So you’re in the air off the cornice…
You're coming into that jump, jumping off of it, weighting the inside peg––or hitting a straight line (that’s the easiest)––just as you’re setting in, if you need to, brake-tap to bring that front end down to land track and ski with the slope. Just before you’re getting it in, you’re always leaving that bite there just in case you’re track-high and need to rev to bring that front end up. Just before you’re going to land, rev that thing up. Depending on how big you’re going, if we’re going real big, we’re on the rev limiter, just wide open making that track spin as fast as we can make it spin so when we hit the snow, it goes in and comes straight back out as fast as it can.
Foot brake or hand brake?
I run a foot brake. I’m a moto guy. I’ve always been a moto guy. When I first bought into Timbersled six years ago, they came with hand brakes and I ran it the first season. Sledders, mountain bikers, we all have rear brakes on our handlebars, but it didn’t feel right. For a snowbike, with a moto background, that’s where my rear brake is and that’s where my rear brake has always been. I try to keep my stuff as similar as I can to a dirt bike. All my braking, clutch and setup is the same.
Would you recommend most guys stick with a foot brake and learn to adapt to it?
I would. Timbersled make an awesome hand brake now. It’s all incorporated with itself, the master cylinder is awesome. It’s all bled and ready to go, probably one of the best hand brakes you can get and it’s super easy to throw it on and go. But for me, racing background, I’d definitely try the foot brake. Don’t forget, sometimes you panic and the first thing you do to stop is go for the foot brake because your brain tells you you’re on a dirt bike. I’ve done it. I’ve gotten on another bike, go for a rip, hit a jump and go for the brake and they’ve got a hand brake and I'm kicking for a foot brake. It’s part of your setup. Figure out what you like. Don’t force yourself to like something.
What are the most important things to do to prep a dirt bike for the snow?
You’ve got to keep your motor warm. A thermostat is important. Depending on on temps and how deep the snow is, a motor jacket is good to keep that under control.
Snowbikes get a lot of hours and people don’t notice that. Maintenance is important. Oil is cheap, motors aren’t. Say you go in the backcountry and burn a full tank. That’s a lot of fuel, a lot of hours if you think about that on a track. Try to change the oil once a ride. I usually do the filter once every three rides. If you have an early day and go for a quick rip, you’re probably fine for another day. But I defiantly put these Yamahas to the test and I want them to be tip-top every day. I always try to treat my equipment the way I want to be treated. I make sure I fix anything that needs attention and take care of everything. We’re way out in the backcountry, you know. Where I live we drive two hours to the mountains and ride 45 minutes up the trail. We’re way back there. And I can tell you, I don’t want to spend the night. I want to make it back. So anything I can do in the shop where it’s warm to make these things not have failures and be able to make it back every day is key.
Chain tension and chain setup is key. We’ve been trying a lot of different chains. The chains that come on them now are better, a lot less stretch. We put a high torque load on these things so make sure you keep them tight. The should have about a quarter-inch of movement. When the suspension couples and the TSS moves, the chain will get looser. And don't forget about your secondary chain. Now you can adjust it without having to pull the outer cover off on the 2019 Timbersleds. Another thing most people don’t know, is with chain wax, you need to get the chain warm. So run it on a stand, get the chain warm, take the covers off and spray the chain wax on while the chain is warm.
Do you do anything unique with your riding gear that most people don’t do?
I ride in motocross boots. I like to keep things similar to how I ride a dirt bike. Like in the summer time, I run a full FXR motocross boot. The motocross boot is already waterproof, so all I do is run one size bigger in their moto boot with an insulated sock. And then I run ThermaCell electric heated insoles. All wireless. If my feet get cold, I just press a button and they get toasty hot. It’s the best thing ever. I take them everywhere. Charge them up every day, throw them in my insoles. Even sledding, I started doing that in my boots.
(photos by Stephen W Clark)