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A snowmobile has a frame having a tunnel, a motor mounted to the frame, the motor having a motor shaft, at least one ski operatively connected to the frame and a continuously variable transmission. The continuously variable transmission has a driving pulley operatively connected to the motor shaft,

A snowmobile has a frame having a tunnel, a motor mounted to the frame, the motor having a motor shaft, at least one ski operatively connected to the frame and a continuously variable transmission. The continuously variable transmission has a driving pulley operatively connected to the motor shaft, a driven pulley, and a drive belt looped around the driving pulley and the driven pulley. The snowmobile also has a drive track operatively connected to the driven pulley, a flexible mechanical element operatively connecting the drive track to the driven pulley, the drive track rotating in a first direction during operation of the snowmobile, and at least one of the motor shaft. The driving pulley and the driven pulley rotate in a second direction opposite the first direction during operation of the snowmobile.

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1. A snowmobile comprising: a frame having a tunnel;a motor mounted to the frame, the motor having a motor shaft;at least one ski operatively connected to the frame;a continuously variable transmission comprising: a driving pulley operatively connected to the motor shaft;a driven pulley; anda drive

1. A snowmobile comprising: a frame having a tunnel;a motor mounted to the frame, the motor having a motor shaft;at least one ski operatively connected to the frame;a continuously variable transmission comprising: a driving pulley operatively connected to the motor shaft;a driven pulley; anda drive belt looped around the driving pulley and the driven pulley;a drive track operatively connected to the driven pulley;a flexible mechanical element operatively connecting the drive track to the driven pulley, the drive track rotating in a first direction during operation of the snowmobile;a jackshaft connected to and driven by the driven pulley, the jackshaft being operatively connected to the flexible mechanical element to drive the flexible mechanical element; andat least one of the motor shaft, the driving pulley and the driven pulley rotating in a second direction opposite the first direction during operation of the snowmobile,the jackshaft rotating in the second direction during operation of the snowmobile. 2. The snowmobile of claim 1, wherein the motor is an internal combustion engine and the motor shaft is a crankshaft. 3. The snowmobile of claim 1, wherein the engine has at least one exhaust port defined on a rear side thereof. 4. The snowmobile of claim 1, wherein the motor shaft, the driving pulley and the driven pulley rotate in the second direction during operation of the snowmobile. 5. The snowmobile of claim 1, wherein the flexible mechanical element is one of a belt, and a chain. 6. The snowmobile of claim 1, further comprising: a drive axle operatively connecting the drive track to the flexible mechanical element, the drive axle rotating in the first direction during operation of the snowmobile;a first sprocket wheel operatively connected to the jackshaft; anda second sprocket wheel connected to the drive axle;wherein the flexible mechanical element is a timing belt engaging the first and second sprocket wheels; andwherein the first and second sprocket wheels rotate in the first direction during operation of the snowmobile. 7. The snowmobile of claim 6, wherein: the continuously variable transmission is disposed on one side of the motor; andthe first and second sprocket wheels and the timing belt are disposed on another side of the motor. 8. The snowmobile of claim 6, further comprising: a first gear connected to the jackshaft; anda second gear connected to the first sprocket wheel, the first gear driving the second gear, the second gear driving the first sprocket wheel;wherein the first gear rotates in the second direction and the second gear rotates in the first direction during operation of the snowmobile. 9. A snowmobile comprising: a frame having a tunnel, the tunnel having a side wall;a motor mounted to the frame, the motor having a motor shaft;at least one ski operatively connected to the frame;a continuously variable transmission comprising: a driving pulley operatively connected to the motor shaft;a driven pulley; anda drive belt looped around the driving pulley and the driven pulley;a drive track operatively connected to the driven pulley;a flexible mechanical element operatively connecting the drive track to the driven pulley, the drive track rotating in a first direction during operation of the snowmobile; andat least one of the motor shaft, the driving pulley and the driven pulley rotating in a second direction opposite the first direction during operation of the snowmobile,the drive belt being disposed laterally between the motor and the side wall of the tunnel. 10. The snowmobile of claim 9, wherein the driven pulley extends at least in part over the tunnel. 