Snow bikes

[GPP33]

If there was demand there would be classes offered. The problem is that a larger % of motorized users just can't be bothered to take the time to get educated. Of course I have no numbers to back that up. I know when I got into BC it was me, a buddy, a sled and lots of stupid decisions. We wanted adventure, not to sit through a several week long class while our new toy collected dust in the garage. Same thing happens on Loveland Pass, easy access = people who aren't really thinking things through.

I'm just glad there's a general culture in the BC ski world that until you have the right gear that you're not welcome. Could be that it's not just as easy as writing a check and hitting the throttle so the people tend to less lazy. I hate to stereotype like that as I'm an OHV user myself but I see it in all aspects of that community.

[simple]

Wimpy and slow. I'll keep my more capable snowmobile.

[capulin overdrive]

There is motorized on mountain classes, just not very many. And getting to where the dealers are having avi classes every fall at the dealerships, so it is getting better in the motorized world.

[capulin overdrive]

Wimpy and slow. I'll keep my more capable snowmobile.

LOL, at your couch with a track!

[chiller]

We live in the heart of snowbike country it seems. They look fun and my friends who have ridden them seem to be converted. it could be a good way to access skiable terrain, they make a nice skin track. What worries me is how efficient they are and destroying a zone. They crisscross a ton instead of up and down and the can go virtually anywhere. During a hut trip second week in January 7 snow bikes rolled in and within 2 hrs completely decimated what would have been days of riding for us right in front of the hut. This area had never really been hit by sleds as it's just too demanding. One of the riders twisted his knee pretty bad so they had to leave but their plan was to be in the area all day. There is a new carnivore in town and hungry like you've never seen. I try to just accept the new reality that no zone is unreachable by machines anymore but it's tough.

[hatchgreenchile]

Read the full report. The snowbike wasn't the issue.

I try to just accept the new reality that no zone is unreachable by machines anymore but it's tough.

Wilderness areas and national parks are a good place to start.

[simple]

LOL, at your couch with a track!

Name a snowbikes that can do anything close to what the Axys can do in any situation. You can't. I thought you were smarter than that.

I forget sometimes that most snowmo riders have no idea how to actually use their machines in the woods. If you are one of them I understand.

[summit]

Do elaborate.......

Pressure bulbs are complex. It would be a long post and it is some fairly advanced stuff parts of which I barely understand.

You will need institutional access to read this, but this is the latest and best research that I am aware of:
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science...65232X14001025

Basically they had sleds drive UPHILL over sensors and skiers ski downhill and TURN over senors buried at different depths and in different snow profiles to determine the amount and depth of static and dynamic stress so you can evaluate the "pressure bulb" vs the bridging index for the profile. The sled they used was an 800 with a 163 track. Not sure what they used for the skis (they didn't say). The results of their modeling showed variation and mostly they were concerned with modeling a BI to maintain a stability index for the mode of travel. In general, they suggest you need a larger BI for the snowmobile. But there is a lot of fudge factor I think when comparing a turning skier to a hill climbing sledder.

That article is Thulmert and Jamieson's latest progression of their previous work here:
http://schulich.ucalgary.ca/asarc/fi...k_Thumlert.pdf
Which is a more in depth version of their very informal and easy to read Bridge of Troubled Facets: http://schulich.ucalgary.ca/asarc/fi...facets%20w.pdf

And good background reading would be previous work by Schweitzer, particularly the first article that covers Bridging Indices:
http://www.ucalgary.ca/files/asarc/ProfileAnalysis.pdf
http://www.wsl.ch/info/mitarbeitende...aciol_1993.pdf
http://www.wsl.ch/info/mitarbeitende...iol32_2001.pdf

[capulin overdrive]

Name a snowbikes that can do anything close to what the Axys can do in any situation. You can't. I thought you were smarter than that.

I forget sometimes that most snowmo riders have no idea how to actually use their machines in the woods. If you are one of them I understand.

You are right, most can't ride a sled, and I'm one of them. Partly because I'm old fat and lazy, but the excuse I use is I'm tall and having the tallest bars hit me at the knees just ain't worth the work of trying to ride the damned thing.


But you're wrong about bikes, long track bike ain't no joke. Would take a Burandt wannabe rider to keep up with an average bike rider in technical terrain.


Only thing bikes don't do good, is climb straight up in the deep.

[whipski]

I own a sled. Lots of my friends have them. Haven't been on a bike. Just my observation that they seem to be able to rip up into more avi prone terrain with greater ease than a sled. Has me thinking when prices come down they will increase the # of human triggered avi's dramatically.

