June 29, 2009
Look Mom: ‘No Ski’s’
I have been working on a little project since last fall which just came to fruition last week. We have formed a partnership agreement with Camoplast, who you likely know, is our snowmobile track supplier. We are now offering TRIC, track conversion kits for our Grizzly ATV’s. Okay, I know putting tracks on an ATV does not make it a sled but it does beg the question- what is it? and more importantly- where does it belong?
We all know, balloon tired ATV’s do not mix all that well with snowmobiles on the groomed trails, what with the speed and handling differences and all. But what happens when tracks replace the wheels? First thing is the reduction in gear ratio (approximately 40%) which brings down the top speed significantly. Next the added traction and resulting loss of wheel spin adds a large measure of control and stability on loose snow.
I have spent some significant time on board the tracked Griz and am pretty comfortable with the thought that these machines can share the trail quite nicely with snowmobiles. I didn’t always think that way but with more testing experience I have changed my mind. It may become a bit more of an issue as more and more A
TV’s get the rubber band treatment and start eyeballing some of the thousands of KM of snowmobile trails. Way I see it, if they were to purchase a trail pass and practice the same rules of the trail as snowmobiles, good enough but it will take a lot of convincing to ever get it past the federations and their insurers I would think.
Part of the durability testing we performed on our track kit was to sponsor a local snowmobile clubs grooming operation and our machine pulled an AFMI drag for the Six Star club during most of the past season, replacing the trusty old VK 540 (and rusty old Skandic) that were in their fleet. Turns out the Grizzly made for a better grooming unit than the sleds for pulling, used way less fuel and never missed a beat.
The track kit has evolved a lot in the past five years. They are lighter, more durable and easier steering (especially with EPS) and ours is now suited for four season use, mud, snow rock, whatever you care to throw at it. Sporty ride? Absolutely not, but go anywhere you point it… yep. Easy enough to throw the wheels back on in the summer if you are running mostly trails and come winter, bolt up the tracks and continue to enjoy your investment year round. The traditional ‘Bravo’ customer may be well served to jump ship and become a year round ATV rider.
One thing the TRIC ATV will do that no sled can, is push a snow plow. The track system is perfect for pushing a blade through powder and a heck of a lot more fun than shoveling or holding onto a Briggs and Straton vibrator while it covers you in snow spray.
Kits retail in Canada for $3850, added to the cost of a Grizzly, you are getting the whole deal for less than the price of a new performance sled. Apples and oranges for sure. You’ll never cover the ground like on a sled ( think 40 miles a day opposed to 400) but, for some, a serious consideration. So what are your thoughts? Should tracked vehicles be allowed on the snowmobile trails? Would you ever consider owning one? Just curious….
cheers cr
I want one to plow my drive way. By the way is it going to snow anytime soon??? The countdown to winter is on.
Steve
June 30th, 2009 at 2:57 amFor 3850$ I would still buy a used Viking. In the very deep stuff I’ve seen tracks get stuck.
If your telling me that tracks can’t do more harm to our groomed trails then sure I’m all for it. But tracks only, no wheels!
June 30th, 2009 at 7:18 amI think they’re pretty cool looking, never driven one, but the lack of speed is something I don’t like, and being snowmobile biased but an avid ATV rider, I would rather leave the snowmobilers their trails than start driving around on them with these, having to be passed as the number of ATV’s with tracks increase on the trails. I would certainly consider buying tracks, i’d likely use them more in mud and swamp, if they work well, I assume they’re better than tires if you don’t mind the drop in speed through any terrain!
June 30th, 2009 at 10:50 amLike the guys above I think they have a place and a purpose. I own both a performance sled and a Grizzly. Depending on the season I use the appropriate unit. I also snowplow mine and my nieghbours with the grizzly and it does an awesome job.Ihave no problem with atv’s on the trail with tracks. In fact if its cold enough the atv’s don’t do any more damage then a sled. It’s only when it’s above zero they start leaving the undesireable ruts.
June 30th, 2009 at 1:16 pmwow,touchy subject,i own both a yamaha atv and 2 yam sleds,track kits are an awesome add-on that transforms quads into wannabe sleds,i think having them on our fabulous trail system that we have in ontario might take away of how special it is to have snowmobile only highways,quads are great but for me it would be a no,being a trail volunteer and a trail patrol officer,i see alot of traffic in a season and often catch youngsters on atv’s with tracks rippin it on our trails and it does more damage than a sled,maybe i just love snowmobiles too much,great idea to post something like that,to see how many i for or against
June 30th, 2009 at 9:00 pmptr
Chris,
You should check the Arctic Cat broucher and their big work sled. I recall reading that it was equipped with a means to attach a plow. I’m not exactly sure how they would make to plow raise and lower, but I seem to remember reading something about it last spring.
Damn Scott… I stand corrected. It did not even occur to me that someone would actually invest in the tooling to create such a system. This is either a stroke of brilliance or just plain dumb-a$$ and I honestly don’t know which. Regardless, hats of to Arctic for thinking outside of the box cr
July 1st, 2009 at 2:25 amI work for a forestry consulting company and have considered the tracked ATV for winter/spring use. In most cases, it is difficult to find the right mode of transportation in the spring due to changing conditions(no snow,too much snow,+ temps.-temps, etc)and thought that is might be the solution.
What are the power requirements and is there any issues with ice build up?
Our kits are optimized for our Grizzly 550 and 700, each kit has a different size drive sprocket (gear ratio) to maximize the power output of each engine. Ice build-up has not been a big issue with our tracked machines. It will largely be dependent on conditions. I would think the tracked ATV would be ideal for timber-cruising / silvaculture operations. Other commercial users like hydro and seismic are also discovering the benefits. I would caution about going to small (sub 450cc) or for ATV’s without hi / lo range. There is some limitations in really deep soft powder but you would be surprised what they can do. For the in between stuff our four-season kits are much better than a sled… cheers cr
July 2nd, 2009 at 12:18 pm