ATV Tracks

[Mongrol]

I am curious about how many members of this group run or have run tracks??

 

[catzuki]

i dont think many if any have. To much of a price tag on them. Thats like 5 sets of tires if you think about it.

 

[Garryese]

I've install kits. Have done some short rides.

 

[Mongrol]

Seems to be used more in BC and Man. Costly?, I can,t tell anymore. Just open your wallet and repeat after me.

 

[Summiteer]

I have a buddy with a set of tracks on a Honda 500. He uses it to get into a lease that is otherwise inaccessable in the summer. He won't use that quad for anything else, great in the soft skeg but too slow and hard to handle for a full day of riding varied terrain. (At least that was his excuse for buying his outy 800).

 

[keith660]

My brother has a 05 grizzly with tracks, he picked them up used for $2000 they were only used twice. worth every penny if you have a use for them. He uses them to pull his ice shack out onto the lake (8'X 11') heavy shack with no problem. I was out riding with him a couple days ago and I'm amazed where that bike can go, I could only go up the river bank about 8' (tires only), he went all the way to the top breaking trail in 2.5 feet of snow, about 100' (30- 40 degree incline) We also went through slush and snow with ease. The downfall's are that they are very hard on fuel, speed is cut by 1/2 or more, steering is best in diff lock or low. top speed on a road in high is 50 - 60 kph. Odometer adds about 1/3 more km's than you are actually travelling. Track Fenders are recommended to stop the snow that get's thrown up by the tracks (about $400.00) When you look at all the up's and down's they are expensive, you could go out and by a pretty good snow machine for the price of them but I know a snowmachine would have alot of trouble pulling his ice shack. While we were pulling his shack out onto the ice he was asked to pull another shack, snowmachines were not able. He had no trouble.

 

[Gunny]

I just registered & saw your question about anyone having tracks on their ATV. I just bought a set & I love'em. They're a blast. I bought a set of Tatou 4s which can be used in snow, mud, sand, swamp, etc. So this ought to be way fun & no stay'in home just cause the snow is to deep.
Attached is a flick of my ride with the tracks.

 

[BigRed800]

Neighber got a set of apaches (4 grand) on his 650 outy he loves them forwinter riding took him on the rally on the weekend he was some played out after the ride

 

[Gunny]

BigRed800,
How did the tracks do on this rally ride ?? I assume it was muddy as all get out, correct ?? And how many miles (Yup, I'm a Yank ) did ya put on the bikes ??

Dang, but I is full of ..... questions Big Guy, Of Questions !!!!! ...

Later ...
Gunny

 

[BigRed800]

The tracks held up very well The trail was snow mud muskeg ice water hills trees very narrow about 30 mi one concern he had was big rocks and fallen trees he had to go very so as the tracks would come up and hit the fenders one more thing if he every got stuck we were wondering how we would get it out i was thinking helecopter

 

[Gunny]

Cool. 30 miles thru all that with tracks would wear a guy out. Nice to hear ya didn't have to call a chopper.

And how did you feel after all that with tires ??

Thanks for the reply.

Later ...
Gunny

 

[Mongrol]

Hey Gunny, I've come to the conclusion that tracks are pretty much best in winter. I have to be carefull of some of the narrow trails that I ride because of the area required to turn one of these rigs around.

 

[Gunny]

Mongrol, even though I bought 4 season tracks, I'm think'in snow is the best rid'in with them ........ Now, hav'in said that, I took my tracks off last week to take a friend out on a high desert mountain ride. There was way more snow than I figured. (the area is about 120 miles South of my place with an elevation of around 6 to 8K ft).
I would of loved to have had my tracks on. We came thru this pass in the early morning. But by 2pm, it was to slushy to get back up the trail. Hell, we could hardly get thru the slush on the flats. So we had to take a 20 mile detour and go around the mountain range.
Like BigRed800's friend, I may have been pretty beat at the end of the day ... but it would of been a blast & I would of been able to go up so many canyon that were closed to us becasue of the snow depth. Or got myself into some serious trouble.
Of course, it wouldn't have been that much fun if my buddy was on tires. He's think'in he'll get tracks this coming winter.

Rid'in thru narrow trails is something a guy has to watch. We have a lot of open terrain here, but a guy can still get down a narrow canyon & then it can be a little bit of a workout getting turned around.

We still have a lot of snow in our mountains right now. I want to try the tracks out in the mud at least once or twice, but I doubt it will be a favorite thing to do.

Later ....
Gunny

 

[Mongrol]

Yeah, I took my tracks off way to early this yr. Won't happen again. Next yr I might leave the tracks on the 400HO year round and just use the Hawkeye for summer use. It'll do everything the other one will do, just a little slower, but how fast do you need to go on trails, and muds not my thing.

Just noticed your profile, pretty interesting. I worked as a chopper pilot for 4 years in South American doing "crop irradication" for the DEA, similar fun.

 

[Gunny]

Yeah, I was kinda surprised when I read a while back, that you had (removed your tracks), because I figured you'd have snow longer than we would. So, can you go rid'in now ?? Our are you waiting for the snow to melt ??

It would be way nice to have two bikes, one for tracks & one for tires. But that's kinda expensive too. Dang, is nothing cheap anymore ??

"Crop Irradication" .... I like the way you put that !!!! ..... LOL !!!!

Later ...
Gunny

 

[Mongrol]

We have a real strange weather area. Heavy snow fall, Dec/Feb, comes fast goes fast. I live on a very large lake that never freezes and it acts like a big heat sink. There can be a lot of snow 500' higher elevation and nothing here.

I took the tracks off to accomodate my daughter when she came to visit and wanted to go for a ride. I could still be trackin' if I towed 15 mi.

 

[Gunny]

15 miles isn't to bad. I have to go 40 one way, to use my tracks. There are others areas, but they are even further.

I have a web site question. I've been clicking the "Thanks" button a few times to say "Thanks" on a few threads. The button goes away, but "Thanks" never shows below the message. Ever had that happen before ??

 

[Mongrol]

Yes, but intermittent. Varies from site to site.

 

[Gunny]

Well then, I'll just have to post a message, saying, "Thanks !"

Later ...
Gunny