Kawasaki Snowmobiles 1980 Product Video

[@MikeHanfod-pd2sx]

In 1985 I bought a 80’ 440 invader and with carbides on the track and stinger pipes that thing was fast as hell. I don’t think I ever lost a race on the lake even to the bigger sleds. Good times!

[@mplsmark222]

Were these more reliable than the US and Canadian machines. I grew up in NW Minnesota and most of the kids in town were snowmobile crazy. My dad was a Scorpion guy, for whatever reason I don’t know. The things failed him do many times. He had a late 70’s Stinger that would blow a hole through the piston, happened more than once. The last time it did, the area factory rep was in town and took it out for a ride. It happened to him while riding the thing. They took the machine back and he bought a Whip, it was much better.

[@midori9566]

I grew up in Upstate NY, and the winters are tough here especially by Lake Ontario. My dad taught me to ride one of these when I was really young since we were out in the sticks. He was a hunter and farmer who raised chickens and ducks to eat and I helped. Reminds me of my childhood and all the fun times I had blowing through all the snowdrifts.

[@dodgeguyz]

OMG, I feel my spine being compressed from here!

[@Hockeyfan9884]

oh my gosh, i hear you. lol

[@georgecarafa5208]

I think these are why my spine is shot today.

[@scottberry5266]

What do you mean??? They had 4” of travel

[@bangun172]

they were the nicest designed machines at the time

[@aceyorba]

Classic stuff. Have only seen of few of these in the Sierra over the last 40 years.

[@gman77gas]

I had a 79 Invader 340. I was the king off the line ….440 where known to burn pistons. I was 21, single, a pocket full of money, great starting job, living at home, no kids, a new motorcycle, a 76 Scirocco, banging chicks, my best friend owned a bar on a lake......snowmobiling a d water skiing......oh baby !???

[@claudehebert5078]

Didn't get any better than that.

[@jeffmoleskivintageiceracin5935]

Sounds like a made up story

[@gman77gas]

That's ok by me if you think that.......OH ya, I forgot to add that I was Thin and had Hair!....and I still have my bar jacket!

[@dandezorzi9541]

You the GMAN........ Gman ........rock that town...........

[@gman77gas]

@@dandezorzi9541 and now i am 64 retired,married 34 years. Lots of motor toys and pockets full of money. Happy as a pig in shit..Guess i did someting right!

[@normanchristin1923]

I used to have a 1980 440 invader. Loved it! Very fast! modified the clutch so that it engaged at a higher rpm to match the torque curve and boy did it jump off of the line! Rode it for several years before selling it to buy a hopped up 1990 Polaris Indy 500. Later sold that as I moved to a more southern state that did not get enough snow to warrant a snow machine.

[@curtekstrom9531]

Dad started out as an Arctic Cat dealer in 1969. Later added Yamaha in 1973 and Kawasaki and John Deere in 1978. I got to ride the Best sleds built.

[@justinmyslive4108]

My dad had an 82 550 interceptor. That was the thing to beat at that time

[@gumbosavage1]

Justin Myslive ive been looking for one of interceptors but im always a day late when i find one

[@justinmyslive4108]

@@gumbosavage1 good luck trying to find one. I wish dad still had his

[@curtekstrom6600]

I still own a '78, '79 and '80 Kawasaki 440 Invaders. Still in near new condition. Still refuse offers to sell them.

[@justinmyslive4108]

Don't know that much about snowmobiles but I'll bet any sled Kawasaki is collectable just for the fact they're not made anymore

[@curtekstrom6600]

@@justinmyslive4108 My Dad Owned a Dealership that he Sold Arctic Cat, Kawasaki, Yamaha and John Deere Snowmobiles from 1968 to 1986. He sold the business when Kawasaki and John Deere stopped building sleds.

[@ethics3]

I have a Kawasaki invader LTD for sale on kijiji Ontario. 3500 $ 2019-12-17

[@Harpazoed]

I wish I would have kept all of my older sleds. I’m a Cat man. Those Kawasaki ran very good. I was bummed out when Cat left Kawasaki. I drag raced my 634 Puma and Dads 440Z. We won pretty much everything. We would jump up in other classes. Lol 😂 I have the trophies to prove it. However dad liked to race in the money run’s. We could walk away with anywhere from 250 to 300$ per weekend. That was a lot of money for 1976 to 80.

