Our first family snommobile was a '72 Raider and I believe it had the 440 motor. Our dad's right arm was paralyzed so he bought the raider as he thought it would be safer for him. This started our long family history of snowmobiling. 71 skiroule, 76 Cheetah, 81 TXL, 79 El Tigree 6000, Txl Indy,,,,,, the list goes on. I'd love to have one of these to remember my dad. Great video.

I recall one of these locally back in the day. It looks to me that the engine in this is the same as what Deere used in 72-73 KEC 340. Built by Kioritz of Japan, imported by CCW. In 1974 Deere acquired exclusive rights to the Kioritz engine, so all the small companies that used them had to look elsewhere for engines. I got to take a custom built version of this around the parking lot of the Whitetail Lodge in St Germain a few years back. They were built for short people, with youthful suppleness of limb. The one I rode had been customized with a Kioritz 440/22 engine that had been reversed so that the exhaust was out the back rather than the carb. That of course necessitated a custom built chaincase, driveline, and exhaust. It was a handful! The plug you removed is not a drain plug, they are lower in the case. They put a vacuum source on each side of the case. These are relatively high compression engines. The later Kioritz engines will typically show 125 psi or so. I would recommend Premium gas at 50:1 premix. Often, if gas is running out the throat, the metering lever is set too high. Obviously the needle has to be shutting off the gas. The seat is not replaceable. They are suitable to ride on groomed trails rather then deep snow. The thin go cart seat and limited suspension means that it beats you to death in anything other than smooth conditions, and you don't have the ability to use you knees at all, or use body english. If it runs good cold, then boggs out once it is hot, it could be vapor locking. Or from what I am hearing and seeing, it is too rich. The secret to making the Walbro work is finding the sweet spot on the metering lever, it is like setting the float level on a bowl type carb. Fuel should not be running out of it. Go here: jdsleds.com/jdsleds/forums/viewtopic.php?t=20006

Seems like a 3 wheeler of the snow…unstable and deadly 😂…but that just means it’s waaay more fun

Please post a follow-up on this. Also, I sure hope you're not making Jade park outside! Time to build a pole barn for the toys!

My dad had a 74' 44t that wasn't fast enough for him so we installed a Chaparral 440 liquid cooled 50hp. Even though it had a roll bar (either factory or we installed it, ) he flipped it on Green Lake and suffered a serious neck injury. We reinstalled the 440 CCW and sold it. I had the Chaparral engine for years but sold it last year. Still have the radiator and Raider dash w/temp gauge. I remember that it had to stay on the trail. Got stuck in deep snow.

Pro tip, Q-tip with a little polishing compound in a drill might be a better option to sandpaper for the seat. Just a thought. Reminds me of something from the old Battlestar Galactica tv show.

As a 15 year old, I lusted after one of these machines! Always thought they were cool looking and thought driving one would be a Blast. Thanks for the video on this one. Really enjoyed it.

When I was a kid our neighbour had a snowmobile. On the first day of snow all us kids were bugging him to give us a ride. So he pushed it out of his garage into the driveway, and pulled the cord a few times to start it. All of a sudden it started and zoomed off across the street into a bunch of pine trees. Fortunately he had jumped off in his driveway. My mother came out and told my sister and I to get back in the house. He eventually got it fixed and gave us rides up and down the street when it was snowy.

CCW stands for Canadian Curtiss Wright. Cool Sled!

That guy was a wealth of knowledge on that raider. I remember those when I was a kid. Very cool machines! Take care of her!

Welcome to the 34TT Raider world. I still have the ones my Dad bought back in the 70s new. I still love riding them.We also have the Bandit. That one was a limited production.it was the lighter racing version.We use it for vintage sled rides. warning they will get a lot of attention when you stop lol

I remember those old sleds. My uncle ran them for a while. I was just a little guy but remember how cool they looked. I hate walbro carburetors. Those things are finicky, and seems like your always tinkering with them.

Pretty BadAss score on the Raider Sled! ,i’ll be 60 on my next birthday and that era of Mechanical things IMO was the best ! everyone was competing hard and we had some great Engineering Yet they kept things still kind of Simple i remember my Dad showing me how to Clean a set of Points with a matchbook and a Screwdriver and telling me how those two items will always get me home in just about any Vehicle i would own !

