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A winter with my Foreman 500 on Tracks

20K views 8 replies 6 participants last post by  jeepwm69 
#1 ·
I live in very rural Western Maine right beside many miles of ATV/Snowmachine trails. Last Fall rather than spending my money on a Snow Sled I decided to get a set of Camoplast/Tatou tracks for my 2012 Foreman. I discovered that if I registered my ATV as a Snowmobile (and I did) I could ride legally on Maine's hundreds of official Snowmobile trails. Also, it would let me get around my 55 acres of mountainside property. Here is what I discovered about my Honda on tracks after riding all winter in snow as deep as 5 feet on the ground and on groomed Snowmobile trails.

The overall speed of the machine is reduced about 50% and the fuel usage is doubled. Top speed with tracks is about 25-30 MPH.

The new overall width and length makes the machine super stable. The total ground contact and gearing lets the machine go places that would be pretty much impossible in summer. I rode up grades in three feet of powder snow that would frustrate sled riders. Where snow sleds would get bogged down if stopping in untracked deep snow, I could stop and resume travel at will.

Groomed trail width was an issue as the Foreman on tracks is quite a bit wider and overall bigger than Snow Machines and I noticed that when riding I had to really make sure to stay far to the right when riding winding trails to avoid oncoming Sleds.

These Tatou tracks are advertised as Four Season, but I would never consider using them this way since the overall speed reduction and increased fuel usage would be a PITA.

Since the gearing/speed is highly reduced I feel that the overall wear on the machine would be increased by maybe 50% and would seriously reduce the life of the ATV.

Am I glad I bought then? Yes, especially with the good access they afforded me to my Maple Sap operation with as much as three feet of snow on the ground when the Sap season started. They are now off and stored, but I can't wait to put them back on next Fall.
 
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#2 ·
I live in very rural Western Maine right beside many miles of ATV/Snowmachine trails. Last Fall rather than spending my money on a Snow Sled I decided to get a set of Camoplast/Tatou tracks for my 2012 Foreman. I discovered that if I registered my ATV as a Snowmobile (and I did) I could ride legally on Maine's hundreds of official Snowmobile trails. Also, it would let me get around my 55 acres of mountainside property. Here is what I discovered about my Honda on tracks after riding all winter in snow as deep as 5 feet on the ground and on groomed Snowmobile trails.

The overall speed of the machine is reduced about 50% and the fuel usage is doubled. Top speed with tracks is about 25-30 MPH.

The new overall width and length makes the machine super stable. The total ground contact and gearing lets the machine go places that would be pretty much impossible in summer. I rode up grades in three feet of powder snow that would frustrate sled riders. Where snow sleds would get bogged down if stopping in untracked deep snow, I could stop and resume travel at will.

Groomed trail width was an issue as the Foreman on tracks is quite a bit wider and overall bigger than Snow Machines and I noticed that when riding I had to really make sure to stay far to the right when riding winding trails to avoid oncoming Sleds.

These Tatou tracks are advertised as Four Season, but I would never consider using them this way since the overall speed reduction and increased fuel usage would be a PITA.

Since the gearing/speed is highly reduced I feel that the overall wear on the machine would be increased by maybe 50% and would seriously reduce the life of the ATV.

Am I glad I bought then? Yes, especially with the good access they afforded me to my Maple Sap operation with as much as three feet of snow on the ground when the Sap season started. They are now off and stored, but I can't wait to put them back on next Fall.
Sounds cool. We're gonna need some pics.

Welcome to the forum
 
#4 ·
Welcome and where are the pics ?
 
#5 ·
well good review, BUt I still think a sled and an atv on tracks are just two different animals, can do 200+ miles a trail sled in a day and not feel dead worn out, doubt you could do that on an atv with tracks
then a deep snow sled, with a long track and deep paddles, I still sat will go more places than an atv on tracks, BUT will need momentum to do a lot LOL
where as the atv can have better flotation at times due to so much track on the ground
BUT bury a atv on tracks far from winch help[
and I rather a sled again LOL
a lot easier to get a sled un stuck MOST times than an atv on tracks
Like they say a different tool for every job

I'd love an atv on tracks, so I am NOT bashing here at all
just saying, the 3 things are different animals, hard to compare each ot one another, as each rules in its own area!
 
#6 ·
A buddy put tracks on his 1000 Outlander and I was impressed with it (and I'm a snowmobiler, even own a fleet of rental sleds!). I'm considering getting a set for my Rubicon for next winter. Depending where you live they can work better then a ATV or a sled. Lots of winters here you can have deep snow for a bit, then a warm strong chinook wind will blow away/melt the snow in areas. Having a ATV with tracks it doesn't matter. Lots of the surveyors in the oil patch around here have chosen tracks on a ATV over a sled. One side of a hill can be deep snow, and the other can be all bare ground/rocks! One recommendation myself and others found is that if you are out in the bush riding and crossing fallen logs with the tracks is always pack a chainsaw. The front will go over logs no problem, but the flat approach angle of the rear track can go under the log and bind up the track. You cant go forward or back. With the tracks it makes the ATV too heavy for a guy to lift it off of so you have to cut the log out from under you.
 
#7 ·
Well, here it is another winter and I put the tracks back on two days ago. Hopefully there will, be lots of snow coming. I did notice that there is now a bit of play in the right side front upper A-frame rear bushing. Not enough play to replace the plastic bushings yet, but I'll bet that when I take the tracks off this coming spring that the wear will be considerable. Since I need the tracks to get around my Maple Sugar Bush in late winter and spring having them is a must. I still think that having tracks on an ATV will lead to rapid and increased wear and tear for the machine. This spring I will be moving up to commercial Maple Syrup production and consequently, my ATV with tracks will be partially tax deductible.
 
#9 ·
Where you put the zerk toodeep? Right in the middle of the tube?
 
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