Our motorcycle accident attorneys give snowmobiling the MotorEagles treatment

Sometimes snow blows, but your whole winter doesn’t have to – just ask the experienced motorcycle attorneys at MotorEagles, many of whom ride snowmobiles avidly throughout the winter months. It’s a great way to keep your reflexes sharp, take in some great scenery and maintain that adrenaline flow your warm-weather rides routinely supply.

Read on to learn a little bit about this sister-sport of motorcycling’s history, the machines and equipment involved and some organizations that support the sport and help new riders learn about it.

Our experienced motorcycle attorneys take a look back at early snow travel

It’s interesting to note that it took five years longer for man to move across snow than it did to fly. According to the Northern Timber Cruisers Snowmobile, Cross Country Ski Club and Antique Snowmobile Museum in Millinocket, Maine, the Lombard Log Hauler – a big, locomotive-looking machine with a half-set of tracks and a pair of skis up front – claims that honor. Various over-snow vehicle designs followed; an early example being a Ford Model T fitted with a ski-and-track conversion and another – a wind-driven sleigh powered by a Model T engine – were conceived and constructed simultaneously, unbeknownst to either builder, our motorcycle accident lawyers found out through the Northern Timber Cruisers’ site.

The International Snowmobile Manufacturers Association has a brief history of snowmobiling on its site (http://www.snowmobile.org/facts_hist.asp) which shows the development of modern snowmobiles didn’t really take shape until the late-1950’s and the dawn of smaller gasoline engines which could power such sleds. This is when modern recreational snowmobiling has its genesis, the ISMA reports.

Within a decade, numerous manufacturers were producing snowmobiles which cost a few hundred dollars apiece and were quite basic when compared to today’s models. But then, again, recreational snowmobiling has grown to a hobby enjoyed by some four million people, the association reports, and is responsible for a hefty boost in tourism to many places in Canada and our very own Snow Belt states, among other places.

MotorEagles motorcycle accident lawyers scope out the modern sled

The Website www.gosnowmobiling.org features a helpful section dedicated to the aspiring snowmobiler – “How to get started in snowmobiling” – that offers a primer on the different types of snowmobiles (entry-level, performance, touring, mountain and utility), where to go snowmobiling, whom to snowmobile with and some guidance on licensing and staying safe on your sled.

Gosnowmobiling.org said about getting started in snowmobiling that “It’s so easy that we condensed it down to a few questions that should make you want to run out, get a snowmobile, and look to the sky for snowflakes!”

As far as the initial cost to get into snowmobiling goes, new riders would be well-advised to find a local dealer or motorsports club that offers rentals. A number of online resources make the search simple, starting with everyone’s favorite search engine: Google. Snowmobiling is a lot like snow skiing or canoeing in that rental shops proliferate in the area surrounding snowmobile trails. So all you have to do is decide where you want to go and find a nearby rental outfit.

Finding out where to ride is another easy task, especially if you live in any of the Snow Belt states, like Michigan, Ohio, New York, Indiana and Wisconsin, or have plans to visit Canada. Of course, snowmobiling is popular anywhere snow falls. A number of online services provide routine trail condition updates, area information and other details, by state, about snowmobiling opportunities. One such site is www.trailconditions.com. Additionally, states, provinces and territories which design, build and maintain snowmobile trails provide news and information about the sport, where to do it and what laws apply to it on their respective Websites.

Our experienced motorcycle attorneys talk damages

Once you’ve given snowmobiling a try, you may learn you have another habit, uhhhh… hobby, rather, on your hands. If that’s the case and you want to buy a machine and snowmobiling equipment of your own, you can look at spending a few thousand to more than $10,000, depending on whether you purchase a brand-new machine or a used sled. A proper snowmobiling suit consists of a solid, weatherproof, insulated coat and bibs, which can be purchased for $150-$200 through a variety of retail venues. A helmet can run $100-plus and, if you ride, you likely already know all about gloves: You get what you pay for and that can run into the hundreds-of-dollars, depending on your preferences.

So whether you’ve been an avid biker for years and you want to give something new a try or you can’t bear the winter blahs and just need some wind in your face this snow season, snowmobiling just might be the rush you’re looking for.

This entry was posted on Thursday, January 5th, 2012 at 5:04 pm and is filed under Blog. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.