How does a great, day after a(nother) nor-easter go?

[Ben 500RR-S]

I'll tell you.

The snowbike has been perfect all winter. I had not even put a charger on the battery in a month but when I had last rode I had put the bike away in great running condition so I had no reason to believe that the bike would be nothing but perfect when I went to start it this morning. The 2017 Beta 500 RR-S has been an awesome snowbike. It was a great commuter bike for the suburban city streets I ride back and forth to work and a fantastic dirt bike for everywhere and anywhere I've been riding.

I was pretty sure that I was going to put the wheels back on my bike this past week, so much so that I almost, I was this close . . . to buying a new motorcycle jack and getting it done but am thrilled I held off as the big storm we got yesterday dumped a ton of snow up here in VT and the riding this morning was the best of the season. I think it was the best because of all the times we've been able to ride, we have been more dialed in with how the bikes behave so it makes it more fun. I also got to tow all my junk with the new trailer and pulling and even backing up the new trailer has been awesome. Backing up the short single axle trailer can be tricky but a dual axle, bigger trailer has always been a lot easier to handle. It had started with a great tow up last night.

This morning I got up, fed all the animals, pigs, turkeys and the horses, then unloaded my sled, then the bike. They both came out so easy. I especially loved how easy it was to walk the snowbike out and to the right on the front v-nose ramp as the bike needs to take a quick right as it is loaded on the right of the trailer. My BIL and I got to go out and ride virgin powder here, there and everywhere. I also had the time to keep an eye on what speeds we are normally going and at what rpm and I had found that I am usually running from 14-25 mpg and from 4,500 to 6,000 or 7,000 rpm. When I get to the bigger, wide open areas, I will run from 7-9,000 rpm but not for long. I was just curious about it today and am glad I found out exactly where I'm normally running at.

I also realized that I don't mind going slow. My need for speed days are gone, well, almost. I just don't mind the changing of the gears and the finesse and control that is needed on the bike, it makes it so much more fun in the powder and I had also realized today that the area we ride in is perfect for the bike. We have mix of everything but, because we have access to all this land to ride on, we get to cut first tracks and the only tracks in the 20 or so square miles we have, all to ourselves. We were home by about 11:30am after a good 2 1/2 hours of all riding as we didn't stop much and rode, and rode, then rode some more.

Lunch, then after 3pm, we went to another area. A 1 square mile hayfield along with a nice road cut into the side of a mountain. Perfect for the wife and daughter to ride the snowmobile and the boy on his Mini Rev and me on the snowbike. The sled or snowbike cuts the trail a few times, then we all follow each other doing all sorts of loops on the perimeter of the field and the mountainside trail. The boy had a blast and much to my surprise, my 6 year old daughter had a great time on both the back of the sled and on the front of my snowbike. My favorite words were, "Go around again."

I realized I had not gotten to ride in a month. Last time out, the next week we went to Cancun for a family vacation, then there had been no snow, then finally, we get a late season snowstorm that dumps more than enough for us to have our third, super, powder day of the year. There were a lot fewer storms this year than normal but that is how it goes. We got to ride enough, just not many pure powder days, still, I can't complain. Not after having been able to spend the morning riding with my BIL, then spending the afternoon riding with the family. Best day of the winter, ever.

 

[Dobber1]

There’s Hardcoresledder deep....then there’s SnoWest deep.

 

[Ben 500RR-S]

Just when I thought it could not get any better, it did.

Now, my almost 8 year old boy sort of likes riding but it seems like the amount of time that he will ride is limited and never seems that it is all that long but at least he likes it. Then my 6 year old daughter finally agreed to try the little yellow snowmobile and after 10 yards, was hooked and didn't want to get off or stop. I think she rode more on Saturday than her brother has ridden combined. I was truly in heaven as she even tried to ride up a more challenging part of the mountain/switchback road where because the snow was so fresh and loose, and the trail so much steeper, the little Mini Rev kept getting stuck so we had to turn around and go back down but I'm pretty sure that if she could have gone up the trail and back down we would have ridden a LOT more than we did on Saturday.

The true test was when her Mom went home Saturday after lunch and she wanted to stay and ride some more. It was then that I knew she was hooked. We are getting another snowstorm tomorrow and will be going riding again next weekend. A new snowmobile will be in the works for her next spring, probably a Yamaha SnoScoot ES.

The other thing that the both of them enjoyed was riding on the snowbike with me, with them in front of me holding onto the handlebar-clamp. They liked riding up the mountain switchback road that had been covered with virgin snow. What a treat it was.

 

[Sheetmetalfab]

Just when I thought it could not get any better, it did.



Now, my almost 8 year old boy sort of likes riding but it seems like the amount of time that he will ride is limited and never seems that it is all that long but at least he likes it. Then my 6 year old daughter finally agreed to try the little yellow snowmobile and after 10 yards, was hooked and didn't want to get off or stop. I think she rode more on Saturday than her brother has ridden combined. I was truly in heaven as she even tried to ride up a more challenging part of the mountain/switchback road where because the snow was so fresh and loose, and the trail so much steeper, the little Mini Rev kept getting stuck so we had to turn around and go back down but I'm pretty sure that if she could have gone up the trail and back down we would have ridden a LOT more than we did on Saturday.



