Future of snow biking?

[C-man]

Can anyone "confirm" if Ski doo, Polaris or Yamaha is working on a built snow bike for next year?

I'm not sure about Arctic cats bike because well...we all already have 450's.....Not much to gain with that I don't think.

I'm kind of hoping we get a real built bike with some power, just a little more then what we all have already!

I love my snow bike but we all know we need double the HP so I decided to keep the bike and snow checked a Ski doo 850 for next year for the deep days....Hoping I can snow check a Ski doo or Polaris bike next year.

I know this is way to early to be talking about this but Should all the new snow bikers hold out till next year?

....Just sitting here day dreaming.

 

[Grr]

I think we are forced to build them ourselves for a few more years!

 

[41racing]

I hope if someone does come out with a factory built snowbike that the kits are still offered. I like my bike. I ride it spring summer fall and winter and plan to continue doing that. It's not much work to switch the kit on or off and the bike has plenty of power for the technical tree riding we do. Just hope a factory built unit don't mean the end of kits.

 

[byeatts]

Can anyone "confirm" if Ski doo, Polaris or Yamaha is working on a built snow bike for next year?

I'm not sure about Arctic cats bike because well...we all already have 450's.....Not much to gain with that I don't think.

I'm kind of hoping we get a real built bike with some power, just a little more then what we all have already!

I love my snow bike but we all know we need double the HP so I decided to keep the bike and snow checked a Ski doo 850 for next year for the deep days....Hoping I can snow check a Ski doo or Polaris bike next year.

I know this is way to early to be talking about this but Should all the new snow bikers hold out till next year?

....Just sitting here day dreaming.

sled type HP was done, its called a snow hawk, had one , Heavy pigs, The bike is nimble and awesome it tight technical,if you want to ride fast in wide open areas get a sled

 

[RACINSTATION]

I agree 100% If you want high horsepower, high speed, the sled is where it is at. Snowbikes thrive in nasty, tight, technical areas. I have never had so much fun "exploring" as on a snowbike. I have customers that want to do big power, turbos etc, and that can be had in a sled for less money.

I don't see Ski-Doo doing a snowbike in the near future, because they don't have a motor or a motorcycle. Polaris has ties in every direction now, so they would be the logical pick for the next manufacturer to do a snowbike. I feel Yamaha is still better off cranking out YZ450FXs and having customers install kits than to do a complete tooling and assembly line change in order to sell two or three hundred snowbikes. They probably sell that many 450s on a good spring Saturday morning.

 

[C-man]

I see what you guys are saying. I'm a big(huge) guy and love the bike and love where I can go with eaze and would never want to go the hawk direction. Just a little more power for me would be perfect, these bikes can be made a lot better for snowbiking in many many ways. I will always ride my bike but will have backup for the stupid deep days. Im not a pin it through the wide open type of guy! Never will be!

 

[Hawkster]

sled type HP was done, its called a snow hawk, had one , Heavy pigs, The bike is nimble and awesome it tight technical,if you want to ride fast in wide open areas get a sled

This is ridiculous , the Hawk guys get it we just ride big fat pigs . It's a shame that my wife rides a 503 fanner that's pumping what a 450Fi does and it's really a shame that on a bad day I'm running no less than 150 ponies . This comment on trees or technical riding is just puzzling and makes absolutely no sense .

I have no idea why the machines are even being compared ? There is no real way to improve a Hawk and that says a lot because a lot have tried and it basically came down to admitting that the only way to do it would be to build it from the ground up .

A Snow Hawk is not a Snow Bike one is a turn key machine and the other is a kit and that includes the first ever manufactured turn key snow bike . It's still a kit and what you guys are starting to ask for won't be a dirt bike .

Some of you guys have already made up your mind about the Cat bike . Why ? It appears to be the closest thing to a snow bike so far for starters because it has a mono rail . I don't see any dirt bikes being converted to trikes .

