What did you come off of and why do you snowbike?

Wheel House Motorsports · Oct 31, 2012

I am just curious, i havent gotten to ride on yet but am working on building one for experimentation currently.

The industry seems to be blowing up and I am mainly curious because i see a bunch of people who rode really nice turbo'd sleds going to snowbikes.. and even if they are fun, i cant imagine going from 200+ HP at elevation to 450mx at all of maybe 55hp and loosing as you go up.

So what did you ride and why do you like your snow bike so much?

1dn5up · Oct 31, 2012

friend took me out 2 times and decided I should get in on it. never really been sleding before. but was a skier for a long time

TURBOXP09 · Oct 31, 2012

I am coming off of a 2009 XP, I had a 2013 XM snowchecked canceled it to buy a 2012 YZ450F and a Timbersled. I had never ridden a dirt bike in my until I bought my YZ a month 1/2 ago. My riding buddy is in the same situation as me, never riden a dirt bike in his life and bought a YZ450F and a Timbersled. We wanted a something different and a different challenge, we dont have a clue what to expect but we hope it will be a DAMN IT GOOD TIME!!!

swedenturbo · Oct 31, 2012

Thats a good question Ski Dooin it.
I'm not that good in english but I'll try to explain my point of view:

I have a 270 hp boosted Nytro. A very nice sled and very fun to ride in most conditions. I really like it and don't want to be without a sled. The power is great and do hillclimb with ease. Takes you long distances at a good pace. Lot of snowmobilers to ride with.

Last season i tested snowbiking and it was so fun! As many say, you explore places that you never gone with a sled. Espesially in tight terrain, ravines and in the woods.
You simply can't compare a snowbike with a sled, period.
The downside is less power and that they're not very fast. You can't hillclimb straight up like a sled but snowbikes are so good at sidehilling that you just chris cross upp the hill.
Less is more

One thing to remember is snowbiking and snowmobiling don't mix that good. Last winter we went with som sleds. In the wood snowbikes were way ahead and had to wait alot. Then in open terrain it was the other way around. When we snowbikers found a fun place to ride, the sleds were gone. We like places that many snowmobilers don't find that fun.

My conclution:
If you can afford, keep your sled and get a snowbike or like me, build one! Get som other snowbikers to ride with otherwise you will be alone and get bored.

SLDHVN · Oct 31, 2012

had a an 11 pro, 12 pro, and 11 tpro, all were very fun.

in the 10-11 season my brother bought a snow bike, i thought it was lame, rode with him all season and it grew on me over time. finally last year i bought a bike and t sled kit, had a fricken ball.

lots of the terrain around here is pretty tight woods(nick can attest to that for the flathead valley area), so a bike is alot of fun for those areas.

i still love sleds, and may get a 13 pro, but right now i am just going to enjoy a 15 dollar day of riding(fuel wise) vs. the stock sleds and my turbo'd sled. im 23 and will have lots of time to blow $$$ on sleds later in life, right now i want to save $$$ and still have fun, see new areas that we couldnt get into on sled.

Rush44 · Oct 31, 2012

Let's see if I can remember.... I had:

XX Polaris Ovation (first ride)
XX Polaris 340 XLT (first to own, can't remember exact year)
95 Polaris Indy 500
00 Polaris 700 RMK
04 AC 900 Mountain Cat
08 AC M1000

Last season I was on:
08 Yamaha WR450F w/ MH

This year I got:
11 Kawasaki KX450F w/ MH

I LOVE wintertime.... period. Favorite season and I'd have 9 months of it if I could. Went from snowboarding to sledding and now to snowbiking. My last sled was really great and when the new owner drove away with it I was really frickin nervous about this whole Mountain Horse thing. I enjoyed HARD boondocking and climbing and going places where 95% of the snowmobiling public didn't even know existed. It was my release from everyday life and there is no way I could ever give my access up.

The Horse still gives me all those things and more. All the areas that I've been pounding hard for the last 5 years were starting to get a little plain since I'd put on roughly 12,000 - 15,000 miles in those areas over those years. The Horse takes your normal snowmobile riding area and roughly doubles the accessible terrain. All those gnarly tree lined sidehills, all those ridiculously steep gullies and drainages, and all those super steep hill top traverses are now open for your enjoyment. You can still ride the places the snowmobiles go, but they will be a snooze now. You won't have to go anywhere new to find unexplored terrain.

M5- · Oct 31, 2012

I'm one of those guys you are talking about. I just finished my 290 hp Nypex last year and now I have a 50 hp snowbike. WTF. I dirtbike a fair bit in the summer so I love the bikes anyways. A bunch of my sledding buds (You know who you are) are all waiting to see how I make out before they take the plunge. For me I watch the vids on Youtube and going thru the trees looks fun and all but the vids that really appeal to me are the guys who are putting in those huge downhill lines as if they were skiing or riding a snowboard. I've skied my whole life and boarded for a lot years as well so I'm looking for a better fit between skiing/boarding without giving up the gear head thing. Maybe I'm wrong but I think in the future you will start to see a lot of guys doing huge decents on bikes rather than climbing at least thats where I'm headed.