[@tdavidg9176]

I work right across the street from Kawasaki's former research and developement test center in Shakopee,Mn. They had a bunch of acreage behind the plant for testing machines and supposedly 2 lead lined engine testing chambers. They buried all their machines behind the building when they vacated it in 1982. They later had to come back and dig them all up when a chemical company bought the building and dispose of them properly. The green Shark oval racing sleds are extinct. They originally built the engine test center in the early '70's when they were supply engines to Arctic Cat and continued there after buying out Sno Jet up until the last day when everyone got a pink slip. Too bad, I think they would have been a force in the sled biz.

[@waltwynn-sandiegonorthcoun8475]

I remember KAWASAKI-SNOWJET being on display at The Erie County Fair!...

[@quentinraffensperger1699]

Invader and interceptors were nice looking sleds.

[@claudehebert5078]

One always wonders what todays Kawi would look like. Hopefully it would of kept its identity and not looks like todays sleds which all look alike.

[@justinmyslive4108]

My dad had an 82 Interceptor 550. That sled was the fastest thing in our neck of the woods. Sadly I never got to ride it because he sold it before I was old enough to and it was probably for the best since I've heard stories about it and seen how fast it was and probably would have got my dumbass hurt or killed on that thing

[@quincee3376]

@@justinmyslive4108 omg.. sweet !! 550 liquid . They must have moved !

[@justinmyslive4108]

@@quincee3376 it was a beast. From Dad's stories Iv"e heard when that power band kicked in you better be hanging on

[@quincee3376]

@@justinmyslive4108 i can imagine. The 440 Invader's were very fast . 550 must have flown .

[@prylosecorsomething3194]

It's funny just how far we've come, back then a 440 was a big sled, nowadays my neighbors seven year old kid rides a 440

[@claudehebert5078]

How true, back in those early days, I had a 634cc racing sled (not kawi) and we thought we had all the power one would ever need. At that time it was, narrow ski stance, leaf springs and poor clutching.

[@Delvin-j4f]

@@claudehebert5078 In the early 1980's, a classmate had an Arctic Cat 634 ( is that correct on the size?) without a back flap, so the snow flew straight up in the air. I had a '72 Massey 440 and he could blow right by me. Mine was really nice for a 10 yr old sled, it had low miles when I bought it, I think around 500, and I paid $500 for it. Had it about 3 winters then sold it to pursue vintage cars and trucks. I haven't owned a sled since then.

[@claudehebert5078]

Arctic Cat went bankrupt in 1980 and was purchased by a group of investors and employees. I can not answer your question on no flap 634cc in the early 80's next generation cats. @@Delvin-j4f

[@curtekstrom9531]

​@@claudehebert5078 It was 1981, 1982 produced only a handful of Sleds as Cat closed down before Production.

[@claudehebert5078]

@@curtekstrom9531 Sorry, but I was employed by an Arctic cat owned distribution ctr when the bankruptcy was announced to us while at Scarborough Downs in Feb 1980.

[@arthurgay5746]

Fun facts... In 1975, when snojet and Kawasaki were first combined, Kawasaki did buy out snojet but snojet still had contracts with Yamaha. In 1975 you could buy a snojet that was designed by Kawasaki and had the body lines of the new Kawasaki and also had the Kawasaki name on the side but when you opened the cab, there was a Yamaha engine !!!

[@claudehebert5078]

Yes, the Kawasaki Sno-Jet 340, oil injection was a beautiful light and fun sled. I enjoyed riding that sled and it was great in new snow.

[@arthurgay5746]

@claudehebert5078 the 74 snojet sunk like a brick in fresh powder. I had a 74 Astro 440 . Go like stink on the beaten path and snow covered pavement but as soon as you get off the trail all you could see was the windshield and handlebars lol.

[@claudehebert5078]

@@arthurgay5746 The nice thing about opinions is that everyone has one.