[bourbonisgood]

I will second what chiller and 2funky have said. I live in the heart of the densest population of snow bikes in the world. They can (in general) get in to places that very few sleds can access. And with a much lower skill set required. With that said, they look like a ton of fun, and I wouldn't mind owning one with a nice MoPro rack on it!! I can't comment on the relative avy risk, but given the terrain they can access, I'd guess it could be higher in certain situations.

[Deebased]

I will second what chiller and 2funky have said. I live in the heart of the densest population of snow bikes in the world. They can (in general) get in to places that very few sleds can access. And with a much lower skill set required. With that said, they look like a ton of fun, and I wouldn't mind owning one with a nice MoPro rack on it!! I can't comment on the relative avy risk, but given the terrain they can access, I'd guess it could be higher in certain situations.

You've got that right. Snowbikes are the best time you can have on snow period. Now if we could just get 100Hp without a turbo kit full layovers would be in reach.

[North]

I've been thinking about getting a bike for playing around in the summer and I've been thinking about getting a sled for BC access. Now I'm thinking one tool can do it all....

One tool would be ideal, but a snowbike isn't it IMO. It takes more work than simply bolting on the TS kit to get them dialed...enough work that swapping from winter to summer mode and vice versa isn't really practical.

Name a snowbikes that can do anything close to what the Axys can do in any situation. You can't. I thought you were smarter than that.

I'll play:
Ride between two trees spaced <30" apart. Can your Axys do that ? I don't have a dog in this fight, but I also can't understand why people are so resistant to consider that new tech that does different things can be cool....

And they can't highmark, or win drags, or any of the redneck shit....for now, but the power is coming. My buddy is currently building a snowbike with a snowmobile engine and CVT. Should be a ripper.

[Deebased]

One tool would be ideal, but a snowbike isn't it IMO. It takes more work than simply bolting on the TS kit to get them dialed...enough work that swapping from winter to summer mode and vice versa isn't really practical.



I'll play:
Ride between two trees spaced <30" apart. Can your Axys do that ? I don't have a dog in this fight, but I also can't understand why people are so resistant to consider that new tech that does different can be cool....

And they can't highmark, or win drags, or any of the redneck shit....for now, but the power is coming. My buddy is currently building a snowbike with a snowmobile engine and CVT. Should be a ripper.

Please ask him to make it a 2s

[North]

Please ask him to make it a 2s

I believe his donor motor is a 600 from a Ski-Doo...so yeah, 2-stroke

[2FUNKY]

In my mind, the KTM Super Enduro 950 would be the ultimate platform for a snow bike. 110hp of pure badassery.

[capulin overdrive]

I'm waiting out the next week or so to see if the OEM's do anything worth a darn. If not I'm gearing up to build a high HP bike, most likely work with a Yamaha FZ-09. Light and cheap.

KTM, Ducati, Honda African Twin, could all be a maybe, but think the Yamaha wins for weight and price.

Not a fan of CVT, but would love to have a dual clutch tranny.

Canooks have already built a couple FZ-07 bikes.

[TG]

Wilderness areas and national parks are a good place to start.

bullshit

those cunts love to poach.
feds don't have enough $ or manpower for proper enforcement
even when caught, often end up in front of a sympathetic redneck dumbfuck judge who doesn't care much for the federal govmint & goes easy on them

cunts.

bring on the Darwin.

[skiSilent_skiDeep]

longtime utah avi forecaster Brett Kobernik gets after it on a KTM 950



beast of a track kit on that thing. 0:09 -> 0:53

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jges1T-Y5sk

You've got that right. Snowbikes are the best time you can have on snow period.

i agree.
the versatility and the fun-ness of it all seems unmatched.

[GPP33]

longtime utah avi forecaster Brett Kobernik gets after it on a KTM 950



beast of a track kit on that thing. 0:09 -> 0:53

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jges1T-Y5sk




i agree.
the versatility and the fun-ness of it all seems unmatched.

That thing is sick! That's a huge track for a bike, awesome in so many ways.

[2FUNKY]

longtime utah avi forecaster Brett Kobernik gets after it on a KTM 950

Like I said! The KTM 950 SE is a kickass platform for these. That set up is fucking rad!

[ACH]

^^^
That thing is rad!
That track looks like it's 180cm +...

For two stroke snowbike fans...

Huzza!

2015 1/2 KTM 550 SX Factory Edition custom one off exotic factory build

"Motocross Action Magazine dubbed it as "being the most powerful motocross bike ever tested by MXA."

[capulin overdrive]

Can still get a Maico 700 2 smoker, but it's a right hand drive like the 550, so would create xtra work to fit a kit.

[TheScreesusLizard]

A conversion with an old CR500 would be sweet. They can still be found semi-cheaply.