John was first introduced to snowmobiles many years ago while working as the Service Manager for a large dealership. The owner, Glenn, proposed the idea of beginning to sell and service snowmobiles. John was immediately- and vehemently- against it. He bellowed about how much he did not enjoy working on them, citing that they were difficult to move around the shop, caused back pain when leaning over them for extended periods of time, and dripped snow and ice on your face.
Glenn, apparently armed with the knowledge that John generally tends to be unopen to new ideas before giving them a fair chance, encouraged John to ride a snowmobile home that evening.
Unsurprisingly, John reappeared the next morning with a new attitude toward snowmobiles. In fact, he encouraged Glenn to get more of them to put on the sales floor and deemed them a riot.
Ever since that evening, John has been a snowmobile enthusiast. He was even selected as a designated rider for the Ohio State Patrol (and was given a credit card for fuel and a state highway radio for communication) during the blizzard of 1978 to perform wellness checks on rural farmers that could not be reached via traditional transportation methods.
SNOWMOBILE RIDING TIPS:
Know Your Surroundings:
If riding in an unfamiliar area, lap around slowly to ensure there are not any objects buried underneath the snow (large rocks, stumps, culverts, wire fences, and even ditches). Everything may appear flat when it is covered with snow, but as Dain has learned the hard way- that is most certainly not always the case!
Towing: In the event that your snowmobile breaks down and needs towed home, use caution to ensure safety for both you and your machine. Use either a designated tow hook, or, if towing by the skis, only attach to one ski. This prevents damage to the snowmobile.
Spare Belt and Spark-Plugs: It is no fun to be stranded anywhere. It’s even worse (and possibly dangerous) to be stranded in the cold snow. For that reason, we recommend always keeping a spare belt and set of spark-plugs on the snowmobile at all times. This keeps you prepared in the event that one of these common problems occur. As the saying goes, it’s better to be safe than sorry!
Disclaimer: Always follow manufacturer guidelines.
