Carb and kick start

[CB_Rob]

Ive got a nice 2007 yz450f.
Carbed and kickstart but in good shape.
Is there anything worth building on from there or should i just sell and get an efi electric start 450?

 

[Sheetmetalfab]

Ive got a nice 2007 yz450f.
Carbed and kickstart but in good shape.
Is there anything worth building on from there or should i just sell and get an efi electric start 450?

Are you on a tight budget?

looking to try snobiking? Or setup a bike and put some serious riding in?

ride 3-5 times a year or 20-30 times a year?

ride in below zero temps?

 

[CB_Rob]

Im in crested butte, have a decent budget, will ride often and in cold temps.
Got out of the sled scene for a while and want to go fast on the snow again.
Trying to decide which mode of play is best for me. Got friends on both snow bikes and sleds.

Id love to find a way to play with about 8k for a budget.

Ill be ranging from 9000 to 12000 elevation.

 

[Sheetmetalfab]

Im in crested butte, have a decent budget, will ride often and in cold temps.
Got out of the sled scene for a while and want to go fast on the snow again.
Trying to decide which mode of play is best for me. Got friends on both snow bikes and sleds.

Id love to find a way to play with about 8k for a budget.

Ill be ranging from 9000 to 12000 elevation.

Buy as new of a stock sled you can find with low miles.


nothing fast about snowbikes. (Especially with an 8k budget)

I think fast snowbikes are in the $30k budget if you aren’t building custom.

(I’ve built some fast ones)

 

[2010m8]

Im in crested butte, have a decent budget, will ride often and in cold temps.
Got out of the sled scene for a while and want to go fast on the snow again.
Trying to decide which mode of play is best for me. Got friends on both snow bikes and sleds.

Id love to find a way to play with about 8k for a budget.

Ill be ranging from 9000 to 12000 elevation.

8k is a good start for a budget. My suggestion is sell the ‘07 and get a built bike that has efi. Just as an example I sold my ’07 yz450 on the low end for 3k. And I bought a ready to ride with tires ‘19 kx450 and camso for 13k. I have seen some very nice setups for around 10k. That would leave you a grand to play with.


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[Colo moto]

I’m on a 2012 beta 450 w carb. It has electric start But I do have to use the kick first thing on the morning still. Mounted to a 2015 TS 120 kit. It’s not the hottest setup on the snow but it gets the job done. I’m on the other side of the hill from you near Wolf Creek. We ride 9000 to 13000, so the same terrain as you for the most part.

my advice is find a good 129” kit in your price range. Spend the remainder of your budget on heated bars, stiffer forks and the other little items to get it setup to your liking. Ignore those who say you have to spend big $$$ to have fun.

 

[suva]

Those bikes work great on the snow, I rode an '09 for 3 seasons . With good motor coverage carb heaters are not needed. Once you learn the bike they start really easily.

 

[TreewellDweller]

Having the ”magic“ button (electric start) is a major factor. Without it, you will wear yourself out on a carbureted bike especially if you flop it over. Get a bike that starts easy in all conditions (fuel injected). That should be a priority. No matter what kit you get if you don’t have a reliable bike you will get extremely discouraged. After that, get the newest kit you can afford. Most bikes that are already setup will probably be priced more than if you piece it together yourself. You can always update the kit after you have decided what you like about snowbiking. Have fun!

 

[CB_Rob]

Is there much difference in the way gearing compliments snow riding when choosing a race or Enduro bike?
Ie, the WR vs the YZ.
I ride kinda slow in the summer, and a lower gear Enduro could be ideal for my summer riding style.

 

[Sheetmetalfab]

Close ratio is better for having the power to pull the next gear up.

at 9k elevation a hot 450 will have about 45 hp at best.

that might not fit in your description of “going fast on snow”

just an FYI.

 

[CB_Rob]

Close ratio is better for having the power to pull the next gear up.

at 9k elevation a hot 450 will have about 45 hp at best.

that might not fit in your description of “going fast on snow”

just an FYI.

