Snow bike for a nooby. Not sure what to look for

[ridewithwill]

Hey all, so I am in search of a bike, I was about to get a gasgas 300 2 stroke, but heard carb 2 strokes are very bad for snowbikes and tend to freeze over? and struggle with jetting. Someone told me to get a 4 stroke EFI, which of course....is more expensive lol.

ultimately, I wanted a CR500 but this carb thing is a bit worrysome.

should I really get a EFI 4 stroke? or is there any work around? or would a lectron carb help a lot?

 

[Timberview01]

Sooooooooo many differing opinions on this topic...

Personally, I outfitted the bike that I already had for year-round use. It happened to be an EFI 450, but not "the one" that everyone tends to recommend. For where and how I ride, my bike (WR 450) has been great.

There are products on the market to get past the carburetor issues, so don't let that scare you. Lots of members on here to give you guidance on that and google searches will give you the majority of the information you need.

I have picked up a 250 two stroke and am in the process of putting a short track kit on it to take advantage of the spring conditions. Other than a thermostat and carb heat, I'm not planning any other mods.

So short story long... get the bike that makes the most sense for you for year-round use and get the mods necessary for winter.

 

[2smokin]

Hey all, so I am in search of a bike, I was about to get a gasgas 300 2 stroke, but heard carb 2 strokes are very bad for snowbikes and tend to freeze over? and struggle with jetting. Someone told me to get a 4 stroke EFI, which of course....is more expensive lol.

ultimately, I wanted a CR500 but this carb thing is a bit worrysome.

should I really get a EFI 4 stroke? or is there any work around? or would a lectron carb help a lot?

You can make anything work! expect to put in more effort with a carb, heating jetting etc. I have a smart carb that has been great and have seen lectrons work great as well. I wouldnt go gasgas for reliability reasons but thats up to you. 450 FI is probably the easiest route but its all relative, youll still want to tune and youll have valves timing chain etc to keep up on. If you dont want to mess with it much I would go EFI but bottom line is get something going you will end up learning a lot about the little issues along the way.

 

[ridewithwill]

You can make anything work! expect to put in more effort with a carb, heating jetting etc. I have a smart carb that has been great and have seen lectrons work great as well. I wouldnt go gasgas for reliability reasons but thats up to you. 450 FI is probably the easiest route but its all relative, youll still want to tune and youll have valves timing chain etc to keep up on. If you dont want to mess with it much I would go EFI but bottom line is get something going you will end up learning a lot about the little issues along the way.

thanks for all the replies!! I guess I will look for a carbed bike! Probably a kx250 or something

that is the other thing! I only plan to ride with my buddy who has a quad on tracks and I just tag along. there really isnt much snow bikes by where I live unless I go 4 hours west, which I wont do daily, but the local snowed in trails I will go often. pretty much just 50in ATV trails that are snowed in plus going into forests and stuff.


would a 250 2 stroke be plenty to follow my tracked quad buddy around? I also weigh 230lbs.

so it will be like this...no im not trying to promote but just trying to show you the snow conditions I will ride on. I usually see snow bikes in deep snow, but this is just snowed in trails not sure how they will handle and figuring out before I spend 7k lol

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ng5A8dK8D-I


thanks for the help guys!

 

[Norma Stitz]

First thing you need to do is talk him into getting a bike too. You’ll be waiting around for him a lot no matter which bike you select.
I’m wondering if you really have enough snow for a bike though.

 

[AZ800]

Based on the utube video, if that's your typical riding conditions, save for the one clip where the quad is wallering a little in the 1' of snow, a snowbike will be miserable. They're not made for hard pack, patchy trails and low snow. They're like dull ice skates in those conditions.
But any bike you do setup will have enough power for that. I'd rather have a quad or a beater sled for that kind of riding honestly.
Not trying to burst your bubble as any day out in the snow is more fun than sitting at home, but wheels or 2 skis would be better than a bike in low snow.

 

[AZ800]

And you don't need $7k to put. A track and ski on a decent dirt bike.
Especially spring time now, you could find an old Timbersled in good condition for 2 grand and whatever you'd need to spend on a 250 smoker or an older 450 4 stroke.
Heck, my bike, a 2011 YZ450 with a 2013 TS kit all set up well, low hours never seen dirt and I'd take it anywhere in the back country is worth about $7k if I'm lucky especially this time of year. And it will chew up and spit out a 250 2 stroke.
Track kits are pretty simple and cheap to maintain. If it's been greased and the shocks aren't blown, the only other real wear parts are bearings, which are also much easier to replace than on a sled, IMO.

 

[wellfed777]

150 lb folks can pull 250s

200+ kids need 450s and prayers :face-icon-small-win

EFI is awesome not mandatory

my take