1980 Kawasaki Invader

1980 Kawasaki Invader: Kawasaki of Japan conducted research for a snowmobile and in 1977 introduced a snowmobile. It was a Sno-Jet with the Kawasaki name simply glued over the Sno-Jet name. The Kawasaki snowmobiles were produced by Kawasaki Motor Corp., Snowmobile Division, Grand Rapids, MI. In 1978 the slogan was "The hottest thing on snow". At the end of 1978 the Sno-Jet modeling was retired. For the 1980 year the Kawasaki Invader was thought to have had great ride and handling agility and great power / acceleration / speed. It was one of the year's top performers. The only concern was a heavy handling performance at low speed due to the liquid-cooled plumbing etc. isolated over the skis. But when the throttle was punched, the weight helped the skis bite into the snow and turns. The Invader was powered by a 436cc liquid cooled Kawasaki engine, with 4 spark plugs and 6 ports (the 4/6). It weighed 430 lb and cost $3,499.00. At the end of 1982 due to a non-profitable status the Japanese owners ordered the end of production.

On Sept 20, 2019, The Top of the Lake Snowmobile Museum was awarded a grant of $12,500 for Operational Support from the State of Michigan Council for Arts and Cultural Affairs (MCACA) and the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA – ART WORKS). The grant was awarded through the MCACA peer review process and was one of 561 applications to compete for MCACA fiscal year 2019 funding. The grant requires a 1:1 match and helped the museum leverage the $12,500 of support from its annual income and the many donations from supporters. In particular the museum has received grants from the Graymont Community Economic Development Fund and the Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians. It has also received significant donations from the Antique Snowmobile Club of America, The Midwest Vintage Snowmobile Shows, Inc., many snowmobile clubs, several recreational and snowmobile shows, the museum’s internal $1,000.00 Challenge, and many museum members. The grant funds will be applied to museum operating costs. Applicable costs include internal operations, marketing, travel to shows within the State of Michigan and cost of employees. The MCACA peer review process allows for each grant applicant to be competitively considered by a panel of in-state and out-of-state arts and culture professionals. This ensures the taxpayers, who support this project through legislative appropriations, and all other visitors or residents in Michigan will have access to the highest quality arts and cultural experiences. A complete list of grant awards around the state is available by contacting MCACA at (517) 241-4011, or by visiting the MCACA website at www.michigan.gov/arts

Top of the Lake Snowmobile Museum
P.O. Box 2
W11660 US-2
Naubinway, MI 49762
Hours: 906 477-6298
Appointment: 906 477 6192

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