Them old spirit engines were badass !!! They came in 1,2,3 and 4 cylinders. You can work on them on the trail. One time I blew a head gasket, miles back the woods. Everyone thought the run was over and started drawing straws to see who was towing me home. I said you just sit right there and have a beer while I take care of this. I made a Head gasket from the cardboard and the tin foil from a cigarette pack. I cut the cardboard to shape and peeled the paper off the back of the foil and rubbed it onto the cardboard. Got the whole day out of it and it still got me home that night. Mine was a 340 in a 76 Jag.
Polaris had a twin free air that was I believe a 792 cc .I had it when I was in my teen's but not sure if that was the correct cc,I'm almost 50 now lol
@@necrothescistt8164 no. Kawasaki made a 4 cylinder. I heard there was a triple cylinder made by Hirth, as well. Good luck in finding either. They are rarer than unicorns.
It could be Kawasaki but I thought all of the old free air artic cats ran the Suzuki spirit engines. I could be wrong but the only kawi motors I ever worked on in them old 1970s Arctic cats were fan cooled.
4 cylinders of 2 stroke madness. Is that by any chance a 440 PUMA on the left 72 - 73. My mom rode one my brother still has it and it runs. Them things turn on a dime. I enjoyed it more than my 1970 399 TNT But it was no where near as fast as the Ski - Doo.
Once in a while one comes up for sale. Usually when a collector decides to unload. Even in a down economy they can push over ten grand in nice shape. Problems the sled had were bent bulkheads from the engine weight, center cylinders tended to cook themselves from carbs going out of adjustment, crank issues from the overweight Salisbury race clutch, and torn up tracks because of the power that engine put out. 85 hp stock was a big load on what’s basically a 1972 Cheetah track. It’s the same dimensions and construction. Start modifying it and you could get over 100 hp. That’s a lot for 1970-71. Kevlar belting was a wish that wouldn’t arrive for a couple years yet. So cleat tears in tunnels is common. Engine parts for the fours and the 650 JLO triples are rare. The Hirth 793 triple is a little easier to find parts for because nearly everyone except Doo used that engine In something once. Hirth had hundreds of 793 NOS engines left over in the USA when they left our market about 1974. Fifty years later an engine in a box still lands on eBay every few years. If I was going to buy one and actually enjoy it, I’d get the 793 triple.
Actually they made three models. 650 JLO triple, 793 Hirth and the 800 Kawasaki. One year only. Rarest is the650 triple. 112 made of that one. I think 124 of the four cylinders and 178 about of the Hirth triples. We sold a Hirth KK new fall 1970. Factory pipes big HD carbs and real Loud. Strictly a race sled. FACTORY rated the 800 at 103 mph top speed. The 793 would run in the high 90s to maybe a 100 on a perfect day with some mods. The 650 I saw run was about as strong as a 1981 500 FA El Tigre so I’ll estimate 85mph top end. Fast for their day but heavy and hard to turn. These sleds demanded the driver’s attention and all his strength to race. Scary.
Dude that sled is from December 1970 is an 71 model, not an 72 and it’s got four tuned pipes. Your skidoo with its crappy rear suspension was ate up by a Yamaha 440 SR at Eagle River in 1971. The King Kat hit something hard and snapped off a ski and finished third a lap down. Not bad for being on one ski.
At the risk of offending some there is a ton of BS on the web about these. It’s best to go dig into the old parts and shop books from this era to separate facts from fiction. Most folks who sold these new are dead now. Fewer of us old timers left every year. Good luck.
