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The Triumph TR7 sports car introduced the "wedge" shape of "things to come" in the mid- to late-1970s. Not to be outdone by the automotive industry, Scorpion snowmobiles adopted "wedge" styling with its line of TK/TKX snowmobiles in 1979.
The base line model in this new generation of "sports" Scorpions, the TK featured what made this Minnesota-bred snowmobile popular: Cuyuna engines, exclusive "Para" suspensions, and polyurethane tracks.
The TK also was one of the newest designs from one of the newest divisions of Arctic Enterprises.
Scorpion snowmobiles had an interesting life. The line was born in Crosby, Minn., as Trail-A-Sled. It was then taken over by Fuqua Industries as a product diversification project for the large multi-national. Many large conglomerates of the 1970's - like Textron, Coleman, Brunswick and others including Fuqua - thought snowmobiling would be the next "big" industry, so they jumped in.
When the economy and gas crisis of the 1970s proved that snowmobiling could be a problematic industry, Scorpion was let go and handed over to the former sled division executives who tried to hang on. Unfortunately, they were forced to merge the brand into Arctic Enterprises to save it. This action eventually took both Scorpion and Arctic Cat down a few years later. Only Cat managed to secure a solid comeback, while Scorpion enjoyed only a short-lived resurrection in the late 1990s.
The TK was a laudable snowmobile for its time. Its unique wedge styling was purposed for more of an innovative independent front suspension than the conventional leaf sprung design that it featured in production. It had a wide ski stance (for 1979) of just more than 33 inches. Along with its low center of gravity, it was one of the best handling sleds of the time.
Scorpions offered one of the most innovative rear suspensions ever seen. The Para-Rail design combined the benefits of a solid slide rail concept with the advantages of bogie wheels. If you lived in marginal snow areas, this was the best setup around. If you could count on ample snowfall, the Para-Slide provided a great all-around ride.
Power came from the venerable Cuyuna 428cc fan-cooled twin. This design was an evolution of the JLO twin that Scorpion Industries salvaged when JLO abandoned the sled market. The TK featured a torquey twin that replaced the long popular Walbro diaphragm carburetor with a round slide Mikuni float carb. Performance was good, but there were plenty of stronger-performing competitors.
The TK was a solid choice for touring trails as it upped the fuel tank from six to a more generous eight gallons. This was one of the last non-Arctic Cat inspired Scorpions. Later, Scorpions essentially turned into rebadged Cats in red and black Scorpion colors. The TK had a pure Scorpion personality. It weighed just less than 400 pounds when filled with fuel. From ski tip to rear grab bar it measured 102 inches.
While this sled was mass-produced, it's still a bit uncommon and valued by collectors. If you want a classic snowmobile, here's one with character and an interesting history.