Snowmobile with asymmetric skis

A snowmobile comprising:

• a chassis;
• a straddle-type seat mounted to the chassis;
• a pair of handlebars carried by the chassis adjacent to the seat;
• an endless track carried by a rear suspension system mounted to the chassis;
• a front suspension system including left and right generally downwardly and forwardly extending spindles, each spindle having a lower end and being rotatable around a steering axis, the steering axis being defined by the center of rotation of the spindle;
• and
• left and right skis each ski having a longitudinal length and a longitudinal axis that intersects the steering axis of the corresponding spindle, and inner and outer floatation portions extending upward from a bottom surface of the ski and laterally from the longitudinal axis of such ski, the inner floatation portion of each ski including a primary portion and a secondary portion, the left and right skis carried, respectively, at the lower ends of the left and right spindles such that the left ski inner floatation portion is adjacent to the right ski inner floatation portion,
• the primary portion of each ski being generally symmetrical along at least half of its length with respect to the outer floatation portion of such ski, such symmetry being about a vertical plane passing through the longitudinal axis of such ski, and
• the secondary portion of each ski extending laterally inwardly from the primary portion of such ski and being non-symmetrical with respect to the outer floatation portion of such ski about the vertical plane, the secondary portion of each ski angled inwardly upwardly and extending further laterally away from a side of the vertical plane than such ski extends away from an opposite side of the vertical plane.

A snowmobile comprising:

• a chassis;
• a straddle-type seat mounted to the chassis;
• a pair of handlebars carried by the chassis adjacent to the seat;
• an endless track carried by a rear suspension system mounted to the chassis;
• a front suspension system mounted to the chassis and including left and right generally downwardly and forwardly extending spindles, each spindle having a lower end;
• and
• left and right steerable skis carried by a front suspension system which in turn is mounted to the chassis, the skis being steerably connected to the handlebars, each ski having a longitudinal length more than twice as long as its width, upwardly extending reinforcing ribs, a downwardly extending longitudinal keel, a skag mounted to the bottom of the keel, and inner and outer floatation portions extending laterally of the keel, the floatation portions elevated higher than a bottom surface of the keel, the inner floatation portion of each ski being at least one-half inch wider than the outer floatation portion of such ski along at least one-third of the ski's length, the left and right skis carried, respectively, at the lower ends of the left and right spindles such that the left ski inner floatation portion is adjacent to the right ski inner floatation portion.

A snowmobile comprising:

• a chassis;
• a straddle-type seat mounted to the chassis;
• a pair of handlebars carried by the chassis adjacent to the seat;
• an endless track carried by a rear suspension system mounted to the chassis;
• a front suspension system mounted to the chassis and including left and right generally downwardly and forwardly extending spindles, each spindle having a lower end;
• and
• left and right steerable skis, the skis being steerably connected to the handlebars, each ski having a longitudinal length more than twice as long as its width, a floatation portion, and a longitudinal keel extending downward from the floatation portion and having a longitudinal axis running laterally centrally through the keel, the floatation portion of each ski having a primary inner portion extending laterally of the keel and elevated higher than a bottom surface of the keel, the floatation portion of each ski having a secondary inner portion positioned laterally inwardly and upwardly of the primary inner portion, each ski extending further laterally inward from a vertical plane passing through the longitudinal keel axis than the ski extends laterally outward from the vertical plane, the left and right skis carried, respectively, at the lower ends of the left and right spindles such that the left ski floatation portion is adjacent to the right ski floatation portion.