who rides both a bike and a sled??

[KAWGRN]

I am an avid dirtbiker and really want to ride in the snow ,,but am also an avid snowmobiler,,So the Question from those who ride both ,will a bike work all the time ??or is there a time/ condition of snow that the bikes will not work at all??? I love boondocking and am wondering if the snow is really dry botomless powder will the bike have the same flotation?? have been in the snowies and colorado when the snow was almost to deep/dry for the sleds???I can see where the more set up snow the bikes would work well,,,, But????????

 

[Dobber1]

Gotta have both...many factors to consider...who you're riding with on a particular day, what they're riding, their riding style & ability, conditions, length of ride, riding area, etc.

 

[Timbersled]

A Bike may be enough for you

We have found many riders who have either sold their sleds or plan to after riding their bikes a few times. The 2 do not go well together so if all your buddies have sleds, you will get bored riding with them on a bike. But if you can get a group with bikes, you will likely never look back to your sled. There are very few days when a bike is not as much fun or more fun than a sled and there are tons of days when a bike is way better. Check out the testimonies on our website if you want more input. http://www.timbersled.com/snowbiketestimonies.htm

Posted by Dave

 

[KAWGRN]

Allan, what is the issue with riding the hard pac or the trail to the bowls? is the rear track width wide enough that it doesnt lean on hard stuff?? and when you say I will be bored riding with sleds,,,, because they cant get there????

 

[Dobber1]

Here's a couple hardpack videos from a couple years ago...just keep the ski pointed where you want to go & don't worry about the track...it'll catch up.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tUCNTwWzcV8

Here's another with a little fluff on hardpack. BTW, this is the very first ride for the Honda rider.
http://youtu.be/DAGIpd9wrZI

 

[KAWGRN]

crap !!! now I gotta by a 4 stroke bike !!!

 

[byeatts]

Nice tunes

 

[mnsnowhawk]

Get a bike kit! You'll love it. I've had two snow hawks and am now going to get rid of my two ski sled because I really don't use it. It took a bit to set it up like I wanted, but after that you will never want a two ski again. I rode a Timbersled kit and found it was very good as is. New ski updates are in the works to help trail handling. Take the jump. You will not regret it.

 

[Dobber1]

crap !!! now I gotta by a 4 stroke bike !!!

Ha! That's not so bad...the wife made me buy two!

 

[byeatts]

Get a bike kit! You'll love it. I've had two snow hawks and am now going to get rid of my two ski sled because I really don't use it. It took a bit to set it up like I wanted, but after that you will never want a two ski again. I rode a Timbersled kit and found it was very good as is. New ski updates are in the works to help trail handling. Take the jump. You will not regret it.

how do you compare the snow hawks and the Mountain horse?tree riding and all around on the mountain

 

[bdoe22]

nimble

mountainhorse kits are extremely nimble compared to the snow hawk.

 

[mnsnowhawk]

The mountainhorse is more nimble and can get you into tighter areas in the trees. The snow hawk is heavier and that makes it a bit more work. The hawk has a lot more speed and power. I personally prefer the hawk because of the speed and power it has compared to the mountainhorse but I'd love to have one of those kits also. Either way they are a lot more fun than having two skis. I also trail ride and it is legal to ride the hawk on trails.

 

[byeatts]

will the hawk negotiate tight trees slow speed at all?

 

[off road rider]

will the hawk negotiate tight trees slow speed at all?

Thats a rider spec Q. For the tight stuff the bike kit will work better, Ive had a few bike kits and went to the Hawk. However after riding the Timbersled there might be another kit in my future. But guaranteed the Hawk will remain in the garage and probably see more use..One thing for sure the bike kits are less maint and far easier to transport and live with..

 

[Dobber1]

Thats a rider spec Q. For the tight stuff the bike kit will work better, Ive had a few bike kits and went to the Hawk. However after riding the Timbersled there might be another kit in my future. But guaranteed the Hawk will remain in the garage and probably see more use..One thing for sure the bike kits are less maint and far easier to transport and live with..

....what ORR said...

 

[KAWGRN]

So do I need to run lowerViscosity oil in the forks ,,and what about E-start I hate 4strokes that wont start after they 've been laid over so was thinking of the KTM 450/530 ,,and then theres the EXC vs The XC is a low first gear needed or would the wide ratio tranny be better was gonna go with the Rekluse either way and is a 450 really enough at 10-12K or should I get the 530??? and what kind of fuel range are you guys going???,,and what gear are you typically in???? inquiring minds want to Know????

 

[Actualle]

So do I need to run lowerViscosity oil in the forks ,,and what about E-start I hate 4strokes that wont start after they 've been laid over so was thinking of the KTM 450/530 ,,and then theres the EXC vs The XC is a low first gear needed or would the wide ratio tranny be better was gonna go with the Rekluse either way and is a 450 really enough at 10-12K or should I get the 530??? and what kind of fuel range are you guys going???,,and what gear are you typically in???? inquiring minds want to Know????

I ran a lighter weight oil in my fork for the winter in anticipation of below zero temps, The fork seals did great. The newer EFI bikes don't really have any problem with starting in the cold, I run a 10w-30 to make starting a bit easier in the cold. Depending on what type of rider you are, you could go with a wide ratio bike. Guys who have the race bikes seem to like the snappier power a bit better, but the wide ratio bikes do well either way. On my 10' crf450r i have a stock 1.3 gal tank that can go around 50-60 miles depending on how much you are spinning the track. I have a mountain addiction can on my tunnel for going all day no problem with fuel left over. I wear normal snowmobile gear but Id like some pants with some leather so I stop burning them up on my pipe. Its awesome having a 4 season machine to rip, after installing the kit once, swapping it out for wheels is super simple. The new Mountain horse skid design is awesome as well. The ski looks pretty cool too.

 

[KAWGRN]

I have 2-KTM 300's for the dirt ,,,, so this 4stroke bike will stay ready for snow like the sleds I was still wondering about the power issue ,,is more better ????? with a tranny

 

[Actualle]

I have 2-KTM 300's,,,, so this bike will stay ready for snow like the sleds I was still wondering about the power issue ,,is more better ????? with a tranny

Im not sure what kind of riding you like to do, but for me More power is always better.(we live in the mountains) I wouldn't go any less than a 450. Ive ran a stock clutching setup all winter, still trying to decide if i want a Rekluse or a Hinson. Swapping out the kit once you mount it the first time becomes a super simple process taking around 1-2 hours. My bike is mostly stock, but Im looking into some big bore kits, cams, anything to get a bit more bark and bite out of it. With the accessibility that snow gives you in the winter, matched with the ride-ability of the bike, you have a machine that can do just about anything you are confident you can handle. The way you look at terrain completely changes between a sled and the bike. On a bike you are looking for the most difficult, tight, steep, terrain you can find, where as with a sled the options don't seems as plentiful. The bikes have half the power of most sleds, but the bike have more usable power all the time than a sled. Using gears in the snow is awesome, you can really get the track to hook up just by feeling through the gears. Sleds are awesome but bikes appeal to me way more.

 

[byeatts]

What is a Hinson?