snow bike maintenance?

[prerunnerinidaho]

What if

My first set lasted aprox 700 miles and once they started wearing, I was suprised how fast they were trashed.
The chain is a major problem, once it wears to a point it goes totaly bad in one hard ride. This has now happend to me twice (sprockets OK before ride and toast after).
And like Randy stated the smaller sprockets are the first to go because of the smaller load surface.
My second set has at least 400 miles. With a quality chain the sprocket teeth will not be dished out as fast and should last longer.
Sprocket retail is $75 X 3 and my Tusabki Omega 140 link chain was $180.

The chain stretch has to be heat related. Short chain, small sprockets, sealed chain case cover has to be an oven. Spray lube can only do so much. A sled can go years on a chain in oil bath. I think exposing the chain to the cold air and snow will keep it cooler than sealed in the oven it's in.

 

[retired motoman]

Good news for Mountain Horse riders

Today’s visit to Timber Sled was good because Allen was in house and willing to communicate about issues with some Mountain Horse kits.
He has been vigilant in on-going testing and refinements to the Mountain Horse and is aware of the issues with the chain/sprocket wear along with early tunnel top pan cracking.
At this time he is on the same page as many with regards to the chain being the issue with sprocket wear. The chain that was supplied to him was below the standards requested. It wears quickly and then rides high on the sprocket causing the teeth to thin and break off. He is riding a bike with close to 2000 snow miles and original sprockets and the only difference is it has a high grade EK 520 O ring chain. Another smaller issue was a few replacement chains (mine was one) were packaged incorrectly and was a 525 instead of 520. This is the reason my last sprocket set was gone in only 400 miles.
Allen is working with the original chain supplier to find an easy solution (for everyone) to upgrade the chains before the sprockets are worn beyond use. This will take some time, so be patient.
In the mean time, my suggestion for all the MH riders is purchase a 140 link EK or DID 520 O ring or X ring chain along with an additional master link. Then replace the stock chains ASAP to save your sprockets.
Next season steel sprockets could become available, if the need is still relevant. The new chains should solve the sprocket problems then there will be no need for steel.
On the issue of the cracking pan at the rear grab rail. Next seasons MH kits will have a fabricated plate that will sandwich the tunnel in that area and the great news is it will retro-fit to existing kits.
I must say that the Mountain Horse kit far exceeds the mobility in powder snow, and for mountain riding, no kit has done before. With a few of the early problems addressed this is the one to ride.
Good job Timber Sled. Thanks for the ongoing commitment to the fun sport of Snowbikes.

 

[prosports]

Are most people just wearing the sprockets quickly? One in our group cracked, starting at the key way all the way to the out side. then of course riding out 20 plus miles wore the teeth off. I really hope they are going to work on making steel sprockets. nothing like being 30 miles plus in the bush with a cracked sprocket!

 

[teal_210]

Today’s visit to Timber Sled was good because Allen was in house and willing to communicate about issues with some Mountain Horse kits.
He has been vigilant in on-going testing and refinements to the Mountain Horse and is aware of the issues with the chain/sprocket wear along with early tunnel top pan cracking.
At this time he is on the same page as many with regards to the chain being the issue with sprocket wear. The chain that was supplied to him was below the standards requested. It wears quickly and then rides high on the sprocket causing the teeth to thin and break off. He is riding a bike with close to 2000 snow miles and original sprockets and the only difference is it has a high grade EK 520 O ring chain. Another smaller issue was a few replacement chains (mine was one) were packaged incorrectly and was a 525 instead of 520. This is the reason my last sprocket set was gone in only 400 miles.
Allen is working with the original chain supplier to find an easy solution (for everyone) to upgrade the chains before the sprockets are worn beyond use. This will take some time, so be patient.
In the mean time, my suggestion for all the MH riders is purchase a 140 link EK or DID 520 O ring or X ring chain along with an additional master link. Then replace the stock chains ASAP to save your sprockets.
Next season steel sprockets could become available, if the need is still relevant. The new chains should solve the sprocket problems then there will be no need for steel.
On the issue of the cracking pan at the rear grab rail. Next seasons MH kits will have a fabricated plate that will sandwich the tunnel in that area and the great news is it will retro-fit to existing kits.
I must say that the Mountain Horse kit far exceeds the mobility in powder snow, and for mountain riding, no kit has done before. With a few of the early problems addressed this is the one to ride.
Good job Timber Sled. Thanks for the ongoing commitment to the fun sport of Snowbikes.

I'm really hoping he makes an option for steel sprockets it would be nice to keep the costs down a little, $75 is pretty steep for such a small sprocket.

I'm anxious to see his fix for the tunnel cover, because I've brocken four of them now. The cracking across the back is just the start, it quickly spreads to the front center bolt, then down the sides, until it completely falls apart. But, Alan has been great about listening to problems and coming up with solutions. Hopefully he will give all of us with first year kits a discount to upgrade to the new features.

 

[Jon Mutiger]

Dont' get my posts wrong, I am in no way saying the Timbersled doesn't perform in the mountains.. That'd be insane to say that.. BUT to supply crappy chain and crappy sprockets and to not acknoledge there's an issue.. That's a problem.

With that said, I hope a suitable solution is found so that everyone last one of us on every brand can make it off the mountains we ride on safely, and none of our bikes has to have any more sleepovers on the mountain.

Jon

 

[J&L Snowhawk]

alot of money

I can get you a rk520xso rx ring chain 140links for 105.00 plus shipping

We have been using rk chains on our snowhawks for a few years work great.