Have you tried snowbiking?

[CB_Rob]

I see comments in the biking forums about trying snowbikes and selling your sled and making the switch.
Is there an equal representation of folks that tried it and prefer the sled?

 

[hansenmac]

I rode a buddies snowbike last year, i think its a 450 4stroke and it had the newest 3 inch tracked kit on it. I thought it was fun and would hop on it again but would never sell my sled and get one. I like the power of a sled i mean its not even comparable. the bike wont go straight up like a sled, but a good rider on a good sled can go pretty much everywhere a bike will go. Price wise if you have a bike and just need a kit then its not too spendy but after you buy some of the extras that i think are almost a must i think you could just buy a decent used sled. Most bikes will need an engine blanket heated handlebars and tune for the cold weather heavy duty fork shocks etc. I am not a dirt bike guy so if you like riding dirt bike you might like a snowbike more but to me its too slow and not as exciting. will still hop on one if i get the opportunity though.

 

[madmax]

I had snow bikes for 3-4 seasons. Tried every configuration, long track, short track, two stroke and four stroke. They just don’t have enough power, especially in deeper snow. For me, it’s a sled. Won’t go back to a single ski until someone makes one with at least 100hp and under 400lbs

 

[Pickin’ Boogers]

Trends come and go. Maybe snowbikes will stick around, maybe not.

 

[Meadow Muffin]

I built a 501 Husky with a TS short track kit and didn’t think it had enough power, then added a BD Turbo at 10 psi and revalved the shocks. It was then fun as long as you didn’t ride with sleds and just bikes, we have a mixed group and I went back to a turbo sled and that’s where I will stay. The bike took less effort but was colder and even with the boost it feels like a moped when your in a meadow..

 

[CB_Rob]

Thanks for the feedback guys.
I'm going the sled route

Have friends that ride both and im minutes from the trailhead.

Now to decide if i want to jump right into the turbo scene with a 2017ish or NA in a 2019 or 20

 

[chickenstixx]

Thanks for the feedback guys.
I'm going the sled route

Have friends that ride both and im minutes from the trailhead.

Now to decide if i want to jump right into the turbo scene with a 2017ish or NA in a 2019 or 20

If you mean a 2017 that already has 5 years of turbocharging on it, hard pass. Get the 2020 or a 2021. 2021 850 Polaris are going for $14k in utah on ksl. Some less on facebook. There was a full carbon skid one in burley for $13500 awhile ago.

 

[CB_Rob]

If you mean a 2017 that already has 5 years of turbocharging on it, hard pass. Get the 2020 or a 2021. 2021 850 Polaris are going for $14k in utah on ksl. Some less on facebook. There was a full carbon skid one in burley for $13500 awhile ago.

Thanks for that, chicken.
If you had 10k to spend what would you be looking for?
I figure an 800 is going to be more of a bargain this year than an 850.

If i go over 10k it seems like i should just go new and spend 15k with a warranty.
If i go new ill look into a Utah shop that can "deliver" to the Colorado border and save the 5% sales tax.

 

[chickenstixx]

2020 Polaris Pro RMK 850 163” SC

$9,800.00 2020 Polaris Pro RMK 850 163” SC for sale in Jackson, WY on KSL Classifieds. View a wide selection of Snowmobiles Used and other great items on KSL Classifieds.

classifieds.ksl.com

Skidoo 850

$8,350.00 Skidoo 850 for sale in South Weber, UT on KSL Classifieds. View a wide selection of Snowmobiles Used and other great items on KSL Classifieds.

classifieds.ksl.com

2020 Polaris AXYS 850 RMK PRO 155

$9,500.00 2020 Polaris AXYS 850 RMK PRO 155 for sale in Georgetown, ID on KSL Classifieds. View a wide selection of Snowmobiles Used and other great items on KSL Classifieds.

classifieds.ksl.com

2018 Skidoo 850 165 w/shot

$9,500.00 2018 Skidoo 850 165 w/shot for sale in Clarkston, UT on KSL Classifieds. View a wide selection of Snowmobiles Used and other great items on KSL Classifieds.

classifieds.ksl.com

I realize these are VERY close to your $10k budget. If you get any for $500-800 off asking price I think its decent. I think the snocheck polaris models MAY have snocheck extended warranty left.
The rest of the 850's i didnt post from KSL, the mileage made them seem like rentals. You do NOT want a rental.

I am unfamiliar if polaris fixed the 800 engine bomb issue, so that's why I can't recommend it. No personal experience with them, just seen many articles and threads about them being garbage.

