Do you hate not being able to use your dirt bike, all winter long? Well, it turns out that there's a way of pressing it into service, even once the snow has fallen – aside from swapping in studded tires, that is. Timbersled's Mountain Horse kit replaces a motorbike's front wheel with a ski, and its rear wheel with a snowmobile-like track.
Quite similar in concept to the Snoxcycle, the Mountain Horse can reportedly be mounted on a wide variety of dirt bike makes and models, as long as the buyer makes sure to get a properly-spec'd kit. With the exception of the KTM 690, no modifications to the bike are required, and all the components can be simply bolted into place.
There are three versions of the kit, depending on the intended use.
The standard 120-inch (305-cm)-long Short Track provides the best maneuverability along with the optimum power-to-traction ratio, allowing it to be used on bikes with engines as small as 250cc. The 137-inch (348-cm) Long Track, on the other hand, offers a claimed 20 percent better traction in deep snow. That added traction comes at the expense of about 8 mph (13 km/h) off the top speed, however, and it should only be used on bikes sporting 500cc or higher.
Finally, for racier types, there's the 121-inch (307-cm) Snow Cross kit. It's narrower than the other two, and its track is made from a harder rubber. The addition of a swing arm boosts the travel of its rear suspension, plus the paddles on the track are longer in the middle and shorter on the sides – this gives the track a rounded cross-section, similar to that of a tire. Along with snow cross racing, this version is also intended for use on hard-pack snow and rough terrain.
Finally, for racier types, there's the 121-inch (307-cm) Snow Cross kit. It's narrower than the other two, and its track is made from a harder rubber. The addition of a swing arm boosts the travel of its rear suspension, plus the paddles on the track are longer in the middle and shorter on the sides – this gives the track a rounded cross-section, similar to that of a tire. Along with snow cross racing, this version is also intended for use on hard-pack snow and rough terrain.
Prices range from US$5,500 for the Short Track through to $6,200 for the Long Track, and top out at $6,500 for the Snow Cross. Bikes using the kits can be seen in action, in the video below.
Should it be your mountain bike that you want to use in the snow, you might instead be interested in the K-Trak. And if you're more interested in making your four-wheeled vehicle more snow-worthy, you could check out Mattracks or Track N Go.
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