Are Snow Bikes Fun?

FernieHawk

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Yea but some things are ahead of their time, more power, lightweight materials and better tech might make the modern "snowhawk" dominate and not fizzle.

I would love to see that happen...I will go back to single ski some day I’m sure.
 

AreWeThereYet

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.....
 

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birdie

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Just a few thoughts as I too have been asking this question for a few years and want to rent one next year
My penny and half worth of thoughts in asking and talking with people who ride the bikes
I road a couple of them for total of 20 minutes
I am not an owner of a snowlike but own a sled

Snowlike

Pros
Can ride in tighter and tree terrain Sleds cannot touch it
Sit down most of the time Maybe less effort not real sure
Not as much use and torque on lower body
Friendly if you ride dirt bikes
sidehills easier by a lot
can see this could be a lot of fun in ditch banging and cut lines as well was the Mtns

Con
You need to Change the oil each trip(2-4 days riding)
Rework engine every two years depending on how many days riding maybe every year
Cost of new bike and kits put you way over 20,000 maybe close to 23-25
Lot more lug on the engine than a sled or even the bike in dirt
Your arms and shoulders are used far more than a sled You will notice this as you are continually driving that ski
Harder to drive down the trail
Harder to load and unload from trailer and for sure a deck is way more work
When you get stuck and you will get stuck - far more work and you may not be able to get it out by yourself
Not friendly when on gravel Need a wheel kit and have to carry it if spring riding is involved
The market is actually shrinking from a few years ago as it grew fast and now remains stagnate
unless you have friends to ride with not much fun in wide open areas with sleds
Be careful with your legs and ankles as you end up putting your feet down as you do on dirt
Your clothing may need to be slightly different as the pipe burns sled clothes real quick
Far more maintenance than a sled
Not real fast moving across the snow as a sled is
Less room for storage of stuff
Thats all I have for now

Birdie
 

NoBrakes!

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That's wicked! Did you see it perform Dan?

What would that 500 big bore turbo YZ at Argyl be like?
 
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team dirt

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My wife tried one up at monashee powder last weekend. She said it was awesome. Bike and kit was 25g though so won’t be going that route anytime soon. Watching guys that actually could ride them hard doing drops and stuff it looks pretty awesome. My wife’s been sledding 15years and only been dirt biking for 2 seasons on a Honda 230 but she absolutely slayed the bike for her first time. The guy that took her out was amazed at how well she did. She said it was pretty easy except for shifting when she had to as the snow was heavy and packing around the shifter. Trees look like a ton of fun but the bikes just can’t climb straight up and out of a hole like a sled. Deffinetly wouldn’t want a mixed group.
 

lilduke

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That's wicked! Did you see it perform Dan?

What would that 500 big bore turbo YZ at Argyl be like?

Yeah it was a pretty sick unit, he was still setting
It up when I saw it. Guy from the states, built it custom
Him self.
 

moyiesledhead

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Bike and kit was 25g though so won’t be going that route anytime soon.

Yup, if you're one of those guys that's gotta have new. Really easy to get into it for under $10000 right now used. Mine was $6500 bike and kit, and I'm pretty sure my grin wouldn't be any bigger if I'd spent $25000.
 

NoBrakes!

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Very valid point, if a guy didn't want the creature comforts or space age carbon fiber/titanium....

theres a timber kit on here for 2500$ right now... ride and smile!
 

Bernoff

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Just a few thoughts as I too have been asking this question for a few years and want to rent one next year
My penny and half worth of thoughts in asking and talking with people who ride the bikes
I road a couple of them for total of 20 minutes
I am not an owner of a snowlike but own a sled

Snowlike

Pros
Can ride in tighter and tree terrain Sleds cannot touch it
Sit down most of the time Maybe less effort not real sure
Not as much use and torque on lower body
Friendly if you ride dirt bikes
sidehills easier by a lot
can see this could be a lot of fun in ditch banging and cut lines as well was the Mtns

Con
You need to Change the oil each trip(2-4 days riding)
Rework engine every two years depending on how many days riding maybe every year
Cost of new bike and kits put you way over 20,000 maybe close to 23-25
Lot more lug on the engine than a sled or even the bike in dirt
Your arms and shoulders are used far more than a sled You will notice this as you are continually driving that ski
Harder to drive down the trail
Harder to load and unload from trailer and for sure a deck is way more work
When you get stuck and you will get stuck - far more work and you may not be able to get it out by yourself
Not friendly when on gravel Need a wheel kit and have to carry it if spring riding is involved
The market is actually shrinking from a few years ago as it grew fast and now remains stagnate
unless you have friends to ride with not much fun in wide open areas with sleds
Be careful with your legs and ankles as you end up putting your feet down as you do on dirt
Your clothing may need to be slightly different as the pipe burns sled clothes real quick
Far more maintenance than a sled
Not real fast moving across the snow as a sled is
Less room for storage of stuff
Thats all I have for now

Birdie
Have to give it a bit more than 20 minutes
 
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