Patent ID: 8584781

Claim:
A snowmobile comprising: a frame, the frame including: an engine compartment; and a tunnel rearward of the engine compartment; a front suspension connected to the frame; at least one ski connected to the front suspension; an engine disposed in the engine compartment; a bracket having a first portion joined to the engine and a second portion having an aperture defined therein; an output shaft driven by the engine; a countershaft passing through the aperture and being supported by the second portion of the bracket; a motion decoupler disposed in the aperture around the countershaft radially between the countershaft and the second portion of the bracket, the countershaft being rotationally supported in the motion decoupler; a driving pulley disposed on the output shaft and rotating therewith; a driven pulley disposed on the countershaft and rotating therewith; a drive belt looped around the driving and driven pulleys to transfer torque from the driving pulley to the driven pulley, the driving pulley, the driven pulley and the drive belt together forming a continuously variable transmission; and an endless drive track disposed below the tunnel for propelling the snowmobile, the endless drive track being operatively connected to the countershaft.