flextrac sx
Amsnow
The FlexTrac is a unique vehicle in that it has no skis for steering, but relies upon the flexible track to change directions. It has become very popular since it appeared on the Swedish market in the late 1980s.
At one time FlexTrac was the largest snowmobile manufacturer in Sweden. This was in 1992. Production was only 200 units in 1991 which is pretty puny by American standards. The owners of the company at that time were Mr. Wolf Lennings and Mr. Tomas Buchar. The manufacturing facility was based at Stiga in Tranas with the main offices located in Jonkiping.
About 95% of all FlexTracs built in 1999 were exported to England, Norway, Chile, Argentina and the United States. The hope was that the US sales (which placed high emphasis on military Polar Expeditions) would take off as soon as the units proved themselves under these conditions.
There were three basic units built by FlexTrac. One was the standard model while the second was intended for use in the military and the third was used for Polar Exploration.
The basic construction of the FlexTrac was of Finnish design called the "Finncat" based in Uleaborg, Finland. In 1987 it was bought out by a Swedish firm and the name was changed.
Manufacturing was located at Kopperberg, Sweden at that time. The end product has been tested for more than fifteen years- at this writing. It is no secret that most of the success enjoyed by FlexTrac is due to its long wide track which not only pulls but steers the unit as well. The basic track design is protected by forty-eight patents. In recent years it has become very popular in its military configuration.
Specs for the FlexTrac SX model:
Width - 950mm
Length - 2350mm
Height - 1150mm
Weight - 300kg
Track Width - 600mm
Track Length - 4680mm
Engine Hirth - 521cc twin two stroke
Carburetor - Mikuni VM34
Fuel Pump - Mikuni pulse activated
Fuel Capacity - 6.8 Imperial gallons
Electrical - 12 Volt
Starter - Electric with manual backup
Tranny - Variable Speed
The track consists of 36 interchangeable sections connected by steel bars. It is constructed of a durable composite material and is fully protected. The sprocket operates on the upper face of the track. The drive system is patented internationally. The primary clutch is a Comet 94-C Duster while the torque converter is made up of the Comet 100-D with two forward gears and one reverse. The turning ability is achieved by the patented design of the track. A mechanical linkage works on the front running gear and the flexible track steers the vehicle. Maximum speed is 17 mph in low range and 37 mph in the high range.