Who else is psyched for SnowBike season to start?

No, no rideable snow up here yet. Usually by around mid-December there will be enough to ride on.

CATSLEDMAN1 said:

around Western Mt some of the snowtel sites are showing 20" to 36" of snow and some of that early came down wet . Looks like we'll try a little road run with a couple of new kits and mods in my riding group, maybe tomorrow morning, I'll scout it out this pm.

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I hope you guys find some good snow to get that first ride in.

There might be up to 3" when I get up to VT later tomorrow around 5-6pm otherwise, one more day with the kids riding around the hayfield before it gets too cold and the snow starts flying/piling up up there.

It is coming and there is no stopping the snow. I can't hardly wait.

My plan is to convert my bike back into the snowbike.

It should be a lot easier than it was the first time I had done it.

This time I'm going to pull the front sprocket off-as I have a dedicated front sprocket for the kit, take the swingarm bolt out as well as the rear master cylinder off the frame and take the entire rear swingarm and rear wheel off in one piece to save some time.

I got a new shift lever installed, put the skidplate and engine jacket on, started the bike and with the Rekluse in, got the bike walked into the trailer and into its Bike Binderz.

10"+ of snow fell in VT with more to come all this week so my anticipation is at an all time high right now.

I did get to take a short lap around the yard on my BIL's Honda 450X but it is just not running/starting right so I suspect that a new fuel screw and pilot/idle jet are in order along with a new cold weather needle to help it get the fuel it needs at start up and idle. It was a revelation to ride the snowbike on hardpack again as I only rode on the track we had made with the SnoScoot.

At least my bike is totally ready to rip it up this upcoming weekend.

Whellp. I finally got to ride tonight.

My bike has been waiting for a couple of weeks now. I'm glad I took the chance and assembled the bike when I did as I had started a bunch of weeks ago and tonight, I finally got to ride and my, what fun it sure is again. I had waited since last winter when we knew the last day was the last day as the forecast was in the 50's all the upcoming week and we knew that one 50 degree day and all the trails would be empty, and they were.

Vermont got the fifth most snow for the month this year. Number five is not bad at all. I got to finally ride tonight.

2017 Beta 500 RR-S. This bike is my commuter bike, the 12 mile round trip that I do from home to work and back home. The Beta has been a great commuter bike. Pirelli DOT knobbies. I had swapped out the rear for a Motoz I/T Tractionator just before putting the DTS 129 kit on it and I really don't care for putting it back on. I almost want winter to never end so I can keep riding all the powder and fresh snow on the snowbike as there is nothing else more fun out there right now.

I've got 478cc's of displacement and the bike is fed by a Continental Fuel Injection system. Other than the Rekluse Radius CX kit I put in this past spring, the bike is stock. Nothing has been done, or has needed to be done, to the engine other than oil changes and air filter cleanings. I have never needed or wanted more power. The 478 is perfect. It starts and runs in the hottest 100-plus degree days to having to start in minus ten, the engine starts and runs like it should. It has been Honda-like and I can say it because I had two CR500R's, a XL250 and a CBR1000. Until something goes wrong, the engine has been Honda-like so that, to me, is saying a lot as I have been thinking about a CRF450L and leaving my Beta as a pure snowbike and a dual sporter if I ever need one in the off-season. I would love to leave the bike to one of my kids to ride if they ever want to ride.

The Camso kit has also been spot-on. I have NO complaints about how the kit works, how it goes on and comes off the bike, nothing. Nothing on the kit has broken or has needed any real adjustment since I rode the first inch on the rubber track and carbides on the ski. We do not carry shovels because we do not, ever, get, stuck. The DTS kit gets us up and out, no muss-no fuss. My BIL called it POINT and SHOOT. it really is like that no matter the snow condition.

Anyway, there will be more riding tomorrow and I got to ride the kids new SnoScoot again and my oh my, what a week of break in for maybe 30 minutes per day does to a brand new engine.

Last Sunday, while the engine had more than enough cc to move me, it didn't have what I will call "snap." Tonight, the engine had snap and lots of it and I expect it to only get better and better until the piston and ring and maybe the bore of the engine all wear out and necessitate a new one but till then, the engine is breaking in nicely.

With me and my 170 lb figure on the machine, it goes pretty good for a full grown man. I can only imagine my 47 lb daughter and 60 lb son on it when they finally get to ride it. It is just so much better than the Mini Rev they both enjoyed last winter.

I'm so close to getting them the Ripper 93 TS kit for my boys TT-R 110, so close.

If they take to the sled, I'll have to get the Ripper 93.

Anyway, more riding tomorrow and then more and hopefully better-stories.

I got to ride the snowbike for the first time this year and it was pretty good. Early conditions as there is just about 6-8" of powder and a really good base-not sure how thick the base is but it is early and only 12/01 today.

At least my bike is running great.

The KTM, not so great. For one, the e-start is not working all that great and the bike does not seem to want to idle.

I suspect that the carb needs to be jetted for the cold and it is why it is not running like it should plus, we must have had carburetor icing as when just running around on the hayfield, the bike kept on bogging-out until we had to wait till the ice in the carb would melt. We're not looking into getting a carburetor heater for this KTM's carb and whatever else it might need for a re-jet to help the engine run cleanly in the cold.

Never mind that the JD jet kit and the RD flex fuel screw didn't come but all the better as I have no time and no desire to stand in the cold sled-shed and to try and remove the carburetor to bring home and try and sort out again. Instead, I will bring the entire bike home and see if I can get it sorted out this upcoming week.

I will say, it is hard, getting 2-2008 used bikes, putting snowbike kits on them and then having trouble getting the bikes to run correctly.

I had several bikes, back in the day, and I also never had to re-jet for any of them for riding in the cold.

Something is making the bike die/stall after a short while and I just don't know what it is, yet and all we can think of is the carb is icing as it could be that tonight, the conditions for the carb to ice were about perfect.

I definitely don't want to start messing with jetting but if I have to, I'll have to if we want to ride as we are like committed now as the bike has the kit on it and when the bike was running, it was a hoot, even though my BIL had mentioned that the bike is also loud as it has to be revved to get the power and we all know the 2stroke wail, waaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!!