I had a Manta and a Raider as a kid. So much fun racing on frozen ponds in Maine. Now...I have a shovel and a snowblower...ha

I hope people realize how much you work there is not another KZfaqr that post as much as you do keep up the good work

Next time you want to clean the seat in a carburetor take a Q-tip and dip it in lapping compound and then put the Q-tip in your drill so that it spins in a circular motion. Personally I don't think you should ever use sandpaper on a brass carburetor seat.

The big sled manfacturers were not selling engines to the smaller companies so they had to pick engines from open market suppliers.These were CCW (Canadian Curtis Wright), JLO( ilo) or Krohler, they were supplying engines to the 6 wheel off road makers as well.JLO even had some 2 stroke diesels here and there.

The Leisure Vehicles Limited corporation made them Bob Bracey and John Drawe were the guys behind the design. They had a bunch of different models like the Eagle, Double Eagle, the 34TT and 44TT and a few others. At the same time they were building the Manta race sleds. Then the company shut down. A few years later it returned with the Manta trail sleds and finally the Trail Roamers. Over the years they used just about every engine design.

Hi there.. Cool sled.. No air filter could be sucking in snow/moisture.. I have had a few sleds that wouldn't even run without the choking action of the air filter. Just a thought.. But it definitely is a fuel/air issue.. SLED ON!!!

love these Project's ,but there only good for someone that knows what to do ,like you ,great Job .

That thing looks like the DeLorean of snowmobiles. So cool 👍

I think it’s most likely vapor locking. When it bogs, undo the gas cap and see if there’s suction. Either that, if there’s stuff that keeps getting thru to the needle, maybe a plugged filter

I’ve always loved those skis, just don’t get enough snow here to warrant owning one lol. Also btw when you saw the needle in that carb with the spring, underneath that 3 screw plate are your main and idle jets, be sure to give those a good cleaning!

Way back when..I was the northeast distributor..Great sled..I had it it Playboy magazine on the grand opening.what a grear time !!

That's probably the best purchase I seen you buy so far , I'm a snowmobile guy so enjoy There's a blast yo ride

damn its so cool to see and hear these interaction, old guys are treasure for stories they know so much and u always learn from it

I believe I seen this aswell on fb market place the other day. I'm glad you got it, if this is the one. Definitely a cool and well preserved sled. Awesome

Awesome machine.thanks for sharing all the cool fixes and things you buy.its nice to watch and pick up on things you do.pretty much a new video daily aswell 😎

They where remade about 12 ish years ago. If I remember correctly. Only a year or two. Never re caught on

Check the belt deflection and id go through the clutches. replace springs and buttons. Check the helix for grooves. Bet you could get it clipping along pretty good!

Welcome to 1970's tech. Ride it for one hour, work on it for two hours. Repeat. Been there.

Neat snow machine and there were a couple in my home town in the late 70s early 80s, think it was someone that worked at Artic Cat got them. Drain and clean tank, clean carb, double fuel filter it and add fresh 20:1mix, I think that is what was mentioned at the beginning of this video.

Cool little rig! Always look forward to a new video from ya Joe. God bless

This just might be the coolest machine I have seen on your channel. Very good find!

That thing is pretty cool, sounded super charged when you wound it up 😂 Front end looks like the 1980 250 Yamaha bravo I had as a kid 👍🏻

Hi I owned at least 3 of those a 290 44 and 34 they were a lot of fun check your tank vent put a filter just before the carb the main problem were tracks and axel brgs I reamed out the sleeves for the axel brgs put in larger brgs if you can get spare tracks I'd grab em the engs were very good just had a lot of carb issues nice hearing that sound again great video

The Walbro carbs were always finicky. Especially the built in fuel pumps. Most guys I knew took the diaphragms out and used Mukuni fuel pumps.

They are kinda cool, but I'm always Leary about twin tracks !! My brother in-law almost killed himself on one of those. One of the tracks froze up on him so be careful Joe !!!

1:38 that looks freakin sweet, Joe! Looks like something Storm Troopers would ride!

