Remember when walking in to a sled dealership.....

[Motoski250]

We also bought every skidoo we had from Les Bowen In Curtis Wi.  our families first brand new sleds came from him in 71   2 brand new elans.  I was 8   then every year after that we bought one brand new one till 1978.
In 1995 Les called me and I went and cleaned out his old dealership where they sold and wrenched out of. Half of the building had fallen down but on the sales side of the building we found case after case of memories. He even gave me all his old sales books and we have that now on display. I found where by Brother traded that old elan in for a 73 TNT 340   It shows all the sales transactions and what people paid and what they got on their trades. Really cool to read through and see all Les's old deals.  That is when I got into the vintage sled craze and Started the collecting.
Even found a brand new 73 TNT 340 FA under the roof that had fallen down in the shop.  Hood was crunched but the rest of the sled was immaculate.  Very cool Memories for sure.
Kriegs

[Vintagesleds.com]

[Racing Elvis]

throttle junkie, sounds like great  memories. i was able to buy badger cart sales out and get all of there rupp inventory. they had alot left.
when i was a kid, my dad bought 2 brand new moto-ski's. i remember going to several differnt moto-ski dealer ships back then, i remember sitting on a 1980 moto-ski super sonic, i told my dad i was going to have one of these some day, just awesome memories!!!!,....b.s.171

So did you ever end up with a moto-ski?? I know you have my old rupp jacket. I gave it to one of your former employees last summer in a deal for some cat parts. As much as I wanted to keep the jacket I knew it was going to a good home and that was the only reason I gave it up. I had gotten that jacket with a 71 440 sprint I bought from a friend of mine around 1992-93. Next time Im up in your area I sure would like to see your collection. My all time favorite sled is the 75 Nitro F/A........some day I'll have one of them. lol

i did end up with your jacket, very nice. i have owned a few moto-skis now, a few of the 80's and a few of the late 70's rv style. all where very nice machines. i have a 80 super sonic now. havent drove it yet but sure looks nice sitting there, lol....b.s.171 

[Racing Elvis]

cheater tell the story about buying the new 1975 rupp f/a cross country i bought from you?? cool story and a very rare sled!!!. if i remember you bought it brand new in 1982 i think you said???....b.s.171

[honks177]

honks, you should have stoped in. we had a vintage ride a couple of weeks ago. was pretty fun!!! moto-ski for sale??......

My bro (who lives in Iola) and Racin Aasen talked about it, but you know how it goes, one beer leads to another.............
I sold the sled two days after I got back.  I liked it, but needed cash to update my newer sled.  It had had some engine work done to it and had the cut rotary valve in it, very fast sled, very fun to drive.

[Throttle Junkie35]

My earliest dealership memories are of Zillis Arctic Cat.  It was in an old church.
 Bow to the Cat Gods!!!!

[mikem4]

Shark, Throttle Junkie and Skidog59 I probably ran into you guys and never knew. I worked at the Polaris dealership on Appleton ave in the falls from 1980 to about 87 right before he moved to main street. I heard Bob sold it a few years back. I also dealt with Randy from Badger Kart. Yea that area is kind of rough. Work on the North side of milwaukee now and live in Colgate technically Richfield, Hillside Road and Hwy Q. Dealers were alot morer personal then. Had customers come in all the time just to bs.

[Throttle Junkie35]

Shark, Throttle Junkie and Skidog59 I probably ran into you guys and never knew. I worked at the Polaris dealership on Appleton ave in the falls from 1980 to about 87 right before he moved to main street. I heard Bob sold it a few years back. I also dealt with Randy from Badger Kart. Yea that area is kind of rough. Work on the North side of milwaukee now and live in Colgate technically Richfield, Hillside Road and Hwy Q. Dealers were alot morer personal then. Had customers come in all the time just to bs.

I would believe it could be very possible. I was trying to remember where Avenue Lawn and Leisure was before they eneded up at the current location. I cant for the life of me remember.

[mikem4]

They were on Appleton Ave just Southeast of Pilgrim. It is a bank parking lot now. Stark Oldsmobile was across the street and McDonalds was to the Northwest. The McDonalds is still there.

[Moto-ski maniac]

Back in about 69-72, a good family friend was the Moto-Ski dealer in our area. It was located on a ranch about 10 miles out of town. He also sold Vamoose and Terra Jet.
He sold a pile of Moto-Skis. He won an award for Dealer of the year 70-71 from the distributor for selling record amounts. One of his methods was holding auctions at the ranch. He would bring in a couple of Semi trucks full of brand new Mini Snos, Capris, Zephyrs, Grand Prixs and MS-18's, and sell them right off the truck. He had sleds you could look at and test ride, raffles and givaways, a bonfire with a hotdog roast, and a huge turnout of people. My sister won a pair of goggles. 
A friend bought a new MS-18 and rode it home to town. Those were the days!  Now you'd get arrested for riding a sled home!
My Dad bought his new 72 Zephyr 340 there and in the early 70's most of the snowmobiles around here were orange. I have old photos of snowmobile outings where there is nothing but Moto-Skis visible. 
Then came the winter of 72-73 when we had almost no snow and suddenly nobody bought sleds of any kind for a few years.      

