Do you ride snowmobile tracks in North America?

[langsam]

Here´s a question to you american/canadian/etc pig lovers from the small kingdom of Sweden:

Around here we have track systems for snowmobile riders. This time of the year they are especially packed and hard, and riding them is nothing but fantastic if you have tires with 10 mm studs. Imagine you have rythmic woopsection(?) on packed dirt that never ends (almost), that´s what it is like.

The XR650R is the perfect tool for this by the way ?

So, do you also do this overseas?

[yoat]

Yes, but the whoops are oddly spaced and anything but rythmic. Beats the hell out of you on a sled but is much more fun on the Pig. Just don't stray fro m the hardpack!!

[dukeryder]

When I lived up in Massachusetts, on a snowmobile trail rubber tired vehicles were not allowed on the snowmobile trails. If the Environmental Police (Cops that control recretional activities, ORV, Hunt, fish etc) catch you out there on the trail they can write you a fat ticket, and if the bike isn't registered have it impounded!

I got fined by them when I was 15 for having an unregistered sled, I coulda gotten a bigger fine because I was also at fault in a collision with a car. I hit a landyacht 80s station wagon at 40mph/

[huntmaster]

So, do you also do this overseas?

Yes and No. Snowmobile trail networks are built using a combination of public and private land, with permissions, user rights, insurance, etc., organized by the Snowmobile federations. Motorized access is generally restricted to snowmobiles, particularly where private land is involved.

Where public right of ways are used it is a different matter...although snowmobilers will try and dispute that. Even summer bike events run on public land have incredibly generated "concerned" inquiries from snowmobile clubs...like we're the ones running graders through the bush pushing every rock and tree aside over a 30 ft wide swath! ?

[Nummie]

Snowmobilers suck.

They make fantastic trails, that are great for sledding in the winter,

but get all upset if someone else uses them in the summer.

Selfish buggers.

[dukeryder]

I loved snowmobile riding, and if the land owners would've allowed DirtBikes and Quads to ride the trails in Summer, I'd probably a superb Enduro rider today. I would've been riding miles of trails daily. I did ride my MTbike on them a lot though (easy to toss a bicycle over a fence).

Those bastids gated off the trails and we were forced to get creative with our toys as kids, so needless to say we had numerous run-ins with the law for riding unregistred bikes/quads(3-wheelers) on the public streets. I never owned my own bike, but had good friends that let me ride their stuff.

The law made "Examples" out of us, and the kids(teens/preteens) that live in that town today, smoke pot, play video games and eat junk food instead. Yay COPS

[Max Power]

[huntmaster]

So, do you also do this overseas?

We like to but it's difficult to pass the breathalizer tests on the snowmobile trails....they require a MINIMUM blood alcohol level! ?

[Snowmachiner]

I ride all forms of motorsport sled, wheeler (ATV) and motorcycle. In New York State (where we have a cabin) it is illegal to ride a wheeled vehicle on snowmobile trail ON PRIVATE LAND but it is OK on what we call seasonal (unplowed) roads.

The main reason it is illegal is that the insurance that snowmobile clubs carry are specific to snowmobiles only. These insurance policys cover the landowners that allow the trail to cross their land.

If motorcyclists would organize in clubs and take out insurance policies to protect landowners with trails on their land I'm sure they could get approval to use the trails legally. The snowmobile clubs work very hard with the landowners to get approval for their trails. ATV riders are starting to see the light and get clubs with insurance together to get more land opened for their use. Motorcyclists need to do the same.

Ther are also seasonal restrictions regarding trail use:

NO snowmobiles until the end of big game season to allow the hunters their time as they are the ones that usually own or lease the land.

NO wheeled vehicles on sled trails during the season that they are groomed by the clubs.

NO ATVs or Dirt Bikes on private land from the begining of hunting season to the end of hunting season.

BTW There were several Yamaha four strokes that used to run around with studded tires and it loked like a lot of fun.

[2000 xr650r]

This don't have a lot to do with what the question was but i though i would add it anyway. I had time to change my oil in my 650r so i did.

We have gotten just short of 2 feet of snow. When i went riding it to warm her up it wasnt to fun. lol I think it was the hardest workout ive had in a while. Got her out thankfully. lol Have you guys seen this? Looks sweet. https://www.thumpertalk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=268581&highlight=rear+tire+flat

Wonder if they sell one for a a 650r? Seems like it would suck when turning.

[Supplicate]

Snowmobilers suck.

They make fantastic trails, that are great for sledding in the winter,

but get all upset if someone else uses them in the summer.

