Well just got back from a Demo with the MountainHorse snowbike kit built by Allen at Timbersled Products. I have posted a review below and a U-Tube Vid
First off a big thanks for Allen taking us out for a spin on the bikes. Doing demo rides day after day can wear on a guy and having logged over 2,000 miles and 1500 miles on the other bike he did great showing us around the mountain and showing us what these bikes can really do even though I am sure he has to be getting burned out on demo rides.
At first glance almost any avid sledder that rides a 150hp stock 800 to full out boosted 250hp sled would look at a timbersled snowbike kit and think of a slow stuckfest ride through the woods on an underpowered bike. I mean how can something with such little HP and small track go through the power and not get stuck right??
Right off the bat we loaded the three bikes into the back of Allen’s truck (yes I said three) and headed to the mountains. Once up the mountains the bikes made for a quick and easy unload it is amazing that one person can load and unload these bikes without any problems once you get a system down. After gearing up & Allen giving us some pointers we were off. Getting on the mountainhorse is the most unnatural feeling in the word. Ever have you legs fall asleep and you try to walk?? Well that’s how the first mile on the trail felt in fact right off most will hate how the bike feels and want to get back on a sled. So after a few miles Allen stops and ask us if were ready for some hills “umm ya sure” I say and away he goes up a steep ravine. Still uneasy about the feeling of the bike we turn them into the sidehill and this is were things start to change. Right off one can tell this system is made for the steep in fact the worse it got the better off I seemed to be. We spent a few min in an open hillside learning the feeling of the bikes and then it was off to the ****holes.
Lucky for us Allen was on a 2-Moto kit and was in the lead. Now not bashing the 2-Moto it did ok but I was amazed at how slow I could take the mountainhorse kit through and up a slope that is only reserved for the best of the best snowmobile riders. These things just don’t want to get stuck!!! I could slow down and make a mistake right before heading up a 8 ft vertical wall of powder on a side-hill and drop it into 1st gear and it would just pull right up over the top with the ski in the air. All the wile Allen was wide open throttle pinned and just barely crawling through these spots and getting stuck constantly whenever his speed would burn off on the 2-moto were the timblersled would just crawl through the worst of spots even with a novice rider. I am still amazed at how much fun we had giving the crappy snow conditions. It was one of those days when on a sled you do great as long as you keep you speed up but let off the throttle once or loose your line in the trees and the bottom just falls out from underneath and there is just no traction once the tunnel gets bogged down in the wet heavy snow. Allen was the most bummed out about the snow in the powder he said the bikes are even more forgiving on the corners and you can turn even sharper on the hills with more speed and the bikes just float over the worst of bumps and ruts none the less the bikes just don’t need that much snow to have a blast in!!!
Another thing that surprised me is how well the front ski sticks to the snow. One would think you would have to keep the ski level or it would wash out in a turn. It is just the opposite the more you lean the bike into a hill or into a turn the more it sticks to the hill. With that said these bikes to have a bit of a learning curve one has to learn how to trust the ski no matter what and even if you are on a vertical sidehill and you want to turn uphill and you fall into a 8ft tree well you just steer into the bank and you just pop out (or the bike does).
After almost a full day on the bike I was able to start pulling some lines up stuff one just does not take a sled up or dream of taking a sled across. 2ft wide creek bed snow bridges with water underneath are no longer an issue and it does not matter if it vertical on the other side you just hit it WOT and pop on top or if you need you sidehill across it no matter how steep it is. You also cover country so fast!! You can just fly across this stuff no matter how steep or how tight up and through tree wells so deep and steep the bike would disappear.
So after a full day I can say these kits open up a whole new set of possibilities on not only were you can ride but how much fun you can have on 3 Gal of fuel. No belts to buy. Throw 3 guys in a truck and have a BLAST!!! Once you have the kit it can adapt to any bike. Did I mention (easy to get unstuck!!)
Cons
There was a few cons to the bikes.
1. After one stops the bike you must put the bike into N for it to start. Not sure why I start my 450 in the dirt all the time in 1st no problems but this is not the case for the bikes.
2. A magic button would be NICE!!
3. Not realy a con but I felt the Rekluse clutch was a must for the snowbike but then again I also think the recluse is a must for the dirt as well but the stock clutched bike also did great
4. It can be hard on snowpants wile I never burnt a hole through my snowpants I did smell them from time to time so it is just a matter of time I am sure I can do something to stop this but it is an issue that will need to be addressed.
5. A bit of a learning curve
6. Digging out the 2moto kit!!!
7. Iced trails are not the best if you get just a touch of powder on the trail you could fly down the trail without any darting.
I get allot of questions on the bikes so below I listed a few Q&A
Q –How much gas do you carry and how far can you go??
A—We did a full day and burned about 2.0 to 2.5Gal once you get used the bike Allen says a good 60 mile + ride burns 3-4Gal so it easy to carry this on the back of the bike.
Q—How often do you change out chains and sprockets??
A—I looked at these aluminum sprockets and they almost look like new!! Even after 1500 and 2000 miles they are in great shape easy a full season left on them. The snow just does not eat them up like dirt.
Q—How often do I tighten the chains??
A—after talking with Allen I would check them twice a season maybe 3 times but one is not going to have to tighten them but once a season
Q—Does the bike stand up on it’s own??
A—Yes it does 80% of the time it will stand right up without you putting much effort at all
Q—Is it going to work the crap out of my bike and motor??
A—I ride the dunes allot and I can say the dunes are 10 times harder on the bike than the snow. Most times you have to get off the throttle and back on so much and also there is no air filters to clean and dirt to get into the motor. 2000 miles on the one bike is ALLOT and it runs just like new never a top end or anything yet.
Q—Is the cold weather going to take out the seals and leak oil on the forks??
A—On the Yamaha and other 450’s so far it seems to do just fine without and leaks.
I am sure there are more questions and if you need prices so feel free to ask just shoot me an E-mail at
snowjw3090@yahoo.com. Again I thank Allen for letting Mike and Me demo the bikes!! I came there very not knowing what to expect and I can say these things are a blast it’s very had to describe what they can do without spending some time on one.
Below is a U-Tube Vid link very hard to film these bikes we had to find a open area to get any shots so these areas are very open to what we were in most of the time.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k1yVGsr0ETA&feature=youtube_gdata
HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!!!!! Love from your wife 
Cant wait to ride it next season (If Allen feels generous!!)
The 510 would love it.
