S
sledhead13c
Active member
Anyone heard of these or have any info? I bought one from a lady in town whose barn was about to fall over. Looks like a work horse mini bike but cant find much info. Thanks
1963 Polaris Trail Tractor mini bike
- Thread starter sledhead13c
- Start date
A
allpowersports
Well-known member
Any pictures?
Here's a little info and a pic of what it should look like. .What size motor?? ..and how much did ya pick it up for?? ..
AN EARLY-‘60s CREATION
Turn back the clock to the early 1960s. Polaris had become a snowmobile-focused manufacturer and was successfully marketing snowmobiles as recreational machines. But the company’s management was too wise to put all its eggs in one basket – i.e., limit itself to only one product line – so they were always looking for other manufacturing opportunities.
They had expertise in making motorized vehicles, so they took a shot at designing one that rolled on two wheels, not skis and a track.
Hence, the Trail Tractor. From the book “Polaris Snowmobile Buyer’s Guide” comes this description:
“In the early sixties the company built the Trail Tractor, a rugged, tubular-frame mini-bike. It was 60-in. long, 24-in. wide, 38-in. high and weighed 137 pounds. It had seating for one or two people, and a large cargo basket up front. The most common engine was a Lauson 3.5-hp model delivering power to an automatic clutch and V-belt drive setup. Its top speed was about 15 MPH and it cost $325 in 1962.”
(See below for questions about this information’s accuracy.)
LOADS OF FUN
Folks who got to ride the Trail Tractor tell glorious stories about how fun and rugged it was. Riders who were youngsters in the Trail Tractor’s hey day tell some especially good stories about how they stressed the machine by overloading it to carry too much gear and/or too many riders, sometimes pushing the stout frame past its breaking point.
You still see Trail Tractors today, primarily at vintage sled shows and in parades, where the Harvest Gold vehicles are wheeled about with glee by their owners.
HISTORICAL ‘CONTROVERSY’
OK, Polaris riders, it’s up to you to provide the information you have regarding the Trail Tractor.
In his “Polaris Snowmobile Buyer’s Guide,” author Michael Dapper claimed the Trail Tractor debuted in the early 1960s, and he cites a retail price from 1962. Dapper told ESCAPE Online that the information, including the price, came from a 1962 sell sheet he found while researching his book in the 1990s.
However, in “The Legend of Polaris,” published in 2004 to coincide with the Polaris 50th anniversary celebration, it was reported that “…the Trail Tractor debuted in 1963. It was a two-wheel trail bike powered by a six-horsepower single-cylinder engine.”
What is correct?
“I stand by the info I found while doing research and say the Trail Tractor existed prior to 1963,” Dapper said. “I don’t doubt that a 6-hp engine was used, which runs contrary to the 3.5-hp Lauson cited in my book. At the time, Polaris used a variety of engine sources, and while a certain brand of engine or horsepower rating might be advertised, it wasn’t unheard of for vehicles to get built using alternative makes and sizes of engines. I would love to hear what hard-core collectors, especially people who still own and ride Trail Tractors, have to say.”
AN EARLY-‘60s CREATION
Turn back the clock to the early 1960s. Polaris had become a snowmobile-focused manufacturer and was successfully marketing snowmobiles as recreational machines. But the company’s management was too wise to put all its eggs in one basket – i.e., limit itself to only one product line – so they were always looking for other manufacturing opportunities.
They had expertise in making motorized vehicles, so they took a shot at designing one that rolled on two wheels, not skis and a track.
Hence, the Trail Tractor. From the book “Polaris Snowmobile Buyer’s Guide” comes this description:
“In the early sixties the company built the Trail Tractor, a rugged, tubular-frame mini-bike. It was 60-in. long, 24-in. wide, 38-in. high and weighed 137 pounds. It had seating for one or two people, and a large cargo basket up front. The most common engine was a Lauson 3.5-hp model delivering power to an automatic clutch and V-belt drive setup. Its top speed was about 15 MPH and it cost $325 in 1962.”
(See below for questions about this information’s accuracy.)
LOADS OF FUN
Folks who got to ride the Trail Tractor tell glorious stories about how fun and rugged it was. Riders who were youngsters in the Trail Tractor’s hey day tell some especially good stories about how they stressed the machine by overloading it to carry too much gear and/or too many riders, sometimes pushing the stout frame past its breaking point.
You still see Trail Tractors today, primarily at vintage sled shows and in parades, where the Harvest Gold vehicles are wheeled about with glee by their owners.
HISTORICAL ‘CONTROVERSY’
OK, Polaris riders, it’s up to you to provide the information you have regarding the Trail Tractor.
In his “Polaris Snowmobile Buyer’s Guide,” author Michael Dapper claimed the Trail Tractor debuted in the early 1960s, and he cites a retail price from 1962. Dapper told ESCAPE Online that the information, including the price, came from a 1962 sell sheet he found while researching his book in the 1990s.
However, in “The Legend of Polaris,” published in 2004 to coincide with the Polaris 50th anniversary celebration, it was reported that “…the Trail Tractor debuted in 1963. It was a two-wheel trail bike powered by a six-horsepower single-cylinder engine.”
What is correct?
“I stand by the info I found while doing research and say the Trail Tractor existed prior to 1963,” Dapper said. “I don’t doubt that a 6-hp engine was used, which runs contrary to the 3.5-hp Lauson cited in my book. At the time, Polaris used a variety of engine sources, and while a certain brand of engine or horsepower rating might be advertised, it wasn’t unheard of for vehicles to get built using alternative makes and sizes of engines. I would love to hear what hard-core collectors, especially people who still own and ride Trail Tractors, have to say.”