[@arthurgay5746]

@claudehebert5078 only in 1975... Only ones that were branded snojet with the Kawasaki sticker on the side.

[@keirhe9593]

I had the Ltd and 440 invader love and miss them always wanted the 440 fa

[@ethics3]

I can sell you an LTD for 3400$

[@SchneiderClassics]

so cool to see. i love my 440, love making videos on it and having fun in the snow

[@MarkBoese]

Still my favourite machines.

[@АндрейГорький-о8в]

Kawasaki best snowmobile 1980!!!

[@johnpetersen8238]

Someone just gave me a 1980 Drifter 340 F/A🙂

[@turbodiesel4709]

@@johnpetersen8238 : The 1980 Kawasaki Drifter 340 F/A was a super fun little sled. On a normal day, it would average a top speed of about 60 mph. When the barometric pressure & temperature conditions were just right (on a nice, dry, crisp, & cool day), I had it up to 70 mph on the flat straight-away a time or two. It was my very first sled, when I was 12 yrs old. I'm 45 y/o now, and I wish I still had it to play with. But alas, all I have left is a spare hood/cowl from a parted out one. Enjoy it, because they're becoming more and more rare as the years go by.

[@johnpetersen8238]

@@turbodiesel4709 Wow, My friend gave me one last spring. I puttzed with it a little. Cleaned up the corrosion in the carb from the mouse nest in the air box. Put oil in the cylinders , had spark, got it fire and run just briefly on spray snowmobile gas.l took off the seat and gas tank and cleaned it out. Next time l looked at it the engine was locked up got it to turn again and put more oil in the cylinders. Now it's locked up again.😥 I was working on another sled all summer. So I didn't get back to it. I assume the engine got mouse pee in it and needs rebuilding. For now she sits down in the barn. Needs a windshield also. 1980 Drifter 340 F/A.

[@chrismartin6062]

Love these sleds!

[@chimrichalds1422]

The 80's were the best

[@brentcichy8134]

Had a few Invaders ,loved them ,wish i had one now , that 440 would kick some serious ass . i would eat polaris 500 for breakfast lunch and dinner

[@lucasechenique39]

Now... I wouldn't go that far as to say it could beat a Polaris 500, but the Invader is definitely very fasr

[@ericwilson2186]

I love my 1978 Kawasaki snow jet

[@tomascharles5080]

Kawasaki should build a new sled today just for the fun of it see what they build.

[@mikeskidmore6754]

I read the total volume of sled sales per year is 1 million .. divide that by 3.5 Companies snowmobile sales are very low volume

[@chefderappa4838]

Mike Skidmore 3.5 lol.

[@curtekstrom9531]

They would look just like the Cats, ski Doos, and Polaris. You can't tell the difference anymore. They all look alike.

[@MrDjh66]

I had a 74 Polaris TX 250 in 1980

[@Delvin-j4f]

Nice! My uncle bought one of those brand new. He also bought a 340 tx around that same year, I think. Used to give us kids rides back then. The 250 was super loud and I didn't like it as good as the 340.

[@stevereiner7543]

i had an 81 ltd,fast sled for what it was,it was just 1 pinch slower than a 94 xlt polaris(579 tripple) a really bullet proof sled

[@randallburgess46]

I remember when the Kawasaki sleds came out and that they looked fast just sitting still! Never got to ride one, what a shame!

[@MiK3Y13]

Leaf spring front suspension... mint!

[@johnungate1782]

I own a 772 TNT, worked to the hilt. Own it since new

[@mikeskidmore6754]

Snow Jet was one of the more advanced and better sleds of the time and Kawasaki bought them

[@claudehebert5078]

Snow Jet had a great tunnel design, great sled in the snow, breaking trail, etc. Now, the Thunder Jet was a different animal, I saw Jim Adema race Thunder Jets, not only was the sled great, it was piloted by a super racer.

[@curlybrownk9]

Had a 1980 440 invader and an 80 john deere liquifire 440, with the same kawi liquid motor in each. The liqufire was quicker off the line and faster top end by a good margine. We fooled with the clutches and jets and new belt to even things in the in the kawi, but bone stock the JD would pull it every time. They were fun, the colder it got the faster they were.

