snow chains / tires

[beechfront]

anyone ever install snow chains or tire? lately i've been thinking about doing just that.

[mitch]

?????

Ok, pass me that joint , you sir have had enough!!!!...MITCH

[beechfront]

hahaha.....

[tommystinson]

If you don't have enough for everyone, you need to put it away. Just like my teacher used to say. Why don't you get a set of studded motocross tires like those kooks... er "enthusiasts" use to go ice racing? If I did that to the Falcon, it would be just like the ice planet Hoth intro in "Empire". Sweeeeet.

[xssiveone]

Originally posted by tommystinson
If you don't have enough for everyone, you need to put it away. Just like my teacher used to say. Why don't you get a set of studded motocross tires like those kooks... er "enthusiasts" use to go ice racing? If I did that to the Falcon, it would be just like the ice planet Hoth intro in "Empire". Sweeeeet.

You can make your own set of these very easily. Just put a bunch of sheet metal screws thru your tire from the inside... works great. The local ice racers have been doing that for years.

[beechfront]

are you serious about the screws? how would you keep them from pusing back in? and i assume you use tubes then?

i'm serious about this - tho i wonder if the ol' xs might be a bit too heavy.

after talking to a guy the other week who said he rode his crotch rocket to work in the snow - which i still have no idea how that would be possible - i have been thinking about chains or something.


i'd like to find an extra set of rims to mount up my snow tires.


c'mon - somebody has to have done this before.....

[xssiveone]

I have no personal experience to base this on, just what I have been told. As for keeping the screws in, yes, tubes are used and the head of the screw has to be de-burred to protect the tube. As far as I know, the tube keeps them in place.

[dwales]

A friend of mine used to drill a hole in each lug of a motocross tire. Then he would put a 1/4" sheet metal screw through the hole, head on the inside, and (2) nuts on the outside. I don't remember if any washers were used, but probably would be a good idea. He would then wrap a piece of indoor/outdoor carpet around the inside of the tire to protect the tube. He used these tires to hill climb on a Bull 250.

[Jerry]

On the XS/XJ it would be just about impossible to mount either studs or chains due to the lack of clearance between the tire and the swing arm. You would need to chain/stud the front tire as well.

Think about it...on a tire you have only a few square inches of tire patch to make turns and for braking. On studs/chains you have fractions of an inch, as the only contact patch you have is the chain links or studs that happends to be on the ground at that moment. Personally I would not want to trust turning and braking a 560 pound motorcycle loaded with my 245 pound self to a 6 inch length of chain sliding across an icy patch on the road.

I *highly* recommend you not pursue this idea.

[beechfront]

c'mon jerry, where's your sense of adventure?

(I never said I really thought this through at all )



I was just thinking back to my younger days tearing ass across the countryside in a foot of snow on a 1986 Honda 350x.....





This guy I used to work for had 4 of 'em -- 2 85's and 2 86's. I lived on those things for 3 years. They were perfect farm vehicles - you could cruise wide open down a gravel road/highway at 70mph with no problem. They did about as good as most 4WD 4-wheelers in the mud. They were also light enough that I could load one up in the back of a pickup truck without using ramps (lift front end up and set in, then use the weelie bar to lift the back up and in). I had so much fun on those things. Man I used to beat the hell out of 'em too - seemed like you couldnt' hurt 'em.




I WANT ONE!!!!

[Pat Kelly]

I remember a kit that removed the rear wheel of a bike and replaced it with a track (like a snowmobile). The front wheel was replaced by a ski. Looked like fun. This was in the 70's I believe.

[Bud Manley]

Actually I've been considering riding my bike to school though the winter so it's not nessecarily a bad question. Might be a bad idea though. I love parking next to the buildings when riding my bike as opposed to the sattelite parking and 1/2 hour waits for the shuttle bus when I drive my jeep.

[ARRON]

i have driven in snow and i dropped the bike

[Jerry]

No, not a bad question.

I've riden in cold weather a great deal. By cold I mean below freezing. Developed a cold-weather wardrobe that included heavy gloves, insulated suit (snowmobile type) and insulated boots. Rven got my HJC helmet with a heated visor as breath kept frosting the inside of the standard visor.

Have ridden in snow, but not with the XJ.

Problem is not straight-ahead traction, but cornering. (Well, and braking.) In Wisconsin, where I did the bulk of my cold-weather riding on a Honda 450, two other problems are the sand build-up on lanes and corners from sanding roads in the winter, and corrosion from the salt used on the roads to melt ice. Makes a real mess on your bike and is corrosive to boot.

I like cold weather riding, but draw the line at riding on snow. If it gets that bad I'll drive my '92 Saturn or if it gets worse I'll fire up my '76 Scout II 4x4...plenty of toys, spread the fun around!

[beechfront]

This is yet another reason for me to get a second (smaller) bike for town riding. I tend to ride too fast through town on the XS, plus as was stated above - i looked and there is no clearance for the chains/spikes anyhow.

I also agree that the XS is much too heavy for that kind of riding. Keeping warm I'm not worried about. I only have a few miles of riding and have some good warm clothes.


Also as Bud Manley said - with a bike I can park about a block from work. Saves me $400 / year on a parking permit and beats waking a mile.