2000 a amp d boivin snow hawk

The test ride experience
"This is a very different type of machine from what you're usedto," said Morris. "You ride it like a motorcycle or a watercraft.If you ride it like a snowmobile, you won't have much success." Shewas right.

For starters, the brake is on the right foot side and it has a twistthrottle, like a motorcycle. We are sled guys, not bike guys, so it tooka bit of getting used to at first. It didn't help our fragile egos thatthey brought a local 19-year old motocross star with them to demonstratehow nimble the Hawk really is. This kid launched the P-2 Snow Hawk off largeand small jumps, never bringing the front fork or modified Expert rear suspensionsto the end of their travel. He laid it down almost to the pegs and carveda corner so tight he must have gotten dizzy. The kid was amazing.

In the midst of the snowmobile-a-rama test and photo session, we hadsome riding technique adjustments to make from one vehicle to the next.Aside from the afore mentioned control changes, the Hawk is best maneuveredby the use of body English (or French, we'd suppose). The single ski isbuilt like a boat hull, deep and wide. The carbides are actually on theupper lip of the ski, so you have to lean to get a good bite from them."Don't try to plant your foot," Morris added. "Just dragit a little behind for support. And really, don't try to steer it like asnowmobile. Use your body and the power to turn."

The Snow Hawk is a prime lesson in power to weight ratios. To see thatkid launch himself off the average sized jumps, you'd think he was runninga mod 800 engine right out of the Pro Open class. In reality, it's justa 440 fan-cooled Rotax twin with a pipe, pumping out 55 horsepower. Butsince the P-2 Hawk weighed in at just 342 pounds (and it's getting lighter),it doesn't need a ton of horsepower to get around. To be honest, you probablywouldn't want much more power on that snow bike anyway.

Once we got the hang of it, the Hawk was a hoot to zip around on. Whilewe didn't even attempt to follow the motocross kid's lead, we'd ventureto guess that with a little time and practice, we'd be right there withhim.

A&D Boivin seems to have hit its mark- the Snow Hawk appears to bea great way for dirt bike guys to keep in shape over the winter, and thisis definitely something the extreme sport crowd will want.