[@markoberer1158]

I'd love to see a version of the classic Snow-Jet as a 2020 anniversary limited edition model made available.

[@claudehebert5078]

I always thought that the Late model Sno-Jets were good handling, light footed sleds. I can only imagine what an IFS Thunderjet would of been like, maybe thats what the Kawasaki Shark Sno Pro sled was.

[@robertmason62]

@@claudehebert5078I believe the sharks used the thunder jet track tunnels possibly more from them so It definitely was the closest they got. One can only wish Kawasaki didn’t close down business in the racing department we would likely have them.

[@agnegustafsson9589]

my father owned a intruder440 i had a drifter 340. they where not too bad.

[@curtekstrom6600]

I owned several 440 Invaders 1978-1980 and a couple LTD 500:s

[@ethics3]

The LTD is a 440 cc

[@ethics3]

www.torysvintagesleds.com/uploads/1/4/8/3/14832452/5614503_orig.jpg

[@angelaanthony7283]

restored my 81 ltd to mint condition...stored it at my brothers barn...called today to say i was coming to get it....he says ,we had a lil mishap.....OH ?....ya nephew got on it, laid on the throttle and wheelied into the front of the durango!?!?! ...kids ok..... sled, not so much!!!!!! now you know why i found this vid

[@claudehebert5078]

OMG, thats a heck of a way to start your day.

[@dustinpollard6237]

Nice of him to wait until your ready to go riding to tell you. It sucks, but it's family. It will repair.

[@FSEVENMAN]

We had a 1979 trailcat and like A72 Ski doo blizzard both of which kicked ass but when I rode our invader 440 it blew my mind😮😊

[@Serveck]

I lost it when they showed scarborough downs in portland thats my backyard

[@claudehebert5078]

I know what you mean, we were living in Freeport before I was transferred to Michigan.

[@mikejones-qk2ou]

BREAKDOWNS awaiting there!

[@gordonliddy9418]

back in the day these were the cats ass when it came to snowmobiles

[@josephrodwell6643]

I had a 1980 invader 440 , I had the newer style track , because of recall. NICE SLED FOR 1980s

[@quincee3376]

Kawi's were sexy sleds. Would love an Invader ... or the 550 Interceptor .

[@MrThenry1988]

No powder rides? Lol. We had all of them. Drifts we pip out of today, we got stuck in in the 80s. John Deere and artic cat was more popular around here because we had dealers around.

[@claudehebert5078]

Your right, dealers made the difference. You bought what you could readily get serviced.

[@Popesontour]

A new Kawasaki/Sno-Jet in old time livery would be awesome, I bet they could build a real contender for today. Come on Kawasaki lets come back to the snow ❄️❄️!

[@gregbrown3967]

I picked up another one of these back around 2000, I'd run it sometimes with the guys lol at first they're saying bring your new sled as they didn't think I'd keep up. 😅 ya more like the opposite, light as a feather and just scream lol fun

[@cnh3203]

had a 80' Invader 440 probably ran around 70 mph but it felt like 100

[@claudegreenwood1379]

De la super de belle machines sa jamais construit!

[@Hockeyfan9884]

Don't feel so decompressed, the Kawaski Intruder will lift your spirits.

[@mikeskidmore6754]

Sno Jets were good sleds ..!!

[@karltauschen9561]

First had a RUPP '76 340 Liquid-cooled sled. After warping the U-shpaed frame because of flying off snow banks, I got a '80 KAWI INVADER 340. Nice looking sled, but it was built for ONLY one reason .... snow highway traveling. "Off-highway' in back woods trails the engine would constantly overheat because the liquid cooling radiator built into the tunnel was insufficiently sized to dissipate the waste heat from the engine. Repeated calls to the Kawasaki Engineering Dept. went unanswered, even while sled was still under warranty. On lake riding or snow hwy riding, it was fine since the forward mounted radiator transferred the waste heat to the atmosphere as the sled was moving along at decent speed, but in the winding trails, not so good! VERY disappointed ... only kept it for a few years, then sold it outright, and never looked back.

