Interested in throwing roost in the snow? The guys at 2Moto can fix you up.
The site of the test was Mammoth Mountain ski area in southern California. 2Moto VP of Research and Development Bill King and CEO Mark Maliwauki had brought out a trailer full of RadiX-equipped bikes to test. Former pro rider David Pingree was on hand to try out the machine, and Bill had converted one of Ping’s bikes.
The kit consists of a driven rear track unit in place of the rear wheel, with a ski up front. Most of the riders gathered that day had never been on 2Moto bikes before and the early discussions centered around adapting to the machine. King gave a few pointers on riding the bike to the group, and we took off up the mountain.
While the riders went up the mountain on the bikes, I rode up with the videographers in a snow cat. Photos were the first priority, and I spent about three hours on the mountain photographing the bikes. As I shot, I could see how the riders quickly adapted.
Pingree was visibly more confident within about 10 minutes, throwing it into corners with gusto and leaping off a hump on the ski hill to soar 40 feet down. He later explained that the track-equipped bikes jump well, but you cannot correct much in the air.
We came back for lunch, and then headed back out to go up the hill for more shots and my test ride. As we climbed into the snow cat, I was recruited to ride one of the bikes up. Trial by fire.
I grabbed an EFI RMZ450 and kicked it to life. I let out the clutch and the bike spun the track a bit and snorted up the hill. The oddest sensation is the front ski, which feels just a little nervous, and takes little skips to the side every so often. The sensation reminded me of riding a dirt bike in deep sand, where the front end hunts a bit.
We went straight up several ski hills, and wound through the forest on wide roads and trails. The RadiX was easy to ride straight, and would go up nearly as fast as I was willing to wick it up.
The track does soak up some horsepower, and the normally eyeball-flattening RMZ450 had ample but not awe-inspiring power.
Personally, I found the power output of the 450 four-strokes to be perfect for the machines. They would climb anything, accelerate with authority, and were managable when riding through the trees.
Once we made it to the backside valley where we were testing and photographing the bikes, I was able to take the bike out into the open snow. Turning requires you to lean the motorcycle and turn on the throttle, and it takes a bit to adjust to that. While the ski bites very well, you can’t turn the motorcycle with just the handlebars.
King’s advice was to go out in the snow and lean it over until the handlebar dragged with the throttle on. I found an open meadow and leaned it over with the power on. After a few cuts, you quickly learn to trust that ski. It sticks far better than a wheel. Flick it over, gas it and the bike will cut hard, tight and clean.
Once you learn to turn, the real fun begins. You can snake the bike between the trees in a way that a snowmobiler can only dream about. The 2Moto bike transforms a snowy patch of woods into one giant piece of free-riding singletrack.
One of the most remarkable aspects is how well the machine cuts across sidehills. The ski tracks true, and you simply lean a bit into the hill and the track bites securely.
One of the interesting things about the 2Moto machine is that the ski tracks better than a wheel in ruts. Every time I came to a rutted-up patch of snow, I braced myself for the typical sliding around you experience with a wheel out front. The ski just tracked straight and true through the snow.
Off-road riders also adapt well to the RadiX machines. Former Paris-to-Dakar racer Casey McCoy was on hand at Mammoth for a ride, and we went with him through open slopes and did some bushwacking snaking through the woods. The ability to explore remote areas struck a chord with McCoy.
“I’m not a moto-head. I like to be able to go places I ordinarily don’t go, and this thing does that,” McCoy said. “I’d do this over snowmobiling any day.”
Bill King perhaps summed it up best. “We aren’t selling a product,” King said, “We are building a new powersport.”
To see a few more images of the 2Moto machines in action, check out my Photo Gallery.
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