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57-609: An early example of a snow coach was the Snow Bus built by Bombardier in Quebec, Canada. It was equipped with front skis and rear tracks and typically could seat 12 passengers. Alternatively, the front skis could be removed and replaced with front wheels. There are documented uses of the Bombardier Snow Bus as a school bus, for mail delivery, and as emergency vehicles. They were also used for tours and transportation in snowbound areas. In

114-495: A 200cc engine. The Outlander is a utility style ATV available in multiple engine sizes, including 400cc and 450cc single cylinder and 500cc, 570cc, 650cc, 800cc, 850cc and 1000cc 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 500cc, 570cc, 800cc, 850cc or 1000cc V-Twin engine. The Renegade X-XC

171-615: A better reputation than the rival Polaris and Arctic Cat brands of motor sleds. In 1971, Bombardier completed the purchase of the Moto-Ski company to expand the Ski-Doo line and eliminate a competitor from the marketplace. In the mid 1990s, some of the sleds made by Ski-Doo were 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

228-613: A blizzard in Saskatchewan , the company received positive press coverage when army snowmobiles resupplied isolated radio communication towers. In 1948, the Government of Quebec passed a law requiring all roads to be cleared of snow; Bombardier's sales fell by nearly half in one year. Armand Bombardier therefore decided to diversify his business, first by producing tracked snowplows sized for use on municipal sidewalks, replacing horse-drawn vehicles , then by making all-terrain vehicles for

285-588: A civil entity in 1865 under the name of Township of Ely. The official name of Valcourt was not given until 1965, and took the name of the post office and the railroad station belonging to the Canadian Pacific Railway . Many hypotheses exist as to the naming of Valcourt. The first is situated in the fact that a small valley in French would be a val court . The second is the deformation of a certain family name between 1849 and 1850 of Dalcourt. The last hypothesis

342-506: A factory in Valcourt. In 1942, L'Auto-Neige Bombardier Limitée ("Bombardier Snow Car Limited") was founded in Valcourt . During World War II , the Government of Canada issued wartime rationing regulations. Bombardier customers had to prove that snowmobiles were essential to their livelihood in order to buy one. The company then shifted its focus to the arms industry . In 1947, during

399-433: A new winter sport was born, centred in Quebec. In the first year, Bombardier sold 225 Ski-Doos; four years later, 8,210 were sold. But Armand was reluctant to focus too much on the Ski-Doo and move resources away from his all-terrain vehicles. 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 earned

456-457: A population density of 395.4/km (1,024.0/sq mi) in 2021. Mother tongue (2011) The inventor of the snowmobile, Joseph-Armand Bombardier , was born in Valcourt. The J. Armand Bombardier museum is situated on the territory of the municipality. The main theme of the museum is the interpretation of the history of the snowmobile industry and of its inventor, Joseph-Armand Bombardier . The museum also houses three exhibition halls and

513-629: A range of large commercial and exploration vehicles from its location in Medford, Oregon , USA. Thiokol produced popular units, notably the Imp, Super Imp, and Spryte models, but changed ownership and name several times before going out of business in 2000 as the Logan Machine Company and manufacturer of the LMC brand. Armand dreamed of developing a fast, lightweight snowmobile that could carry one or two people. In

570-452: A separate company, with majority ownership transferred to Bain Capital. 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. They now make Ski-Doo and Lynx brand snowmobiles, all-terrain vehicles, Sea-Doo personal water craft , jet boats, and Evinrude outboard motors (through

627-458: A top speed of barely 20 mph. The Bombardier B12 and C18 were probably the precursors to the more modern snow coach used by resorts for transporting tourists. In their day, the B12 and C18 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 3,000 of

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684-706: Is a Canadian manufacturer of snowmobiles , all-terrain vehicles , side by sides , motorcycles , and personal watercraft . It was founded in 2003, when the Recreational Products Division of Bombardier Inc. was spun off and sold to a group of investors consisting of Bain Capital , the Bombardier-Beaudoin family and the Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec . Bombardier Inc., was founded in 1942 as L'Auto-Neige Bombardier Limitée (Bombardier Snowmobile Limited) by Joseph-Armand Bombardier at Valcourt in

741-500: Is a separate trim level built specifically for cross country racing. The Outlander 800R 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 1000cc engine was introduced into the quad classification in the 2012 model year for both

798-499: Is also more efficient 40 percent less oil burn than the previous Etec. and 30 percent quicker throttle response; this engine paired with the new SP chassis which moves the rider even further forward and provides a big weight reduction over the XP chassis. This makes the 2017 the most capable snowmobile ever, reaching speed of upwards of 120 mph in the MXZ models. During the 1970s, Bombardier built