[@claudehebert5078]

I know exactly what you are saying. Not every sled was made to boondoggle off trail. I loved to ride through the woods without trails, that however was not the Invaders strong trait.

[@karltauschen9561]

@@claudehebert5078 It wasn't always about seeing how fast one could get across a frozen lake of to the other side of a farmer's large field. Many times it was a bunch of us getting together for a wonderful ride to a town several miles away, stopping at a restaurant / bar for a hamburger, pizza, etc. and then returning back home. A great way to spend with family members & friends in companionship .... all BEFORE the invention of cellphones & other modern devices to bring us farther apart on a human level. Those WERE the best of times!! Two things killed this fun for me .... the cooling problem with the INVADER, which KAWASAKI would not address, and the changing weather patterns of winter, where the snowfall totals per season just slacked off considerably. What I should have done is to press KAWASAKI with a legal challenge,, using my state's or their state's AG office, since this was an obvious technical & design issue, but I didn't. Now, at 75 & retired in FLA, it's only memories of a previous time.

[@claudehebert5078]

@@karltauschen9561 Your're right, riding in the early days was very different than today's riding, at least in Northern New England. It was all about getting together to break trail to a new place or destination. So many enjoyable trips, regardless of the sleds color.

[@sleds7283]

Id love to see these in 250 form! to bad they were all twin engines

[@claudehebert5078]

I would of liked to seen a 250 twin on the Drifter chassis. Light weight and nimble off trail.

[@198634]

i was like 10 when these came out and my uncles had a pair - they were constantly broke down on the trail....

[@naomipettigrew465]

My father's got a Kawasaki Intruder 440 1978 I think they are getting very hard to get parts for now

[@HeyDude93gt]

Reminds me of an old electric razor. It's the all new KAWASAKI EL 440 BuzzCut

[@billtoal7740]

Love it

[@ethics3]

1980 Kawasaki LTD for sale in Ontario Canada 3400 $

[@Hewardrv8]

I wonder if bd turbos were available for it!!! :p

[@claudehebert5078]

Good question, I don't remember any talk about turbos back then, but on the other hand, all of the back room development was being conducted in Shakopee MN.

[@turbodiesel4709]

@@claudehebert5078 Turbos were/are unnecessary on 2-strokes.

[@shaneroper477]

Wonder what Kawasaki would be producing today...?

[@prylosecorsomething3194]

Probably something pretty good, I know I'd ride one

[@davidabbott4782]

Shane Roper prolly look a lot like arctic cat

[@mufozomby7637]

yamahas... yamahas have kawasaki engins...

[@chefderappa4838]

mufo zomby no they don’t

[@jeffmoleskivintageiceracin5935]

Dirt bikes and atvs 🤷‍♂️😂

[@bryankean2216]

Nice looking machine for the day but I highly doubt that thing would take a blizzard 9500 of the same vintage

[@stenny1970]

First scene guy comes down and bends the tunnel.

[@claudehebert5078]

Fortunately the tunnel was not bent.

[@oldbuzzard76]

I DID BEND MINE, BECAUSE IT WAS MADE OF ALUMINIM . CYCLINDER BORES DID NOT HAVE STEEL LINERS , JUST CHROME PLATED ALUMINIM BORES . AUTO LUBE STOPS WORKING YOU'RE BUYING NEW JUGS $$$ . ASK ME HOW I KNOW ! THEY WERE QUICK , BUT CHEAPLY MADE AND FRAGILE .

[@hellounknown2274]

I bet my 1980 eltigre 6000 was really the fastest sled that year..

[@curtekstrom6600]

My Father's Dealership Sold Arctic Cat, Yamaha, Kawsaki, and John Deere Sleds. In 1978 I ran a Stock straight from the Crate El Tigre' 6000,band was clocked at 106.4 Mph at Camp Hale Colorado.

[@denmoer]

High Tech leaf spring front suspension LOL

[@uthermaceanruig5098]

I had a 1980 invader it was definitely cringe worthy.