The skidoo 800's, XM's are supposed to be pretty good. Skidoo 800's are starting to show up here about $7000 and under
https://classifieds.ksl.com/search/Winter-Sports/Snowmobiles-Used/keyword/800/page/2/sort/3

My experience is with a:
2007 Summit 800 PTEK 151 1700 miles (really good sled if ISOFLEX grease in the crank is staying where it is supposed to) Only a $2000 sled tho, Can probably do most of the crap the 850s do, except in sugar deep dry powder.
2016 turbo viper 153 - 1600 miles
2018 summit 165 850 - 3000 mile rental ****box i shouldn't have bought - POS blew up and made me mad, sold it.
2021 850 khaos - only rode it 1x so far.

I still own the other 3 sleds. no reason to sell the 800 as it is a loaner sled, and no one wants to buy a 4stroke from me lol

 

[Jaynelson]

The big thing with bikes is the adventure style riding options. If you are a sledder and like play-riding, where you find fun areas and just session them - you will likely get bored on a bike due to lack of power. But if you like adventure style riding, where you are connecting areas with sketchy ridge tops, tight trees, ravines, etc - the bike wins, and looses almost all of the "hope I don't lose this thing, smash it into a tree and have to walk home" factor. That's the big advantage. And also you can race your buddies in tight areas that you would simply be "getting through" on sleds.

 

[hansenmac]

in a group of snowbikes they would fun but riding when your the only bike, or when your the only sled probably not so much

 

[CB_Rob]

in a group of snowbikes they would fun but riding when your the only bike, or when your the only sled probably not so much

I hear ya,
Thats what it mostly came down to for me .. the riding buddies.
I like hanging out with my sled friends more than my biking friends.
Also dont have a garage, and it sounds like bikes need to thaw out every ride... and constantly changing oil.
Another little weird thing is i find the sound of 2 stroke so much more appealing than 4 thumpers.

I might still tag along on some mixed group rides and see how it goes.

 

[Wheel House Motorsports]

I think the key thing to takeaway is that if you try to ride a bike like a sled you will hate your life and think its the lamest thing on the planet. Just like taking a mtn sled and riding trails all day. Not going to get to experience what it really can do.

I've rode sleds for 16 years. snowbiked 2 full winters and had both for a a season on both ends of it.

My take, both are INCREDIBLY fun. I enjoy the hell out of snowbiking, i try and hop on and ride a bike for a few days every winter. The hard enduro racing through the sticks is hard to beat for fun. What I find is that it takes the right riding group to really make it fun. Also terrain. Lower elevation wetter snowpack is a LOT more fun. More HP and traction, also less punchy sugar snow they struggle in. Being that I live in higher elevation dryer snow, the bikes are not as fun around home vs other places I rode them.

What I found is that I enjoyed my sled 75% of the time and my bike 25%. and for the pure sake of dollars sitting around not getting used I stick with sledding. Also just ease and comfort. Sleds are designed to be used in the snow and take a lot less setup to be functional and dialed. Brand new Khaos boost will be here soon. Litterally unload it and rage. Takes a good day of wrenching to setup a proper dirtbike as a sled. I will say I miss throwing 3 bikes in the bed of a truck vs having a big trailer to take 3+ sleds. So much cheaper and simpler day to day riding bikes vs sleds.

We had a pile of local guys go sled to bike and back to sled. A big part of it seems to be machine ability. We all want to ride the same gnarly terrain. Sleds weren't there at the time and bikes offered us a way to get into that terrain, now sled chassis are SO much better. You can ride so much nastier terrain with ease, making the Bike niche smaller every year the sleds get better.

 

[CB_Rob]

I think the key thing to takeaway is that if you try to ride a bike like a sled you will hate your life and think its the lamest thing on the planet. Just like taking a mtn sled and riding trails all day. Not going to get to experience what it really can do.

I've rode sleds for 16 years. snowbiked 2 full winters and had both for a a season on both ends of it.

My take, both are INCREDIBLY fun. I enjoy the hell out of snowbiking, i try and hop on and ride a bike for a few days every winter. The hard enduro racing through the sticks is hard to beat for fun. What I find is that it takes the right riding group to really make it fun. Also terrain. Lower elevation wetter snowpack is a LOT more fun. More HP and traction, also less punchy sugar snow they struggle in. Being that I live in higher elevation dryer snow, the bikes are not as fun around home vs other places I rode them.

What I found is that I enjoyed my sled 75% of the time and my bike 25%. and for the pure sake of dollars sitting around not getting used I stick with sledding. Also just ease and comfort. Sleds are designed to be used in the snow and take a lot less setup to be functional and dialed. Brand new Khaos boost will be here soon. Litterally unload it and rage. Takes a good day of wrenching to setup a proper dirtbike as a sled. I will say I miss throwing 3 bikes in the bed of a truck vs having a big trailer to take 3+ sleds. So much cheaper and simpler day to day riding bikes vs sleds.

We had a pile of local guys go sled to bike and back to sled. A big part of it seems to be machine ability. We all want to ride the same gnarly terrain. Sleds weren't there at the time and bikes offered us a way to get into that terrain, now sled chassis are SO much better. You can ride so much nastier terrain with ease, making the Bike niche smaller every year the sleds get better.