855-474: Is enclaved by Valcourt (township) . The name of Valcourt makes reference to the origin of this township. The origins of Valcourt go back to 1802, the year where the first inhabitants came to establish themselves in the township of Ely, named after the city in Great Britain . The first inhabitants were Loyalists , but by 1840 Canadiens began to arrive in the area. The first parish was created in 1856, and

912-431: 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 1994 the company produced the first snowmobile equipped specifically for mountain riding,

969-493: Is the existence of a village in the United States by the name of Valcour, situated just south of the border with Canada and the state of New York . In the 2021 Census of Population conducted by Statistics Canada , Valcourt had a population of 2,139 living in 1,052 of its 1,123 total private dwellings, a change of -1.2% from its 2016 population of 2,165 . With a land area of 5.41 km (2.09 sq mi), it had

1026-571: The Can-Am brand of off-road competition motorcycles designed for motocross and enduro with Rotax engines displacing 125, 175, 248, 366, 500 and 800 cc. The bikes competed successfully in professional racing with Gary Jones winning the 1974 US 250cc AMA motocross national championship . In 1983, Bombardier licensed the brand and outsourced development and production of the Can-Am motorcycles to Armstrong-CCM Motorcycles of Lancashire, England . 1987

1083-550: The Eastern Townships , Quebec . As of October 6, 2009 , BRP had about 5,500 employees; its revenues in 2007 were above US$ 2.5 billion. BRP has manufacturing facilities in Canada, the United States (Wisconsin, Illinois, North Carolina, Arkansas, Michigan and Minnesota), Mexico, Finland, and Austria. The company's products are sold in more than 100 countries, some of which have their own direct-sales network. BRP's products include

1140-499: The Ski-Doo and Lynx snowmobiles, Can-Am ATVs and Can-Am motorcycles , Sea-Doo personal watercraft, and Rotax engines. The Ski-Doo was ranked 17th place on CBC Television 's The Greatest Canadian Invention in 2007. In January 1934, a blizzard prevented Joseph-Armand Bombardier from reaching the nearest hospital in time to save his two-year-old son, Yvon, who died from appendicitis complicated by peritonitis . Bombardier

1197-399: The mining , petroleum, and forestry industries. The machines had removable front skis that could be replaced with front wheels for use on paved or hard surfaces, thus providing greater utility to his large snowmobiles. In 1951, the wooden bodies were replaced with sheet steel, and these vehicles were powered by Chrysler flathead six-cylinder engines and 3-speed manual transmissions. In

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1254-585: The Aktiv Snow Trac ST4 from Sweden, Thiokol , and Tucker Sno-Cat from the USA. The Snow Trac was produced, virtually unchanged, until 1981, but it was successful, with over 2,000 units sold, and it was used all over the globe for exploration and commercial purposes, as well as the 1972 Winter Olympics in Sapporo, Japan. Tucker Sno-Cat grew to become one of the world's largest builders of these vehicles, and produces

1311-457: The Bombardier 3.8, with hull length of 12 ft 6 in (3.8 m); the Bombardier 4.8 and the Bombardier 7.6 keelboat. In the 1970s and 1980s, the company diversified into railway and aeronautical products and became a multinational corporation known as Bombardier Inc. During restructuring operations in 2003, the original snowmobile and tracked utility vehicle division was spun off as

1368-583: The Bombardier B12/C18 variants were produced, 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

1425-586: The Canadian speciality vehicle manufacturer Foremost, based in Calgary. The Terra Bus can transport up to 56 passengers. The vehicle has six extra-large, low-pressure tires typically filled to 30 pounds per square inch (210 kPa). One Modified Terra Bus can be found transporting passengers at the Antarctic research station, McMurdo Station . Brewster Co. operates twenty-two unmodified Terra Buses for their Ice Explorer tour at

1482-965: The Columbia Icefield and Jasper National Park. Snowcoaches are a popular mode of transportation for tourists in areas such as Yellowstone Park in the United States and the Columbia Icefield in Jasper National Park , Canada. Snowcoaches can be outfitted with a rubber track or a ski system (replacing tires). Often called Mattracks , these rubber track systems can travel over thinner snow depths and even bare road patches without tearing up roadways. Metal-based ski systems can cause more damage or get stuck when travelling over snow-free patches. Subsequently, certain roads may be restricted to just Mattrack-equipped snow coaches based on road conditions. Bombardier Recreational Products BRP Inc. (an abbreviation of Bombardier Recreational Products )

1539-734: The DS-70 and the DS-90 feature four-stroke Rotax engines. The maverick side by side was introduced to stand up to the Commander's rival the Polaris RZR XP 900. The Maverick has an updated version of the commander's 1000cc V-Twin Rotax engine (1000R) this engine had a massive 101 horsepower. This was achieved by using high flow dynamics to increase exhaust and air flow. The Maverick comes in six packages (at February 2014) Base, XRS, XRS DPS, XMR, X ds, and X ds Turbo. In