11. A snowmobile comprising: a frame having a tunnel;a motor mounted to the frame, the motor having a motor shaft;at least one ski operatively connected to the frame;a drive track operatively connected to the motor shaft, the drive track rotating in a first direction during operation of the snowmobile;a rotor supported by the frame, the rotor rotating about a laterally extending axis in a second direction opposite the first direction during operation of the snowmobile, the laterally extending axis being perpendicular to a longitudinal centerline of the snowmobile;a continuously variable transmission operatively connecting the motor to the drive track, the continuously variable transmission comprising: a driving pulley operatively connected to the motor shaft;a driven pulley operatively connected to the drive track; anda drive belt looped around the driving pulley and the driven pulley; anda drive axle operatively connecting the drive track to the driven pulley,the laterally extending axis being disposed forward of an axis of rotation of the drive axle and rearward of an axis of rotation of the driven pulley. 12. The snowmobile of claim 11, further comprising an electric motor connected to the rotor for driving the rotor about the laterally extending axis in the second direction. 13. The snowmobile of claim 12, further comprising a start actuator for starting the motor; and wherein following actuation of the start actuator, the electric motor starts increasing a speed of rotation of the rotor up to a predetermined speed of rotation, and then maintains the speed of rotation of the rotor at the predetermined speed of rotation. 14. The snowmobile of claim 11, wherein the laterally extending axis is fixed. 15. A snowmobile comprising: a frame having a tunnel;a motor mounted to the frame, the motor having a motor shaft;at least one ski operatively connected to the frame;a drive track operatively connected to the motor shaft, the drive track rotating in a first direction during operation of the snowmobile; anda rotor supported by the frame, the rotor rotating about a laterally extending axis in a second direction opposite the first direction during operation of the snowmobile, the laterally extending axis being perpendicular to a longitudinal centerline of the snowmobile,a mass, a radius and a speed of rotation of the rotor being selected such that: for snowmobile speeds below a predetermined snowmobile speed, a magnitude of a sum of angular momentums of all components of the snowmobile rotating in the first direction is less than a magnitude of a sum of angular momentums of all components of the snowmobile rotating in the second direction; andfor snowmobile speeds above the predetermined snowmobile speed, the magnitude of the sum of angular momentums of all components of the snowmobile rotating in the first direction is greater than the magnitude of the sum of angular momentums of all components of the snowmobile rotating in the second direction. 16. The snowmobile of claim 15, wherein the speed of rotation of the rotor is independent of a speed of the motor. 17. The snowmobile of claim 16, wherein the speed of rotation of the rotor is initially accelerated up to a predetermined speed of rotation and the speed of rotation of the rotor is then maintained at the predetermined speed of rotation. 18. The snowmobile of claim 15, further comprising a continuously variable transmission operatively connecting the motor to the drive track, the continuously variable transmission comprising: a driving pulley operatively connected to the motor shaft;a driven pulley operatively connected to the drive track; anda drive belt looped around the driving pulley and the driven pulley. 19. The snowmobile of claim 18, further comprising a drive axle operatively connecting the drive track to the driven pulley; and wherein the laterally extending axis is disposed forward of an axis of rotation of the drive axle and rearward of an axis of rotation of the driven pulley. 20. The snowmobile of claim 15, further comprising an electric motor connected to the rotor for driving the rotor about the laterally extending axis in the second direction. 21. The snowmobile of claim 20, further comprising a start actuator for starting the motor; and wherein following actuation of the start actuator, the electric motor starts increasing the speed of rotation of the rotor up to a predetermined speed of rotation, and then maintains the speed of rotation of the rotor at the predetermined speed of rotation. 22. The snowmobile of claim 15, wherein the laterally extending axis is fixed. 23. The snowmobile of claim 15, wherein the speed of rotation of the rotor is constant. 24. The snowmobile of claim 15, wherein the predetermined snowmobile speed is less than a maximum speed of the snowmobile. 