So, back at it after a few years off due to other life project. House build and a kid at the same time was enough for the past 2-3 years...
But I always wanted to build the bike that I sould have built in the first place! No regret, don't get me wrong, I can't event explain how valuable is all the knowledge that the past builds gave me and I don't think I could create what I'm actually building right now without the experience from the previous project.
Just like almost everyone, I would like more power, 100-120hp would be ideal, and CVT is for me a top goal to have it easy to ride. So it is easy to see it coming, it will be a sled engine based build. Yes I know it dosen't phisicaly fit, it is too wide and CVT takes a lot of space.... But I want to take a shot a it and do my best to find a way around it and still create a decent sled powered snowbike. There will be compromise but with it partially build at the moment I can say that I'm pretty confident in the results.
So, no rocket sience here, this subject have been beat to death in the past and I think J&L (Less) have the only good layout based on the current engine configuration we have to work with. I'm confident this is the layout to use because just like Less, I tried some other layout and everything went to trash pretty quickliy. More on that in some futur post but let's say that I was not happy with the compromise needed to make it work.
It started about 2 years ago when I found a great deal on a Cat ZR6000 2014, I was as cheap, only about 1000km on it, missing some non essential parts but this make it the perfect donnor! It is exaclty the powerplant I wanted to use, 600cc fuel injected, electric oil pump, petty simple setup and laydown engine configuration puts the intake in the front so I will not have anything in the back of the seat. Once I got the engine out I scanned it in 3D and started creating the V3 in CAD!
Then after a lot of time I and a few build itteration that got scapped early (more on that later as I said) I got a model complete enough to start building! Here is a quick look at it!
Then let's do a fast forward to today and we have the real thing almost to the same stage ready more work and integrating all systems to make it a complete unit that can be tested! Hopefully before the end of winter 2025!
I have a lot of build photo from the first steps to today and even from the scrapped concepts, If there is interest I will find time to elaborate more.
As you can see, I found a way to stuff the 600 laydown under the seat while maintaining the 37in seat height that I like. I incoporated the long stem tube design from my previous build to this one, lengthened it a few inches from the 450f build to improve the balance, rear skid and track is borrowed from the previous build along with the forks, spindle and ski. The design allow for a fully sealed bodywork and I invested a lot of time in making the frame easy to dress with a nice bodywork that makes it more finished than most of the diy builds. At the end, I'm looing for OEM look and fit, it is not a simple task but I think I'm on the right track. It will have the CVT sticking out on the left but I'm fine with it and fo most of the SnoRkt I have seen it does not seem to bother a lot. I'm impatient to find out about the inertia of a bigger engine and cvt too, I guess we will find soon! Finally, manual start have been cancelled (Took a hacksaw to the crankcase haha) to reduce width and weight. It will be E-start only but this make it a lot easyer to package and do a clean job.
For the inevitable question, weight, I do my best to keep it raisonable. Sure it will be on the heavy side but my dream would be under 300lbs dry, this mean around 325-330 wet I think. I don't think it is impossible to acheive but it might need a few revision and refinement to get there. I could be wrong but weight is not my main focus, to some extent we can deal with that later.
But I always wanted to build the bike that I sould have built in the first place! No regret, don't get me wrong, I can't event explain how valuable is all the knowledge that the past builds gave me and I don't think I could create what I'm actually building right now without the experience from the previous project.
Just like almost everyone, I would like more power, 100-120hp would be ideal, and CVT is for me a top goal to have it easy to ride. So it is easy to see it coming, it will be a sled engine based build. Yes I know it dosen't phisicaly fit, it is too wide and CVT takes a lot of space.... But I want to take a shot a it and do my best to find a way around it and still create a decent sled powered snowbike. There will be compromise but with it partially build at the moment I can say that I'm pretty confident in the results.
So, no rocket sience here, this subject have been beat to death in the past and I think J&L (Less) have the only good layout based on the current engine configuration we have to work with. I'm confident this is the layout to use because just like Less, I tried some other layout and everything went to trash pretty quickliy. More on that in some futur post but let's say that I was not happy with the compromise needed to make it work.
It started about 2 years ago when I found a great deal on a Cat ZR6000 2014, I was as cheap, only about 1000km on it, missing some non essential parts but this make it the perfect donnor! It is exaclty the powerplant I wanted to use, 600cc fuel injected, electric oil pump, petty simple setup and laydown engine configuration puts the intake in the front so I will not have anything in the back of the seat. Once I got the engine out I scanned it in 3D and started creating the V3 in CAD!
Then after a lot of time I and a few build itteration that got scapped early (more on that later as I said) I got a model complete enough to start building! Here is a quick look at it!
Then let's do a fast forward to today and we have the real thing almost to the same stage ready more work and integrating all systems to make it a complete unit that can be tested! Hopefully before the end of winter 2025!
I have a lot of build photo from the first steps to today and even from the scrapped concepts, If there is interest I will find time to elaborate more.
As you can see, I found a way to stuff the 600 laydown under the seat while maintaining the 37in seat height that I like. I incoporated the long stem tube design from my previous build to this one, lengthened it a few inches from the 450f build to improve the balance, rear skid and track is borrowed from the previous build along with the forks, spindle and ski. The design allow for a fully sealed bodywork and I invested a lot of time in making the frame easy to dress with a nice bodywork that makes it more finished than most of the diy builds. At the end, I'm looing for OEM look and fit, it is not a simple task but I think I'm on the right track. It will have the CVT sticking out on the left but I'm fine with it and fo most of the SnoRkt I have seen it does not seem to bother a lot. I'm impatient to find out about the inertia of a bigger engine and cvt too, I guess we will find soon! Finally, manual start have been cancelled (Took a hacksaw to the crankcase haha) to reduce width and weight. It will be E-start only but this make it a lot easyer to package and do a clean job.
For the inevitable question, weight, I do my best to keep it raisonable. Sure it will be on the heavy side but my dream would be under 300lbs dry, this mean around 325-330 wet I think. I don't think it is impossible to acheive but it might need a few revision and refinement to get there. I could be wrong but weight is not my main focus, to some extent we can deal with that later.
