snowbikes

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warner

Active member
hey guys anyone purchase a snowbike kit for the upcoming season?
i bought a Timbersled st120 raw kit from Kip and i'm going to mount it on my 2013 ktm 350xcf...i worked with Bill who is the designer of the Thermobob to come up with a thermobob kit for this bike...waiting to get my front forks back from new seal install and stiffer springs,then i will bolt on the kit..
anyone else have experience with the snowbikes?
 
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dboe03

New member
No experience personally but on a related question, are snowbikes allowed for trail use in MI, WI, or MN? Or are people basically finding honey-holes and power lines?

I know out West we've come across a few on the trails but I think it was just them using it to get to the play areas. Also curious how comfy and effort required it would take to do like a 50-75 mile day. Something I've always thought looked fun!
 
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durphee

Well-known member
Never rode one myself but looks like they go anywhere and be really fun! Ran into a guy in the UP riding one and he loved it, you could really push the envelope on em.
 
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mrbb

Well-known member
I had a an original like one of these thins back in the 80's
an old Chrysler, SNO Runner
no idea how many miles day I put on it, but I ran it from sun up till dark and then some every chance I got
but was a kid and had that NO pain from riding, too young to get sore, and it didn;t even have shocks

after that I went to studded tires on my bigger MX bikes, and rode all day on them too chasing buddy's on Rupp's snowmobiles HAHA


if your in SHAPE I doubt 50-100 miles a day is that hard on you, if NOT, I'd expect to be in pain in places you didn;t know you could have pain !!
there lighter than a sled, but way more body English goes into stay upright
I have to think

would love a full set up on a older KX 500 however
owned a bunch of them from new when they came out to the last yr they made em, and then a few afterwards
add a fly wheel weight and some suspension work, I think they would be a great snow bike platform!
 
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ezra

Well-known member
dboe03 said:
No experience personally but on a related question, are snowbikes allowed for trail use in MI, WI, or MN? Or are people basically finding honey-holes and power lines?

I know out West we've come across a few on the trails but I think it was just them using it to get to the play areas. Also curious how comfy and effort required it would take to do like a 50-75 mile day. Something I've always thought looked fun!
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not allowed on MN trail and the powers that be are pushing hard to keep it that way. we have had words about it. I guess I have been talked about a few times lol .

3 of my ridding buds got new timbersleds last season .they suck hard in deep fresh snow . hero snow or a foot over a base real fun . electric start is almost a must . put it this way all my buds got new suk 450s after 2 trips all sold zukes and went to bikes that had or could get e start ktm etc. imaging starting your bike in a foot or 2 of fresh fluff.
I know our first trip west no base 2 to 3 ft of fresh could hardly get out of 1st after about 10;30 they went back to the trailers and the sleds came out for the rest of trip. in the spring the sleds never came out of the trailer.
I am holding off till I see if MNUSA pushes to get wording changed again to include the new factory cat being banned from trail
 
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warner

Active member
hard to believe they suck in deep snow...but.i really have no idea as i have never ridden one.sure looks like fun tho
trail legal? not that i know of yet,i have property at home i can ride on but my part of the state needs to get some real snow this year..
that's why i bought the KTM..electric start and fuel injected,arm wrenching power ? no i guess i am not expecting that especially out of my 350 but the bike kits just look cool and i wanted to try one.
if it sucks or is fantastic you can be sure i will let ya know
 
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CrossfireLOW

Member
If I could demo ride one and liked it. I think I would get a snowbike before buying the next snowmobile.


In MN the rule is:
New in 2014: Snowmobile definition
"Snowmobile" means a self-propelled vehicle originally manufactured and designed for travel on snow or ice steered by skis or runners. Snowmobile does not include the following vehicles equipped with aftermarket ski and track configurations:

An all-terrain vehicle
An off-highway motorcycle
An off-road vehicle
A mini truck
A utility task vehicle, or any other vehicle being operated off road.

So by this rule, the Arctic Cat snowbike is legal as it is designed for snow/ice travel.

I have seen a big increase in the number of UTV/ATV conversion kits around Lake of the Woods that last few years. They have become popular ways to travel the lake for ice fishing. If these were legal on land trails I could see big problems on tight twisty trails. Come around a corner only to find the entire width of the snowmobile trail taken up by a UTV with track kits would not be good.

I think if the wording got changed to limit a "snowmobile" to 50" width and how many independent tracks the vehicle can have would solve the problem of ATV/UTV conversion kits being legal on snowmobile trails.
 
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ezra

Well-known member
snobinge said:
By that rule a street legal dual sport would also be good to go with a kit!
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no by that Deff a bike is not legal. I have been arguing with mnusa about the cat. they know they are tecnicly legal and are working at changing that. nothing like a bunch of old men sitting in a room complaining about youth not joining there club then doing everything they can to keep bikes off the trail.
 
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cooksend

Active member
warner said:
cooksend have you had the opportunity to ride one?
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I owned a Snowhawk for a few years and also had the chance two years ago to spend a day in the 906 aboard a Husaberg FE570 with a Timbersled kit. While I am not ready to hang up the technical riding I so love with backcountry sledding I do feel that I must have it as an addition to my Toy Shed!
 
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jr37

Well-known member
groomerdriver said:
They are NOT legal in Wisconsin (thank God) and hopefully it will stay that way.
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The bikes that have a snow kit installed are not legal in WI. But, the new Arctic Cat will be trail legal. By definition, it is built for snow, making it legal. Unlike a bike with a snow kit, they are originally built for dirt. I am sure the WI DNR, SRC, and AWSC leaders are working on this.
 
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ezra

Well-known member
groomerdriver said:
They are NOT legal in Wisconsin (thank God) and hopefully it will stay that way.
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let me guess u are in a club and cant figure out why u cant get the kids involved

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jr37 said:
The bikes that have a snow kit installed are not legal in WI. But, the new Arctic Cat will be trail legal. By definition, it is built for snow, making it legal. Unlike a bike with a snow kit, they are originally built for dirt. I am sure the WI DNR, SRC, and AWSC leaders are working on this.
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MNUSA is working on it .
 
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CrossfireLOW

Member
groomerdriver said:
They are NOT legal in Wisconsin (thank God) and hopefully it will stay that way.
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So where is your fear/hatred of snowbikes coming from? Is there something inherently bad about them I am missing?

When you write it like that, it sounds like you are just afraid of something new or different.
 
indy_500

indy_500

Well-known member
CrossfireLOW said:
So where is your fear/hatred of snowbikes coming from? Is there something inherently bad about them I am missing?

When you write it like that, it sounds like you are just afraid of something new or different.
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X2 but fwiw from the guys I've talked to they are absolutely zero fun running down a groomed trail so really shouldn't be any gripe regarding this...
 
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