Dirt bike ski conversion (xr600r) - any bike

[600thumper]

Ok I just had to show it off. Yesterday I decided to make a ski for my bike because im not ready to put it away and we just got hammered with over 2 feet of snow in less than 24 hours. I saw other peoples photos of their setups and seemed like everyone used a metal block, well I Didnt have any metal like that around but i had 2x4's and here i am. I did one test ride last night after dark just to see if it works ok and it does, but need either studs or this nice paddle tire I will stud like what 2mototoolz on Youtube does with his thumper on the frozen lakes, go check him out sometime its hilarious.

Going on another test ride here shortly and will follow up if I have to improve anything and how well it went. If your interested in how I did it i got close up pics of the mount itself, im sure it could be improved upon since I always seem to overengineer anything I make haha I might post a video too if I figure how.

Enjoy the pics guys

[Bricktop72]

You are a brave individual to take that first ride. I applaud your ingenuity and creativity, but somewhat question the choice of material and design.

My main concern is the vertical 2x4. With no bracing, it is susceptible to splitting vertically along the grain with a frontal impact.

I hope it works well!

Edited November 19, 2014 by PearlSnaps

[600thumper]

You are a brave individual to take that first ride. I applaud your ingenuity and creativity, but somewhat question the choice of material and design.

My main concern is the vertical 2x4. With no bracing, it is susceptible to splitting vertically along the grain with a frontal impact.

I hope it works well!

Thank you Pearlsnaps, and yes I have thought of it and im continuing to improve its designed, I will just cut 2 additional braces like I did in the middle. And I'll use plenty of nails put some iron in her.

Im also working on ski rotation stoppers so if I jump or wheelie the ski doesn't nosedive when I land.

[DR.billZ]

Attach it to the axle somehow. Yeah the upper part is gonna split on you. The actual ski looks awesome.

Edited November 19, 2014 by DR.billZ

[600thumper]

Attach it to the axle somehow. Yeah the upper part is gonna split on you. The actual ski looks awesome.

Dr.BillZ the axle is in there, im adding additional bracing as we speak, this is just a prototype since I Didnt have any scrap metals around. And im sure it will not snap unless I bit something hard, each one has 3- 6" nails in them along with 2- 5" wood screws, strength is the least of its worry at this point, although I think I may need to tweak the ski angle slightly forward more.

[not_again]

Looks a little sketchy. I did a poor man's front ski on an ATC 250R several years ago by welding up a cradle that cupped the front tire with a ski on the bottom. Tire held on with a ratchet strap around the circumference a zip tie around the brake lever to prevent rotation. Worked well AND it was strong. It only took about 10 feet of 1x1 steel angle and a few hours of fab.

[600thumper]

Looks a little sketchy. I did a poor man's front ski on an ATC 250R several years ago by welding up a cradle that cupped the front tire with a ski on the bottom. Tire held on with a ratchet strap around the circumference a zip tie around the brake lever to prevent rotation. Worked well AND it was strong. It only took about 10 feet of 1x1 steel angle and a few hours of fab.

awesome, I did that same exact thing to my 2001 cr250r but it wasnt strong and I went 100 feet before it dismembered Lol. So I just decided against a front tire altogether this year after watching that guy 2mototoolz on his ski bike with a paddle tire Edited November 19, 2014 by 600thumper

[600thumper]

You are a brave individual to take that first ride. I applaud your ingenuity and creativity, but somewhat question the choice of material and design.

My main concern is the vertical 2x4. With no bracing, it is susceptible to splitting vertically along the grain with a frontal impact.

I hope it works well!

Im sorry to say you were right... I was low on gas and decided a few more good test runs around the house and then I will go to the gas station down the road on the bike to show my latest invention off, well I get half way there and I hit a steep ditch/jump and got more traction than I thought I would and when I landed it broke the braces.. But i was able to limp it to the gas station then on the way back i got it stuck along the highway. So I got a ride and left it then threw it on a trailer.