Did you ever get your Hawk dialed in ? The TS/S works better on a Hawk than it does on a bike kit . The Yeti ski picked it up another notch allowing you to ride it dirt bike style or super bike form depending on what pace you want to run .

I guess if I lived where some of you guys live I'd probably park the Hawk and probably would go back to riding a sled .

To answer the question a snow bike will always be a snow bike and for them to change to what the snow bike community is starting to ask for will not and can not be recognized as a snow bike .

Remember when 250 snow bikes ruled ? That was short lived and appears the 450s' will be the new ditch bangers .

 

[byeatts]

This is ridiculous , the Hawk guys get it we just ride big fat pigs . It's a shame that my wife rides a 503 fanner that's pumping what a 450Fi does and it's really a shame that on a bad day I'm running no less than 150 ponies . This comment on trees or technical riding is just puzzling and makes absolutely no sense .

I have no idea why the machines are even being compared ? There is no real way to improve a Hawk and that says a lot because a lot have tried and it basically came down to admitting that the only way to do it would be to build it from the ground up .

A Snow Hawk is not a Snow Bike one is a turn key machine and the other is a kit and that includes the first ever manufactured turn key snow bike . It's still a kit and what you guys are starting to ask for won't be a dirt bike .

Some of you guys have already made up your mind about the Cat bike . Why ? It appears to be the closest thing to a snow bike so far for starters because it has a mono rail . I don't see any dirt bikes being converted to trikes .

Did you ever get your Hawk dialed in ? The TS/S works better on a Hawk than it does on a bike kit . The Yeti ski picked it up another notch allowing you to ride it dirt bike style or super bike form depending on what pace you want to run .

I guess if I lived where some of you guys live I'd probably park the Hawk and probably would go back to riding a sled .

To answer the question a snow bike will always be a snow bike and for them to change to what the snow bike community is starting to ask for will not and can not be recognized as a snow bike .

Remember when 250 snow bikes ruled ? That was short lived and appears the 450s' will be the new ditch bangers .

your pic say,s at all. Flat ground and open spaces. sorry but Id give up snow sports if thats where I had to ride, I had a hawk and sleds as well.

 

[powdermuncher]

After being on here since the very beginning of the snowlike revolution--and there have been some great improvements for sure. It has become clear that the real stumbling block to the further improvement of snowlike technology are the riders themselves -- being so protective of there new found sport that they have lost the thrive for the next big step.
All the new kits have improvements and some good Ideas but basically are just rehashing old Ideas. The Snowbikes were stuck in a rut -- than came Timbersled --Great.
Now we are in the same spot a few Years later the 450s and ad on kits have pretty much hit the wall ,lots of different options and refinement , but lacking that breakthrough next step. We all know it will come eventually but as long as we are content on riding good enough we will never achieve perfection.

 

[RACINSTATION]

After being on here since the very beginning of the snowlike revolution--and there have been some great improvements for sure. It has become clear that the real stumbling block to the further improvement of snowlike technology are the riders themselves -- being so protective of there new found sport that they have lost the thrive for the next big step.
All the new kits have improvements and some good Ideas but basically are just rehashing old Ideas. The Snowbikes were stuck in a rut -- than came Timbersled --Great.
Now we are in the same spot a few Years later the 450s and ad on kits have pretty much hit the wall ,lots of different options and refinement , but lacking that breakthrough next step. We all know it will come eventually but as long as we are content on riding good enough we will never achieve perfection.

It is funny that you say that. Last time I went riding one of my friends was telling me some of his ideas that would be good marketing tools and I told him, "You know, some days I hope nobody else finds out about this". It is kind of like a secret awesomeness and I like the ability that we have right now to ride untracked areas EVERY time we go out. Kinda like a hot girlfriend, you want every body to look at her and be jealous, but you aren't giving out her phone number!

