the article before you jump to wild conclusions like you just did. From what I've seen with my buddies' M8 and 1. T is the a- arms hold less snow in certain conditions and Cat may very well have a better idea with their heat exchanger design. But, I'm skeptical of any test performed by an OEM with the goal of showing their product is better. The results would be much less questionable. Again, this is a really cool concept, but it's like watching a Ford produced commercial with the other trucks being compared. No surprise at the end the Ford is better. Chevy, Toyota and Dodge have all done similar types of videos. No OEM is going to produce and release the results of a test that shows their competitor did better. With that said, in science you have to be able to replicate the experiment over and over and get the same results to show the theory is true. It would be interesting if the other OEM's do a similar test and get different results. Kind of opens up a can of worms. Jamie says: 2/5/2. PMExactly AKrider. I would be skeptical of the results if doo or poo performed the test and thier sled came in the lightest. It's just too easy to make sure a little extra snow is stuck on the comptetitions sled or a little less on your sled before the weigh in to be a creditable test. John Sandberg says: 2/5/2. PMI totally get/understand why people would be skeptical of the results, because they're from an OEM. I'd feel exactly the same if it were another manufacturer doing this. So it stands to reason that more heat exchanger surface will result in more snow weight. Maybe a hint of what cat has up it's sleeve for a direct inject 2 stroke to compete with the E- tech? John Sandberg says: 2/5/2. PMJamie,thanks for nice words about this place. I'm sworn to secrecy on such matters. But I will let this one slip: There will for sure be new graphics. I met you at the Arctic Cat 5. Arctic Insider decal on my tool box at home. Those things are everywhere! I dont believe any of those tests put out by a single manufacturer even if it's AC. Let a third party non biased company do the testing. Kincaid's and Arctic Cat's credibility does this provide if they with any purpose hedged the result's in Cat's favor by such a drastic amount. I am sure there is some similarities we can find if we do this in different sno, riding conditions, short vs. The results may not be equivalent, but over the course of a few tests I believe you will see a trend, Arctic Cat has zero benefit in blatantly lieing. The Cat had e- start and reverse and weighed more than the Phazer. I never heard anything about weight being added to the Cat. I never even questioned the truth of that ad. It would have been super easy to disprove. They drag raced them or something. I recall thinking that video was pretty hokey. Too bad the test didn't include a Yamaha MTX. Would have been funny to see how it gained 1. Rusty says: 2/6/2. PMAk, the pics clearly showed the hood zip- tied closed, plain and simple, no 2 ways about it,, and that is a no- no in my eyes if trying to prove something legit,, the mags editors were appalled that Yamaha would do such a thing but they did do it? Dulpher says: 2/8/2. PMIf nobody trusts AC, and anyone trusts Arcticinsider, maybe John should try to replicate the same test to see if the same results happen. Rusty says: 2/8/2. PMOnly thing I don't trust AC about is how the current CEO's have screwed the smaller dealers who've been there for them over the lean years after they literally kept Cat afloat thru it all.. Polaris, Doo, hell my local dealership dumped Doo and is now stricly Cat in the sled department. Guess that tells me something I guess. Jerry along with a few other dealers who shall remain nameless (but open to all's imaginations as to whom they may be) literally pulled Cat back from the ashes of early middle portion of '8. CEO's feel welcome to self entitlement vs possibly awarding such dealers for support of the rebirth of what was once a dead and left for naught company. I have owned many many sleds of all brands over the years. I just bought a new 2. M8 1. 62 after pondering and testing all season. I bought this sled after riding an RMK 8. Why buy a 2 year old NEW sled you say? Power, reliability, ride ability, and durability. I ride in the northern Sierras and live in Reno, NV. People can ride or buy whatever sled they want here. The guys I have ridden with are not brand loyal or biased. They will and have tried every sled made. These are the guys riding the most extreme lines, taking the most risk, and breaking the most sleds. MOST of them are riding CAT. I do see a few XPs, XMs, and a couple of RMK Pros. I weigh 1. 54 pounds, am 5'7. I'd like a light sled too. But, despite all the controversy and discussions, light weight is not the only consideration. If they want to do a real test they should you a summit X. Also the doo is going to better in powder any ways because it has t motion and a wide flex edge track. Harold Weiner says: 3/3. AMYou grumpy old men should get out and ride your sleds and stop this lame back- and- forth. Pick one, buy it, and ride it like you stole it. Greg says: 2/2. 5/2. AMONE MORE IMPORTANT NOTE: This article claims OVER 9. Polaris, since SOME fuel must have been used by the time they weighed that means about 1. We need better tests than this very bold claim. Greg says: 2/2. 5/2. AMPLEASE RULE OUT THE FUEL ISSUE, assuming they were equally fueled as shown, moot point.
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