Tell you what the that was the most exhillerating thing I have ever done on a dirt bike, it worked so good till I was careless and excited and broke it. But i will be making a metal one now since I know my bike does great in the snow. Here's a pic of the damage

[Wild Alaskan]

for version 2 I would complement it by also using a death paddle

 

Edited November 20, 2014 by Wild Alaskan

[600thumper]

sweet studded paddle tire you posted earlier on my other thread. Did you ever try it out yet? If so how did it work

Edited November 20, 2014 by 600thumper

[600thumper]

sweet studded paddle tire you posted earlier on my other thread. Did you ever try it out yet? If so how did it work

for version 2 I would complement it by also using a death paddle

Hey by the way how much did all them nuts and bolts for studs cost you? Im trying to do this cheap

[Wild Alaskan]

Hey by the way how much did all them nuts and bolts for studs cost you? Im trying to do this cheap

nuts and bolts cost about $45 because i went with stainless bolts, there are 100 total, the spikes are gripstuds which cost a $1 a piece and there are also 100 of those. You could use kold kutters instead of grip studs and save a lot of money.

 

 

you will want to use button head bolts and line the inside of your tires with an old tube, 

[600thumper]

nuts and bolts cost about $45 because i went with stainless bolts, there are 100 total, the spikes are gripstuds which cost a $1 a piece and there are also 100 of those. You could use kold kutters instead of grip studs and save a lot of money.

you will want to use button head bolts and line the inside of your tires with an old tube,

Ok thanks alot, I got about 35 stainless 2 inch button head bolts so far so I will go get a few more. I probably wont put those smaller studs in because I don't think they will really even touch much ice with the big bolts in there. Thanks for the info man

[Wild Alaskan]

Ok thanks alot, I got about 35 stainless 2 inch button head bolts so far so I will go get a few more. I probably wont put those smaller studs in because I don't think they will really even touch much ice with the big bolts in there. Thanks for the info man

forgot to mention mine are 1 1/4 inch long by 1/4" bolts, make sure you have the swing arm clearance if you go longer

[600thumper]

Hey

Has anyone ever rode at the chadwick riding area down by branson mo. If so were the trails more for atv or are they tighter? The website makes it sound awesome!! Would it be worth the 10 hour drive for me? Its cheap enuff

$5.00 for park sticker free camping ?

Will do, actually checked and they are actually 2 1/2 inch hex heads with some wicked looking chisel ends I think will really hook up here's a pic. Hopefully they will clear the swing arm

[Hedchange]

I was actually looking into making studded tires for my XL but never got around to it and it rarely snows here but hey.  Anyways there are a few videos on the youtube that are pretty interesting and possibly will work for you.

 

He put some studs on a 650L

 

 

These might help.  And good luck

[600thumper]

I was actually looking into making studded tires for my XL but never got around to it and it rarely snows here but hey. Anyways there are a few videos on the youtube that are pretty interesting and possibly will work for you.

He put some studs on a 650L

These might help. And good luck

Hey Thanks man but i have probably seen every xr600-xr650lr video on Youtube haha including both of those ?

[Hedchange]

HAHA figured ?

[Wild Alaskan]

sweet studded paddle tire you posted earlier on my other thread. Did you ever try it out yet? If so how did it work

Took it for the first test run today, worked awesome so much traction, hit a 3 foot drift while on the gas and the front end almost came over on me! Pretty much get full hookup in all the snow conditions I encountered today. I havent put together a video focusing on the tire but heres a snippet from today.

 

[600thumper]

Took it for the first test run today, worked awesome so much traction, hit a 3 foot drift while on the gas and the front end almost came over on me! Pretty much get full hookup in all the snow conditions I encountered today. I havent put together a video focusing on the tire but heres a snippet from today.

Dude that was sick, I loved your voice when you stopped an saw the mine LOL that would have been scary for sure! But im definetly going to stud my paddle tire now, too bad all our snow just melted away haha, it'll be back for vengeance tho. Glad you Didnt fall in that hole man, that would've been ugly.