Snow bikes
- Thread starter Woodtic
- Start date
snowdance
Member
Tomk (Tom Kohl) on this site has something to do with them. He makes and sells quality reasonably priced risers and I have him on facebook. He's always posting pics in the winter of riding Snow Bikes and doing demos.
http://tkspecialtiesllc.com/www.tkspecialtiesllc.com/Snow_Bikes_Fun.html
http://tkspecialtiesllc.com/www.tkspecialtiesllc.com/Snow_Bikes_Fun.html
L
lenny
Guest
I'd consider one, think they rock
I've been looking at TW200s and used 144 sled. There are a lot more things I could do with a snow bike set up.I think the track kit should come down in price,if they ever get mass produced. You could run a studded front tire in low snow conditions and have a blast on forest roads.
ricky racer
I knew it lolJust watch out for the 600 red white and blue comin' at you!!
Hey guys, my ears were ringing! I have been designing and testing bikes for the last 3 years, I built my first kit for my cr125 and instantly put my sled up for sale and the bike so I could by a bigger bike! I fell I love instantly and have never once wished I had a sled still. Last march when we had all that snow here in mn I decided to do a sled vs bike comparison, I took my bike out and made a bout a 4 mile ditch loop, then I hopped on my buddies 07rev summit 800, I was laughing to myself the entire time thinking I feel like I am riding a couch with skis!
Anyways pros and cons list
Pros
You can used the machine 12 months a year
They take about half the space of a sled in the garage (happier wife)
You can fit 3 in the back of your truck, no trailer!
On the trails you get about 15-20 mpg, the most gas I have ever used in one day even out west is 6 gallons
They only way 300 lbs wet
They have the best suspension front and rear of any motorsports machine, that plus only 300 lbs = not as sore at the end of the day
You can side hill anything, the craziest hill Chris Brandt could ever imagine is just as easy as riding a a flat trail, you could stop in the middle and have a beer if you wanted, get back on and turn up hill and keep going
Chicks dig them, you will become a rock star, people will be taking pictures while you are driving down the road, people will stop and lights and gas stations and want to ask you about them.
They are infinitely more capable out west compared to a sled, you will go places sleds could never imagine
Snowbikers are a different breed of people, they are the most genuine, friendliest people I have ever met, they will do anything for the sport and to help a fellow rider, no parking lot posers,( they are too scared) some of my best friends I have meet snow biking
You get to make all the turbo guys cry when you side hill up past there high marks with easy, one handed waving at them
Cons,
They are not 100mph machines, 65 is about average top speed
They don't climb like a sled, unless you have. Turbo bike,
They are more needy interms of maintenance, not that they break but that you just have to stay on top of checking bolts and tightening chains, greasing bearings etc
A little tough on boots and snow pants
Other than that feel free to ask more questions, I will do my best, woodie I think your answer is clear, ditch the sled! Lol
Snow dance thanks for the shout out, if you every need riers let me know I will hook you up!
Anyways pros and cons list
Pros
You can used the machine 12 months a year
They take about half the space of a sled in the garage (happier wife)
You can fit 3 in the back of your truck, no trailer!
On the trails you get about 15-20 mpg, the most gas I have ever used in one day even out west is 6 gallons
They only way 300 lbs wet
They have the best suspension front and rear of any motorsports machine, that plus only 300 lbs = not as sore at the end of the day
You can side hill anything, the craziest hill Chris Brandt could ever imagine is just as easy as riding a a flat trail, you could stop in the middle and have a beer if you wanted, get back on and turn up hill and keep going
Chicks dig them, you will become a rock star, people will be taking pictures while you are driving down the road, people will stop and lights and gas stations and want to ask you about them.
They are infinitely more capable out west compared to a sled, you will go places sleds could never imagine
Snowbikers are a different breed of people, they are the most genuine, friendliest people I have ever met, they will do anything for the sport and to help a fellow rider, no parking lot posers,( they are too scared) some of my best friends I have meet snow biking
You get to make all the turbo guys cry when you side hill up past there high marks with easy, one handed waving at them
Cons,
They are not 100mph machines, 65 is about average top speed
They don't climb like a sled, unless you have. Turbo bike,
They are more needy interms of maintenance, not that they break but that you just have to stay on top of checking bolts and tightening chains, greasing bearings etc
A little tough on boots and snow pants
Other than that feel free to ask more questions, I will do my best, woodie I think your answer is clear, ditch the sled! Lol
Snow dance thanks for the shout out, if you every need riers let me know I will hook you up!
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OK, I have some questions since you offered
The biggest thing I wonder about is what it feels like while doing powder turns? Can you lay it over and power slide through a turn or are you just turning? In other words, can you whip donuts on them?
How hard are they on clutch packs and transmissions? From the videos, its seems there isn't much shifting going on. Are you picking like second or third gear for most of your ridding and slipping the clutch to keep it in the power band?
When side hilling, is the track planted flat or are you actually balancing on the edge? One of my favorite things to do on a sled is a down hill "u-turn" or, when coming down hill, throw it into a side hill. Do you get a similar feel as a sled when doing this maneuver, or is it just so easy to do that its not any fun?
