SNOWTECH 137

HELICO · Jan 15, 2018

I have rode snowbikes since 2011.(Timbersled new track every year 2011-2016) Last year I tried a different brand learned a fair amount about the mechanical workings of snowbike tracks.(Not that I wanted to) in the end I made it work.

This year I am going with SNOWTECH I am quite comfortable with this decision.
Jaron and his staff are excellent. ( I was a very indecisive customer )

THANKS to
Darryl at CYCLOPS he was very helpful in my decision.
n16ht5 for the time he took to put real pictures on this forum.

Timberview01 · Jan 15, 2018

Please keep us all in the loop once you get some time on the new kit. I am looking at them for my next bike as well, so I will be interested to hear another person's perspective. No doubt they are a well made kit, and I hear nothing but good things about the representatives. Hopefully that continues. We need a lot more positive posts and satisfied customers here on this forum.

We both learned a lot about the same brand's product, I'm afraid. Still trying to get mine to work correctly. Every ride is a trial and error...

HELICO · Jan 23, 2018

Just got back to B.C. with the Snowtech 137

Snowtech definitely restored my faith in the statement
''PROUDLY MADE IN THE USA''

jrlastofthebreed · Jan 23, 2018

I would love to see some side by side comparisons to the ARO. I saw a video yeasterday of a guy pulling his ski off the snow. On flat ground in 8'+powder. Claimed bike was stock. Would love to hear more about them!

HELICO · Jan 24, 2018

Track install

Since 2011 I have installed/ removed track kits 40+ times.
Snowtech track was by far the easiest due to the precision and workmanship of this product.

I thought that I might have a problem with the install of the third shock (due to the sub frame of the 570) but everything fits like a glove.(no need to modify anything on the bike.)

This track is so well thought out from the grab bar , back cargo area (tying packs and gas jugs) on the tunnel to the ski spindle.
A well thought out system

El Gringo · Jan 24, 2018

Glad to hear that you happy with your new track kit. I look forward to hearing how you like it once you get some time on snow.

HELICO · Jan 27, 2018

Got out riding yesterday on the Snowtech

The style of riding I like is the same as summer no roads, trails I just like pointing my bike into the trees and dealing with whatever is in front of me.
I am NOT the fastest or most talented , I don't do high flying acts ( I have flown off enough mountains and cliffs to last me a life time) I like being on the ground going to places I have flown to or from.

75% of my riding summer/winter is by myself 25% is with talented rider/friends (I just use them to improve my riding skills )

As another Snowest member said '' Snowtech is a good alternative to the other brands out there''

I did not expected any more or less , what I wanted was dependability . The ride and handling of this track is total reflection of the quality workmanship Snowtech has put into this track.

What I did notice is this system is easy to tune for individual rider preference/snow conditions.
One adjustment loosen the nut behind the handlebars.

As far as accessories and upgrades I have done to other tracks that money now can be spent on gas to improve my riding skills.

HELICO · Jan 28, 2018

Its all about the smile

HELICO · Jan 29, 2018

You just gotta like having a low fuel light twice in a day.

Yesterday rode out of my backyard within 30 min
I can have an elevation change to about 7000 ft. starting at 3400 ft.( through the trees)

Having A.D.D. I am like my dog '' SQUIRREL'' then a left hand turn.

I did have a one thought as I went through the tight trees over exposed logs cutting out my own trail under snowdown, windthrown trees in marginal snow conditions at lower elevations
''Holy **** I am on a 137 and having as much fun as when I rode a short track''
Not once did it feel like the long tracks that I have rode before.
The ski that I have on is the Simmons 10'' single carbide.(center & sides)

I dropped down out of woods to a road that atv's , sleds and cat hunters have rutted the crap out of. I thought to myself this is going to hurt I rode right into the crap. To my surprise I survived.
The first thought came to mind has it been the ski or the track system.
Maybe its the snow condition maybe its the setup of track system or loosening the nut behind the handle bars I don't know for sure, but it is nice to not think of whats going to fall apart in the track system.
IMO anything damaged mechanically or other wise to this track probably will be my fault.
Again I am NOT the most talented or knowledgeable person just an average guy that likes riding motorcycles 12 months a year.

HELICO · Jan 30, 2018

Just so there is no misconceptions of what we like to ride all seasons.(Its about the prize at the end)

Once you think you have found dependability the accountability is all yours.
Hopefully these posts helped out

HELICO · Feb 1, 2018

So yesterday as I was buzzing through the trees (not flying I know the difference) , singing a bar from Alice's Restaurant https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m57gzA2JCcM

A thought came to my mind , I dislike fast food I prefer Family owned restaurants .