 

[powdermuncher]

Here we go again -- If your bike would be 1.5 feet shorter and more nimble with an appropriate steering angle you would have even more fun in these areas. And with an other 50 HP
The open areas would not be such a drag. Snowbiking could for real spread across the snow belt.
But obviously you do not see the real potential.
For some of us it is difficult to admit that there could be possible improvement after spending 15000 to 25000 Dollars depending on what side of the border you Live.
Even more so if you sell the current stuff.

I can still hear the Guys going on about how a snowmobile rear end could never work on a bike when the timbersled was first released.

Anyway you should be out riding I am of to work

 

[capulin overdrive]

LOL! Hot girlfriends can be lots of work.




Had one that was the girl friend version of a sleeper car, just cute enough you didn't mind being seen with her and didn't turn many heads, but under the hood she was ten.




Anyways, EPA and all the money costing redtape is really the only hurdle to get us a ground up bike.


Isn't any reason we couldn't get more horse power and some shrouding without going over the weight we want.

 

[byeatts]

LOL! Hot girlfriends can be lots of work.




Had one that was the girl friend version of a sleeper car, just cute enough you didn't mind being seen with her and didn't turn many heads, but under the hood she was ten.




Anyways, EPA and all the money costing redtape is really the only hurdle to get us a ground up bike.


Isn't any reason we couldn't get more horse power and some shrouding without going over the weight we want.

well the 450 is the best climber due to the fact it has high RPM , fact is larger bores will not spin as fast. we are at 60+ hp on a single, yes you can get more power however with a twin and that adds significant weight. look at the hawk. they weigh close to a new sled.and why do we need sled type hp on something purpose built for the tight single track type areas, weight is everything.I have a 200hp sled if I want raw hp.You cannot get any better weight /hp ratio other than a pound or two than a new MX bike with the internal gearbox without some space age motor components,the skids do need some work. Belt drive and carbon tunnels.

 

[Hawkster]

Future of snow biking ?

I'm not trying to hijack this thread so please do not read into this in a negative way .

I have to answer the comment about running in wide open areas to answer the question .

That is a mistake , the trees are my second most favorite riding areas , it's not to race others but to challenge myself . It turns on a dime , there is no pushing and the width of the bar gets slapped threw quite often . Once the bikes can get the handling down so they do not push they will also be able to attack wooded areas with aggression just like a moto bike in it's natural form .

My favorite riding areas are dropping into crevices . They are deep and steep and that not only takes a track but horse power . Working your way down only gets tighter and more difficult to climb out with under horsed machines and working up is wider but also steeper that also takes speed and horse power .

All one skis can hang on the side of a cliff like a fly on a wall but but crawling around with a couple of gears isn't gonna allow this sport to grow when it comes to the mountain segment .

People are so dialed into weight savings that it creates these wars over who's got the lightest machine and at times handicaps the machine .

The mountain sleds are a good example , you can no longer point and shoot . Point A to B turned into A to Z time you get there .

There is a reason why some snowmobilers don't take to a one ski . You don't just turn a key and hit the throttle and in a way that is how I look at the bike kits .

Maybe the future of snow biking is not the bike kit ? I don't know and maybe it has to do where everyone rides or restricted to ride ? I hope not

byeats , that one picture on the left is on a river and if you look closer the machines are running a different ski . Notice how one is pushing and leaves a wake and the other uses the snow to climb . That right there is a major improvement

 

[capulin overdrive]

well the 450 is the best climber due to the fact it has high RPM , fact is larger bores will not spin as fast. we are at 60+ hp on a single, yes you can get more power however with a twin and that adds significant weight. look at the hawk. they weigh close to a new sled.and why do we need sled type hp on something purpose built for the tight single track type areas, weight is everything.I have a 200hp sled if I want raw hp.You cannot get any better weight /hp ratio other than a pound or two than a new MX bike with the internal gearbox without some space age motor components,the skids do need some work. Belt drive and carbon tunnels.

Yup, but you just took that super light race bike and added a 100 pound snow kit to it.