[Racing Elvis]

thats what my dad bought, he bought mom a new ms-18, and my dad bought a new 1973 capri 440, slide rail suspension and ski shocks, compared to some i seen with bogies and no shocks. years later dad sold the ms-18, but i still have the capri. in 1973 my uncle came over and hand painted the hood registration #'s on it, looks pretty cool. when i was a kid i drove that sled every ware and loved every minute of it. i wish times were like that again!!!!.....b.s.171 

[Throttle Junkie35]

They were on Appleton Ave just Southeast of Pilgrim. It is a bank parking lot now. Stark Oldsmobile was across the street and McDonalds was to the Northwest. The McDonalds is still there.

Thats right!! It was next to Kinney Shoes.

[randy]

i remember going into the old avenue lawn and leisure,,,when it was in town bob was the owner,i have a memory of the mechanic having a polaris race sled there that he owned,and would work on there does anyone remember seeing that sled???how many of you guys that are in the southestern part of wi remember the lannon easy riders grass drags that use to be off lannon road behind the ball park,i just a few years ago found 2 old posters promoting the race from 74 and 75,and was able to buy them a local farmer had them in his poll barn to stop a squeak  between the wood and siding when the wind blew lol i was really glad to get them,does any one have pics or video from those races,,,,,a week or so before that race the scorpion dealer would bring a few brand new sleds in the crate  to the field behind my house and un crate  them set them up and break them in for the race ,they always let me take one down the test track a few times what a thrill for a sled crazy kid,,,,,,,,

[Throttle Junkie35]

i remember going into the old avenue lawn and leisure,,,when it was in town bob was the owner,i have a memory of the mechanic having a polaris race sled there that he owned,and would work on there does anyone remember seeing that sled???how many of you guys that are in the southestern part of wi remember the lannon easy riders grass drags that use to be off lannon road behind the ball park,i just a few years ago found 2 old posters promoting the race from 74 and 75,and was able to buy them a local farmer had them in his poll barn to stop a squeak  between the wood and siding when the wind blew lol i was really glad to get them,does any one have pics or video from those races,,,,,a week or so before that race the scorpion dealer would bring a few brand new sleds in the crate  to the field behind my house and un crate  them set them up and break them in for the race ,they always let me take one down the test track a few times what a thrill for a sled crazy kid,,,,,,,,

Talking with some of the old guys that use to race there they said the Scorpion dealer used to have those races in his back pocket. Something about the flag guys having a signal for the Scorpion racers. lol Some one will always be upset when there is racing involed. My buddy's dad raced his Thunder jet there and I guess he did pretty well.

[cheater67x]

red beyer,         rupp city in spencer wis,  we stopped and looked at the rupp sleds all the time for years
 fell in love the with fa sleds, in 82 I got some cash,   long story
we went to rupp city,it was a body shop also ,a real funny crabby old dude,

he had a new 76 liquid and a new 340 fa , bingo $800 bucks  ,we opened the crate and took it home,i trail rode it,he told me his no good brother inlaw ordered it,but it was a late sled and they were racing already that year,this one  was for   cross country racng.
 it had  dual tanks and long chrome steel skis,when we opened the crate
 it was just a rupp to me,but it seems to be kinda odd today,i owned it,sold it to a friend,he sold it back to me and I sold it to bill ,cool sled    ,I wish I had  bought them both that day but left the liquid in the box

old red had a dummy from the old sears store he would hide till 3 pm , his wife drove school buse and when she went past he would set it at his desk,so when she went past she would see him working,thenhe went in the house and took a nap

[mikem4]

i remember going into the old avenue lawn and leisure,,,when it was in town bob was the owner,i have a memory of the mechanic having a polaris race sled there that he owned,and would work on there does anyone remember seeing that sled???how many of you guys that are in the southestern part of wi remember the lannon easy riders grass drags that use to be off lannon road behind the ball park,i just a few years ago found 2 old posters promoting the race from 74 and 75,and was able to buy them a local farmer had them in his poll barn to stop a squeak  between the wood and siding when the wind blew lol i was really glad to get them,does any one have pics or video from those races,,,,,a week or so before that race the scorpion dealer would bring a few brand new sleds in the crate  to the field behind my house and un crate  them set them up and break them in for the race ,they always let me take one down the test track a few times what a thrill for a sled crazy kid,,,,,,,,

Are you talking about at Aero park on Lannon Road and Lisbon (Hwy K) road across from Waunakee golf course. It was an air strip and they had a little building with a bar. We used to drag race there. I think they had grass drags and drags in the winter. The local club, I believe it was plat 5 used to hold the races. We did pretty good there a few times with a TX 440. I think they quite because of liability issue's. The building and sheds got demo'd and has been empty for years.