1596-501: The Outlander and the Renegade series. The DS has four engine choices, a 450cc, 250cc, 90cc and 70cc. A 650cc engine was once available but has since been discontinued. An "X" trim level is available for the DS-450 and the DS-90. The Commander is a SSV or Side by side introduced for 2010 with either 800cc or 1000cc engines. Commander has several trim levels, including XT, X and LTD (Limited) at

1653-563: The Ski-Doo Summit. Ski-Doo snowmobiles have been competitive for performance and in the marketplace, taking national titles in racing events from Sno-X to hill-climbing. In 1999 Ski-Doo introduced the ZX aluminum chassis which was lighter weight with better suspension and thus successful in sno-cross competition. In 2003 Ski-Doo introduced rider-forward REV chassis, which changed the sport and was followed by other manufacturers. In 2008 Ski-Doo introduced

1710-581: 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 101 horsepower to 121 horsepower. In 2007, BRP announced the launch of a new three-wheeled roadster called the Spyder , which was released in Q4 2007 under the Can-Am brand. This is the first vehicle from BRP to go on the road. It was described as part motorcycle and part roadster ;

1767-451: 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 2017 snow year, Ski-Doo will release its most powerful engine. The Rotax 850 cc "Etec" engine. The engine produces 10 more horsepower (170 hp) than its predecessor, it

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1824-495: The automatic Loadflite transmissions. In 1970, the company acquired Rotax , an engine manufacturer based in Gunskirchen , Austria . In 1971, Bombardier acquired Moto-Ski . Also in 1971, Bombardier launched Operation SnoPlan, a program to promote snowmobile safety after a mounting death toll due to snowmobile accidents. In the 1970s, the company began producing Can-Am motorcycles , which included Rotax engines. By 1990,

1881-465: The company announced that it would exit the sport boat business citing a decline in global sales in the marine industry . This meant the loss of 350 jobs, including most of those at a plant in Benton, Illinois . On May 29, 2013, the company announced the closing of an initial public offering of 12,200,000 subordinate voting shares of the company at a price of $ 21.50 per share resulting in gross proceeds to

1938-660: The company licensed his patents to create the Sea-Doo personal watercraft . On January 23, 1969, the company became a public company , listing on the Montreal Exchange and the Toronto Stock Exchange . In 1969–1970, the standard round windows reminiscent of portholes were replaced with larger rectangular windows that provided more interior light. A change was made to the Chrysler Industrial 318 engines with

1995-705: The company of approximately $ 262,300,000. The net proceeds from the offering were used to repay outstanding loans. The company's shares now trade on the Toronto Stock Exchange. Valcourt (city) Valcourt ( French pronunciation: [valkuʁ] ) is a town in Quebec in Le Val-Saint-François Regional County Municipality in the Estrie region of Quebec . The town is accessible via Quebec Route 222 . The town of Valcourt

2052-463: The company upon his father's death in 1964. He quit and sold his shares in 1966 after a disagreement with other family members. Laurent Beaudoin , the son-in-law of the founder, then became president, a position he held until 1999. In 1967, the company was renamed Bombardier Limited . By that time, the snowmobiles were very useful for the Inuit . In 1968, Clayton Jacobson II invented the jet ski and

2109-473: The drawings himself. The younger generation took over, led by Armand's sons and sons-in-law, reorganizing and decentralizing the company. The company adopted computer inventory, accounting, and billing. Distribution networks were improved and increased, and an incentive program was developed for sales staff. That year, a survey was mailed to Ski-Doo owners to find out how the product was being used. Germain Bombardier, who had been groomed by his father, took over

2166-427: The early 1950s, 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 "miniature" snowmobile. He worked alongside his eldest son Germain, who shared his father's mechanical talents. Armand and Germain developed several prototypes of

2223-417: The early 1950s, Bombardier focused on developing a snowmobile for one or two passengers. A breakthrough occurred in 1957 when Bombardier developed a one-piece molded rubber continuous track with enough durability to provide snow-gripping traction for lightweight vehicles. The vehicle was called the "Ski-Dog" because it was meant to replace the dog sled for hunters and trappers. However, in 1958, " Ski-Doo "

2280-477: The early 1960s, Thiokol produced the 601 series snowcats, often configured to carry ten passengers. While not a tour bus type snow coach, these found utility with the United States Air Force and private industry. The Terra Bus wheeled vehicle is one of the few snow-coach-type vehicles currently produced. It is an all-wheel-drive , three-axle, off-road bus specially constructed for Arctic climates by

