Small-sized snowmobile

Claim 1

In a small, lightweight vehicle having frame means, a single front ski supported for steering movement by said frame means, a rider's seat carried by said frame means, a relatively narrow endless driving belt of a width narrower than said rider's seat and beneath said rider's seat, power means for driving said driving belt, said driving belt having a drive portion thereof positioned for engaging the terrain over which said vehicle is operated for driving said vehicle therealong, the improvement comprising suspension means for supporting said drive belt and said frame means for relative pivotal movement about an axis that extends generally longitudinally relative to said frame means so that an operator may lean said frame means relative to said driving belt without changing the area of engagement between said driving belt and the terrain, and means for limiting the pivotal movement of said frame means relative to said driving belt along said longitudinal axis so that the center of gravity of said vehicle does not move beyond the peripheral edges of said front ski when said front ski maintained in a straight ahead position and the frame means pivots relative to the drive belt about the longitudinal axis.