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Bombardier Apache ATV Track SystemSnowmobile-style tracks for ATVsMarch 15/06 Written by Greg Bombardier's Apache Track Kit is a lightweight track system that replaces the wheels and tires of an ATV, to allow the user to travel in snow. Granted, we can generally get pretty far on our tire-equipped quads, depending on the tread style, clearance, and type of snow. As long as we stay on top of the crust we're fine, but once we break through, we get high-centered on our skid plates. Our test platform was a 2006 Bombardier 800HO XT EFI quad, from Banner Recreational Products in Vernon. The 800HO is a showcase of high-tech features, from its SST frame to its DESS anti-theft system. When we arrived at Banner to pick up the quad, we noticed that it was noticeably wider and taller than a tire-equipped 800HO. It looked cool! And unstoppable. We fired it up and loaded it into our Interstate enclosed trailer, with only a few inches to spare on either side. I commented to Dave that I really liked the burbling exhaust sound. We arrived at the trailhead and off-loaded the quad and a snowmobile. A couple quick blips of the throttle allowed us to spin it around on the icy surface of the parking area, and some quick experimenting by Kris showed us that it had no trouble climbing up the hard, icy snow that was plowed up against the side of the road. We felt like we could go anywhere. The quad had a LOT of clearance; this was due in part from the tracks, and also from the frame design. We played around for a bit, to get used to the steering and handling characteristics. There was definitely a cool factor involved, and we all had large grins on our faces. Dave was still feeling invincible, so he tried riding over a small log sitting on the snow. The front tracks have an angled forward surface to allow better climbing ability, and he had no trouble getting over the log. However, the rear tracks do NOT have the same forward angle (they are flat), and they ended up catching beneath the log. Of course, the front track's rearward angle was also flat, so now the quad was stuck straddling the log. Dave used a judicious amount of throttle to try to unstick himself, resulting in the quad getting buried in knee-deep snow, with the log up under the frame. Whoops! Not bad for the first 15 minutes. We spent some time stomping down the snow and trying to build up a ramp to get over the log, with no luck. We eventually lifted the rear of the quad into the air, while applying a slight amount of throttle. That was enough to get us over the log and on our way again. Okay, so it couldn't go "anywhere", at least not where common sense told us we shouldn't go. During this escapade, we noticed that when the rear suspension compressed, the forward edge of the rear tracks contacted the lower plastic of the fender flares; this could easily be fixed with some minor trimming. We headed off down the trail, the snowmobile leading and the quad following. The trail was an unplowed logging road with about 12" of fresh powder over a layer of older snow. Dave was piloting the quad with me on the back, and we were motoring along at a leisurely 40 mph. In one section he got too far off to one side of the trail, and down we sunk into waist-deep snow. Spinning the tracks just sunk us further, so after a bit of digging with the survival shovel, we used the snowmobile and tug strap to jerk the quad out. It sounds easy here, but it was about 30 minutes of work and involved multiple tugs, and we were pretty tired when we were done. When you're riding on top of the snow, you don't realize how deep it actually is until you step off the quad and sink to your waist. We decided that two people on the quad was just too heavy for it. Riding in the fresh powder with the tracks is a neat experience. The tracks stick out way past the fenders, so the snow FLIES. A waterproof jacket with a hood is definitely recommended, and the hood should be tucked under your helmet to prevent the snow from getting down your back. Goggles or a full-face helmet is also highly recommended, as the frozen snow from the front tracks blowing across your face is not fun. Well, it is, but it's pretty darn cold! At speed, leaning into the corners didn't do much, and in fact made it harder to steer as your far arm had practically no strength. The steering was a lot more difficult with the tracks, and I was thinking that a long trip would be a pretty good workout. Low range seemed to be a bit better than high range, at least in the snow we were riding in. One thing we noticed is that the entire quad got covered in snow pretty fast, and we needed to stop periodically to clear it. The footwells filled up quickly, and practically cemented our boots in place. Using the foot brake wasn't possible, although we didn't really need to use the brakes in the snow. We eventually turned around, as the snow was getting too deep for the snowmobile, and we were approaching an off-camber section covered with a snowdrift. We were pretty impressed that the quad made it as far as it did; it totally surpassed our expectations. And did I mention it was a BLAST? The tracks definitely allowed us to go much farther than we would have ever gotten on our quads. The extra-large footprint the tracks provided let us stay on top of the crust without sinking, and even permitted travel on deep fresh powder that would have been impossible with a tire-equipped quad. The tracked quad wasn't as fast as the snowmobile, which we expected, but the tracks are suitable for riding on terrain other than snow. For industrial users with the need to reach a snow-covered work site, the main advantage of this system over a snowmobile is the ability to travel long distances on a gravel or muddy road, ie. from the trailhead to the start of the snow. It is not always possible to drive your tow rig and trailer to the start of the snow, then attempt to turn it around. Compared to a snowmobile, the racks of a quad are more practical for carrying your equipment, instrumentation, and tools. If you have a need to cruise on snow with your quad, and your tires aren't allowing you to get where you need to go, check out the Apache ATV Track System. Contact InfoBombardier Recreational ProductsWebsite: www.brp.com Phone: 1-800-973-3334 Banner Recreational Products Website: www.bannerrec.com Kelowna phone: 1-250-979-2889 Vernon phone: 1-250-542-0418 |
Photos
 Videos Parallel run (2.0MB WMV)  Small hill-climb (1.2MB WMV) |
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