For those of you who don’t know what it is don’t feel bad, it only appeared on my radar a year ago.
Essentially a dirtbike on snow, a Timbersled has half the profile of a conventional snowmobile and arguably twice the versatility. The one I rented was a 2014 KTM 4 stroke with a Rekluse clutch, hand-warmers (didn't need em) and an enlarged gas tank. Front tire and brake assembly removed and replaced with a ski. Rear tire removed and replaced with a snowmobile-style track.
I recently bought a $2300 2003 Skidoo Summit 800 snowmobile in anticipation of a boys trip. I didn’t want to take a chance on a clapped-out rental so I bought good a used sled. I figured that the grand I would spend on a rental could always be recouped if I sold the sled after the trip. As an afterthought I also rented a Timbersled from a guy local to me. I thought I might like it.
Said boys trip was a couple of weeks ago. We arrived in the afternoon on the Friday and suited up for a quick exploratory ride. I rode the Skidoo and left the TS back at the cabin. It was my first time on a snowmobile and I had a good time. The machine is a two stroke 800 with lots of power when you get on the pipe.
Next day I hopped on the TS. The road to the rec area is a 1KM icy affair. The front end of the TS wandered around on the ice trying to get a bite and was generally difficult to control. Once I got into the about 3-4” of snow depth the rig came alive. Plenty of power to lift the front ski off the ground, lots of suspension to suck up the whoops on the trail (there are miles of whoops on well-used trails and they suck) and manoeuverable enough to avoid things coming at speed. Once I got to the play area it was basically point and shoot. The TS goes ANYWHERE. Up ANYTHING. After about an hour on it I was ready for the X-Games! Cracking off 5 foot drops and kicker type jumps. Hill climbs were a rush.
On a snowmobile you have to be careful about where you go and keeping your momentum up so you don’t bog down and get stuck. On the TS I just went wherever I wanted. Almost impossible to get stuck. The only digging I did was to help dig out other people’s snowmobiles. I probably rode two or three times the distance that snowmobilers did with half of the effort. Anybody who has ridden a SM knows it takes some strength to manhandle it. Deep powder was amazing. The night before I rode the TS we got about 18” of the stuff. The TS just floats across it. Like a boat getting up on plane. Trails and lines that most of the others didn’t dare try were a breeze on the TS. Narrow chutes through trees were a blast. Reminds me of tree skiing with my daughter.
I don’t think I’ll ever ride a snowmobile again. I’m hooked. I ride on the street and trail and I think the TS is as fun as either of those options. It provides an answer of what to do during the winter months. Initially thought I add one to my already overflowing garage but the guy I rented from will deliver the bike to the trailhead with fuel for $350/day. With a short season here it doesn’t make sense to own.
Anybody else experience one of these things?
About to have the time of my life....
