The Snow-Bike epidemic the marketplace has witnessed over the past two or three seasons has seen this culture adopted by mountain snowmobilers as well as flatland freeriders.
This season, TimberSled has made its biggest leap forward with its new ARO kit that now punches an equal size track width as the front ski at 12.5 inches.
This design has totally changed the way the snowbike works, allowing the track’s path to already be packed in, so you get more traction and better stability.
Other kits run smaller width front skis and, believe it or not, cause the rear track to ride to one side or the other of the narrower ski path and this reduces stability. Sure the width of a front ski on an ARO looks like a kid’s toboggan but it works great and really makes for the best possible experience.
Another great feature of the ARO kit is the included pre-bled brake system, including the brake lever. Older kits and competitive products don’t include this and struggle with very vague-feeling brake actuation requiring you to drag the brake to keep a firm lever.
Taking it one step further, the ARO kit has a shield around the rotor to keep snow out and reduce ice build-up. Exposure to snow will cause the brakes to actually freeze up, leaving you in panic mode when you grab a handful of brake and all you get is that lever-squish to the bars.
The front TRIO Fox shock on the ARO kit is another area where TimberSled is pushing the limits. Stock snowbikes with motocross spec’d forks dive continually. Your alternative is to buy the highest poundage springs you can find and have your forks rebuilt to gain the most stiffness up front possible. This is costly and in the end, if you plan to ride your bike on dirt at the end of the snow season, you need to have them rebuilt again.
The TRIO offers a fully adjustable front add-on shock that gives you the benefits of heavier springs, adding responsiveness and the ability to tune the front end where your heavier spring set up would not.
Polaris has an entire team doing endless research and development for TimberSled kits all year round. These folks dedicate themselves to making first-class snowbike kits that continually push the limits of performance.
We still like the lightweight carbon fiber Yeti kits and the single rear rail Camso design, but TimberSled’s ARO kit is making the riding experience so seamless and confidence-inspiring, it would be my first choice any day.