I remember seeing a few of these on the trails of central Wisconsin in the late 70’s. I always wanted to convert a Walbro/ tillitson to a Mikuni round slide. Probably the best thing that happened to sleds in the 70’s was a Mikuni carb

Very cool snowmobile, it reminds a bit of a Bigtrak , I hope you resolve the running issue, it looks great fun👍 cheers Paul

I was born in 1972 I relate to this machine perfectly lol some days I run better than others and I have all kinds of quirks lol. Really cool snowmobile though!

My Dad worked at Leisure Vehicles in Michigan designing the Romer 340 and Raider 440 back in the 70s they were cool sleds.

No Air filter.. its sucking snow in. I think there is suppose to be a grille above the "Raider"sticker. If u look at taillight you can see snow must be pluming behind and drawn into engine area 54:56 and I bet without a Fan cover it swill's the snow in engine bay and towards carburetor

Very cool score there bud. Never seen one in person but I bet it is very different from a normal sled.

Great Video. They are Definitely Cool & Unique. If you get the Driveability issues figured out with the Carb Ect you should take it on the Public Trail on the Weekend to get reactions from other Snowmobilers at Warm up & Fuel Stops. I Love Snowmobiling but I Sold All Mine Because Unless you have Brand New Sleds they Always Need Repairs, Tweaking & Maintenance which gets Real Expensive & Frustrating when you Can't Fix them Yourself.(My Case)

That's is really cool! I can totally see some oh crap moments if it gets swirly. A roll cage would be a good option.

So crazy. I just learned about these a few days ago and wanted to tell you to try to find one! Crazy you already on it!

I would drain the tank and flush the lines replace the filter and keep a few filters on hand. Very nice sled I have seen one up close never got to ride in it though really cool to see yours in action

I think it's bloody awesome, i have a brand new 2024 Lynx Brutal 850 today. But also a 1998 Yamaha SRX 700(tripple redtop) which is awesome. the old sled is a bloody rocket on the trail but the new one you don't get stuck easily with. :). makes you wonder how our parent with their 18hp sno tricks and so on got to the places they were going....

My shop teacher had a pair of these for himself and his wife. I thought they looked pretty cool, but once I got a sled of my own I decided they were impractical. Riding on top of the sled and being able to shift your weight as you ride is very beneficial, especially in deep light snow, it can make the difference between keeping the sled upright or rolling over.

Years ago a buddy of mine had a dual track single ski Raider. You pretty much sat in a tub was the coolest thing I saw.

That thing looks sick! I've never seen or ridden one like it. (Not that I've been around that much and having a solar panel to charge the battery is is hella cool 😎

When I was a kid my Uncle had one of these and we rode the snot out of it. We had two Mercury 398 as well. They were a blast to ride.

Reminds me of the old Kawasaki 440 & 550's, they were super fun when they ran that 15% of the time.

I remember those Raiders they were cool man. They were expensive and dangerous, people were rolling over getting stuck inside. They were pulled off the market I think.

You need to polish the needle seat with a Q-tip in a drill with a mild abrasive such as ultrabrite tooth paste. A new needle is also a good idea. You only cleaned the sides with the sandpaper.

Awesome videos I’m more in to the 4wheelers and dirt bikes but like watching these cause they are different I’m from Tennessee so we don’t get a lot of snow but you should do a tool review of the sockets and ratchets stuff you use

Knee banging, no suspension, backwards throttlle---- don't see many around these days,,, but that one looks like a sweet machine!! (just gotta iron out them wrinkles )

This thing looks like the landing craft from the t.v. series " lost in space" !

definitely a novelty, fun for around home but it could be hard to get out of if there's a problem

Sounds like it's starving out. Gotta love those Walbro. Aye??? Told you they were a curse when you were working on the Hustler. Leaking means it's flooding. Run Heat in your fuel mix.the filter on fuel pickup in tank. Common prob.

Joe,I think you need a storage building lol

I was thinking the same thing joe something is wrong with the carb. Time to throw it in the ultra sonic cleaner and get it 100% clean. Clean the entire fuel system. New fuel lines and filter. Go from there

How funny I got this post saved on FB marketplace.

You just can’t really tell how long it may have setup. I’d definitely recommend changing out all of the fuel lines and a brand new fuel filter. Can you recommend running something like sea foam through the tank? You might also want to consider a upper cylinder cleanse using sea foam too. It just never hurts to run some sea foam through the entire system and then just let it set for a while.

