Snow bikes | GTAMotorcycle.com

Snow bikes

V

Vova

Active member
Hello all,
I have converted one of my bikes into a snow bike timbersled riot setup. And now looking into possible places to ride it. I have contacted OFSC about this and they pretty much told me I can’t use any of their trails because it’s not classified as a snowmobile.
Any input on this subject would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks
 

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Cool. @Lightcycle was going to put some together but I don't know if he ever did.

As you found out, finding a place to ride them isn't easy. I think you can ride any lake (although it's hard to find a less fun environment to ride a snowbike) or private property you have permission to ride on. I assume that your motorcycle insurance covers this? Did you notify them of the changes so liability coverage is still in force? It's a pretty obvious modification so I could see insurance companies telling you no way (especially after the fact) in which case the only place to ride it is private land you own or a competition that carries insurance.
 
Like you found out from the OFSC, trails are a no go with snow bikes. You need to go where the backcountry sled guys ride. In Ontario Wawa is the popular backcountry riding area. Others go to the chic-choc mountains in Quebec and Upper peninsula in Michigan.

You can play around with the crown land atlas to try and find some rideable crown land closer then those 3 places I suggested. It's not easy to use but there are some youtube videos around that explain how to find what your looking for. Not all crown land allows motorized vehicles. Geocortex Viewer for HTML5

The compound in Muskoka (think Bracebridge area) is a snocross practice track that I believe they allow snowbikes to ride on.
 
What is it about these that the OFSC doesn't like? They have a rear track and front ski. Too much fun? Reminds me of when snowboards were banned from ski hills.
 
Relax said:
What is it about these that the OFSC doesn't like? They have a rear track and front ski. Too much fun? Reminds me of when snowboards were banned from ski hills.
Click to expand...
On the surface it seems very similar to the ski/snowboard debate. They were ski hills, therefore no snowboards allowed. They are snowmobile trails, therefore only snowmobiles allowed and this is not technically a snowmobile. I suspect part of it will be the old guys in charge of snowmobile clubs are not snowbike riders (again similar to ski/snowboard fight). There could also be a real reason. I don't know what a snowbike ridden hard does to the trail. If you can get the track up on edge, you can probably cut big ruts into the groomed surface.
 
GreyGhost said:
Cool. @Lightcycle was going to put some together but I don't know if he ever did.

As you found out, finding a place to ride them isn't easy. I think you can ride any lake (although it's hard to find a less fun environment to ride a snowbike) or private property you have permission to ride on. I assume that your motorcycle insurance covers this? Did you notify them of the changes so liability coverage is still in force? It's a pretty obvious modification so I could see insurance companies telling you no way (especially after the fact) in which case the only place to ride it is private land you own or a competition that carries insurance.
Click to expand...
Thank you for the info, you are right about the insurance I haven’t looked into it yet
 
blackcamaro said:
Like you found out from the OFSC, trails are a no go with snow bikes. You need to go where the backcountry sled guys ride. In Ontario Wawa is the popular backcountry riding area. Others go to the chic-choc mountains in Quebec and Upper peninsula in Michigan.

You can play around with the crown land atlas to try and find some rideable crown land closer then those 3 places I suggested. It's not easy to use but there are some youtube videos around that explain how to find what your looking for. Not all crown land allows motorized vehicles. Geocortex Viewer for HTML5

The compound in Muskoka (think Bracebridge area) is a snocross practice track that I believe they allow snowbikes to ride on.
Click to expand...
Thank you for the info
 
GreyGhost said:
On the surface it seems very similar to the ski/snowboard debate. They were ski hills, therefore no snowboards allowed. They are snowmobile trails, therefore only snowmobiles allowed and this is not technically a snowmobile. I suspect part of it will be the old guys in charge of snowmobile clubs are not snowbike riders (again similar to ski/snowboard fight). There could also be a real reason. I don't know what a snowbike ridden hard does to the trail. If you can get the track up on edge, you can probably cut big ruts into the groomed surface.
Click to expand...
I think it’s also the nature of the snow bikes, the way they are ridden is different than the snowmobile. Snowmobiles are much faster, maybe a safety issue, I don’t know. But I also think there is a lot of truth to what GreyGhost is saying about the administration being of certain age with well established creature habits and biased opinions.
 
They tear up the manicured snowmobile trails, that snowmobile riders pay for with their licenses... and NO, having a snowmobile license isn't gonna cut you any slack

... don't ask.
... but they WILL send an OPP officer to your door in Mississauga to warn you about trespassing in Kawartha Lakes
 
bitzz said:
They tear up the manicured snowmobile trails, that snowmobile riders pay for with their licenses... and NO, having a snowmobile license isn't gonna cut you any slack

... don't ask.
... but they WILL send an OPP officer to your door in Mississauga to warn you about trespassing in Kawartha Lakes
Click to expand...
Thanks
When you said don’t ask, naturally … :) what was that someone trespassing on ? Snow bike ?
 