Thanks for the info! I'm really starting to think these make a lot of sense. Pretty much for all the reasons you listed in your pro's list. I guess the con I am most worried about or wondering about I should say, is that they are TOO easy to ride. I enjoy being challenged by the terrain, not dominating the terrain. That would take a some of the fun away for me, personally.
Thanks for responding TomK, I really need to ride one until I'm sold.I have the atv,enduro,and a few sleds. I could use a bigger bike and a better boondocker sled. I'm not sure this could fill all the needs. First ?, how squirmy dose it get when you hit a stump,under 3ft of snow? can you scream down a trail?
OK, I have some questions since you offered
The biggest thing I wonder about is what it feels like while doing powder turns? Can you lay it over and power slide through a turn or are you just turning? In other words, can you whip donuts on them?
How hard are they on clutch packs and transmissions? From the videos, its seems there isn't much shifting going on. Are you picking like second or third gear for most of your ridding and slipping the clutch to keep it in the power band?
When side hilling, is the track planted flat or are you actually balancing on the edge? One of my favorite things to do on a sled is a down hill "u-turn" or, when coming down hill, throw it into a side hill. Do you get a similar feel as a sled when doing this maneuver, or is it just so easy to do that its not any fun?
Thanks for the info! I'm really starting to think these make a lot of sense. Pretty much for all the reasons you listed in your pro's list. I guess the con I am most worried about or wondering about I should say, is that they are TOO easy to ride. I enjoy being challenged by the terrain, not dominating the terrain. That would take a some of the fun away for me, personally.
good questions, I had the same ones, I came from a family of 2 generations of die hard sledders, its hard to make the switch because of all the "what ifs",
you cant really do donuts with them, atleast I cant maybe a reaaalllly good guy could, in the deep snow you can lean them over so far the handlebars touch the snow, does not wash out it just leans like a bike but actually holds better! you dont turn by turning the handlebars, you turn by leaning, its awesome!
snowbikes are still relatively new so its hard to say how the engines and trannys will hold up, but so far there hasnt been a big rash of engine failures, in fact, I have not heard of any major failures directly related to snowbikes. I actually think that riding in the snow is easier on engines than in dirt because you are not ingesting dirt/dust, and you run cooler temps. its just like bikes on dirt, if you treat them right and ride them right they do great and dont have issues. if you ride the clutch and hold it wfo all the time its not going to end well. I follow the snowbike forums religiously and have not heard anything on engines or trannys.
for side hilling, this question is has a few answers, the track does go up on edge like a sled, when you sidehill, so in deep snow side hills it cuts in flat to the hill, on hard icy side hills its more noticeable that your on edge its not an issue.
here is the theory of side hilling a bike compared to a sled, on a sled the center of gravity is the engines center, (or close) the skis are close to 2 ft out side of that point, so you have a 2ft lever arm you have to pull to get the sled to side hill, which makes it hard to do.
on a bike the center of gravity is the the rider, the widest part of the bike is the track, or your shoulders how ever you want to look at it. that means that there is no lever arm to pull, riding on a side hill is no different than riding on flat ground. trust me you can do "u turns" and they are cool but you wont even be thinking of doing them anymore. its a totally different game.
they are easy to ride, but there is a definite learning curve, first time out west is always full of tip overs lol. you will be bored if you try to ride in the same areas you ride sleds. snowbikes beg for a higher level of terrain. the tight trees and steep hills are where its the best. the type of hardwood forests that are somewhat open between the trees, kinda like in the UP or in Cook city. every year we end up with a few sledders and they just cant get around where we want to go, they really hold us back. once you get on a bike you look at terrain completely different, everything is "a place I couldnt go before" those scary ravines you used be scared to get stuck in on a sled...snowbikes its on!
I hope this helps, feel free to ask more..
oh ps, the most expensive snow kits out there are $6500 ad that to a middle of the road 450 mx bike 3000 and your at $9500, how much for a mtn sled 10-15k and then you still need your $3000 dirt bike for the summer!
depending how comfortable you feel 5th gear pinned on smooth trails mid 4th to low 5th on whooped out end of the day trails, and i am not exaggerating,
dont get another sled, get a 450. the big bikes rip and they might be good as a trail bike but off trail they are just to heavy.
stumps are easy
we can try to meet up and get some test rides in next year, search around the web a bit, you tube has tons of vids
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cooksend
Active member
I spent 2 years on a SnowHawk and loved it. However the Hawk is as heavy as Pro RMK and you really need to wait for deep snow conditions before you venture into the woods. I found that ditchbanging and pounding forest roads was a riot and area's that were tracked out for sleds still had plenty of fresh for the Hawk! If I did it again I would try the Timbersled for sure! I already have the bike and would love to get into tight places for a look before I try to get into it with my sled and end up stuck for an hour!
I did however miss the technical aspects of ripping sidehills with the sled! For me the Hawk was not a replacement but a fun addition. Going to a one ski I think the most refined set up is now the Timbersled! If you buy a Hawk be ready to spend lots of shop time and money making it work correctly! That is unless someone has done that for you already!
I did however miss the technical aspects of ripping sidehills with the sled! For me the Hawk was not a replacement but a fun addition. Going to a one ski I think the most refined set up is now the Timbersled! If you buy a Hawk be ready to spend lots of shop time and money making it work correctly! That is unless someone has done that for you already!
