If you could easily retrofit such a device to say a big GS en-route just for the snowy parts it would be good but I can't see that being practical or realistic - but if it could...

I think I have seen land rovers temporarily adapted to tracked motive power.


The system fitted to a KTM 690 looks great. Perhaps some of our Finnish members could translate?

Kelkkalehti 2013 #001 - Snowbike - KTM 690 Enduro R + Timbersled Mountain Horse LT 137 - YouTube

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Or the Fords of the 2006 Moscow - Chukotka expedition

Moscow-Chukotka Expedition

Their Yellowbrick is reporting an inaccurate position; their last report is from Ossora but the map says they are still haven't crossed the Kamchatka border.


On reflection, Axelbrit's suggestion of using that Timbersled is the only way you could emulate this Amorok or similar route. For most of the route it seems you could stay on two wheels but from what experts say, the deep snow of the rest would be impossible on a bike.


Just thinking out loud – it would entail carrying the Timbersled rig on the bike in addition to everything else you need to carry. At the required juncture, you would swap in the Timbersled rig then carry the wheels, swinging arm and other bit & bobs and away you go.


The Timbersled rig only weighs about 30kg but is bulky. The tunnel on it does provide a convenient place to mount the now redundant wheels, swing arm etc.You can see a picture of what you take off on the relevant PDF on their site.

It only fits chain drive bikes so that means a KTM 690R, possibly a 950R so water-cooled.

It's not impossible.

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Either their Yellowbrick tracking device is broken, or it was left behind accidentally. Hopefully not in an abandoned car. One of the Amaroks (looked like Zietlow's) needed bigger repair, as visible on the fotos.

Can't contribute on the bike equipment question, but a one-car-escort would definitely help ... for food, fuel, the Timbersled, warming up and as an emergency shelter. As of Anadyr (or the US-Alaskan side), a caterpillar vehicle could take over the escorting.

P.S.: I'll be driving that car anyway :-)

It's a pity that the Yellowbrick tracking has not been working in the most important (= totally offroad) section of the Amarok Expedition:

Timbersled are just one maker, although seemingly the biggest, there's also FrozenMoto:



They have an innovative track system which can change shape to suit different snow conditions, from hard packed to powder snow. I'd thought about a three part trip, part one is on wheels, part two would involve swapping the rear wheel only to give a half-track, before transitioning to track and ski.

The two big questions are transporting the spare components and transporting the fuel, a back-up vehicle sounds a must.

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Hey Axelbrit – thanks for putting me onto these things, I'm a little more convinced that using these things is the only way to emulate that Amorok route. In fact, I think a bike with those things are more capable than those balloon tyred four wheelers.


I found another maker ( Welcome to 2Moto ) it's hard to judge which is the better rig but here is a write up of the 2moto one: 2Moto Snow Bike Motorcycle Review - Motorcycle USA These rigs open up whole new horizons for bikes to explore where no bike has gone before – new life, new civilisations etc, etc..

As you say it remains to be seen if the rig could be transported on the back of the bike, then the two wheels etc when it's swapped in, it needs further consideration.


Back-up vehicle is completely out! It's just not correct. In my previous planning for this trip I've estimated that the longest sectors are ~600km so local fuel could be obtained. Pushing the boundaries for a bike though and I reckon those tracked bolt ons would cause high fuel consumption.


Other thoughts – you need a big, powerful bike but with a good power to weight ratio; I think my 950R could be fitted with a track. Only use the bolt on track where the zimniks are absent so that would make it just a small part of the whole trip. According to reports from the Amorok expedition some zimniks will no longer be maintained with more and more communities up there being abandoned completely.


Anyone else wants to chip-in with their thoughts?

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