In general the food , service and cooks are better sometimes you have to wait a little longer for a good meal.
As the fast food joints are taking out the smaller Family owned restaurant's the more I want to support the chefs that put the right spices on my meal.
Some small restaurants market their meal like the fast food chains before it is cooked. I will complain to the cook. Likely I will not go back there (I realize all people have different tastes)

Right now I am enjoying the best meal that I have had in awhile.
MY COMPLIMENTS CHEF JARON

M5- · Feb 1, 2018

Your dog could be my old dogs twin. I miss that dog, he was a great dog.

M5

HELICO · Feb 4, 2018

After losing a season (my fault I got caught up in the BS)
I had some catching up to do, everyone around this area know about these 2 . I will call them Lewis & Clark they love riding their bikes and believe me its usually an expedition.
I got stuck lots ,I crashed lots they scared the crap out of me lots they helped me out lots. Down through steep ugly creek draws I would never try on my own. (These 2 amaze me with their skill) Being a 58yr old masochist (not in the sexual sense) I love riding with these younger talented guys.(they don't talk much about their conveyor belts so I not going to either)
The Snowtech worked flawlessly me not so much.
Here is a picture of expedition leaders Lewis got a rare picture of a Yeti trying to steel my bike.

Hawkster · Feb 5, 2018

M5- said:
Your dog could be my old dogs twin. I miss that dog, he was a great dog.

M5

Get back on the horse , if you haven't , I won't be without .

Loyalty is forever

HELICO · Feb 6, 2018

THIS COULD TURN INTO A DOG SHOW

I'm all right with that.

Few years back my old friend Sh thead could not go out in the woods chasing me on my bike he just laid on the shop floor, as I took his younger friends out riding
So I bought him a sidecar & trailer so he could RIDE AGIAN with his friends last year he put 8000 mi on his bike (not bad for being 15 yrs old)

Like the old guy I just did not want to lay on my shop floor (fixing a track like the one I had last year) that's why I bought the Snowtech

At the end of the day we still are having a beer telling stories to each other with a smile on our faces.

n16ht5 · Feb 7, 2018

Nice soviet steed and furry pals you have there

HELICO · Feb 9, 2018

WOOD

So yesterday while buzzing through the trees singing another Arlo song https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YJpKAFDU5Os
A thought came to my mind , At my age the only wood I like shining is when my bark busters hit trees. I know there is chemical enhancements and new style blowers, but I heard they could hurt my older engine and I wood probably have to stay home on the weekends.
I wood rather go out with my friends biking and watching them shine their wood (That didn't sound right)

Snowtech guarding works great
The machined UHMW on the side panels , belt guard and brake line are solid. I have hit stumps rocks etc (I have a couple of scars on them but that's all) Its the same UHMW we have on our river boat bottoms for going over logs, rocks, etc
Its the little things Snowtech has done that I think is cool.
Like the cargo area on the tunnel ( put what ever you want on it) strap it down and go. The hand bar at the back the first one that I didn't have to modify .

HELICO · Feb 10, 2018

I pack a lot of stuff me, including a super 7 lb. battery fully charged 13.78v I check it before I leave.( I don't have the kick start option)

CLICK spare CLICK ? Check everything I can ?

Snowshoes they are great when you have to walk out of the woods 5,6,7,8 kms or more.

I don't pack a cell ph. with me (Its something about a 13yr old kid, a Honda SL 70 , his dog and Freedom) I like it that way.

BUT
Its nice to have a friend (Clark) with a red VW micro bus full of implements of destruction when you have to go pick up the garbage.

Moral of the story
LOAD CHECK YOUR SPARE BATTERY
My spare was fully charged 13.78 v with just the bike battery switch turned on it would drop to 5v.

On the walk out it was cool to watch my friend run ahead then sit and wait for me. Tables turned.

The ride back was just as good, to have a friend drop everything he was doing to help me out.

Whats this got to do with Snowtech ?

Absolutely nothing other than, eliminating as much risk as I can because of the fact I ride a lot
on my own.
I have had a heli engine go quiet in the air not the best feeling in life. So after that I do try to reduce risk without sacrificing living.

