sleds VS snow bikes

[KAWGRN]

how many guys have gotten rid of their sleds??I have been on bikes for the last 4 seasons and my 13 RMKs have 400 miles just wondering how many guys have dumped their 2 skis and never looked back?? and What if it snows 4 feet???? yes I have one LT and One ST,, I have seen that the bikes and kits do require more maintenance then the sleds though!!

 

[markos250]

what if you only got 8 to 12 inches of snow? but plenty of lake ice

 

[powdermuncher]

Had both for a few seasons back on sleds for now until the OEMs come out with at least a 120HP snow bike.
I enjoy the challenge and physical workout on a Mountain sled. 60 HP snow bikes are great fun fore a while but just lack the power to put them up to where I want them to be. The 600 E teck build is very interesting. So I am waiting for the next evolution in snow bikes until then I save my bike for summer.

 

[lundracing]

I will maintain both until we get a factory built snow bike with more power


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

 

[Wheel House Motorsports]

I usually get out for a few days on a sled during the year, usually riding customers sleds setting up and that gets the desire out of my system.

Sleds are fun, but if there is less then 2' of fresh I have a lot more fun on my bike. And hard to justify owning a sled to ride it 4-5 times a year. It would be cheaper to rent one now and again then watch it depreciate in the garage.

We have a really good group of bikers I ride with so the exploration factor is SUPER high, we have been checking out gullies and ravines in our riding areas that nobody has been through before. Best part is going through the woods racing your buddies. Its like a game of follow the leader and if someone sneaks ahead, they are the new leader. We've had more fun doing this ripping in very sup part snow then I could ever imagine. Its like a freestyle single track race to nowhere.

 

[KAWGRN]

I usually get out for a few days on a sled during the year, usually riding customers sleds setting up and that gets the desire out of my system.

Sleds are fun, but if there is less then 2' of fresh I have a lot more fun on my bike. And hard to justify owning a sled to ride it 4-5 times a year. It would be cheaper to rent one now and again then watch it depreciate in the garage.

We have a really good group of bikers I ride with so the exploration factor is SUPER high, we have been checking out gullies and ravines in our riding areas that nobody has been through before. Best part is going through the woods racing your buddies. Its like a game of follow the leader and if someone sneaks ahead, they are the new leader. We've had more fun doing this ripping in very sup part snow then I could ever imagine. Its like a freestyle single track race to nowhere.

yep that's exactly what were doing,, my sled buddy's try and follow ,and there sleds look like thy have been through a wood chipper at the end of the day,,
just wondering if any one else felt the same way

 

[Wheel House Motorsports]

yep that's exactly what were doing,, my sled buddy's try and follow ,and there sleds look like thy have been through a wood chipper at the end of the day,,
just wondering if any one else felt the same way

I always just assume the guys on bikes who want to get back into sleds just don't get it. If you ride a bike like a sled, its not very fun.

This cost me $0, so not like I was biased due to investment. I went out sunday riding with a customer. 2016 axys 155 3" BD turbo running 10psi, float shocks all around. Amazing sled. absolutely insane power, but after about 2 hours on it I was ready for my bike. The main open terrain was all beat up and I could see all the fresh tucked up in little pockets in the trees. I was able to get the sled into it but it beat the crap out of me, constantly hung up in trees. I could have tracked up half the mountain by myself on my bike, but instead spent half the time sweating and struggling around on the sled. Got some fun lines in and had a riot ripping wheelie turns but I was exhausted and felt like I left so much on the table when we were loading up.

On my bike I cold give a **** if the whole basin is 2' of untracked fresh or 2", we ALWAYS are out having fun. Riding terrain NOBODY else is touching. Some of my most memorable rides on the bike are truly ****ty snow. So, if winter is gonna keep delivering us this sub par conditions.... Im gonna keep shredding.

 

[mrquick68]

I bought a sled again this year cause a few trips out in 2ft+ of POW on the bike sucked. Hard to get around, sled way more fun in those conditions. I also like the challenge aspect of riding a sled sometimes too. However, i've put 6 hours on my new Axys this season, and 25 hours on my timbersled. The conditions just lean so much more heavily to a snowbike. I can't say which is more fun, depends on the day. I love exploring on the bikes. that's the best part. And racing through the woods. Super fun.

 

[SEOINAGE]

Love the deep powder on my bike. And there are snow bikes that have good power even now. Cr500 is going to out perform a 600 most of the time anyways.

 

[Grr]

My 800cc 154" snowbike is going to be insane. I won't be going back to sleds ever once it is finished.

 

[capulin overdrive]

Only thing I miss about a sled,is hammering out big miles when it's more about site seeing than riding.


Haven't been out in a week long dump, but from the deep I have been in, I pretty sure my long track bike goes better than my 154 sled.

 

[tmanker]

This thread is interesting to me. I'm new to the sport and was most likely going to buy a '17 pro rmk or leftover '16. I may consider a snowbike. I will never swap the track and ski for tires in the offseason, so that is of no value to me. Not sure what I will do. Thanks for the info.

 

[wwillf01]

I bought a new m8000 sled this year with a turbo... The only reason I keep it is to ride with my boy who is on a sled. Also those 3 ft dumps the sled is more fun... But 90 percent of the time the bike is the ticket... If you like to dirt bike it's a shoe in and if you have other bikes to ride with it really multiplies the fun 10 fold... Like it was said before you can not ride them like a sled... I think the bike is cheaper than the sled in upkeep but I have a cr500... It's a lot harder to break things... On a sled one wrong move in the trees you tank the front end pretty easy.. For me I keep the snowbike set up year around.. Switching it is a pain if you will be riding a lot in spring with wheels.