[@snazzyanimal2012]

That's when Canada had lots of snow 2019 not worth having one

[@danahodge7467]

Depending on where you live

[@sheddski2942]

back in the day Kawasaki was the prime engine builder for arcticat after skidoo bought rotax I think 1970 71 then when Kawasaki was winding down production arcticat took over production of Kawasaki and Suzuki and snojet till they met quotas after that Suzuki came to be the only engine builder for cat till now when arcticat builds their own

[@claudehebert5078]

Ski Doo purchased Rotax around 1970, but were using Rotax engines since mid 60's or earlier. As for Kawasaki, they purchased Sno-Jet around 1976, which were produced as Kawasaki Sno-Jets on the arctic production line for 2 years before being moved to the Lincoln, NE Kawasaki Production line. The first Kawasaki Sno-Jets used a Yamaha 340 oil injection engine in one of the models. This was a carry over from Sno-Jet days. Non of the pure Kawasaki sleds were produced by Arctic.

[@claudehebert5078]

@John Seba That wasn't what was stated.

[@quincee3376]

Yes Sheddski . I think in 71 40 or 50% of Cat's had Kawasaki engines . Man Cat used so many suppliers . Hirth, Kohler, Sachs, JLO , Kawi, Suzuki .... now they make their own 2 strokes. Not positive but i think Yamaha supply their 4 strokes now.

[@quincee3376]

@@claudehebert5078 exactly.

[@kennyadams9375]

440 LTD

[@joecobra1234]

no way it beat the indy 3 cylinder in 1980 or any other year for that matter

[@claudehebert5078]

The mind set in those days, "what will they think of next". I know Kawasaki's Shakopee MN R&D were always tweeking engines. I'm sure that Kawi would of been playing the HP game had they stayed in the sled business. Prototypes in Shakopee indicated that they had no plans to just lay back and let the industry pass on by. The Indy was a great sled with durability.

[@curtekstrom6600]

The 440 Invader was named the fastest Production Snowmobile in 1979 with Arctic Cat El Tigre Series 6000 in Second.

[@curtekstrom6600]

It's pretty sad that Polaris had to use 3 Cylinders to get the same results as everyone else's 2 Cylinders.

[@TheTcat1000]

@@curtekstrom6600 I've owned both and the cat was no match for the invader...and the 600 Indy destroyed the invader and the thundercat destroyed that!...get it...always getting faster

[@curtekstrom6600]

@@TheTcat1000 Again it takes Polaris 3 Cylinders and 600cc to keep up or pass a 440cc Cat or Invader.

[@MrJeffyb69]

Fake news! The El Tigre 6000 was the fastest sled for 1980!!

[@londohondo]

Seen alot of merc sno twisters beat el Tigres.

[@MrJeffyb69]

@@londohondo . Yeah. El Tigre 4000 and 5000 , not the 6000's .

[@bobo44donemilking51]

Nope my 77 rupp magnum was the fastest

[@londohondo]

@@bobo44donemilking51 rupps were fast, so were sno twisters, both seem to blow engines though,...but they are nothing compared to todays top sleds.

[@Flaaaaanders]

Get high on a kawasaki. Lolzzzzz

[@lottsalasagna431]

Worst machine I ever owned

[@quincee3376]

For real ? Too unreliable ? What model did u have ?

[@claudehebert5078]

We've all had one of those over the years, regardless of color.

[@hitemup6455]

@@quincee3376 cats were the worst sleds at the time !

[@quincee3376]

@@hitemup6455 ya but the El Tigre was awesome.

[@fordfreak9456]

They sucked bottom line

[@mufozomby7637]

look at the yamahas, kawy makes engins for them...

[@curtekstrom6600]

When I was Racing Semi Pro back in 1978-1980 my Invaders always performed well and held up great. Unlike the Yamahas and Skidoos back then.

[@quincee3376]

@@mufozomby7637 no they dont .

[@brianmcdowell7377]

Dad and mom had invaders 440 and 340. The 440 had pipes and was fun just to look at. The throttle would make your thumb tired in a hurry though