The
Sno Chief snowmobile was manufactured / distributed by Dufrane Motor Distributors
417 E. Main St., Malone, New York.
Dufrane
Distributors were in the snowmobile business starting in 1963 as the original
Moto-Ski distributor.
(
see
Moto Ski history page & Moto
Ski race page )
In
1970 (mid-year) Dauphin Industries told Al Dufrane that they would build
a sled with his name on it.
This
became "Sno-Chief" as the Hogansburg Indians were good Moto-Ski parts customers
and the thought was to
sell
these to them as well. The 1971 Sno Chiefs models were Dauphins painted
maroon and white with black bodies.
They
were not hi-tech but they were tough and handled very well. They
came in 246cc, 292cc Hirth singles and
340
and 399cc CCW twins. They were not fast but they were very dependable.
(Although a little on the ugly side.)
In
mid 1971 Dauphin fell on hard times and the body dies and fixtures, the
ski press and belly pan press was bought by DMD at Dauphin's bankruptcy
auction. They also bought Ski-Pony as they used many Dauphin parts.
The
1972 models (manufactured by Dauphin) ( SEE
THE BROCHURE
PAGES ) had a new rubber track and JLO engines -
230
Apache, 292 Mohawk singles and 340 Iroquois, 400 Cherokee and 440
Comanche JLO twins.
They
also had a few 440 Hirth twins.
Speedometer
and tachometer were standard on the twins with choice of high back or sports
seat. The sled was orange and
the
hoods were redesigned by DMD and were actually pretty good looking.
The twins also had engine covers.
They
were dependable but still not awfully fast and the traction from the new
track was less than spectacular.
For the 1973 model year,
( SEE THE BROCHURE
PAGES ) they were made in Malone, NY (417 E. Main St.). These
machines were
designed
by George Dufrane (my father) and Francis "Red" Bonner. My father
designed a new hood, sleeker than the 72's.
They
had 'trailing bogie' suspension mounted on rails as a removable assembly.
They also had a new
Goodyear
"Pathfinder" internal lug drive track.
They
were powered by all new high performance Hirth engines.
The
'73 models were Mohawk 290 twin, Iroquois 340 twin and Comanche 440 twin.
They
were called "SSHP: for Super-stock high performance.
The
high performance Hirth engines had everything right and the 340 was rated
at 35 HP at 7750 RPM.
The
440 was 46HP at 7250 RPM. Some 340's had WD Walbro Carbs (mine was
the first) and they would truck.
Mine
would top out at 70 anytime and 75 on a good cold day.
I SPOKE TO GEORGE
DUFRANE JR AND HE TOLD ME THAT SOME
1973 SNO CHIEF
MODELS LOOKED ALMOST EXACTLY LIKE THE 1972 MODELS
WITH MINOR DIFFERENCES.
DAVID S
Photos
courtesy of Mrs. Lynn Rockhill
Constable,
NY, USA
The 440's had
dual carbs (Walbro WD's) and it woke them up too. (My dad's sled
would run
90 mph.)
My 340 was never beaten. My dad's 440 was not beaten by any non racing
440 either.
One sled was
built with a 650 Hirth engine and it would FLY. Way too much engine
for the chassis.
Sno-Jet had a
650 Hirth and my dad beat it with his 440 on hard going and deep snow too
but he or no one else
beat the Sno
Chief Sioux 650.
The sleds had
St. Laurence hi-rev clutches with 5000 rpm engagement and
would still handle
excellent and would break trail in snow.
PS The "1973 Sno
Chief 650 is up over at the machine shop at Malone Auto Parts.
The Ski Press
is at the shop also.
This is the 1973
SNO CHIEF 650 CC.
It doesn't look
like much now but it would run.
CLICK
HERE FOR LARGE PICTURES.
Photo courtesy
of Mrs. Harriet Dufrane.
The 74-76 sleds
were much the same with cosmetic changes and Salisbury clutches.
Experimentation was conducted with
Kioritz
engines that had 8 ports and I believe reed-valves and liquid cooled Xenoah-Fugi
engines.
Production
was discontinued in 1976 as the sled business was rapidly fading.
There
was one 1977 prototype with new hood and engine cover and liquid cooled
engine.
My
dad said if they would have had the '73 - up sleds 3 years earlier they
could have sold in impressive numbers.
Dufrane
Distributors is now and has been in the NAPA AutoParts Business since 1970.
My
dad and I started George's Body Shop and used cars in 1977 after the snowmobiles
ended as
that
was his line of work before the snowmobile business.
Here is a picture of
one of the tincab Moto-Skis we had.
This all started it all
for DMD. One of our first 13
or so 1964 Moto Ski's
- Serial number # 39464
(storeroom at NAPA Malone
Auto Parts, Malone, NY 12953).
Photo
courtesy of Mrs. Harriet Dufrane.
I'd like to thanks my
dad, George Dufrane Sr. for his invaluable help and hard work for working
with the Moto Ski people to make it what is was. At the time, he
enjoyed it very much. As you can see by the business card, we are
now...
He
is now 73 years old and still kicking but not as high or as often.
Georger
Dufrane JR.
