Who else is psyched for SnowBike season to start?

[Ben 500RR-S]

Wow, this month is just flying by. At least I finally got to ride again these past two days.

The Beta/DTS 129 combo has been nothing but flawless. I did have to use my Weego JS12 to get the engine going this morning as it had started out at 10F and after having sat for 2 weeks the new this past Aug. AGM just could not do it after two tries in the cold but once the Weego was hooked up, the engine had started and ran on the second try, thank goodness for FI.

I will be bringing the bike home so I can give it some love and change the engine and the x-mission oils and give the bike a good once over as when the bike is not at my house, I just can't tinker with it like I would when I have it in the garage and can fiddle with it most every night of the week.

Up here, we have about a month left before the mid-March sun will just be too strong and there will be no more snow left to ride on. At least the season has been awesome so far.

 

[Misha Subo]

I was all ready to have an epic snow bike ride in Tahoe, CA last week but unfortunately the cards were not in my favour. Together with my two younger boys we flew to San Francisco where we met a long time dirt biking friend and then drove to Lake Tahoe. All seemed ready to go. The snow bikes were rented with Tahoe Dirt Bikes (Darren = owner, a great guy and very accommodating). We were there to ski for 3 days then the plan was for me and John to ride the mountains on Sunday. He has never been on a snow bike before. It started snowing Saturday and never stopped till Sunday morning. Three feet over night...it was too much for the snow bike rental to even get to the staging area to meet us. We couln't get there either so all was lost for what would have been only my second venture into the wild mountains on a snow bike. Back now a plan to ride up north this week.

 

[CATSLEDMAN1]

starting the 2nd season

we figure march and april the second season, warm long days, bright sunshine and vicious 2 hrs little hard snowballs blast storms passing through. Spring riding.

So as Feb goes out, just had our biggest weekly drop. Not sure how much came down but stuck on flat ground was the norm on Fri and Sat.

So we will have snow for the second season. ALL GOOD, yes...... can't wait for the season to start, was zero last nite, that's not the second season yet.

 

[Ben 500RR-S]

This week will be cold up north, which is 50-100 miles where the snow depths are still really good but-and here comes the butt, it will be in the 40's down where I live and if it gets above freezing during the day, coupled with the strong-er sun this time of year, it won't be long before all the snowmobile trails are down to dirt.

Never mind that there has been no new snow, or very little new snow so there has been no chance to snowbike at all as the base is just too hard.

 

[Ben 500RR-S]

Here is is, almost 5 months since I had started the thread (10/23/2018), and the dirt is growing rapidly up north with today forecast to be in the 50's and while there is still good snow, and today would have been a great day to ride in the spring snow when it is all soft, provides great traction and still gives that sweet-sweet floaty-feeling, I had used up enough sick/vacation/personal time that I need to save some for this summer when the kids and wife will be out of school.

It will then be in the 50's all next week so I'm thinking of taking the Beta apart and putting the wheels back on it so I can start riding back and forth to work again.

As sad as it is, the snowbike season might be over for me as there is no stopping spring and once a part of the trail that leads us to the good stuff loses its snow, as it is on a very steep part of the trail and gets hit by the sun, we all know how brutal trying to ride over pavement or even dirt-is with our twin carbides(Camso DTS 129) and the skags biting into the ground, it is just tough trying to ride over the areas with no-snow. Snowmobile no problem with lots of HP and a massive track to push the skis across anything, but the snowbike is just different and not as easy(preaching to the choir, I know).

At least season 2 was a great one with no incidents/issues whatsoever.

 

[needpowder]

Road trip

Time to load that thing on your car and head west! Colorado, Utah, Wyoming, idaho (among others) are all killing it this year and this is the best time of year to ride. You owe it to yourself to Snowbike this type of terrain!

 

[Ben 500RR-S]

Whelp, it is now 5 months to the day I had started this thread. I was psyched for the season to start and had another pretty awesome season of snowbiking. Sadly, I converted the bike back to dirt this afternoon as the days are getting into the 60's and the dirt up north is growing and growing fast.

It was another great season and with no-issues/problems/ breakdowns from the Camso DTS 129 kit, or from the bike.

 

[Sheetmetalfab]

Time to load that thing on your car and head west! Colorado, Utah, Wyoming, idaho (among others) are all killing it this year and this is the best time of year to ride. You owe it to yourself to Snowbike Real terrain!

Haha Fixed it for ya Ben. ??

 

[Ben 500RR-S]

I do, need to get out west, someday.

One of my first loves was skiing(after fishing), and I had longed to go out west to do it, but have not, yet.

I'll keep saying "one of these days".

 

[Misha Subo]

My oldest son and I had what will probably be our last ride yesterday. It was sunny, warm and we've had no new snow here for weeks. You could guess the snow conditions even while driving there. We took a one hour drive and rode for 30 minutes then loaded up and came back home to the big smoke. The season is done but we remain optimistic for that unseasonal storm of the century dump of 1 foot. I has happened.

Seriously though, unless we were to head out west, we'll be putting the wheels back on soon...thinking about it but I'd be on my own. No great rush to convert back as the dirt trails will be too soft for at least a month yet. It is refreshing to look forward to both seasons of riding.

 

[Ben 500RR-S]

I got to ride with a buddy who has a Kawasaki GTR 1400 and my, what a bike. It had to be as far from my Beta 500 RR-S-which is just a woods/enduro-bike with some lights and a plate, but it was smooth, powerful, insanely smooth, and incredibly powerful, and quiet, just what I like, along with comfy.

It was nice to go for a 2-hour, 64 mile ride on some nice, twisty roads on a 60-degree spring day. It makes me miss the snow and winter a lot less as now I can ride back and forth to work and enjoy the bike every day.

My dream is to get a 300cc two stroke, electric start, fuel injected bike that I can leave as a permanent snowbike and never have to convert the bike, ever again. Just a dedicated snowbike, that would be nice.

The conversion from snow to dirt is a lot easier but all in all, the conversion is not all that bad. It just takes time but nothing is hard other than getting the swingarm axle bolt lined up with the track.