30 more pounds for a hotrod V-twin like the Aprilia 550, or better yet a EFI 2 stroke would be awesome.

 

[byeatts]

Yup, but you just took that super light race bike and added a 100 pound snow kit to it.




30 more pounds for a hotrod V-twin like the Aprilia 550, or better yet a EFI 2 stroke would be awesome.

I agree a large efi 2 stroke could easily pump out 70hp, how long they will live may be a concern,

 

[SEOINAGE]

Future of snow biking ?

I'm not trying to hijack this thread so please do not read into this in a negative way .

I have to answer the comment about running in wide open areas to answer the question .

That is a mistake , the trees are my second most favorite riding areas , it's not to race others but to challenge myself . It turns on a dime , there is no pushing and the width of the bar gets slapped threw quite often . Once the bikes can get the handling down so they do not push they will also be able to attack wooded areas with aggression just like a moto bike in it's natural form .

My favorite riding areas are dropping into crevices . They are deep and steep and that not only takes a track but horse power . Working your way down only gets tighter and more difficult to climb out with under horsed machines and working up is wider but also steeper that also takes speed and horse power .

All one skis can hang on the side of a cliff like a fly on a wall but but crawling around with a couple of gears isn't gonna allow this sport to grow when it comes to the mountain segment .

People are so dialed into weight savings that it creates these wars over who's got the lightest machine and at times handicaps the machine .

The mountain sleds are a good example , you can no longer point and shoot . Point A to B turned into A to Z time you get there .

There is a reason why some snowmobilers don't take to a one ski . You don't just turn a key and hit the throttle and in a way that is how I look at the bike kits .

Maybe the future of snow biking is not the bike kit ? I don't know and maybe it has to do where everyone rides or restricted to ride ? I hope not

byeats , that one picture on the left is on a river and if you look closer the machines are running a different ski . Notice how one is pushing and leaves a wake and the other uses the snow to climb . That right there is a major improvement

That picture says a lot. It is kind of crazy but makes a huge difference in the deep powder. People with the full kit don't realize it's all in the ski.

 

[C-man]

Yup, but you just took that super light race bike and added a 100 pound snow kit to it.




30 more pounds for a hotrod V-twin like the Aprilia 550, or better yet a EFI 2 stroke would be awesome.

I would love a Aprilia 550 engine for about 30 minutes until your engine craters. I would know...I had two both ended up cratering!

Im not worried about weight. Just a little more power would be good for my big ***.

 

[SEOINAGE]

I would love a Aprilia 550 engine for about 30 minutes until your engine craters. I would know...I had two both ended up cratering!

Im not worried about weight. Just a little more power would be good for my big ***.

Power to weight ratio really is a big deal. I take my gas can off and the difference is huge.

That's why I prefer a light weight cr500 with some mods for now.

I really would like a ground up specific snow bike, but think it will need to stay a single, have to keep it's gearbox, but still push over 80 hp yet be lighter than a 450. 650cc two stroke single, being set up to rev and max out hp in the mid to upper rpm, could easily surpass that by 20+ hp. It has some downsides that a double could fix, but throwing a second cylinder on you will then want at least 120hp to make up for the weight. And then only if it is inline as to keep it narrow.

 

[byeatts]

Power to weight ratio really is a big deal. I take my gas can off and the difference is huge.

That's why I prefer a light weight cr500 with some mods for now.

I really would like a ground up specific snow bike, but think it will need to stay a single, have to keep it's gearbox, but still push over 80 hp yet be lighter than a 450. 650cc two stroke single, being set up to rev and max out hp in the mid to upper rpm, could easily surpass that by 20+ hp. It has some downsides that a double could fix, but throwing a second cylinder on you will then want at least 120hp to make up for the weight. And then only if it is inline as to keep it narrow.

my new factory edition SX450 is well over 60HP and 224 lbs, I looked at the CR500 dyno charts and it was 56hp and heavier back then,new iron is getting light and efficient for sure.