My Brother had a Arctic Raider with a CCR motor, I had a Range Whip. Those memories😊

My Dad knew a guy that had one of these. The owner was a multi amputee so it was great for him. He was able to ride with the local club. I always thought it was the coolest machine around, though probably not that fastest or the most agile.

grear find joe,looks nice,all the best fae the highands in scotland...................always watching yourr vids,keep what your doing..

Just picked up 2 of these machines for 50$ both run! Can't wait to drive one

First I thought the vent for the gas tank was clogged. But no. Try cleaning out the tank, new filter and cleaning the seat for the needle with rubbing compound on a Q-tip. Mustie1 does that with good results.

That back pad also helps in getting in and out. You sit on it and slide in.

I remember when these were new.... They were going to be what all sleds looked like......

I'd say the carb is icing up.

My first thought was that the high jet screw was missing but I guess that carb doesn't use one as it does run when you get it cleaned out. I think a new filter, flush the tank as best you can and run fresh fuel through it. I noticed it doesn't have an air box (cleaner/intake) on the carb, you can see how much snow gets kicked up on that back panel, I have to believe it's sucking a lot of snow into there. That's why when you stop, the hot motor dries everything out, then it runs fine again until it quits. The leaking carb isn't helping either of course. Nice sled!

underrated channel man, yeah i calling clean fuel system, sounded like she was starving a bit, cheers from Australia...

I remember when these came out. My dad was afraid to get one for fear of a roll over. I always thought they could of sold more by adding a roll cage and seatbelt.

Awsome snowmobilemc... i want one...don't look so slow at all like some say..looks fast and sounds awsome!

Kinda looks like an Olympic Bob sled . Pretty cool 😅 Well, I couldn’t use it in Louisiana 🌞 Anyway, frequent follower , enjoy your projects! The Gentleman was Super nice , I would stay in touch with him ! Probably learn a few old school things 😮

Love buying projects people have gave up on. That guy seemed really cool.

Lots of those around when I was a kid here in Canada. You could try a Tillitson carb if you can find one. Probably will quit more often on warmer days. Most likely nature of the beast.

Ya that things a driving a boat in the snow. So comfy too. I bet. Trying to turn around is probably always a pain though cause you cant stand up and whipe the tale around with your body as much as you can with a normal snowmobile though so its got is reasons for why it is what it is.

We need to see this in action on your land !!

I bet you don't have any mosquitos with all that smoke in the garage, but your videos are awesome.

Just came across this thing on marketplace. Thing is pretty cool looking.

Looks like around the time period when they came out they were futuristic

👍Great job, nice to see a classic sled.

Oh, the manual book explain to add in support wheel in the middle between the wheel and rear traction wheel with mount on track. Amazing new and mechanism theory that will make new wonder of the Concept named Raider with better engine that it makes sense -more reliable and reputation of power by two stroke gas engine of twin skis sled.

Get some wooden handle q tips. Put them in a drill. Put a little valve lapping compound on it. Just a little. Clean the needle seat hole out.

That is really cool. Thanks for sharing.

James Bond vibes. Love it

I think its freakin AWESOME. I'm now scouring the internet for my own.

I am going to find 2 of the same smaller size snow mobile tracks with good cleats and mount them on the rear of my Honda FL350 odyssey buggy in place of the rear wheels. Skis on front. Should be fun. There is the roll cage if I get too crazy. Much bigger rotax snowmobile motor, 100hp and long travel suspension with a 12" lengthened chassis.

My neighbour has 1 of the 2 in Ontario, it’s really cool watching him rip down the road on that thing

I would say that the needle is letting to much gas out causing it to flood out!! If you noticed that the guy would just peg it trying to clear all the extra fuel out!!! I also noticed that when he would peg it he would hold it there for a bit!! Well hopefully that helps you out!!?? Remember keep up all the hard work buddy!!!

Fuel filter changed, carb clean again and great quality gas and your back for a rip dude !

I would flush the tank and change the filter but I’m sure you know that lol love the weird stuff like this!

Compared to the sleds of today, those old ones look like death machines!! Lol

the old GI Joe toys from the 1980's had a snowmobile that looked just like this. they called it the Polar Bear.

Haha those snowmobiles look like a ride at Disneyland.