New to the Snowbike Crowd, and have a few questions

nossliw · Jan 13, 2015

Hi all,

I am fairly new to the snowbike world and had a couple of questions for you. I am not here to troll but wanted to ask for opinions before I pull the trigger this upcoming summer.

For those who have done significant testing and riding with mountain horse kits what were your preferable bikes of choice running a long track system? I only ask as I am selling my sled and am looking at what would work best for a dual purpose bike running a long track setup. I am a bigger guy (200lbs) and have always been a fan for larger displacement, and have turboed quite a few street bikes and sleds, but have never considered doing a dirtbike.

I guess my question is there are quite a few issues I could see (temps, suspension, etc) that would limit a choice. Do you guys mind listing off the pros and cons of large/small displacement 4/2 stroke turbo/non turbo bikes that have been used with the timbersled kits. Also, I'm curious if the kit will handle the power and be reliable with a big bore turboed bike. Do they even offer kits for a KTM 690 OR bERG 570? If they do can they handle a turboed motor?

I do appreciate it and am not here to waste your time, simply wanted to hear the opinions of others.

Thank you.

Rush44 · Jan 13, 2015

You want a race bike. If you are planning on doing a big bore the 450sxf is a great platform to do Brewster West's 520BB. My advice would be to get the bike and ride it stock for an entire season and THEN make your decisions (stock as far as the motor goes). I think it's a mistake for people to buy a bike and kit and spend another $7K packing on turbos and all kinds of crazy goodies before they have any idea what spending all that money truly means for the bikes performance. Everyone wants more power, more track speed, more happy fun times..... just make the RIGHT decision from an informed point of view. You really need to spend a season getting to know the sport.

Ride the 4 strokes, ride the 2 strokes, ride the turbos, ride everything you can get your hands on if possible. If you have an extra $20-$25k burning a hole in your pocket I guess I understand.

M5- · Jan 13, 2015

If I were to do the thumper thing again, I'd take a pretty hard look at a 570 Berg. We just finished setting one up for a friend of ours and it runs really strong. It won't take my CR500 but it'll hold it's own and it doesn't need to be revved out so much as a 450. The extra cc's help it hold 3rd gear over a 450/520. I went the KTM 450 then to 520 BB route before, personally I wouldn't waste my money on that again its just not enough motor and 2 motors later I've lost my confidence in the thumpers ability to survive long term. My 520 Thumper racing grenaded a brand new KTM rod after less than one season, expensive lesson. They don't like having the pi$$ revved out of them for 80 hours straight. I'm loving the big 2 stroke so far, it pounds my KTM and most other bikes we ride with race or otherwise. I'm personally avoiding going the turbo route, I'm just looking for a simple reliable strong solution which so far the CR500 has been. There's lots of options out there it kind of almost comes down to your budget.

M5

CATSLEDMAN1 · Jan 13, 2015

go big or go.........where?

I agree with rush, buy a bike, a kit, ride it, compare.

Listened to lots of tears about $20k rigs newbies bought and wished they could back out of the whole debacle after a couple of months of falling off hillsides.
It taint a sled or bike and if we gave you 80hp it would be a waste.

Watched some big guys buy big bikes and find out big bikes are turds with or without a trackbehind. If its a dud in the woods, its a dud in the winter woods.

Chadx · Jan 13, 2015

Rush and others are right on the money about riding whatever bike you pick for a season before going crazy with motor mods. Know they will never be arm straighteners nor is that the point of snowbikes. High hp addicts are always less than impressed. But i digress.

Everyone has a different style. Some prefer the quicker and higher revving 450 4stokes and two strokes with close ratio trannys and others like the big bores with wide ratio trans and tractoring around (I fall in the later group). Is renting an option where ever you live? Even trying one type of bike will give you some data points. Or try to hook up with some snowbikes and try a few while they take your sled for a spin. Even short seat time will give enough an idea of various power bands and transmission ratios.

Electric or kick or both is another consideration as is what powered options you want to run like heated grips, lights, gps, etc. Once you sort out all of those things, the other mods you do will be similar for all bikes (front suspension, intake, pegs, etc)

wwillf01 · Jan 13, 2015

M5- said:
If I were to do the thumper thing again, I'd take a pretty hard look at a 570 Berg. We just finished setting one up for a friend of ours and it runs really strong. It won't take my CR500 but it'll hold it's own and it doesn't need to be revved out so much as a 450. The extra cc's help it hold 3rd gear over a 450/520. I went the KTM 450 then to 520 BB route before, personally I wouldn't waste my money on that again its just not enough motor and 2 motors later I've lost my confidence in the thumpers ability to survive long term. My 520 Thumper racing grenaded a brand new KTM rod after less than one season, expensive lesson. They don't like having the pi$$ revved out of them for 80 hours straight. I'm loving the big 2 stroke so far, it pounds my KTM and most other bikes we ride with race or otherwise. I'm personally avoiding going the turbo route, I'm just looking for a simple reliable strong solution which so far the CR500 has been. There's lots of options out there it kind of almost comes down to your budget.

M5

I agree with this...

WASnowBiker · Jan 14, 2015

Which horse to ride

No snow here so I'll kill some time on the Forum. I consider myself qualified to opine here cause I've ran the following Tsled setups:
300 KTM 2 stroker - underpowered across most of the power band, vibrates your teeth fillings, gonna blow your motor fast running wide open all day. (yes, yes I know it can be done, I just don't like it)

Berg 570 - big torque but poor delivery cause slow revving motor and wide ratio tranny is WAY too wide, can't grab the next gear without bogging on the steep. It's a top-heavy pig to pick up and you must buy new fork springs, way under sprung.

Which led me to my current KTM 450SXF - tons of fast power, light, close ratio tranny, stiff fork springs out of the box…the perfect snow bike. And I can bounce around the MX track for fun in the summer while keeping my 300 pristine for single track. A KX450 is equally good but I'm not so sure about the air fork years.

The turbo thing is a whole other conversation. Good luck

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New to the Snowbike Crowd, and have a few questions

nossliw

Free Member

Rush44

Well-known member

M5-

Free Member

CATSLEDMAN1

Well-known member

Chadx

♫ In the pow again. Just can't wait to get in..

wwillf01

Well-known member

WASnowBiker

Free Member

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