M5

Mtn. Muncher · Oct 31, 2012

I think the thing that intrigued me the most was that I have been riding the same areas for 20 years and have had every caliber of custom sled out there…. Been there dune that…. The snow bikes have opened up entirely new ground to ride without having to be climbing up the steepest hills to max out the ability of a turboed sled just to get thrill. I still ride sleds and have a totally custom Pro RMK with a 1100cc engine.
<O

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For deciding what to ride I now go off my 1 foot 2 foot rule…. 1 foot of fresh snow I ride bikes and 2 foot plus of snow I ride sleds. Where we live in Northern Idaho we and up riding bikes more than sleds.
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One other thing that I like about the bikes is that they are not condition sensitive like a sled is. In my opinion you need deep snow to have lots of fun on a sled and on the bike it does not matter what the snow is like to have an incredible day of riding. On the snow bike its like having that perfect deep snow day on your sled that you always dream of but all the time every time.<O

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Wheel House Motorsports · Oct 31, 2012

SLDHVN said:
lots of the terrain around here is pretty tight woods(nick can attest to that for the flathead valley area), so a bike is alot of fun for those areas.

Oh man do i.. led some aweful sled excursions down into gullies and im pretty sure my buddies want to kill me. I could imagine the amount of terrain that opens up and the cross country experience thats now available. My folks back up to FS land between w-fish and c-falls so we ride from the house up south canyon/canyon creek and there is a LOT of area up there with good snow but the trees are to tight to really have much fun besides the few open areas here and there.

I am not ditching out on my sled for sure, just gives me more time to work on and refine it and something to ride in the spare time.

In anything but 1'+ of fresh the sleds can become a bit of a handful poking through the woods. I LOVE exploring and staying out of sight of others so i guess thats where i see the appeal. most people go, hit the same big areas every time they ride. im the person trying to go up tiny hiking trails on my sled in the winter and finding my own personal fun place.

also, as you mentioned, the cost, I am building my own and have a bike, had all the parts so im into it like $200 at the end of the day... not bad at all. and dirtbikes seem to be a LOT more reliable then sleds.. not sure how they hold up WOT all day but $15 in gas beats $40... also just knowing you can go out and just go exploring forever and have confidence in your steed sounds kinda nice, i guess i never trust sleds that much.

KAWGRN · Oct 31, 2012

Been riding and racing dirt bikes for 35 years, used sleds to stay sharp for summer,, then started riding bikes to stay sharp for sledding, came off a turbo dragon at 16 psi, was fast and loads of fun, but not like a bike in the trees,,, although NOS ON MY 570 berg,,,,,,,,hummmmm ,I still have a poo pro but it has really low miles,, go figure!!:yo:

TeamOrange · Oct 31, 2012

You guys pretty much covered it. I thought id keep my M1000 but its gone as of last spring. Been riding sleds since 89.

87 yamaha bravo air cooled 250 (actually one of the funnest sleds believe or not)
90 polaris indy lite
91 AC Prowler Special
93 AC Ext Special
04 AC Firecat 153 extended (sled was a rocket and simply THE most reliable engine EVER in a sled)
07 AC M1000 this one took me places you simply shouldnt be on a sled. I proved that by deciding my sled and I should descend a chute/cliff and take different routes. Only to find a big, Orange, Folded in half Arctic Cat Taco at the bottom.
So I needed to save myself FROM myself and get a snowbike.
Since then I never looked back. Didnt need to cause no one can follow me. I am the only bike in my area and I need some recruits.

KAWGRN · Oct 31, 2012

Come to the snowies thers two of us here! We will ride with you!

CATSLEDMAN1 · Oct 31, 2012

on the roll

been watching the snow bike attemps for 30 some years, the crysler, yam snow scooot, all the 5 inch wide tracks in a bike swingarm..........made deposit on one model in 03 but never delivered, worked with snowhawks and for some reason never really hooked me............too clumsey too much gyro. I give allen in sandpoint all the credit, snowmobile suspension on a dirt bike, didn't look to me like it would work............does, one ride and hooked.

In 1981 a pal and I bought ski doo Nordics.....long tracks like 128' wooped the motors and rode all the alpine county no one will ever see again on a sled.. march april and may we rode 5 days a week for ten years, winch on the front and 10 gallons of gas on the back like willie says seeing places we'll never see again. We turbo'd our 580 zr's in 94, bad idea but a glimpse of the future, made chute climblers in 98 been there, then a bunch of ground up hand builds been there.

So a snow bike is a link to the past of cutting edge trying new stuff, seeing no other all day, sum ting could break on you that you just welded up last nite............suspense. Tired of the cat doo pol rattle over new technology an .6 of a pound lighter, got one.......no got two, but who cares. A rattling chain and the smell of a hot pipe, good old chain lube all over your KLIM"S, KTM's and old honda's, ancient chit that works..............all good.

