@christopher.norem, via Instagram
What is the typical engine life for a snowbike?
It depends on the brand for one, and outside factors such as how you ride and the kind of maintenance you do. Generally, newer Yamaha and KTMs have set the bar high with engine lifespan. Cautious riders replace the piston at around 80 hours, but many have gone 150-plus hours without a rebuild. But it’s no different than talking about dirt bikes on dirt. Maintain it, and it will last. Ignore it, and it will cause problems. Keep in mind, they’re motocross engines—they’re built to meet pretty extreme demands. The snow doesn’t automatically throw everything out the window.
@sledders_r_us, via Instagram
What company is advancing their on trail capabilities? When will they be trail legal?
This is a very complicated topic. It’s ultimately what let to the demise of Arctic Cat’s SVX 450 snowbike production plan. Also, it’s more of a MidWest- and eastern-region issue, where riding takes place on private lands.
“Trail legal” refers to SSCC certification (Snowmobile Safety and Certification Committee). That committee sets the standards for electrical, lighting, brake systems, alternate starting systems, throttle controls, emergency shut off, fuel system, reflectors, hand grips, seat, heat shields and guards over moving parts, as well as maximum permitted sound levels (no more than 78 dB(A) from 50 feet when the vehicle is traveling at full throttle and no more than 73 dB(A) from 50 feet when the vehicle is traveling at 15 mph). These are guidelines established by the four snowmobile manufacturers that they agree to abide by to keep the government from stepping in with its own regulations.
The SSCC applies to snowmobiles, which have all sorts of guards, shields, kill switches and sound dampening systems. But a dirt bike with a track? It must also meet those same stringent snowmobile requirements to become certified, or trail legal.
So, to get a snowbike trail-legal or SSCC certified would require all sorts of shielding over anything that creates heat or is a moving mechanical part, and sound-control systems that, frankly, aren’t feasible with a motorcycle’s basic design.
A purpose-built snowbike from one of the OEMs is the greatest chance of getting certified, because it would be designed and engineered to meet current requirements. But that final product would look and function nothing like current snowbikes.
The other alternative is to get a separate set of certification standards for snowbikes, but all manufacturers would have to be on the same page to make that huge step… and they’re not on the same page.
Unfortunately, snowbikes won’t be trail-legal any time in the near future.