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Have you ever found a real keeper? I'm not talking walleye or muskie here, but a real gem of a sled that you just can't pass up? You get that rush of immediacy as soon as you hear it's up for grabs and hope no one within earshot has heard. Kevin Lehse of Fairhaven, Minn., found a real keeper, a rare 1973 Yamaha EW643B, an electric start, wide-track, with only 120 original miles on it!
Kevin acquired this relic from a fellow snowmobiler in Annandale, Minn., who would only take it out and about on the lake for a spin once in a blue moon, so it was in super condition and he had no real restoration to do.
The name EW643B came from the fact that the sled was an electric start, wide track with a 643cc engine. The "B" likely represents the series, which was only offered one year, 1973. There were similar models, most styled the same, but the EW643B had the largest engine of the time for this make.
Bells & whistlesThe Yamaha uses a unique fluid drive, or hydraulic drive system, which you didn't see too often on sleds. Because of this fluid drive however, the sled didn't function very well in extremely cold weather, tending to overheat. In addition, the engine is oil-injected, with a torque convertor like a car with a flat cog belt. Yamaha was known at the time for having the first oil-injected sleds.
You'll find storage on the side of the sled under a flap, and you can fit pretty much in there! The gas tank is in the rear of the long seat. On the dash you'll find high-low beams controlled by the key switch and a push-button for the electric start. There is a lever under the hood for a high-low range feature. The sled also is equipped with a parking brake, not something you see often on snowmobiles. Lehse says the sled came with most of the bells and whistles you could ask for at the time, with the option of a higher windshield.
The EW643B seems as though it was more of an experimental sled for Yamaha, as again, the model was only made for 1 year and not many sleds of the day were made with the fluid drive. The experiment may have proved to the marketers that indeed this machine was not a consumer's dream come true.
But don't get the wrong idea here; this sled is not a lemon. Lehse says, "It's a nice riding sled, fit and finish was far superior to the competition at the time."
Lehse is Minnesota director of the Antique Snowmobile Club of America, a board member of the notorious Waconia Vintage Snowmobile Show in Waconia, Minn., (Jan. 31-Feb. 1, 2009) and has been riding snowmobiles since he was 13 and collecting sleds since 1991. He owns many other makes and models, having 30 sleds dating pre-1969. Another hobby that Kevin has taken up is working on model snowmobiles. He's currently working on a 1/8th scale 1960 Ski-Doo tin cab, complete with wooden skis and tin hood.
While talking to Kevin, he got a little nostalgic when I asked why he enjoyed vintage sleds like the EW643B so much, "There's the fun of trying to make something go over snow that you'd never think would make it," he says.
Even if they don't move, they sure are a sight to see, likely why so many folks crowd around and make it a point to stop by the vintage tent at Hay Days and at various other shows and events across the country. Everyone was doe-eyed when we pulled the EW643B out from behind the corded lines and into the sun. Folks will always be fascinated with the past, and good folks like Kevin Lehse will, we hope, always be around to preserve it.