25. The snowmobile of claim 24, wherein the predetermined snowmobile speed is 40 km/h. 26. A snowmobile comprising: a frame having a tunnel;a motor mounted to the frame, the motor having a motor shaft;at least one ski operatively connected to the frame;a drive track operatively connected to the motor shaft, the drive track rotating in a first direction during operation of the snowmobile; anda rotor supported by the frame, the rotor rotating about a laterally extending axis in a second direction opposite the first direction during operation of the snowmobile, the laterally extending axis being perpendicular to a longitudinal centerline of the snowmobile,the motor being an internal combustion engine having at least one exhaust port, andthe rotor being driven about the laterally extending axis by exhaust gases. 27. The snowmobile of claim 26, further comprising a muffler fluidly communicating with the at least one exhaust port; and wherein the rotor is disposed inside the muffler and exhaust gases entering the muffler drive the rotor about the laterally extending axis. 28. A method for operating a snowmobile, the snowmobile comprising: a frame having a tunnel;a motor mounted to the frame, the motor having a motor shaft;at least one ski operatively connected to the frame;a drive track operatively connected to the motor shaft; anda rotor supported by the frame, the rotor rotating about a laterally extending axis, the laterally extending axis being perpendicular to a longitudinal centerline of the snowmobile; the method comprising: operating the motor to turn the motor shaft in a first direction;driving, with the motor shaft, the drive track in the first direction;increasing a speed of rotation of the rotor up to a predetermined speed of rotation, the rotor turning in a second direction opposite the first direction; andmaintaining the speed of rotation of the rotor at the predetermined speed of rotation in the second direction once the predetermined speed of rotation has been reached,the speed of rotation of the rotor being independent of a speed of the motor,the predetermined speed of rotation being selected such that a sum of an angular momentum generated by the rotor at the predetermined speed of rotation and an angular momentum of the drive track when the snowmobile is moving at a speed less than a maximum speed of the snowmobile is zero. 29. The method of claim 28, wherein the speed of rotation of the rotor is maintained at the predetermined speed of rotation until a predetermined condition is reached, the predetermined condition being one of: the snowmobile stops moving;the motor stops; andthe speed of the motor is an idle speed. 30. The method of claim 29, further comprising, in response to the predetermined condition being reached, stopping the rotation of the rotor. 31. A method for operating a snowmobile, the snowmobile comprising: a frame having a tunnel;a motor mounted to the frame, the motor having a motor shaft;at least one ski operatively connected to the frame;a continuously variable transmission comprising: a driving pulley operatively connected to the motor shaft;a driven pulley; anda drive belt looped around the driving pulley and the driven pulley;a drive track operatively connected to the driven pulley; anda rotor supported by the frame, the rotor rotating about a laterally extending axis, the laterally extending axis being perpendicular to a longitudinal centerline of the snowmobile; the method comprising: operating the motor to turn the motor shaft in a first direction;driving, with the motor shaft, the driving pulley, the driven pulley and the drive track in the first direction; andturning the rotor in a second direction opposite the first direction at a predetermined speed of rotation,the predetermined speed of rotation being selected such that: for motor speeds below a predetermined motor speed, a magnitude of a sum of angular momentums of all components of the snowmobile rotating in the first direction being less than a magnitude of a sum of angular momentums of all components of the snowmobile rotating in the second direction; andfor at least some motor speeds above the predetermined motor speed, the magnitude of the sum of angular momentums of all components of the snowmobile rotating in the first direction being greater than the magnitude of the sum of angular momentums of all components of the snowmobile rotating in the second direction. 32. The method of claim 31, wherein the predetermined motor speed is a driving pulley engagement speed. 33. The method of claim 31, wherein the predetermined speed of rotation of the rotor is one of a first predetermined speed of rotation and a second predetermined speed of rotation; the method further comprising selecting the one of the first and second predetermined speeds of rotation. 34. The method of claim 31, wherein the predetermined speed of rotation of the rotor is greater than the predetermined motor speed and a speed of rotation of the track when the motor is operating at the predetermined motor speed. 35. The method of claim 31, wherein when the magnitude of the sum of angular momentums of all components of the snowmobile rotating in the first direction is greater than the magnitude of the sum of angular momentums of all components of the snowmobile rotating in the second direction: a driven pulley speed is greater than a driving pulley speed and than a speed of rotation of the track; anda speed of rotation of the rotor is greater than the driven pulley speed.