Are Snow Bikes Fun?

[JustinMan43]

Im not looking for a big blow up or anything, but just gauging a few opinions from people who have rode both: snowbike and a sled. I have a 12 kawi 450 i have considered putting a timbersled kit on to have both options, but its obviously a decent chunk of change.

I see a lot of the fun in boondocking and dont see how that can really be done with a bike.

 

[Kelly]

A bike opens up boondocking possibilities you can only dream about on a sled. Playing on the edge of tree lines, then actually cutting through them where a sled cant go. They are not for everyone, I would rent one for a day if you can. $350-$400 for a day. The new 850 Doo is $17,000 bucks. So the $400 is chump change

 

[moyiesledhead]

According to my son that's been keeping the one I bought in January warm for me cause I blew my knee out.....they're tons of fun everywhere but a packed trail. Packed trails are horrible. Yeti ski improved it a lot, but still horrible.

 

[Kelly]

Yeti ski improved it a lot, but still horrible.[/QUOTE]
I put a Yeti on my Tsled. Made a huge difference in trail handling. Full ice and gravel is horrible with any ski, but the yeti is better in my opinion.

 

[moyiesledhead]

=Kelly;2251306]Yeti ski improved it a lot, but still horrible.
I put a Yeti on my Tsled. Made a huge difference in trail handling. Full ice and gravel is horrible with any ski, but the yeti is better in my opinion.

Yup, big improvement over the TS ski. Still gets off the trail just as soon as he possibly can though. Snowbikes just are not trail friendly.

 

[ThrottleOps]

My opinion on it was it was too easy however I didn't ride it with other bikes but I do enjoy the challenge of tree bashing on sleds


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[Limbo]

Snow bikes are a ton of fun, I have only ridden my bike twice but I found it was a ton of fun boondocking with the guys I normally sled with. It sometimes takes a different line to cover the same terrain but I went everywhere the sleds did and more. Once I get the CR500 jetted right it will be a weapon everywhere but straight up chutes.

 

[JustinMan43]

The new 850 Doo is $17,000 bucks.

Holy cow! Did realize the sticker price was still climbing. Thats nuts

 

[jhurkot]

They're pretty fun as long as you don't want to climb any steep hills or ride in deep snow.

 

[Barker]

I found the track bikes are a pile of fun when your with other track bikes. If your the only one in your group that has one and rest are on sleds, not so much. Sleds can go places you can't and vice versa. Imo

 

[takethebounce]

As mentioned, they are fun. I have ridden a handful of different set ups. Ranging from 250 2smokers to 450 thumpers. No turbos. Some long track, some short. The best I found was the long track TS. It would pull out of a hole without any hesitation and was great for just picking any line I wanted to hit. Again as mentioned they are not for straight up climbs. Maybe the turbos can point and shoot but non turbos don't pull deep pow hills like a sled.

A bike may be something the guy who already owns a bike and doesn't want to drop big money into a new sled can make do with during the winter instead of parking the bike. Pick up a used bike kit and away you go. Its nice to boondock with, they are easy to navigate through tighter terrain. The biggest issue I have had with them is in some situations, like a deep pow day and pile it into a creek hole or something and then getting it right side up again. There isn't a lot of leverage points lift from so we added a mountain strap to the bars on one of them. When stuck on a hill though, simple, just pull the ski down hill and away you go.

All of that, and crap, I am short and these things are tall. Once in the snow its no big deal but trail up and down is a pain only if you stay on the trail.

 

[BCAV]

rented one in golden last week it was a blast but like mentioned the trail up is not so much fun and any gravel road drivin is pretty much scary and quite the workout but once u get it to the powder they are a blast and easy to ride IMO it doesnt replace a sled but on days when u cant see in the alpine you can sure have a blast in the trees on a bike

 

[jrusher]

Go for it you will like it if your a bike guy! The trail isnt a problem unless its icy and if it is you can ride the edges or make your own trail . You always ride good snow on a snow bike, the more bikes the better though. I rode my bike couple seasons with just sleds and no issues keeping up or its the other way around.. I hardly ride my sled anymore bikes so much more fun in all snow conditions.

Im not looking for a big blow up or anything, but just gauging a few opinions from people who have rode both: snowbike and a sled. I have a 12 kawi 450 i have considered putting a timbersled kit on to have both options, but its obviously a decent chunk of change.

I see a lot of the fun in boondocking and dont see how that can really be done with a bike.

 

[SidewaysInto3rd]

I had a ktm 300 xcw, threw a cheap used timbersled ST on it and fell in love ... tried a buddy's ktm 450 / yeti setup and .. well . now i have a ktm 450 / yeti setup

Its addictive and super fun .. just need to find new riding buddies on bikes .. going out with sleds just doesn't work ! it sucks for both parties.

It doesn't replace sledding as some might say .. different sport completely.

 

[JustinMan43]

It doesn't replace sledding as some might say .. different sport completely.

Yea okay thats what i wanted to hear! Maybe i will look into used kits.

Also I heard that you have to freshen up the top end in the bikes quite often because of the higher load on them. Is this true?

 

[alberta60]

I have a few friends that are hardcore into the snowbikes, mostly KTM or Husqy thumpers and 1 Husqy 300. I've yet to try one, the only time I've been out sledding with one, (the 300 2-stroke) everyone was in a panic to try it, a couple guys crashed it and mangled the pipe so bad that it barely had enough power to get back to the staging area. The one guy was unfamiliar and alarmed at the lack of a foot-operated rear brake and ended up in a tree lol.

Best analogy I've heard so far...

Me- "So, snowbikes are fun or what?"
Buddy- "Well yeah. Ever been to Mexico and rented scooters and ripped around town with 3 or 4 of your drunken buddies?"
Me- "Yup. Awesome!"

 

[jrusher]

Yea okay thats what i wanted to hear! Maybe i will look into used kits.

Also I heard that you have to freshen up the top end in the bikes quite often because of the higher load on them. Is this true?

Thermostat and some type of engine shroud is a must to keep engine temps hot and keep fuel out of oil on 4 strokes. Change oil every 4-5 hours keep it off the rev limiter you"ll be fine. I havent heard of any failures on stock 450s once you start doing mods big bores or boost etc then reliability drops. Check snowest snow bike section ton of info there

 

[SidewaysInto3rd]

Me- "So, snowbikes are fun or what?"
Buddy- "Well yeah. Ever been to Mexico and rented scooters and ripped around town with 3 or 4 of your drunken buddies?"
Me- "Yup. Awesome!"

HAHAHAHHAHAHAHA


awesome !

 

[Bnorth]

I had a ktm 300 xcw, threw a cheap used timbersled ST on it and fell in love ... tried a buddy's ktm 450 / yeti setup and .. well . now i have a ktm 450 / yeti setup

Its addictive and super fun .. just need to find new riding buddies on bikes .. going out with sleds just doesn't work ! it sucks for both parties.

It doesn't replace sledding as some might say .. different sport completely.

What didn't you like about the 300?

 

[NoBrakes!]

I don't ride moto, havent since my 12 year old YZ 80 days. I have ridden a yz450fx with a yeti and had a blast at the Argyll demo in Valemount, I loved it and was impressed the moment I threw a leg over it! But.. even if you have the bike its still big dollars to get it to be a true snowbike. A friend of a friend who has 3 TS setups says its the bike plus 15K... gotta think about heated seat, heated grips, headlight or helmet light, jerry can setup. Again, I had a blast on the yeti. We have 5 bikes booked in revy for a da in March, going to be a tough choice between a bike and new DOO!