The true test was when her Mom went home Saturday after lunch and she wanted to stay and ride some more. It was then that I knew she was hooked. We are getting another snowstorm tomorrow and will be going riding again next weekend. A new snowmobile will be in the works for her next spring, probably a Yamaha SnoScoot ES.



The other thing that the both of them enjoyed was riding on the snowbike with me, with them in front of me holding onto the handlebar-clamp. They liked riding up the mountain switchback road that had been covered with virgin snow. What a treat it was.

Put the kids on snowbikes.

My 11 year old rides everywhere.

 

[powdermuncher]

Put the kids on snowbikes.

My 11 year old rides everywhere.

I agree however the little ripper is very limited in where it will go and the little bikes are pretty low on power. One needs to come up with a small kit for a Honda 150 as an intro to snow biking for Kids.

 

[Sheetmetalfab]

Put the kids on snowbikes.

My 11 year old rides everywhere.

I agree however the little ripper is very limited in where it will go and the little bikes are pretty low on power. One needs to come up with a small kit for a Honda 150 as an intro to snow biking for Kids.

He’s On a 450 with ts st........
Keeps up with most adults......

 

[powdermuncher]

I see that -- and that is great.
But we do need something along the lines of a Honda CRF 150R with a proper track kit. So smaller kids can handle it. It also needs to be a bike that can reasonably go out and ride along at least in the adults tracks. It would sure be nice if the kids can come out with us sooner thats all.

 

[Ben 500RR-S]

Put the kids on snowbikes.

My 11 year old rides everywhere.

You know, I never even thought of it until you had mentioned it in your post.

Right after I had read it, I looked up what 110 Honda/Kawasaki's go, with electric start, automatic 4-speeds and they are around $2K new and from $1,500 to $1,900 used, and a Timbersled Ripper kit $2K, so all in all, one would be just under $4,000 for a bike and kit where the Yamaha SnoScoot ES is at $3,999 this fall.

What I do is see if the girl will ride the JR50 and if my boy has grown enough-I think he has, to ride the XR70, and if they can both ride, then a snowbike will be on for next fall/winter and I may even get the bike sooner so they can get used to riding it this summer along with the A4 gearbox.

 

[Ben 500RR-S]

Another nor-easter came up this past Tuesday/Wednesday and by golly, Friday was once again, just, simply, awe-sum. The fourth powder day this season where we got to get into 1-2'+ of fresh powder all day long.

Then bonus of bonuses-the hits keep on coming, coast to coast. It was about 20 F and windy but I had made sure my 8 yo in May boy, and 6 yo girl, had two sets of pants/long johns on, 3 shirts/sweatshirts, then their jackets and snowpants and neckwarmers, wool socks and we all went snowmobiling and it was my very first time taking both kids out in the boondocks where we had already made/broke the trail.

I had both my son and daughter on my 2004 Rev 500-SS that I had front piggyback shocks and the bigger beercan shocks in the rear along with a 1.25 IceRipper track with the stone-stock motor with just under 10,000 miles on and had a ball on the trails taking turns with each kid in my lap. Each kid also took a turn riding on the back of the 2 XP Renegade 1200's that came along and an Expedition Sport 600ACE.

The Expedition, with its 154"x 16 track and the 600ACE is my favorite sled. I have come to learn that the 600ACE is by far, the best snowmobile motor for me and here is why:

The 500SS motor, the 597cc carbureted Rave valved motor is a legend. Of course, other than its known weaknesses, the thing just runs and runs but, and here comes the mighty big-butt, it is smoky and noisy and mine happens to not have e-start, but even with the magic button, it smells and is just loud. I just looked at new OEM mufflers but am not ready to drop $650 for an OEM muffler just yet.

The 600 ACE is quiet. No smoke, clutch hooks up at right around 2K and the little motor just chugs right along, as fast as I care to go nowadays. We also have a Tundra XU with a 600ACE and a MXz Trail with the same motor and they all just run so well and each does its own special thing.

I used to think that the Renegade 1200's in the XP chassis were where it was at but between the massive weight that is not disguised at all, the mega-width, and the shorter 137" track, the thing is too much of a handful and I'll freely admit, on the trails back in the day, from 2004-2010, the P-Tek 800's were just too powerful for me back then, and way too powerful for me now. I can wring a 500cc 4S on the dirt but an 800cc 2-stroke and even my 600cc 2S on the trail is just not what I want or need anymore. Putting down the trail as lapped traffic is now where I reside from here on out.

Even though we have to make sure we are on the road by 11am to drive 130 miles back home-boo hoo, leaving is always so hard to do, but we will bundle up again and ride until we have to "Load them up" so more fun will be had with the kids taking turns on the Mini Rev and us riding around on the 600ACE Tundra along with the SnowBike.

Some go to church on Sunday morning. We will go to the forest and ride around in circles while counting our blessings=nice.