“As the weather turned to snow here in the North West I’d see these guys with snow bikes on the back of their trucks heading out to go ride. I just loved how they were able to ride motorcycles during the winter. Since I’m a bit of a self-professed addict when it comes to motorcycles, I’m pretty much into any and all things that have to do with the sport. That got me thinking that the KTM I had recently purchased could easily power a track, so I started looking on Craigslist for used tracks. I didn’t want to be stuck with a $7000 investment that I wasn’t happy with so it made me ask myself; How cheap could I build this thing for and still have as much fun as all the guys I saw on the newer setups?” – Kyle Cooper
With March upon us, the Northern hemisphere is heading into spring again, and it’s time to dust off those ADV motorcycles and unplug the trickle chargers. However, while the snow still holds out in some parts, we take a look at a budget version of the Timbersled solution from American manufacturer Polaris. Their kits allow for the conversion of a dirt bike into a snow bike that gives the option of year-round riding no matter the conditions outside. We touched base with Idaho rider Kyle Cooper of Backcountry Adventure Motorsports about his recent snow bike conversion.
“I started riding motorcycles when I was a kid but became ‘addicted’ to riding about 15 years ago like many after watching Long Way Round and spending countless hours out riding. I’d been in the Army for thirteen years, and after that, I was a Sheriff’s Deputy for nearly ten years, so adventure riding for me is a great way to get out and get that adrenaline rush that most people are looking for when riding off-road. That being said, it’s also an excellent excuse for me to get outdoors and unwind after a long day.”
Kyle Cooper lives in Coeur d Alene, Idaho, USA. “Right now I am self-employed and in the process of expanding my media based ADV motorcycle company called Backcountry Adventure Motorsports. We are planning to offer ADV motorcycling and Dual Sport trips along with snow bike tours in the winter. Alongside this, I also run a Veterans Non-Profit called Veterans Back 40 Adventure where we take veterans out on outdoor adventures and motorcycles trips. These are done at no cost to them since our goal is to build a community among veterans, to get them into the outdoors and to help relieve the daily stresses they often face after the service.”
“My main ride is a 2016 Honda Africa Twin CRF1000L, with several upgrades to make it ‘dirt worthy.’ I love riding it; however I still wanted something a little lighter for practicing on around my house where I have a small course set up, and to run the local single track trails for practice. My thought was that a smaller bike would allow me to get my adventure bike skills up but be easier to lift when dropped over and over again. So when a close friend of mine had a 2005 KTM 450 EXC that needed some minor work done up for sale, I decided to pull the pin on it last November.”
“I do own two older snowmobiles, and they are a lot of fun, but the snow bikes are just known for being more nimble and act a lot like a dirt bike when riding snow. If you’ve ridden a snowmobile, you know that you have to throw your weight around to be able to control and steer it how you want. With the snow bike, you point the ski where you want to go, and you go. It’s that simple. Now I know there are snowmobile folks out there that will argue this, but generally, snowmobiles don’t do well in the tight trees and can get stuck pretty easily. A snow bike can usually be lifted out or pushed on their side and dragged around to get out of a hole. Even with all of this, the final decision for me had more to do with when the snow melts. On the snow bike you can simply remove the kit and put the wheels back on, and you are all set for dirt. With practice, the process can take about an hour, so you are ready to go from snow to dirt in no time. You get an all in one machine. With my KTM being street legal it means that I can go from snow to dirt, to pavement all with one machine. So it means fewer machines to maintain or store when I’m not using them.”
“The KTM EXC is essentially a street legal race bike. It has shorter gears in the first to third range and taller gears from fourth to sixth which in my opinion make it an excellent bike for going back and forth between snow and dirt. After taking my time and a lot of looking around, I found a 2011 Timbersled Mountain Horse 120 that had been converted to a 137 track and had all the upgrades which made it very similar to a newer kit. I purchased the track for $1800, and got to work putting it on the bike.” With this platform in place, Kyle upgraded the rest of the bike to suit the intended terrain and climate. Providing a larger range is an Acerbis fuel tank conversion to up capacity. A Seat Concepts seat provides a comfier ride while Oxford Heated grips warm up the hands out in the cold. Kyle fitted a Cyclops LED headlight to provide the lumens. Seal Saver guards protect the fork seals from being destroyed by ice. The clutch has also been upgraded with a Rekluse clutch system. Barkbuster Storm handguards protect from any strikes while navigating the backcountry. Giant Loop, in turn, supplies the luggage solutions with a Revelstoke Tunnel Bag, Fender bag and their Bushwacker handguards for when the snow is really coming down. “I’ve always been a huge fan of Giant Loop gear. They make very high-quality bags and luggage. Now that they make snow gear it was a no brainer for me to add it to the bike.”