Sent from my XT1585 using Tapatalk

 

[needpowder]

This thread is interesting to me. I'm new to the sport and was most likely going to buy a '17 pro rmk or leftover '16. I may consider a snowbike. I will never swap the track and ski for tires in the offseason, so that is of no value to me. Not sure what I will do. Thanks for the info.

Buying a sled is like buying a windsurfer when everyone around you is starting to kite surf.
I will keep a sled for family and rescue missions. Super deep days i will be on my bike.

 

[jskattum606]

I sold my sled this year. Got to the point where i just consistently have more fun on the bike. Nice to have something of value in all seasons!

 

[powdermuncher]

I think most people can see the trend .

In set up conditions with a few inches of fresh the bike totally rocks. Don't need much HP

2-3 feet of fresh or warm weather with super heavy snow you are on the pinn all day at 15MPH.

Also the aspect of tree riding is an awesome challenge o the sled and super easy on the Bike.

One post describes how worn out he was on a sled riding trees. Exactly it is a workout.

In the same conditions the bike is an easy ride no workout and much less of a challenge.

Good for out of shape riders or older guys that just can't physically do the hard core sleding anymore.

There is nothing wrong with that , I am going on 50 slowly too Once we have a dedicated snowbike with 120+hp it will cover it all and I will be all in for good.

 

[CATSLEDMAN1]

work sled

Fired my Cat 800 for the first time in 3 years, first time in 4 years for me riding it. I needed it for work and kept it around for that reason.
Got there and got back and sold some dirt. Didn't want to meet up with clients and have to explain the bike instead of the bussiness at hand.

Couple of things

sled was easy to load by my self, but one sled in my pickup, the other guys about ruined a trailer and new Ski Doos going up a muddy road with trailer, I don't miss that at all.

I had become accustomed to bikes sometimes foul trial manners in concrete...........hour in bad on the sleds I was laughing, my shoulders were feeling the sled way worse than the bike, bikes is nervous, sled is just plain abusive.

Wow but the sled has power, forgot how reifned my clutching and engine package was the last year I rode that thing, remind me not to loan that thing to pilgrims.

 

[Wheel House Motorsports]

In the same conditions the bike is an easy ride no workout and much less of a challenge.

Good for out of shape riders or older guys that just can't physically do the hard core sleding anymore.

I get this a lot and its true and completely wrong all at the same time. Same technical terrain, a bike is 99% of the time easier. This allows lesser riders to go in and have a blast with ease. Now guys who are not great, out of shape, or just a little older and slower can enjoy technical terrain without destroying their rig or themselves.

As for the comment I get often about "no challange." I just have to laugh, everything can be pushed to a challenging level. You just now have to ride harder and faster! What I like is that if your line doesn't pan out and you either get stuck or slightly hung up it usually takes 10% of the effort to get unstuck compared to a sled, this means 4 or 5 botched lines and im not sweating bullets ready to go home, Im winded but ready to go keep pushing. This is so fun especially for those who aren't in great shape. They can have the confince to push their riding without being totally worn out before lunch and ready to head back for the meadows. I can now rally hard and push into the nastiest terrain imaginable, get stuck plenty but still have the energy to ride a full day with plenty of mistakes mixed in.

But for those who say there is no challenge, just means they don't know how to challenge themselves or aren't willing to get out of their comfort zone.

 

[Sharp]

I'm on the fence. I haven't pulled the trigger on a conversion kit for a few reasons. 1. No one I ride with have bikes or are interested in them. 2. HP of a bike concerns me (lack of). I ride my 450 in the sand and it doesn't seem to have enough HP so I couldn't imagine it any better in snow. 3. I don't know what kit to buy. There are more and more company coming out with them. 4. Price. They seem to be very expensive for what your actually getting. I would have one for sure it they weren't so expensive. 5. There's been a lot of talk about a stand alone snowbike, which I think would out perform a bike conversion kit. I want to wait maybe a year or so to see if something changes before purchasing a kit or stand alone.

 

[needpowder]

I'm on the fence. I haven't pulled the trigger on a conversion kit for a few reasons. 1. No one I ride with have bikes or are interested in them. 2. HP of a bike concerns me (lack of). I ride my 450 in the sand and it doesn't seem to have enough HP so I couldn't imagine it any better in snow. 3. I don't know what kit to buy. There are more and more company coming out with them. 4. Price. They seem to be very expensive for what your actually getting. I would have one for sure it they weren't so expensive. 5. There's been a lot of talk about a stand alone snowbike, which I think would out perform a bike conversion kit. I want to wait maybe a year or so to see if something changes before purchasing a kit or stand alone.

You should try to demo one or borrow one. Make sure you ride it in some interesting terrain not just a wide-open field because that's where they are extremely boring. In some snow they have tons of power, but other conditions they can be a little slow but you'd be surprised how much fun you can still have. I agree the kits are way expensive for something without an engine clutch or any electronics. But prices on a used kits are pretty good this time of year. Although I would recommend something fairly recent. Being in Idaho Falls you're in a position to ride well into May probably. With a little travel of course.