​Dirt vs. Snow: First Time on a Snow Bike 1

Do you live in a four-season climate? There's no reason to stop riding.

I’m from California, meaning I grew up with the luxury of a nearly year-round riding season. Occasionally we had some “poor” conditions—dry or muddy days—but the only thing that really kept anyone from riding nearly full-time would be their comfort level with the conditions.

About a year ago I made a big move from sunny California to Boise, Idaho. Boise itself is at a low enough elevation that any snowfall usually only sticks around for a few days or so. But of course, this winter has been different. Boise has broken snow records left and right, and as a result, my dirt bikes have been cold and lonely in the garage for a few months now. Aside from going stir-crazy and itching to ride, I was also looking into the whole snow bike craze that seems to be gaining steam right now. Coincidentally, my good buddy actually has a few of these snow bike setups and he finally talked me into trying it out for a weekend. We ended up getting some awesome support from local companies like Fly Racing, Rekluse Motorsports and Fresh Moto Graphics, and we rebuilt one of the bikes with a newer Timbersled Kit for the weekend’s adventure. Since it was my first time on a snow bike, and really one of my first times in the powder-filled backcountry, I figured we would document the weekend’s experience for anyone else who may be snowed in and dreaming of their dirt bikes in the garage!

Installation

When I first saw a snow bike I figured that the conversion had to be done by an experienced expert just because the bike looked wholly transformed. To my surprise the conversion process that we did on the YZF450 only took a few hours. I feel that we could shave that time down to about two hours for the next go ‘round. The track and ski is completely bolt-on and you don’t have to worry about modifying or discarding any of your OEM parts. You can do the conversion by yourself, but it is always easier with a friend there to help with alignment and hefting heavy components. For the most part, these kits are somewhat universal and depending on the bike you own will dictate which model “fitment” kit you might need. After a couple beers and a few hours time, we had the kit ready to rock on the Yamaha.

One of the coolest feelings on a snow bike is diving into a powdery corner where there are no other tracks and just laying the bike into it as hard as you can!

First Tracks

Coming from little experience with snow, the first thing that stood out to me was that it was awkward getting on and off the bike. The track on the rear was wide, and it took a few minutes to get used to just trusting that the bike will stay standing upright without putting my foot down. Riding out from the parking lot and the cat tracks was much more touchy than when we were able to get out into the powder and fresh snow. On groomed trails the front ski would set into a groove from time to time and sometimes pull me off balance awkwardly, but as soon as we hit the backcountry where the snow was deep and untouched the bike become very docile and a blast to rip around. Corning input was pretty much the same as on dirt. The deep snow allowed me to choose endless “loam” corners whenever and wherever I wanted out in the powder. One of the coolest feelings on a snow bike is diving into a powdery corner where there are no other tracks and just laying the bike into it as hard as you can!

As I started getting more comfortable, we began making our own trails in between the trees and the hillsides. It was crazy how much fun it was not having to stick to an actual pre-existing trail or singletrack line, but being able to literally go wherever you wanted among the trees. This was definitely a different feeling of freedom that you don’t always get to experience on the dirt side of things. We even found some little kickers to play on, where the wind had created these epic sections of powdered lips and doubles that we would power over. The bike feels a bit heavier in the air with the track but it is still very predictable and, with the deep snow, it was very forgiving, so I found myself not having to worry about where I was landing as much and was just sending it off the little lips.

Things to Consider

A few things stood out for me throughout the day that really were much different than if I were riding on dirt. The first was the clutch. We had two snow bikes out for the day and one had a stock manual clutch and the one I was mainly riding had the Rekluse Core EXP 3.0 auto clutch. I can honestly say that my day would have been far less enjoyable if I were running a manual clutch. The reason being is that it was much more difficult than I expected to operate the clutch lever while wearing fairly bulky winterized gloves. If I tried to use the clutch my glove would often get in the way. Maybe this would go away after a few more rides and getting used to the setup, but for the first day I was very thankful for not always having to pull the clutch in.

Secondly, I fell over quite a few times when coming to a stop. I resorted back to old habits when coming to a stop out in the snow by putting my foot down without considering the obvious fact that my foot would simply sink into the deep powder. After a few buried tip-overs I began to perfect the process of coming to a stop slowly and maintaining my balance so I wouldn’t even have to put my feet down and the bike would stand upright due to the wide tracks. This was a comical learning progression, greatly enjoyed by my buddy, Garrett.

Lastly, and probably most importantly, was the adjustment of my expectation of feedback on the bike. Coming from dirt, you can feel majority of what’s going on underneath the tires. The suspension and steering inputs are fairly sensitive and since I was used to this from dirt it took me a while to really just relax and let the ski on the front do what it does best and track in snow! At the beginning of the day I found myself being overly tense, and attempting to really control the front end like I was still on dirt. As the day progressed and I learned that relaxing my grip and letting the bike somewhat “float” through the sections, the more comfort and control I found as we cruised through the trees. We did get into some really tight areas and even got stuck for a few moments here and there. Surprisingly the bikes were fairly easy to get out of the deep snow and ravines and they motored right on through to the next epic spot!

Would I get one now?

As the day wrapped up and we loaded up the bikes, I realized I had a smile plastered on my face for most of the day. Riding out on the trails on the dirt is definitely a blast, but there’s something majestic about being out in the backcountry on a dirt bike when the treetops and surrounding mountains are covered in many feet of snow. The freedom to roam and go literally wherever you wanted was an incredible feeling. Like I mentioned earlier, not being stuck to a identified path or trail was so cool, since I was able to lay first and only tracks on most of the tree sections we cruised through.

Now that I live in an area that gets a few months of winter wonderland each year, I think I’ll be looking into a kit like this for myself next winter. Not only is it another way to experience a motorcycle, but it also allows me to continue riding year-round, regardless of the conditions out in the mountains or even at the track. One of the things I might consider before getting into the kit is whether or not I would like to have a dedicated bike just for the snow kit, or if I would install and uninstall the kit each season on my new 450. Once I figure out the best path here I’ll go ahead and pull the trigger.

Final Thoughts

If you’re in any type of snowy predicament, and are itching to get out and moto but haven’t seen dirt in your area for quite some time due to all the snowpack, then I would definitely suggest scoping out Timbersled or a handful of other companies that help us moto-heads convert our dirt beasts for snow riding! The bikes may be somewhat underpowered when comparing them to a traditional snowmobile or sled, but if you come from a moto riding background, or just want something that will be that much more nimble in the trees out in the backcountry, then you would likely fall in love with this conversion, just like I did. From what I’ve heard and seen thus far, it’s highly suggested to start with at least a 450cc (or equivalent two-stroke power) dirt bike, just to ensure you won’t run into any issues getting up those steep windy hills!

For more information on the day’s experience check out the video in this article, and visit the folks who helped provide the right stuff for us to enjoy our day out in the powder!

Photo/video
www.candyhour.com

Snow Gear - Head to Toe:
www.flyracing.com

Auto Clutch (Lifesaver):
www.rekluse.com

Custom Graphics/Wraps - Keepin’ us looking Fresh
www.freshmoto.com

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