amsnow exclusive on the wings of a hawk

 It made a liar out of me. That dang AD Boivin Snow Hawk did.

As I made my way to Troy Johnson, owner of TJ's Sports in Alpine, Wyoming, during a snowmobile show and swap meet last November, I asked and jabbed him about his Snow Hawks, especially the long one, the 136-inch Mountain Hawk spinning a 12-inch wide track.

Johnson took my ridicule quite well as I badgered him about riding a Snow Hawk in the mountains. "Hey, they'll go anywhere and to the same places I take my Mountain Max," he said.

"BS," I returned.

"Nah, seriously," he continued, "these Hawks are hill climbing and boondocking sons-of-guns, you'd be surprised."

"Prove it," I retorted.
 
So, in mid-January I hooked up with three Hawks from Johnson's inventory. Due to a motorcycle injury, Johnson couldn't join but one of his employees and two pals did, they being, Brandon Ashby, TJ's Sports mechanic and Tyson Thomas, and Jeff Kilroy of Star Valley Wyoming.

On a crisp Saturday morning, our Snow Hawk contingency left Alpine for Squaw Creek. The snow, for Western conditions, was marginal, but we did find powder and plenty of steep terrain.

Following the Hawks down the trail is weird. These guys laid the machines down when approaching a whip turn and planted a foot down as if on a YZ 400.
Once we discovered to some one-foot deep fresh powder, the Hawk riders went to work ripping divots cleaner and sharper than most nimble snowmobiles. When it came to blowing through the trees and discharging every boondocking wish, these Hawks spoke their capabilities.
 
Eventually, we found a steep hill calling our names and the Hawks took off for it. Sure enough, wherever a stock 144-or 151-inch snowmobile blazed, the Hawks followed- and vise versa. The knife fight on the hill between to radically different approaches to snowomobiling was on. One could almost call it a draw. The liquid motors in the 700s and 800s finally prevailed; but they had to earn it.
Riding a Hawk right after stepping off a traditional sled, as I did that day, was odd. Tipping over is part of the learning process. "It's best to practice when no one is around," the TJ crew admonished as I followed them to a wonderful untracked bowl.

Yes, the different culture the Hawks provide is different; and different does not necessarily mean wrong- just different. But, once I relaxed and allowed the bike to do what it's designed to do, and be, the fun factor was awesome.
Rotating the twist throttle and staying in the fire kept the Hawk upright. Fast forward was my ally. And being familiar with motorcycle riding, the Hawks felt natural. I will say, though, it is odd to cock a leg forward and lay down a foot down when turning. My mind wanted to lock up and declare my senses out of bounds, but mind prevailed over habit.

The suspensions on the Hawks are comfortable and willing to take tons of assailing. No bottoming out, that I can recall.

Brandon Ashby says, "This snow machine is revolutionary. Climbing up a hill is unbelievable, it will pull a side hill like nothing else. These Hawks put the challenge back into snowmobiling. Anyone can jump on today's sled and point it up the hill and shoot, but the Hawks make riding fun and challenging."
He says this is not a perfectly-matched crossover sled for a motorcycle rider. "The rider will still need four to five good rides to get used to it. But, having motorcycle riding ability helps."

Ashby and his employer, Johnson, state that when riding a Hawk, it is best to go with guys who also have them.

Ashby also says that with a Hawk, riders can stay on one hill and never grow tired of it, even when it is chewed up. What else Brandon? "Out in a field, these are a blast- riders can set up mini snocross courses and wail on each other all day long."
 
My impressions of the 136-inch Mountain Hawk as a steep-and-deep snowmobile are favorable. The 121-inchers are just as favorable. The Rotax 503 fan-cooled motor propelled the sleds well, but at high altitudes, the displacement should be more. Liquid cooling would also be a plus.

We also learned, that with no running boards installed on the Hawks, the critters claw through the snow without getting hung up- a big plus!
 
For more information, contact your nearest Hawk dealer, visit AD Boivin's Snow Hawk website at: www.adboivin.com or read American Snowmobiler's February 2003 issue, "Ask the Engineers," about the Hawk (pg. 86-87).