TKS Snowbike Pre-Prodution Kits now available

[tomk]

The forums are seeing it first!

After 2 months of working every morning before work and every night after work, and every free weekend the kits are finally starting to come together! The first kit was finished today! The next two should be done by the end of the week. These kits are amazing, one of a kind kits, that perform like no other!

Simplicity, performance, reliability, and value have been the goals from day one; after 3 years and 6 generations of kits, TK Specialties Llc has something that really delivers!

Our kit features a one shock design, utilizing the strongest, most tunable, most durable, most tested shock in all of Motorsports, the STOCK DIRT BIKE SHOCK! In its stock position, using its stock linkage/mounting location. This gives the bike a true dirt bike feel, even down the hard packed whooped-out end of the day trail. No other shocks to adjust, rebuild or replace. This also helps keep the cost of the kit down.

The X Pivot skid is a stand alone design, that allows the skid to roll with the contour of the ground, keeping as much track on the ground as possible at any angle. This gives the bike amazing on trail handling and off trail floatation. It is also adjustable, a quick turn of the outer control arms raises and lowers ride height and adjusts ski pressure to rider preference.

By using the stock shock in its stock location, installation is a breeze without having to remove the bikes sub-frame and seat; I actually built this kit to the bike without ever removing the sub-frame!


After years of reading this forum as well as others I realized every bike transmission is different and getting the correct gear ratio is not a one size fits all. The kits feature a specially designed quick change Jack Shaft Hub. By removing the axle bolt and flipping the hub your gear ratio can go from mountain riding to trail riding in a matter of minutes, switch a hub sprocket with the drive-shaft sprocket and add even another ratio to your bike! (patent pending)

The front end features the C&A Pro MTX ski with a Stud Boy Dually Carbide runner, this is an 8" wide ski that floats well in the deep snow but still gives you straight, responsive handling on and off trail at an affordable price. The dual angle ski mount gives you two options for adjusting ski flex by flipping it around.

All powder coated black, grease zerks at all pivot points, Camoplast challenger 12.5x2x2.52, 1/4" 6061 alum side plates and ski spindle, all TIG welded , custom hardcoated black billet jackshaft hub, fork clamps, and ski mount, custom steel sprockets, 520 oring type chain, custom spring chain tensioners, built by Monstercraftsmen.com, MCP brake caliper mounted on drive-shaft.

These kits are pre-production, meaning the prototype bugs are long gone, now its just figuring out the best most efficient way to build them, one kit is complete, two more will be buttoned up by the end of the week. The machine shops wanted to charge me the same for 3 sets of parts or 6 sets, so I still have 3 kits worth of parts sitting in boxes, if your interested PM me and we can talk more about cost and time frames.

check out the link for more pictures!
https://tkwaterski.shutterfly.com/4820


Stay tuned for more pics later this week!

 

[Dobber1]

Great job!

Really like this idea...just don't forget to tighten those bolts.

 

[tomk]

Lol that's funny! Good eye, Just had the ski on for pics, put the wheel right back on to give it a good shakedown afterwards

 

[snowbikekits.com]

I like the spring loaded chain tensioner - looks good! Can you make a downsized one?

 

[tomk]

Yes, both tensioners are spring loaded and super heavy duty, I am currently working with manufacturer to refine the design and size of them, for the next years kits

 

[tomk]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ITXe1sXkDQA&feature=youtu.be

 

[yamarev]

I like it can you make one kit right side drive for my 05 550 husaberg

 

[tomk]

I am sure we could figure it out!

 

[relentless rider]

Cool , looks like it works good , nice job!

 

[NEWDUCK]

Im a lurker over at bcr and saw this over there first. Awesome your building your own. Ive only rode a hawk with the hawk crew(stevesamps) So ive never been around the bikes. Would it perform better if the drivers were higher in the skid? Or does having them a bit down help pop back up on the snow?

 

[tomk]

I am sure the higher the better but the current design limits how high they can be mounted, currently the center of the drive shaft is 12.5" off the ground. maybe some one has the spec, but it shouldnt be too far off from any other kits. I measured a few sleds during the design process and they are usually between 10-12, so thats what I based it off of, and the idea that the ski is already pushing the snow down in front of the track so it doesnt need to be too high.

 

[NEWDUCK]

This is all theroy but say you take the first bike kit(goofly lay down track design motowhatever) and submerge it in water. If you pin it will it move forward or stay still? It would stay still(for the most part) because the top of the track is trying to move the skid backwards while the bottom is moving forwards. So I would think getting the arc of the track/drivers is best up in the skid and never ever able to touch the snow. Hopefully this is making sense? Now I understand snow is way different that water and the front ski does help carve a path but in 4ft of powder you might notice a difference. I could just be full of it, as usual. In no way am I bashing your build! Just throwing out ideas

 

[tomk]

Looking through pics today I came across this one, I accidentally superimposed my kit over a wheeled bike, petty cool I thought. It really shows why my kit handles so well, as you can see the front of the track is right where the front wheel is, and the weight of the bike is spread over the front 1/3-1/2 of the skid. So weight distribution and handling are very similar to a bike on wheels.

 

[tomk]

Snowbike tracks from Tracks USA are in and look great! Never bought a new track, new track smell and a fancy box!

 

[slidewayzm5]

Sweet! Good job, but I agree that you need a more aggressive angle of attack with the track and also a higher tail (bumper)

When you're buried in the powder, you don't want to have to dig that far down to grab on to the tail to heave it over 6" and ride out.

Estimate of cost?

Competition is good for the sport, the more top of the line kits come out, the better the pricing will have to be.

 

[tomk]

The center of the drive shaft is right at 12.25" from the ground, I think timbersleds is at 13-13.5, I think it is just the picture that is deceiving.

I actually like the bumper that low because then you can lift it way up on top of the snow, the hard part is it makes for a lot of leverage side to side when lifting.

I am asking $3995 for this years kits just to get my name out, they are still pre-production so the idea is I am hoping for feed back in return, next year the price will go up to $4500-$5000ish

 

[dirtrebel]

tks rules!

the drivers are the same height as timbersled, everybody knows you want less angle of attack in the powder so you get on top of the snow instead of digging a hole and then perpetually falling into it. That's why sled suspensions use a soft spring in front so the skid will flatten out. And that's why u pull the limiter strap up tight for powder. That's also why the t sled suspension is coupled the way it is, when u are climbing in powder and the weight is on the back of the skid the coupling action pulls the front up with the rear to keep the angle of attack low! As far as the bumper goes the timbersled sx and ufo don't have handles at the back neither does a hawk, yes its more of a pain to get unstuck, but there is an easy way to remedy that, learn how to ride better! just kidding, but when u do have to get one unstuck its really not that hard to grab the track and work it side to side to make it rise up. I think tom's kit is going for simplicity and lightweight, having a tunnel is nice for gas and gear, but for all out performance it only adds weight and bulk. Tom has put a lot of work and thought into this and his kit gets around in the mountains very well!

 

[tomk]

Snow flaps are in!

 

[epicloop]

Didn't see it posted anywhere, what does kit weigh compared to MH/UFO. Great to see improvements & development on these kits.

 

[tomk]

Thanks for asking I actually took these pics a few days ago but hadn't gotten around to posting. I can't comment on what the others weight, but my kits run 123lbs for the track and 18lbs for the ski, I also put all my bike parts on the scale they were 75lbs!