I bought a Mountain Horse kit and a 2012 KX450f 13 months ago. I ride a lot and I've broken or worn out a lot of bits, so I thought I'd try to put everything in one spot to share my experience and try to track all the breakage.
I'll try to do this chronologically, which will mean a bit of going back to edit as my fallible memory coughs up more detail.
I started with test rides: Travis and Lee took me out and I rode mostly on a KX500 with a snowhawk ski on April cascade concrete. The machine was very impressive. I watched Lee scoot up a 35 degree slope and into the steeper tight trees above. My ability to keep it in the powerband was less impressive. I rode a KX450f with Allen on spring snow in Idaho and found the wide powerband a lot easier for a motorcycle neophyte. At that time I had perhaps 50 hours on all types of motorcycles. (I'm pretty damned good on a snowmobile. Not great, but I can get a two-ski about anywhere I see other people get them. I'm modest, too.
)
I rode my Kx450f / Mountain Horse with the 6" Simmons ski from May to July 2012 and from October to June last season. I've ridden approximately 80 days on snow and twice with wheels on.
I love this machine, and cannot go back to a snowmobile. Allen and company have done an amazing job. Travis (Backcountry Snow Bikes) has been really helpful, too. I've broken a lot of things, but I ride hard and I ride a lot.
Here's the quick list of mods/upgrades/wear/damage/etc, some of which I've mentioned in other people's threads:
Mods:
Handguards
Canadian Gas can on tunnel
Skinz tunnel bag for tools and snow bungie
Cyclops Headlight
Snowhawk ski
10" Simmons ski modified for the bike
Radiator guards
Aluminum skid plate
2.7gallon clear fuel tank
Grease-able bearings
Broken/Failed:
Inner clutch cover gasket failure
6" Ski is, simply put, the end of the world.
Wore out rear swingarm sliders. I must get photos of this, and will grease the new ones for each ride.
Clutch cable, at the hand lever
Sheared lower strut bolt
Broke a primary chain master link after 3 rides?????
Jack shaft bolts loose repeatedly
Worn primary gear - see broken master link?
Headlight ground not installed properly - by me!
Broke my bolt-on ski keels
Broke off radiator shrouds - I rode through a Christmas tree farm
Broke handguards through over-use.
All for valves out of spec on the loose side. I was expecting them to be tight.
I just put the wheels on for the summer, and plan to do a complete tear down of the kit to find every bit of wear and damage I can. There's probably something else broken.....
12-24-2013: On ride 13 for this season I joined the broken sub-frame club. The 500 is running great. Track spin is always on tap, and I want more track.
Feb 2014: The 500 s**t the bed. Tear down time, and back to the KX450F.
2-15-2014: I've been out twice on my 146x2.5" track under a KX450F on heavy Washington powder.
My initial impression is that it is amazing. It will tractor up silly steep slopes and holds very well. The ski tends to wash out first when pushed hard. The turning radius may have increased a bit -I left the skid setup stock, and I think a little more transfer under throttle may be helpful.
Feel free to fire away with suggestions or questions!
I'll try to do this chronologically, which will mean a bit of going back to edit as my fallible memory coughs up more detail.
I started with test rides: Travis and Lee took me out and I rode mostly on a KX500 with a snowhawk ski on April cascade concrete. The machine was very impressive. I watched Lee scoot up a 35 degree slope and into the steeper tight trees above. My ability to keep it in the powerband was less impressive. I rode a KX450f with Allen on spring snow in Idaho and found the wide powerband a lot easier for a motorcycle neophyte. At that time I had perhaps 50 hours on all types of motorcycles. (I'm pretty damned good on a snowmobile. Not great, but I can get a two-ski about anywhere I see other people get them. I'm modest, too.
) I rode my Kx450f / Mountain Horse with the 6" Simmons ski from May to July 2012 and from October to June last season. I've ridden approximately 80 days on snow and twice with wheels on.
I love this machine, and cannot go back to a snowmobile. Allen and company have done an amazing job. Travis (Backcountry Snow Bikes) has been really helpful, too. I've broken a lot of things, but I ride hard and I ride a lot.
Here's the quick list of mods/upgrades/wear/damage/etc, some of which I've mentioned in other people's threads:
Mods:
Handguards
Canadian Gas can on tunnel
Skinz tunnel bag for tools and snow bungie
Cyclops Headlight
Snowhawk ski
10" Simmons ski modified for the bike
Radiator guards
Aluminum skid plate
2.7gallon clear fuel tank
Grease-able bearings
Broken/Failed:
Inner clutch cover gasket failure
6" Ski is, simply put, the end of the world.
Wore out rear swingarm sliders. I must get photos of this, and will grease the new ones for each ride.
Clutch cable, at the hand lever
Sheared lower strut bolt
Broke a primary chain master link after 3 rides?????
Jack shaft bolts loose repeatedly
Worn primary gear - see broken master link?
Headlight ground not installed properly - by me!
Broke my bolt-on ski keels
Broke off radiator shrouds - I rode through a Christmas tree farm
Broke handguards through over-use.
All for valves out of spec on the loose side. I was expecting them to be tight.
I just put the wheels on for the summer, and plan to do a complete tear down of the kit to find every bit of wear and damage I can. There's probably something else broken.....
12-24-2013: On ride 13 for this season I joined the broken sub-frame club. The 500 is running great. Track spin is always on tap, and I want more track.
Feb 2014: The 500 s**t the bed. Tear down time, and back to the KX450F.
2-15-2014: I've been out twice on my 146x2.5" track under a KX450F on heavy Washington powder.
My initial impression is that it is amazing. It will tractor up silly steep slopes and holds very well. The ski tends to wash out first when pushed hard. The turning radius may have increased a bit -I left the skid setup stock, and I think a little more transfer under throttle may be helpful.
Feel free to fire away with suggestions or questions!
Last edited:
