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BMW era


Harley chopper version

had a chrysler sno runner. was a pretty neat toy with the exception it handled much like a junk moped. you couldn't take your eyes off where you were going to check out scenery or anything without losing balance. i could only imagine how terrible a raked version would be.

I've little time on a snowmobile but have on ski and snow board so can see the handling tip over tension to avoid. Peel may get a 3rd inline wheel and maybe a track to run snowed over pastures and non hwy paths. I expect to fall over often but snow is kind of forgiving that way.

interesting idea. would make for a fun engineering project to build one. Snow here is hit or miss. Sometimes we'll have a foot laying, sometimes we never get more than an inch down at a time.

Yes its random hits here of a few inches that goes away in a day to a few feet that last weeks in places. I know better than go into public in froozen conditions on a cycle but my front yard is open pasture slightly tipped bowl shaped so a blast to take on in soft snow. One of the places I practiced decreasing radii turns on power straight steering till spriraled down into a snow angle. Peel will be simple to add third wheel as 19 mm axle is too long for the swing arm width so can hinge another swing arm off the axle ends and put a mono spring shock up to the rear loop and even add drive via toothed disc brake rotor. Peels rear loop will the most braced in Norton history. When a foot or more of snow ya can cross stuff that would hurt ya otherwise.

I'm interested to see how it would turn out. I've got an itch to spin donuts on the tiger now...

i stumbled on the 16H Norton snow tract bike then found similar to post here for interest. But snow and mud is definitely on my mind to conquer on Peel some how. My pasture is bowl shaped so at some point its impossible to steer on the grade as rear simply just weather vanes with gravity downhill to always point nose up hill so that's only direction any thrust can push. Must stop and slide back to get a new aim in a direction desired. Its very similar to phase 5 steering decreasing radii on THE Gravel on Peel and likely on pavement too once power enough to make it as slick as pebbles or snow.

Check this fun out in about only conditions its fun to crash into. I get to do a bit similar on sea of wavy green pasture, way bigger than my few acres, but so many holes and surprise lumps it easy to get hurt hurling blindly through axle high grass.

they go better than the sno runner did. It didn't like powdered snow too much, part reason why military abandoned them. Still a nifty toy though. Had take down pins, could fit it in the back of an SUV or possibly large car. Snow covered hill climb races? Yes please

Snow covered hill climb, hm. I just want to have most fun I can before I go. Peel is my ticket fame and flames to see what we can get away with and still go to heaven. I have a design for fairly simple hydrualic drive to front tire, but realized the front is so often out of traction better just concentrate on unicycle handling.

What about ballast?

Ah man axle, I am still surprised how well cycles go over weird and loose stuff, if pressed to do so. Center of Gravity definitely concerns me as does the slope of the path. If ya ever skied on snow or water ya know you better keep the front up from digging in or it rudders ya right down. Learned that by big dog pulling tricycle at age 3 in deep sand, did fine till front dug in... The neat thing I found on Peel was what ever I learned to handle on snow or grass or THE Gravel, applied in spades on tarmac. But alas if rear can't hook up then game over. So how does one get a Commando to throw snow?

Oh yeah I do want to try a ride across water like MX bikes and snowmobiles do.

ive had friends that have hydroplaned snowmobiles but ive never seen bikes do it other than in videos. all about speed though. i suppose fatter tires could make it easier too.

Oh ugh, forgot about a few occasions my bikes have hydroplaned on puddles, but only short few yds then got slowed to grip again. Fatter tires float better of course, which is a real issue to me on dry tarmac turns when their surface liquifies.
Would need big knobbies I'd think on rear or may just sink a dozen yds out. There is one other weird surface to cross, a few feet deep polish pea gravel they use to catch run away trucks in mt's here. Felt like dog paddle slow while doing a 45 degree wheelies for a minute on end trying to keep the front on top and not spin out in place or loose forward motion to sink in place. Bike bobbed up and down like in water till finally got over to solid surface and almost didn't climb on out.

knobbies would be required for a long puddle jump. Just like those 6 wheeled amphibious vehicles-ours had paddle type tires, though it won't provide much help, it's better than nothing to help combat the loss of speed that will occur once dry land is left behind. Though if sunk past the axle the effects of forward motion from the tire would be voided more and more of course

Entertaining thoughts to hold in mind as heading fast into the drink the first time on a skinny tire heavy weight twin Commando. Peel just might be able too with a 5" wide 16" rear wheel and being extra light compared to regular Cdo's plus power to spare.



Then there's mud which is ever and always an instant emergency to me