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“I’ve worked on a number of projects: snowmobiles, ATVs, off-road motorcycles, excavators, logging trailers, wood splitters, and others.”
Benoit has designed his own snowmobiles over the last 5 years, building each one from scratch (except for the track and skis). His French website (www.brx800.net) points out that his Small-Doo snowmobiles were “designed for minimum weight, extreme buoyancy and maneuverability in the woods - far removed from standard snowmobiles, which are designed primarily for speed and trails, even in the case of off-trail snowmobiles.” He later went on to fabricate the Small-Doo X, the Small-Doo M and the Small-Doo AMX, but the original Small-Doo - the one that started it all - is still in use today.
Great project, Benoit! Thanks for sharing it with us!
See it in action: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xAwDmc75bTo
Name of project:
Small-Doo, Small-Doo X, Small-doo M, Small-Doo AMX
Q: What is it?
A: They are ultra-light snowmobiles that float on snow instead of digging through it. The tracks, a few bearings and the skis were original snowmobile parts, but the rest of it has been built or adapted to produce a lightweight and well balanced vehicle. They are for travelling in dense forests and hills with little space, where it’s important to have traction at low speeds and easy manoeuvrability.
Q: What’s the main power source for your project? (e.g. electric motor, gas engine etc.)
A: 208 cc Powerfist motor, with a Comet clutch modified for my first project (Small-Doo), and an adapted mountain bike brake. Suspension, steering and chassis built from scratch. Very advanced steering position. For the others, a heavily modified 420 cc motor.
Q: How do you control your project? (e.g. hydraulic control valve(s), electric switches etc.)
A: CVT Transmission (Comet TAV2 for the first), throttle on the engine (no governor), disc brake
Q: What components are used to perform the work for your project? (e.g. hydraulic cylinder(s), hydraulic motor(s), sprockets, pulleys etc.)
A: Engine and belt torque converter, pinions, chains, bearings, steering ball joints...
Q: What design/build challenges were overcome?
A: Not using the chassis or other parts (apart from the track and the skis) of snowmobiles because they are too heavy. I had to build everything so that it would light, compact and ergonomic. All the parts had to be selected or built with a minimum weight.
Q: Which Princess Auto location do you visit most?
A: Online. I wish there were a store nearby or in Québec City