B
I'll tell you.
The snowbike has been perfect all winter. I had not even put a charger on the battery in a month but when I had last rode I had put the bike away in great running condition so I had no reason to believe that the bike would be nothing but perfect when I went to start it this morning. The 2017 Beta 500 RR-S has been an awesome snowbike. It was a great commuter bike for the suburban city streets I ride back and forth to work and a fantastic dirt bike for everywhere and anywhere I've been riding.
I was pretty sure that I was going to put the wheels back on my bike this past week, so much so that I almost, I was this close . . . to buying a new motorcycle jack and getting it done but am thrilled I held off as the big storm we got yesterday dumped a ton of snow up here in VT and the riding this morning was the best of the season. I think it was the best because of all the times we've been able to ride, we have been more dialed in with how the bikes behave so it makes it more fun. I also got to tow all my junk with the new trailer and pulling and even backing up the new trailer has been awesome. Backing up the short single axle trailer can be tricky but a dual axle, bigger trailer has always been a lot easier to handle. It had started with a great tow up last night.
This morning I got up, fed all the animals, pigs, turkeys and the horses, then unloaded my sled, then the bike. They both came out so easy. I especially loved how easy it was to walk the snowbike out and to the right on the front v-nose ramp as the bike needs to take a quick right as it is loaded on the right of the trailer. My BIL and I got to go out and ride virgin powder here, there and everywhere. I also had the time to keep an eye on what speeds we are normally going and at what rpm and I had found that I am usually running from 14-25 mpg and from 4,500 to 6,000 or 7,000 rpm. When I get to the bigger, wide open areas, I will run from 7-9,000 rpm but not for long. I was just curious about it today and am glad I found out exactly where I'm normally running at.
I also realized that I don't mind going slow. My need for speed days are gone, well, almost. I just don't mind the changing of the gears and the finesse and control that is needed on the bike, it makes it so much more fun in the powder and I had also realized today that the area we ride in is perfect for the bike. We have mix of everything but, because we have access to all this land to ride on, we get to cut first tracks and the only tracks in the 20 or so square miles we have, all to ourselves. We were home by about 11:30am after a good 2 1/2 hours of all riding as we didn't stop much and rode, and rode, then rode some more.
Lunch, then after 3pm, we went to another area. A 1 square mile hayfield along with a nice road cut into the side of a mountain. Perfect for the wife and daughter to ride the snowmobile and the boy on his Mini Rev and me on the snowbike. The sled or snowbike cuts the trail a few times, then we all follow each other doing all sorts of loops on the perimeter of the field and the mountainside trail. The boy had a blast and much to my surprise, my 6 year old daughter had a great time on both the back of the sled and on the front of my snowbike. My favorite words were, "Go around again."
I realized I had not gotten to ride in a month. Last time out, the next week we went to Cancun for a family vacation, then there had been no snow, then finally, we get a late season snowstorm that dumps more than enough for us to have our third, super, powder day of the year. There were a lot fewer storms this year than normal but that is how it goes. We got to ride enough, just not many pure powder days, still, I can't complain. Not after having been able to spend the morning riding with my BIL, then spending the afternoon riding with the family. Best day of the winter, ever.
The snowbike has been perfect all winter. I had not even put a charger on the battery in a month but when I had last rode I had put the bike away in great running condition so I had no reason to believe that the bike would be nothing but perfect when I went to start it this morning. The 2017 Beta 500 RR-S has been an awesome snowbike. It was a great commuter bike for the suburban city streets I ride back and forth to work and a fantastic dirt bike for everywhere and anywhere I've been riding.
I was pretty sure that I was going to put the wheels back on my bike this past week, so much so that I almost, I was this close . . . to buying a new motorcycle jack and getting it done but am thrilled I held off as the big storm we got yesterday dumped a ton of snow up here in VT and the riding this morning was the best of the season. I think it was the best because of all the times we've been able to ride, we have been more dialed in with how the bikes behave so it makes it more fun. I also got to tow all my junk with the new trailer and pulling and even backing up the new trailer has been awesome. Backing up the short single axle trailer can be tricky but a dual axle, bigger trailer has always been a lot easier to handle. It had started with a great tow up last night.
This morning I got up, fed all the animals, pigs, turkeys and the horses, then unloaded my sled, then the bike. They both came out so easy. I especially loved how easy it was to walk the snowbike out and to the right on the front v-nose ramp as the bike needs to take a quick right as it is loaded on the right of the trailer. My BIL and I got to go out and ride virgin powder here, there and everywhere. I also had the time to keep an eye on what speeds we are normally going and at what rpm and I had found that I am usually running from 14-25 mpg and from 4,500 to 6,000 or 7,000 rpm. When I get to the bigger, wide open areas, I will run from 7-9,000 rpm but not for long. I was just curious about it today and am glad I found out exactly where I'm normally running at.
I also realized that I don't mind going slow. My need for speed days are gone, well, almost. I just don't mind the changing of the gears and the finesse and control that is needed on the bike, it makes it so much more fun in the powder and I had also realized today that the area we ride in is perfect for the bike. We have mix of everything but, because we have access to all this land to ride on, we get to cut first tracks and the only tracks in the 20 or so square miles we have, all to ourselves. We were home by about 11:30am after a good 2 1/2 hours of all riding as we didn't stop much and rode, and rode, then rode some more.
Lunch, then after 3pm, we went to another area. A 1 square mile hayfield along with a nice road cut into the side of a mountain. Perfect for the wife and daughter to ride the snowmobile and the boy on his Mini Rev and me on the snowbike. The sled or snowbike cuts the trail a few times, then we all follow each other doing all sorts of loops on the perimeter of the field and the mountainside trail. The boy had a blast and much to my surprise, my 6 year old daughter had a great time on both the back of the sled and on the front of my snowbike. My favorite words were, "Go around again."
I realized I had not gotten to ride in a month. Last time out, the next week we went to Cancun for a family vacation, then there had been no snow, then finally, we get a late season snowstorm that dumps more than enough for us to have our third, super, powder day of the year. There were a lot fewer storms this year than normal but that is how it goes. We got to ride enough, just not many pure powder days, still, I can't complain. Not after having been able to spend the morning riding with my BIL, then spending the afternoon riding with the family. Best day of the winter, ever.