Fast on snow is kinda of a blanket term for me not being on cross country skis. More of a not slow on snow.
The boondocking ability is my primary draw to the snow bike.
Im sure ill be stoked on a modern sled, or a snow bike compared to my old king cat.

 

[CB_Rob]

Is there a good compromise bike between the old guy friendly rideability of wide ratio and still get good snow performance?


If I want to have tractor ability in the summer but still perform in the snow!
Does a six speed make up for the wide ratio?

 

[eric82930]

Don't spend too much time trying to find aperfect summer trail bike that's a great snow bike. They are polar opposite. You'll Spend 20k on a 500exc and still have a gappy trans.. Some carb bikes start better than efi, some much worse. Tip over's will need to know the drill. If the yz starts good, wrap it and ride it. If you find you really like the sport than get a dedicated snow bike next year.

 

[Sheetmetalfab]

Is there a good compromise bike between the old guy friendly rideability of wide ratio and still get good snow performance?


If I want to have tractor ability in the summer but still perform in the snow!
Does a six speed make up for the wide ratio?

Don't spend too much time trying to find aperfect summer trail bike that's a great snow bike. They are polar opposite. You'll Spend 20k on a 500exc and still have a gappy trans.. Some carb bikes start better than efi, some much worse. Tip over's will need to know the drill. If the yz starts good, wrap it and ride it. If you find you really like the sport than get a dedicated snow bike next year.

^^^^
good in summer = bad on snow.

easy to start, close ratio, power under the curve on dyno charts, high rev ability, advanced timing, high compression, light flywheel.
all good snow traits.

 

[needpowder]

I say go for it on your 07. My buddy rode an 06 YZ for two seasons. Thing worked great until the top end went with 350 hours. Engine jacket for sure. Thermostat with temperature gauge for sure so you know what’s going on. Make adjustments as needed, i.e. cover radiators/uncover radiators, add more engine covering.
Find a cheap used kit and go for it. If I was on a super tight budget I would probably find a low our timbersled raw kit. You could be up and running for about 3 g’s. Jet it close and go!

 

[CB_Rob]

I say go for it on your 07. My buddy rode an 06 YZ for two seasons. Thing worked great until the top end went with 350 hours. Engine jacket for sure. Thermostat with temperature gauge for sure so you know what’s going on. Make adjustments as needed, i.e. cover radiators/uncover radiators, add more engine covering.
Find a cheap used kit and go for it. If I was on a super tight budget I would probably find a low our timbersled raw kit. You could be up and running for about 3 g’s. Jet it close and go!

Im tempted to keep it, for sure.
Maybe spring for a recluse too.
My biggest peeve in the summer is stalling on rocky sections and getting exhausted trying to kick it.

The last couple years I've been expecting Arctic cat or someone to come up with the dedicated snow bike. Can't believe it's taking so long for that to happen.

 

[needpowder]

Yes. I forgot to mention he had a recluse. That probably saved him a bunch of kicks!

 

[CB_Rob]

Im going to keep an eye out for 450 race bikes and try to jump on a deal if i see one.
As far as 450s go, If I'm looking for electric start and efi what are my best options.
KTM SFX has them going back to 2014 or so i think.
Honda and Yamaha looks like 2018 or newer.
Am i missing any good options?

Availability of used track kits is probably relevant as well. KTM and Yamaha are common locally, along with husaberg.

 

[jrlastofthebreed]

I was in a similar situation. Got an E start bike with a kick start backup. (CRFX or WR work good) Do a few easy power mods, add heated grips, Make an engine blanket, Put a thermobob and a snowbike kit and your in buisness. I did mine for $7100. I even added pegs and a seat comcepts seat.

No matter what you do go E start. EFI is even better but more money. Carbed stuff runs good you just have to manage your temps more. As far as power we rode 2 crf450x up near vail and over by Kremling. They did great!

 

[needpowder]

I personally think efi is way more important than e-start. Flip your bike over, pick it up and 2-3 kicks later you’re on your way with efi.