Biggest thing with the trails is snow bikes aren't built to the standard set out by the industry as what qualifies as a snowmobile.

Snowmobile Safety Certification Committee Background, ISMA (International Snowmobile Manufacturers Association)-Information for snowmobilers: snowmobiling trails and safety; facts and trends

http://www.snowmobilesafetycertific...ile-safety-and-certification-program-2021.pdf

I have a tough time believing a 50hp snowbike is going to tear up a trail any worse then 160hp sleds with deep lug tracks. OFSC just doesn't want the liability. Can't ride ATVs with tracks on the trails either. Quebec has a second set of trails set up for ATV's that frequently run along side the sled trails.

@Vova I forgot to mention earlier, call the Haliburton Forest reserve. They have their own private trails that has nothing to do with the OFSC. They might let you. Snowmobile and ATV Trails - Haliburton Forest & Wild Life Reserve Ltd
 
blackcamaro said:
Biggest thing with the trails is snow bikes aren't built to the standard set out by the industry as what qualifies as a snowmobile.

Snowmobile Safety Certification Committee Background, ISMA (International Snowmobile Manufacturers Association)-Information for snowmobilers: snowmobiling trails and safety; facts and trends

http://www.snowmobilesafetycertific...ile-safety-and-certification-program-2021.pdf

I have a tough time believing a 50hp snowbike is going to tear up a trail any worse then 160hp sleds with deep lug tracks. OFSC just doesn't want the liability. Can't ride ATVs with tracks on the trails either. Quebec has a second set of trails set up for ATV's that frequently run along side the sled trails.

@Vova I forgot to mention earlier, call the Haliburton Forest reserve. They have their own private trails that has nothing to do with the OFSC. They might let you. Snowmobile and ATV Trails - Haliburton Forest & Wild Life Reserve Ltd
Click to expand...
Thank you, will definitely give them a call
About ATVs, I’ve heard from a few snowmobilers that that frequently encounter atvs on the trails, does that mean they are allowed to be there?
 
Vova said:
Thank you, will definitely give them a call
About ATVs, I’ve heard from a few snowmobilers that that frequently encounter atvs on the trails, does that mean they are allowed to be there?
Click to expand...
Most snowmobile trails do not allow ATV's. Atv's rut the trail and have significant potential issues with closing speeds (and getting stuck if they go off trail at all, in the loose stuff it's not hard to get a sled stuck but at least it can climb itself out with some effort). For probably many of the same reasons you are facing, tracked ATV's are not allowed on OFSC winter trails either.

Relevant research document:
 
bitzz said:
They tear up the manicured snowmobile trails, that snowmobile riders pay for with their licenses... and NO, having a snowmobile license isn't gonna cut you any slack

... don't ask.
... but they WILL send an OPP officer to your door in Mississauga to warn you about trespassing in Kawartha Lakes
Click to expand...
Sleds tear up sled trails. The new machines (I ride a vintage '80 Kawi Invader) with their deep lug tracks and goofy power trash the trails as fast as they're groomed. I doubt a sno bike is gonna do much.
 
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No Reserve: Pair of 1980 Chrysler Sno-Runners

Bid for the chance to own a No Reserve: Pair of 1980 Chrysler Sno-Runners at auction with Bring a Trailer, the home of the best vintage and classic cars online. Lot #42,408.
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At first I thought this thread might be about SnoRunners. I have two. They are not great in the snow.
 
Relax said:
What is it about these that the OFSC doesn't like? They have a rear track and front ski. Too much fun? Reminds me of when snowboards were banned from ski hills.
Click to expand...
Probably the OFSC's insurance policy. I can't see how they would wreak more havoc to the trails than any of the high powered sleds and there won't be many of these bikes out there anyway. It doesn't surprise me the OFSC poo-poo'ed them...(we're not the US, after all) and its a shame.
 
When I was about 8, I had a dream about riding some mystery motorized thing across the water. You rode it like a motorcycle but it was designed to go across water. Never forgot that dream. They actually came out with these things a few years later. Never got one, but many years later, got my fill, so to speak, by doing several water crossings on my 600cc SkiDoo thru the channel in Dorset (about a 1/4 mile of open water) Craziest thing I've ever done. But I digress.
 
timtune said:
bringatrailer.com

No Reserve: Pair of 1980 Chrysler Sno-Runners

Bid for the chance to own a No Reserve: Pair of 1980 Chrysler Sno-Runners at auction with Bring a Trailer, the home of the best vintage and classic cars online. Lot #42,408.
bringatrailer.com bringatrailer.com

At first I thought this thread might be about SnoRunners. I have two. They are not great in the snow.
Click to expand...
They're cool but if I had them and could get 15K USD for them, they would be on the to the next owner.
 
I guess we never grow out of being kids, I wanted a dirt bike ever since I was a kid. Used to imagine myself riding on the side of the road every time we would take a family trip. Now im 43 and just started riding about a year ago and I can’t get enough of it. Ganaraska every single weekend
 
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