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The Classic Bubble Nose Skiroule
The Pickles Peak Out
BY DAVID WELLS
Rejean Houle started building snow vehicles in 1963 as an extension of J. Houle & Son, Inc., his father’ s farm equipment manufacturing business in southeastern Quebec. Houle’ s earliest sleds were small aqua-colored iron dogs with rear engines, and luckily a few have survived. I saw one at the now-defunct Musée de la Motoneige( Museum of the Snowmobile) in Desbiens, Quebec, in 1995. Originally christened Ski Houle, the brand name soon evolved into Skiroule.
The budding manufacturer quickly switched his sleds to the mid-engine format( pioneered by J. A. Bombardier), established a separate company to build them, and set up international distribution. Then in the fall of 1969, the young entrepreneur cashed out, selling his snowmobile brand to The Coleman Company, an American outdoor equipment manufacturer, but stayed on as president. By this time, Skiroule had a 100,000 sq. ft. plant in Wickham, Quebec, with 350 employees, and sales were still growing. The company was also building additional rolling chassis and shipping them to Wisconsin to be completed as Ariens snowmobiles, thus avoiding American import duties.
Rejean Houle was also providing industry leadership. In response to the growing number of serious snowmobile accidents, he decided that effective with 1971 models, Skiroule would no longer build trail sleds with engines larger than 440cc. By 1972, his idea had been voluntarily embraced by virtually the entire snowmobile industry, including most of the sport’ s publications.
QUALITY COUNTS
Skiroule was building a reputation as one of the best machines in the fast-growing snowmobile industry. Focusing on simple, lightweight construction, the company made extensive use of aluminum, particularly in the steering gear. A translucent nylon gas tank eliminated the need for a gas gauge. Its die-cast ski spindles were much more resistant to breaking than those on most other brands. A Skiroule hood could be opened while wearing mittens, and the headlight assembly had space to carry a spare bulb. The full snow season warranty exceeded the typical 90-day coverage of competitors, and even the Skiroule owner’ s manuals were better than most.
All this resulted in a machine that sold well, putting Skiroule solidly in the top 10 manufacturers. My touring buddy, the late Ted Perkins, recalled that he bought the first of his two Skiroules, a classic bubble nose 1970 model with a 440 Hirth Twin and a 15-inch track, because it looked like the best sled available in a magazine comparison chart. Surprisingly, this model was not listed in the sales brochure, but it served him well for many years.
Skiroules performed well in competition too. For example, in January 1970, Yvon Patry of Wickham, Quebec, beat 500 other entries to win the Eagle River, Wisconsin, 10-mile speed obstacle race in record time on a Skiroule SRX-440, a racer variant powered by a twin-carb Sachs engine.
For 1971, Skiroule re-engineered its frame and skis to provide more strength with less weight. Snow Goer tested an S-400, the top“ family class” Skiroule, for that season. Our editors“ found the new racing seat very comfortable,” and called it“ a good performer with lots of get up and go.” However, they also felt that“ there could be more storage space and more convenient hinging on the hood which must be opened to get to the gas tank.” Like most other 1971 Skiroules, though, it didn’ t sell out quickly and was being offered at considerable discount by late winter.
SPECS
1971 SKIROULE S-400
Manufacturer: Skiroule Ltee., a subsidiary of The Coleman Company, Wichita, Kansas, at Wickham, Quebec, Canada Engine: 398cc Kyoritsu Noki Canadian Curtis-Wright( CCW) axial-fan-cooled piston-port Twin with one Tillotson HR-90A diaphragm pumper carb, magneto, and breaker point ignition, and single pipe into muffler Lubrication: Pre-mix at 20:1( Skiroule oil recommended) Power Output: 28 hp Drive Clutch: Precico steel kidney-weight 4-roller type
CHASSIS SPECS Type: Welded and painted 18-gauge steel with stirrups, chrome steel tube bumpers with rubber grips on rear bumper, and fiberglass hood Weight( dry, claimed): 294 lb Front Suspension: Four-leaf springs Ski Stance: 28.5 in. Rear Suspension: Bogie wheels( 12 on 3 trucks) with torsion springs Track: Skiroule 15.25-by-118-in. molded rubber with steel reinforcing rods, dual sprocket drive and 53-in. footprint Brake: Friction band Fuel Capacity: 5.6 gal.( US) Standard Equipment: Primer, tinted windshield, simulated wood instrument panel, non-slip footrests, rear seat storage compartment Optional Equipment: Speedometer / odometer, tachometer, electric start, snow flap, tow hitch, Cariol sleigh Price: $ 995 U. S. MSRP excluding freight, setup, and other charges
40 NOVEMBER 2026 | SNOWGOER. COM