While many people enjoy whipping around on snowmobiles, the things are rather big and heavy compared to vehicles like dirt bikes. That's where the WS250 comes in, as it's a compact, one-passenger, stand-up snowmobile.
Manufactured by Quebec-based company Widescape, the WS250 has an aluminum chassis and an HDPE (high-density polyethylene) plastic body. The whole rig weighs just 90 kg (198 lb) and measures 2.2 meters long by 0.8 m wide by 1.3 m high (87 by 31 by 51 in).
Due to the fact that it is relatively light, short and narrow, the vehicle can be carried on a truck or SUV's hitch-mounted rack rear. Additionally, two of the things can fit side-by-side in the cargo bed of a pickup.
Power is provided by a 4-stroke, electric fuel injection, electric start, liquid-cooled, 242cc internal combustion engine. It puts out 20 hp and burns gas at a rate of 3 liters per hour, depending on usage – the company tells us that with its 8-liter fuel tank, the WS250 is typically good for at least two to three hours of runtime per fill. The sled has a top speed of 65 km/h (40 mph), and reportedly produces less than 80 decibels of engine noise.
Some of the WS250's other features include a custom track with 38-mm (1.5-in) lugs; an anti-slip foot platform; a direct-drive continuously variable transmission; an LCD dashboard screen with a speedometer and odometer; heated handlebar grips; plus 140 mm of suspension travel in the front and 100 mm in the rear.
Buyers can preorder a WS250 now, by placing a CAD$100 (about US$79) deposit via the Widescape website. That deposit will go towards the full CAD$8,149 (US$6,423) price tag. Deliveries should commence this fall (Northern Hemisphere). You can see the vehicle in action, in the video below.
And should you own a dirt bike, you might instead be interested in Timbersled's Mountain Horse kit, which temporarily converts said bike into a snowmobile. On the other hand, if you like the idea of a mini electric snowmobile, you may want to check out the MoonBike.
Source: Widescape via GearJunkie