HELICO · Feb 11, 2018

THE END

First I would like to say thanks to the people on this forum who had the patience to read a review from an off the wall FREE RANGE HIPPY.
Last year was the first time I ever wrote anything on social media (because of the misfortune of the brand of track that I got myself involved with). Some of you guys helped me out last year (hopefully I helped some of you too) so I thought I would return the favour.
Like the song Alice’s Restaurant if you have the patience there is a point in the end.
I am not involved with Snowtech in any way, other than paying retail price for their product.
This year I had to choose
1/ Continue to fix and work on, a mistake I made by purchasing a well marketed mistake that I bought last year.
2/Buy a 2014 TS ST 120 convert it into a 129 (IMO 2014 TS was the best year to use , if a guy wants to modify one of their tracks I can’t speak for the 2017/2018 TS)
3/Purchase a new track for the Big two Polaris or Camso, Camso Light (no offense intended) I just dislike statements like “Market share”
4/Take a risk on the remaining 2 - CMX or Snowtech. I have not heard anything bad about either of them.
Choices 1 and 2 I gassed right away. I just did not want to spend another season working on a track. Choice 3 I gassed IMO, corporations reap the benefits of hard working small business people .I prefer to ride the wave of innovative small companies, after all this wave started with a small company in Sandpoint ID. With all the cash flow that corporations have, you would think that they would resolve the issues of their products instead of their customers resolving them. E.g. Just read Snowest forums(It’s kinda funny we accept junk from the big guys but don’t from the little ones.Myself, I only get pissed at little guy if they act like the big guy)
An old friend that was truck driver businessman once told me Always go with your gut feeling not your brain(as it can be easily influenced by BS).
After I read about, watched vids, looked at pictures, I went with my gut feeling and chose Snowtech.

The people behind Snowtech

From the first phone call I made a lady named Anita (super nice) told me that the owner Jaron was not in, because he had worked very late the night before. She told me as soon as Jaron gets in she would get him to call me. That afternoon Jaron called. As I spoke to him I noticed 2 things, he never used any marketeering tactics, and like in their video, I found him to be very humble in the description of his product.
What I have found in life is that humble people are usually the best at what they do. Again I was getting a good gut feeling.

Quality and Workmanship

I think I have covered that in previous posts. Other than a friend of mine that has been a machinist for 30 years. When he saw the track he said “These guys know what they are doing.”

Install of this track

I think I covered that. Simple and self-explanatory.
I have to put this in ( It shows the integrity of Jaron). While bleeding the brake I had a leak in the brake caliper. I called Jaron and he said an O ring may of got pinched during assembly. Jaron told me how to take it apart - 2 bolts (this caliper is by far the best built and easiest to work on that seen on any of the tracks I have had). It is not after- market, Snowtech built it. After disassembly I noticed one of the pistons was missing. I called Jaron and told what I had found. He was quiet then said “ I don’t know if it is appropriate to curse right now, but why the hell would anyone forget something like that. “Jaron was very very apologetic.I have had employees I know Sh*t happens. That night Jaron sent the parts UPS. In fact by the time I walked from my shop to the house a tracking notice had been sent to me from UPS.
I think this speaks volumes about the character of Jaron. Try and get that from the Big 2, also a far cry from last year when I’d call the other brand with a lot of problems and was told “that’s weird no one else is having these problems ”.
This is the only problem I have had with this track. It was a mistake not a problem.

First Ride

I have already posted what I felt (a little off the wall, but that’s me).

Deeper Snow “POW”

I personally like the feel of this track system. It rolls freely. When I get stuck, IMO it seems to crawl out of the hole easier.Also it seems to take less power to get the same results as other tracks I have had.

All around, honestly for me I like this system. I can’t bitch. (Trails Yup it’s a snowbike. All of them have different characteristics).

Last story: Years ago I was riding with some friends yipping, oohing and aahing (approx. 7 bikes) when this craze started. We came to a steep treed creek draw, Clark (do you remember him) said I am going down there. I, like the friend that follows me, I followed him. It is about trust. Not one of the other guys followed us. During the expedition Clark shot over a large, elevated snow covered log with open water underneath it. When I got across Clark had this big Sh*t *** grin on his face and said “Now we are snowbiking”. I will never forget that day.

I think this track helps me to be able to follow Clark and improve my skills.
I will never tell people what to buy I made that mistake last year and it cost me in more ways than one.
Snowtech for myself and the riding I like was a good move.For anyone out there, it’s your money your gut. DON’T LET THE MARKETEERS MAKE THE DECISION FOR YOU there is a lot of BS out there.
Personally I would like to Thank Jaron for selling me what I was looking for DEPENDABILITY

THE END
Vid its not Arlo
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-JFXmilVdBA&feature=youtu.be
Nuts & bolts, I have been there building & testing my own stuff I know what it takes . I did not put this to market for one reason, in the wrong hands it would kill someone . MORALS

Grr · Feb 11, 2018

Thanks for your posts!

SNOWTECH 137

It seemed like a good idea at the time

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