Selfish buggers.

??

I own both and ride both. Think before you type special ed.

[huntmaster]

If motorcyclists would organize in clubs and take out insurance policies to protect landowners with trails on their land I'm sure they could get approval to use the trails legally. The snowmobile clubs work very hard with the landowners to get approval for their trails. ATV riders are starting to see the light and get clubs with insurance together to get more land opened for their use. Motorcyclists need to do the same.

The snowmobile federations are very good at this and quite correct...this is exactly what the bike groups need to be doing too. Many do...but many more need to be. Still, it is hilarious (and disturbing) how many sledders will argue the right of others to also negotiate this... public land, private land, summertime or not!

[dukeryder]

??

I own both and ride both. Think before you type special ed.

http://www.snosled.com/images/slededlg.jpg

I rode sleds for years, Never understood why they didn't let bikes or quads(sic), ride the trails at least in the off-season. Quads rode some of the trails in the winter, some guys rode as to not rut up the trails, but others could ruin the snow.

[malevolent73]

I ride both too... and in case no one thought of this, a lot of those sled trails(especially in upstate NY) have crops growing on them in the summer/fall.... and also where I live in western NY there are a lot of A$$-holes that ride their quads/bikes through the farmers fields, and tear up their crops!!! Stop and think about it... that is how that guy makes a living! would you like some one to rip across your front lawn...BURRRPP and leave a ditch behind? Probably not, so no wonder your not allowed to ride sled trails in the off season... I agree w/ it.... it sucks but I understand where the land owner is coming from.... I am more concerned w/ the humongous amount of STATE LAND in NY that is OFF LIMITS to ATV's!!! I pay taxes just like the next greeny cry baby, why shouldn't I be allowed to use the land the way I so choose to. (in designated areas of course) Thanks to good old pataki we still got JACKED on reg. fees, and nothing in return!!! NADA ZILCH ZERO!!! &%$#@! IS UP THERE?

But anyway sled trails are for sleds, and we pay for them... and I would not appreciate seeing a dirt bike or a quad rutting up groomed trails that sled money pays for! Thats why I bought a sled in the first place... because its the only ORV that can be ridden legally in NY! Why can't NY make some trails for Bikes and ATV's to ride on???? other states have it but we don't!!!! And that just SUCKS! So buy a sled or stay off the trails... unless you have a quad w/ tracks on it!!!

[huntmaster]

I ride both too... and in case no one thought of this, a lot of those sled trails(especially in upstate NY) have crops growing on them in the summer/fall....

There's no question that many snowmobile trails in the winter are not suitable or desirable bike trails in the summer...particularly in semi-rural and agricultural areas...unless you really like riding through deep swamps and ponds, corn stalks, etc. I don't think that's what is being argued here. But remote and wilderness areas are a different story...and any deal the snowmobilers have with private or government land managers for their own use doesn't give them exclusive year round rights, or prevent other ATV, bike users from doing the same in the summer.

[dukeryder]

Perfect solution? ?

[malevolent73]

There's no question that many snowmobile trails in the winter are not suitable or desirable bike trails in the summer...particularly in semi-rural and agricultural areas...unless you really like riding through deep swamps and ponds, corn stalks, etc. I don't think that's what is being argued here. But remote and wilderness areas are a different story...and any deal the snowmobilers have with private or government land managers for their own use doesn't give them exclusive year round rights, or prevent other ATV, bike users from doing the same in the summer.

I agree with you that sledders should not have exclusive rights to the trails in the off season.... but in the winter YES!

I'm guessing you have it a lot better there in Ontario than ATV'ers do here in New York State... ATV's are just not allowed on state land, or only a very very small amount of it, in very far off remote places. Ridiculously far away from here! ?

[huntmaster]

I'm guessing you have it a lot better there in Ontario than ATV'ers do here in New York State... ATV's are just not allowed on state land, or only a very very small amount of it, in very far off remote places. Ridiculously far away from here!

The ATV thing is getting huge and I have come across ATV groups in some serious back country areas where never a soul was seen before! Fortunately, unlike snowmobilers none have ever asked what we were doing on "their" trails...in August! As even here in the great white north ATV's are outselling sleds 4-1, and the snowmobile groups are getting nervous. They are a growing force to reckon with, and can be a great allies, or a serious liability .

Unfortunately, at least right now, early in the ATV boom, we are seeing the latter as ATV over use, "mud runs" etc are causing trail damage and upsetting many locals. Hopefully, like the snowmobiles, as their level of responsible organization improves, this can be addressed.