2337-446: The early 1970s, Bombardier built the most successful snowcat models ever produced by any snowcat manufacturer. The B12 seated 12 people, and the C18 seated 18. Both were similar in design with long tracks in the rear and skis used to steer the vehicle. The B12 and C18 were very fast for their day, with speeds over the snow exceeding 30 miles per hour. Most historic and most modern snowcats have

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2394-562: The first product of the company, the Ski-Doo snowmobile, had become its weakest part, producing deficits and high inventories.   In 2001 Bombardier purchased the Evinrude Outboard Motors and Johnson Outboards trade names for the insolvent Outboard Marine Corporation . In 2003, the company sold Bombardier Recreational Products to a group of investors: Bain Capital (50%), Bombardier Family (35%) and Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec (15%) for $ 875 million. Before

2451-476: The industrial vehicles division to the Camoplast of Sherbrooke , Quebec. The industrial vehicles division made tracked vehicles such as snowcats , sidewalk snow removal tractors, and Tracked Utility Vehicles, including the descendant of their original Muskeg tractor. In October 2007, Bombardier Recreational Products Inc. ordered at least some U.S. ATV dealerships to stop selling vehicles to Canadian customers, as

2508-618: The latter is how the company refers to it. The Guinness World Record for the “Largest Parade of Can-Am Spyder Roadsters” was established in 2010 when 438 Can-Am Spyders paraded around Magog, Quebec . In 2018, the Can-Am Ryker was launched as a simpler, more easygoing counterpart to the Spyder. Beginning in the 1970s, Bombardier also built several sailboat models, including the Invitation sailboat, with hull length of 15 ft 7 in (4.7 m);

2565-414: The lightweight snowmobile and finally, the first Bombardier snowmobile went on sale in 1959. The Ski-Doo was intended to be named the "Ski-Dog" because Bombardier meant it to be a practical vehicle to replace the dogsled for hunters and trappers. By accident, a printer misinterpreted the name and printed "Ski-Doo" in the first sales brochure. Public interest in the small snowmobiles grew quickly. Suddenly

2622-490: 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

2679-509: The purchase of Outboard Marine Corporation ). Bombardier Recreational Products no longer sells outboards under the Johnson brand since 2007, as they have moved all sales entirely to Evinrude Outboard Motors. They support existing Johnson outboard motors through servicing and parts. They also produce motorcycle motors, kart motors, and small airplane motors, through their Rotax division. In December 2004, Bombardier Recreational Products Inc, sold

2736-518: 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

2793-403: The sales were a violation of dealer agreements to respect assigned geographic boundaries. Bombardier also announced that the warranty on any craft purchased by a Canadian in the United States – even if the purchase was initially made by an American - would be void. Newspaper articles revealed that some models were being sold in Canada for as much as 40% above prices in the U.S. In September 2012,

2850-416: The snow. The research for the track base made it possible to produce a 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, and held its own after international competitors entered the market in the late 1960s. From the 1940s through

2907-458: The snowmobile industry against competitors Polaris Industries and Arctic Cat . In 1963, Roski was created in Roxton Falls, Quebec as a manufacturer of composite parts for the Ski-Doo. In the 1960s, V-8 engines were added. On February 18, 1964, J. Armand Bombardier died of cancer at age 56. Until then, he oversaw all areas of operation and controlled the research department, making all

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2964-422: The start of the company's development of track vehicles, Joseph-Armand Bombardier experimented with propeller-driven aerosleds . His work with snowplane designs can be traced to before 1920. 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

3021-430: The time the only engine option for the extra packages was the 1000. 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 iPod adapter, XT package and built-in touch screen GPS. All Can Am ATVs except

3078-478: Was a mechanic who dreamed of building a vehicle that could "float on snow". In 1935, in a repair shop in Valcourt , Quebec , he designed and produced the first snowmobile using a drive system he developed that revolutionized travel in snow and swampy conditions. In 1937, he patented and sold 12 of the 7-passenger "B7" snow coaches . They were used in rural Quebec to take children to school, carry freight, deliver mail, and as ambulances. In 1941, Bombardier opened

3135-429: Was accidentally painted on the first prototype, and immediately became the popular name. The public soon discovered the fun of speedy vehicles zooming over snow, and a new winter sport was born, centered in Quebec. In the first year, Bombardier sold 225 Ski-Doos; four years later, 8,210 were sold. Bombardier slowed promotion of the Ski-Doo line to prevent it from crowding out other company products, while still dominating

3192-560: 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 1950s, and becoming common in remote areas by the 1960s, probably led to the demise of the B12/C18 design. Today, B12s are still in used in large-scale ice fishing in northern Canada. Notable competitors included

3249-606: Was the last model year for Can-Am. In 2007 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 500cc and 650cc. The Rally (also no longer in production) was available with

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