TeamOrange · Oct 31, 2012

CATSLEDMAN1 said:
been watching the snow bike attemps for 30 some years, the crysler, yam snow scooot, all the 5 inch wide tracks in a bike swingarm..........made deposit on one model in 03 but never delivered, worked with snowhawks and for some reason never really hooked me............too clumsey too much gyro. I give allen in sandpoint all the credit, snowmobile suspension on a dirt bike, didn't look to me like it would work............does, one ride and hooked.

In 1981 a pal and I bought ski doo Nordics.....long tracks like 128' wooped the motors and rode all the alpine county no one will ever see again on a sled.. march april and may we rode 5 days a week for ten years, winch on the front and 10 gallons of gas on the back like willie says seeing places we'll never see again. We turbo'd our 580 zr's in 94, bad idea but a glimpse of the future, made chute climblers in 98 been there, then a bunch of ground up hand builds been there.

So a snow bike is a link to the past of cutting edge trying new stuff, seeing no other all day, sum ting could break on you that you just welded up last nite............suspense. Tired of the cat doo pol rattle over new technology an .6 of a pound lighter, got one.......no got two, but who cares. A rattling chain and the smell of a hot pipe, good old chain lube all over your KLIM"S, KTM's and old honda's, ancient chit that works..............all good.

I'd like to buy a vowel?
U been drinkin?

Hear ya tho.
Rock on.

Oz

SLDHVN · Nov 1, 2012

a big part of what draws me to the snowbike is the adventure. you could ride the same area all season on a sled and see alot of cool country, but ride that same area all season on a snowbike and you will be in places you never even thought of. im a google earth nerd big time, i spend hours scrolling through areas on there, looking for new spots, new land features that look cool to ride. its a blast when you can go somewhere you have never been in your life and recognize the terrain to find what you were looking for.

upfront719 · Nov 1, 2012

It fires me up to read everyone's reasoning for snowbiking.

I was just turned onto it last year, in fact I never really heard of any legit design for riding in powder. I'm a flatlander in Michigan who seeks as much off trail, boondocking riding as possible in MI and I take a couple trips a year out west to do some more 'extreme' riding. I've been fortunate enough to have some great rides all over the US; from Idaho, WY, MI, Wisconsin, New York, etc. Basically, just chasing the best snow that we can find. I love riding out west, but MI actually has some pretty intense riding by me (big hills, river bottoms, powerlines, gas lines, etc)

I would typically buy a new sled every year; usually Ski-doo 800 shorties with 2" paddle tracks, but I've owned Gades and Summits as well. Last year while in Idaho we saw a couple Timbersled tracks so we tried to follow them to see where they were at. This lasted about 10 minutes and then the tracks started going into places where a sled would only dream of. It wasn't a lack of skill, ability, effort, or balls on our part.........there was just know way we can do the side hills and tight riding where they went. And then we went to the Jackson Hole Hillclimb and watched the guys climb the hill and thought, we need a couple of those

I agree with Allen's comment of been there, done that. That was one of the biggest reasons for me to take the plunge. I've raced sleds & bikes, mastered a lot of big drops and climbs out west, hit freestyle ramps, wrecked a bunch of sleds, etc. But, never ridden a bike with a snowmobile track through sick terrain that we only dream about going. The risk and anticipation of something new is overwhelming. I'm seriously hoping that we are not dissappointed! Some would call making a $13,000 investment into something that you've never done before STUPID; I would call it ground breaking...........and a little stupid

So, here we are waiting for snow, with the kits installed...planning trips, and watching Youtube vids. I'm looking forward to an epic season!!

Ryan

vmax1200 · Nov 1, 2012

AWESOME prior post,IM BETTING those two Timbersled tracks was ours and yes theres some killer places to explore throughout Idaho. KUDDOES to all who are making this sport thrive .

adrenalinejky · Nov 1, 2012

Raced moto bikes as a pro for years in the 90's. Owned all sorts of moto bikes , street bikes and sleds. was snowmobiling in the Mtns when a 136 was a long track. Bought one of the very first Ad Bovine kits and prayed that it worked in the steep and deep. I was challenging any sledder to follow me for more than 5 minutes and I would give him my kit. LOL that never happened. Even the factory artic cat guys in the Mesa wouldn't bite. If you have a new kit and are worried they wont be as fun, stop worrying... There stupid fun. any and all of the kits have there weakness, but they will all go places a sled could only dream of.

leeee · Nov 1, 2012

like skiing

i for sure agree with the comparison with skiing on the descents. i grew up skiiing and riding dirtbikes, backcoutry skiing is still right up near the top of my list for winter fun, n the snowbike i had a day last year coming down some really steep lines making big GS turns and getting face shots, and i would describe it as my best day skiing and my best day dirtbiking rolled into one.

SLDHVN · Nov 1, 2012

leeee said:
the snowbike i had a day last year coming down some really steep lines making big GS turns and getting face shots, and i would describe it as my best day skiing and my best day dirtbiking rolled into one.

last year in cooke city we got lucky and hit a great snow storm, my brother and i watched some skiers and snowboarders shredding some steep tight lines in the trees. then we thought wtf are we doing, lets go! we were shredding the same lines and getting 2 laps to each of their 1, it was pretty awesome, but i dont think they were too happy with us!

What did you come off of and why do you snowbike?

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