Interesting take on the two modes of transport.
I went through a stent in the 90s and early 2000s where i rode a couple days every week of winter.
One year as president of the snowmobile club ruined it for me.
Politics and arguments and somehow getting volunteered to clean the trailhead bathroom.
Things have changed a lot and i have a "no kids" budget now.
Im stoked to see the progress that sleds have gone through in 15 years.
Im like 10 minutes from the trailhead. I need to be out there again!

 

[NEWDUCK]

A new sled is going to blow your mind! Sounds like you are making the right move going with a sled.
It definitely comes down to who you ride with. I like my sled for deep days and my hawk for more set up days.

If we didn't have so many of these in our group I wouldn't be on one. But there is just something about having 10 of these things weaving in and out of tress all at the same time that is just a good time. Think about it. If all your buddies were on clapped out phazers you'd still have a good time if you enjoy the group.

 

[Snowman.PRO.]

Rode a Buddies for half an hour a few years ago. It was fun, and definitely would try riding one again. Would I buy one and replace my sled with it? Not a chance. They are severely underpowered, and not very easy to get un stuck when they do get stuck. They are very tough to roll as well. All in all thought it was a blast riding it! I grew up riding moto X bikes so it was cool to throw a leg over one on the snow.

 

[FlyingW]

I guess after years of riding sleds I added a snowbike to my snowmobile. It is amazing where it will go in trees. As others said snowbikes ride together and sleds ride together. Just a whole different way to attack the mountain. In deep snow I was amazed how snowmobiles struggled to go where I went. True the bike won't pull like a sled but in the trees it doesn't matter. Here is a sled that couldn't get through the seedlings I went through on the bike.



I love my CMX kit as it pulls well in deep snow. You don't roll a bike. You have a strap to pull around. Usually stuck only involves packing up a ramp in front of the track and clutching out with no lifting.

Getting it back up is a different story sometimes though. This spot the sleds couldn't get up through the trees to me.



For me there is place for each as we have great snowbike country out in the trees less than 1 mile out of the SnoPark and go. Bikes don't have to travel as far as sleds for a day of riding. I saw areas the first time I have never seen snowmobiling. Sidehilling the ski makes the trail and don't have to be on and off the throttle like a sled. If you want to stop just stop.

Anyway I love both but snowbike needs fresh deep snow to be fun.

 

[BeeDoo]

I just bought a bike. Figured I'm 40 years old and I better try to do it now or I never will.... Had never ridden a bike before but figured why not? (But I didn't sell the sled yet....)
I bought a 2019 YZ450, electric start, 129" track.
The first hour sucked.... I had no idea, kept dumping it, trouble getting going, etc. After an hour, I got significantly better and more confident. On the 2nd day, I'd say I had as much fun as I've had in any day of snowmobiling in 20 years.... And that's saying something....

Here's a little video from day 1 of riding:

Sure, it "lacks" power -- if that's the word you want to use -- compared to a snowmobile. But, I spend most of my time "playing" anyway -- riding through trees, going over jumps, trying really technical, tight lines, exploring. With the bike, it's not even the same world. Spots that are inaccessible by snowmobile are simple for the bike. Climbs with really tight trees and obstacles and bumps and ditches? Forget about it, the bike handles it without even thinking.

I haven't been on a big ride yet with snowmobiles, but on the all the rides for me, I don't see any issue with a bike mixing with sleds. Sure, they can go a little quicker on the few miles of road until the play areas, but once we get there, I think we'll all get along.

I'm only 3 rides in, but next time I go out, I'm leaving the snowmobile on the trailer. I'll report back after a few rides.

 

[Sheer]

After having a snow bike i sold it and will be sticking with the sled too, too much hassle setting a snow bike up, you're always wrenching on them, if its not oil changes than something on the kit broke, that combined with no power and its so hard on the bike engine your always wondering when its going to pop, the sled you just pull the cord and ride, and the sled chassis are so good now it almost makes no difference what you're riding in the trees anyway.

 

[BeeDoo]

After having a snow bike i sold it and will be sticking with the sled too, too much hassle setting a snow bike up, you're always wrenching on them, if its not oil changes than something on the kit broke, that combined with no power and its so hard on the bike engine your always wondering when its going to pop, the sled you just pull the cord and ride, and the sled chassis are so good now it almost makes no difference what you're riding in the trees anyway.

I see what you're saying, and I probably won't sell the sleds anytime soon. And I haven't had the bike long enough to determine how much wrenching is necessary.

That said, in my short time riding it so far, the bike is far superior in accessibility to tight, steep, tough to get to areas. It's just a different game altogether... And at least for me, the bike is much more challenging to ride so far... and I kinda like that too.