“Good dirt bike suspension is known for soaking up all the harsh bumps on gravel, but on a snow bike the original suspension set up is just too soft to handle the added weight and abuse the front end takes. Many people will swap their springs and valving each season or purchase a second set of forks. However, Bruce from Gage Broz Motorsports turned me on to an inexpensive way that can be left on the bike year round. The AirPro system replaces your bleed valves and allows up to 16 psi of air pressure turning your forks into a dramatically stiffer suspension. Another necessary setup item is temperature management. Keeping the bikes temperatures up keeps the bike running better and also helps keep engine components from freezing when snow or powder is built up around the engine. An engine snow blanket or snow shield form SXS will help with this and is a must when riding in deep powder. The last important item would be geometry. When putting a kit on it is important to pay attention to the geometry of the front ski spindle as well as the strut length in the rear. Different bikes are set up differently so if you buy a used kit for a Kawasaki, it may not be set up correctly for a KTM so keep that in mind when looking for used kits.”
“Riding gear to me is also one of the most important items one should invest in when getting into any riding. You want something that is durable, comfortable and functional. In my opinion, when it comes to technical riding gear, KLIM is the leader. I have KLIM gear for both dirt and snow riding. For boots, I wound up with the new KLIM Havoc GTX BOA boot. These boots are very warm, and since they are Gortex, they keep my feet dry. The BOA system makes them easy to take on and off and they feel like a motocross boot for the snow while riding. As far as a suit goes, I went with the KLIM Lochsa one-piece. It’s ideal for backcountry riding since it truly keeps the snow out and the warmth in. For gloves, I rotate between two different pairs depending on the temperature. When its really cold I go with the Klimate gloves and for a little warmer or when I’m doing some technical riding I wear the Powerxross gloves. A lot of times I will start with one and switch to the other. When it comes to helmet choice, I opted for the 509 Tactical Black Ops Helmet. It’s a lightweight helmet with great visibility that has removable inserts depending on how much you want the helmet to breathe. I pair this with a 509 XL5 Ignite heated goggles. They don’t fog up and are very comfortable against your face. These have been awesome for deep snow.”
“For navigation, I use the Trail Tech Voyager Pro. The integrated map and bike monitoring features make it ideal for a snow bike. One of my favorite parts is the buddy tracker. You can easily get turned around in the backcountry or get separated in the trees. So when you do get separated, it’s convenient to find fellow riders location on the map. You can even hit the SOS button when you need help getting out of a situation” In addition to this Kyle also uses the Cardo Packtalks for communicating with fellow riders along with BCA two way radios for when they “really get separated.”
“There can be plenty of amazing moments when you are out riding a snow bike since you can go just about anywhere you want. The terrain isn’t a factor like it is on dirt. I love getting out in the backcountry and being far away from it all. One of the best moments so far was on my first trip out with the bike. I started riding through this open meadow then noticed an area of trees that went up the mountain. Riding, bobbing and weaving through the tight trees was a blast, and I climbed and climbed and was blown away by the ease with which I kept going. As I got higher up the mountain, the trees became a little thinner and opened up a little. I simply had to stop and turned off the motor. It was completely silent. The sun rays came through the trees, and the air sparkled from the snow. It sounds funny, but it was like being in a dream. At that moment, I’m sure I had a huge smile on my face. You could hear other machines way off in the distance, but there was no one else around me. It was very surreal, and I knew I had made the right decision with the time and effort I had put into the build.”
For more on Kyle and Backcountry Adventure Motorsports follow the Instagram account or check out their Facebook page.
All images copyright Kyle Cooper / Backcountry Adventure Motorsports.
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