Patent ID: 7802644

Claim:
A snowmobile, comprising: a frame including a tunnel; an engine supported by the frame; an endless drive track below the tunnel and supported by the frame, the endless drive track being operatively connected to the engine to propel the snowmobile; a straddle seat above the tunnel and supported by the frame; two steering skis forward of the tunnel and supported by the frame; handlebars disposed on the frame forward of the seat, the handlebars being operatively connected to the skis to steer the snowmobile; and fairings supported by the frame, the fairings including a hood, the hood having a forward end and a rearward end, the hood being releasably secured to the snowmobile at least via interlocking male-female connectors, the interlocking male-female connectors including connectors disposed on the hood and corresponding connectors disposed on the snowmobile, the connectors disposed on the hood being one of male connectors and female connectors, the corresponding connectors disposed on the snowmobile being a remaining one of male connectors and female connectors, the male connectors being shaped such that securing the hood to the snowmobile through insertion of the male connectors into the female connectors requires movement of the hood in more than one direction, the connectors disposed on the hood being located closer to the forward end of the hood than to the rearward end of the hood, the hood being further releasably secured to the snowmobile via a hook and an elastic connector having an opening therein for receiving the hook, the fairings further including a section movable between an open position and a closed position, the fairings being constructed and arranged on the snowmobile such that in the closed position, the section conceals the hook and the elastic connector from view, and the hood being manually releasable from the snowmobile without the use of tools.