Camso STD 129, back to dirt, happening, now.

[Ben 500RR-S]

Camso Snow To Dirt 129.

This week will be in the 40's and even 50's. Spring is inevitable and after spending the day up north yesterday, it won't be long before the trails leading to the snow will be dirt/mud/rocks and it just won't be worth riding the snowbike on to get to the snow of which there will be very little left as it is melting every day. It was an awesome season though.

I got the bike in the basement and started getting it back to the streetbike/dirtbike-mode. Took off the PST engine jacket-which after a season, is in great shape, the only damage was to one of the ball bungees where the ball got crunched from the kickstarter but it still works even though the ball is like the damaged Death Star.

I removed the wiring for the heated shield connection as well as the leads for the heated grips. I need to strip the handlebars of the turn signal housing, the starter/kill button, the wet/dry map switch and the throttle housing as I got a spare throttle tube with the same quick turn cam so I don't have to strip the grip(s) off and can just leave them on the bar as I got a spare handlebar(I actually bought 3 at $30 per bar as I had found a place this past fall that was selling new take-offs. It will save me a ton of time just swapping the bars and not having to deal with the grips or the flag handguards.

I think I will leave the ski for last as it is the easiest thing to change and will take the track off first and get the swingarm, linkage, shock, rear brake and rear wheel all back on first.

Progress to follow.

 

[coryf89]

wow that early eh. weve still got 2' of fresh powder and months of snow left. been out 4 days in a row now and going again today!!

cant believe some guys seasons are ending. this is what we got still:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lgkHNGHfzQA

 

[Ben 500RR-S]

wow that early eh. weve still got 2' of fresh powder and months of snow left. been out 4 days in a row now and going again today!!

cant believe some guys seasons are ending. this is what we got still:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lgkHNGHfzQA

Down here in New England, the official "legal" trail systems close 04/15 every year and often before that as the days get into the 40's and even 50's every day. Then coupled with the increasing strength of the sun, then from low-snow to begin with, the mud just grows too fast.

Where I've been riding in VT, up until we got the last big two snowstorms, the base was only about 12". Last weekend there was a base of about 2' and this week it got whittled down to 12" and by next weekend, with one day that will be in the 50's and another with rain, by next weekend there will be too much mud on the trails that lead up to the snow. It is the way it is down my way.

I don't mind as I will just put the wheels back on my bike and use it to commute back and forth to work and then hit the dirt when the snow all goes away so all is not lost as we enjoy spring around here too.

Change can be a good thing but I sure will miss the snowbike as this first season was just awesome and really did make the winter just fly-by.

 

[Ben 500RR-S]

I'll admit, while I look(ed) forward to riding on dirt, and even the street, I was not really all that excited about converting the Camso STD, Snow To Dirt, back to dirt however, once I had realized, and between Sunday afternoon/evening and this morning, that it is just the top strut rod bolt, the swingarm bolt, and the countershaft spocket bolt, along with the brake lever and line that is attaching the track to the bike, once those bolts are out, the entire track comes out easy-peasy and I have the track laying on its side where it will probably rest for the spring, summer and fall.

I have the rear shock and the swingarm already in place and will get the linkage all hooked up after work and see where I'm at tonight. I also realized that I won't need to break the chain/remove the master link the next time as with the swingarm out, I can keep the chain together but I think that after this dirt/street season is over I'll probably need to install the new chain and sprocket set I got for the bike last fall but at least I know that I don't need to be breaking the chains on either primary as the swingarm bolt comes out with either system.

Progress to follow.

 

[ravenous]

wow that early eh. weve still got 2' of fresh powder and months of snow left. been out 4 days in a row now and going again today!!

cant believe some guys seasons are ending. this is what we got still:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lgkHNGHfzQA

You're just gloating, Cory! There's nothing worse than a gloater. At home here in the Kootenays we still have crazy deep snow, too. The dogs walk right over my 4ft fence cuz it's buried and we're still riding right from home into the sweetest mountain riding around. But you won't catch me gloating about it. Only a-holes do that.

 

[Ben 500RR-S]

It's ok.

There is still a LOT of snow in other places in the world, just not up here in New England, Massachusetts and Vermont. It barely got below freezing here last night and there will be another full day of melting here in MA, same up north. It's just going fast and there is no stopping it.

The season's change is inevitable and it happens every year whether we like it or not.

 

[Ben 500RR-S]

I started the conversion on Sunday night and while working very slowly, did a couple hours then.

I worked another couple of hours after work on Tuesday night and got the bike finished yesterday after another 4 hours of fiddling and diddling as I had misplaced some bolts and a spring and learned that next time all the parts that I will take off will go into the same box or crate.

I rode into work this morning and it was nice to ride with the wheels back on and was somewhat amazed at how little power it takes to get the bike rolling on the asphalt, the bike only needed from 4-5,000 rpm at the most where on the snowbike the bike is at least at 4,000 at a minimum and normally at 5,000 rpm to make any forward progress.

I'll miss this past season, about 9 months to go till December.