amsnow exclusive the scorpions are on the way

We have learned that Scorpion Recreational Products has made its first shipment of 2001 TKX 890 sleds to its dealers. the first three sleds have rolled off the Manistee, Michigan line, with more to come in the next two weeks "It's a great feeling to see all of the sleds ready to go out the door," said SRP's President and Chief Engineer John Mitchell. "It's been a long time coming, and I'm very proud of our team's accomplishments and we're excited to get some product in the field.

"Of course we would have liked to have gotten them out during the season for people to ride, but our dealers are still very enthusiastic to see them being delivered," he continued. "We have had a lot of obstacles along the way, but we have learned from all of them, and I think they have made us a better company."

These first run TKX machines will be at Scorpion dealers across the snowbelt by the end of April. "We plan to build about 50 of these at first," said Mitchell. "We'll be taking preseason orders at the dealerships until about the end of May. We will be offering consumers a preseason price of $15,999 for the TKX."

The TKX 890 uses a PSI Scorpion Genesis twin engine with variable exhaust valves. It's fed via a pair of PSI Big Air carbs, outfitted with Snow Pods air filters. "PSI did a great job with the pipes and silencer combo, too," added Mitchell. "The sled sounds just sweet when you fire it up!

"Bob from West Shore Parts and Service, our dealer in Houghton Lake, Michigan, did an excellent job of taking our baseline clutch setups and maximuiizing performance," said Mitchell. "Without his help, we'd still be running test passes instead of shipping product. He also helped us tweak our design."

There will be at least three Scorpion models on the market for 2001: the Sidewinder 800, TKX 890 and a 995 twin, which may carry the Bullwhip nameplate. "We're not sure what we're going to call the 995 yet," said Mitchell. "We're leaning toward Bullwhip, but that may change as production time gets closer."

For further information, you can reach Scorpion Recreational Products at 231/398-9453.