A handful of Vernon ATV Club members have tracks on their quad or side x side, if you’re on the ATV Trail Riders Group you’ve seen photos and stories throughout the winter.
Inevitably the tracked rider ends up doing tow truck duty at various times when wheeled machines find the limits of how far they can go in the fluffy stuff.
Rescuing wheeled ATVers in the winter is only part of the gig, what are some of the pros and cons of ATV tracks?
Pros
- Turns your quad, side x side or dirtbike into a 4 season toy.
- You only need to maintain/store/accessorize/insure 1 vehicle.
- Tracks are less expensive and more reliable than many (most?) similarly priced sleds.
- Allows access terrain unreachable or prohibited to wheeled machines (Vernon Snowmobile Association trails in Silver Star Provincial Park for example).
- Gets you out on the mountains to be above the low valley cloud so common through Okanagan winters.
Cons
- New tracks range in price from $3500-8500 so they’re definitely not cheap but you can often find deals on lightly used track kits in the classifieds.
- Not terribly fast and not for steep slopes, you’ll never beat a sled here.
- If you get a track machine stuck you’ve discovered what a 2000lb anchor looks like.
- Rough riding on hardpacked surfaces.
- Tracks gear your machine down and pushing through snow creates a lot of resistance so you’ll use 25-50% more fuel to go the same distance.
Get in touch with the club by email if you have questions about tracks and watch upcoming emails for more stories about tracks before they’re safely stored away for the summer.