This Website Is Sponsored By:
Endless Season Riders Snowmobile / ATV Club - Plymouth, Maine
Polaris Industries Expands Recall of ATVs Due to Fire Hazard
MSA Alert - Ethanol and Insurance
January 6, 2009
A couple of issues have bubbled up over the past few weeks that seem to be causing anxiety in the snowmobiling community. Both of these issues will be covered in the February issue of the Maine Snowmobiler, but given the number of calls and e-mails arriving at the office, we thought it would be a good idea to send out an interim update.
ETHANOL - The introduction of Ethanol as a gasoline additive statewide has led to a lot of concerns regarding snowmobile engine performance and claims of severe damage to engines. Congress has mandated the use of Ethanol, and it will be unlikely we will be seeing a reduction of it in the future. It reacts very differently than regular gasoline with the biggest problem apparently being a relatively short period of time before it begins to break down. Unavoidable moisture in your tank is also a strong mitigating factor. Ethanol is also an outstanding solvent, so all of the gook that has accumulated in your tank over the years is now at least partially dissolved and working its way through your fuel system. Most problems are being reported from riders who topped off the remains of last season's ethanol-free gas with the new blend. In talking to the Snowmobile Manufacturers Association and a number of dealers, we have been unable to substantiate internet chat-room rumors of dozens of sleds sitting at dealers waiting for blown engines to be replaced.However if you are concerned, there are some steps you can take to avoid potential problems. Use your gas up each time you ride. The longer it sits in the tank, the greater the potential for problems. Several dealers have recommended using high-test when you fill up. The higher octane currently costs less than what we were paying for regular last season, and it may make a difference. It may also be helpful to use a fuel additive which can offset some of the ethanol induced problems. The most commonly mentioned ones are K-100, and Marine Stabil. Note that Marine Stabil is blue vs. the red that many of us are used to. You should absolutely avoid the use of conventional dry gas - it will only increase the effect of ethanol.You may also want to remember this next spring when you fire up your lawn mower, garden tractor, etc. The same problems may occur.
INSURANCE - Many of you have been receiving calls from worried landowners following a television report Monday night regarding the American Automobile Association Insurance Company's decision to cancel a landowner's policy because he allowed a snowmobile trail on his property. This is an isolated incident, and certainly not a trend in the way insurance companies are viewing trails. The landowner in question was quite angry and immediately switched companies, saving several hundred dollars to boot!Certainly most of you are familiar with Title 14, Section 159-A; Maine's outstanding landowner liability law, which for the most part prevents any liability claims against a landowner by persons who access their property either with or without permission for recreation or harvesting purposes. Unfortunately, AAA and their out-of-state insurance company choose not to believe in the protections of this law even though, as near as can be determined, only two cases have been filed, and both upheld the law.I have been told by Bob Duplessie, Maine's Recreational Access and Landowner Relations, that they are actively communicating with AAA in an attempt to educate them and time will tell as to whether they change their way of thinking. The good news is that just about every other insurance company in the state is fine with the law, and if any landowners do have a problem, the best advice is to look for another company - they may even find themselves saving some money.
MSA WEB SITE - The MSA web site, mesnow.com, has been down since approximately 3:00 pm Thursday. as a result of a major hardware failure. We have been assured that the failure is unrelated to either ethanol or insurance issues. Our provider has been working through the night, and we expect to be back online as soon as possible. In the meantime thank you for your patience...
Stay warm,
Bob Meyers
Maine Snowmobile Association
PO Box 80, Augusta ME 04332
Tel 207-622-6983; Fax 207-622-7669
www.mesnow.com
