Plan to rent out imported snow bikes
A NEW way to have fun in the snow is expected to be on offer this winter.
Palmerston North mechanic Hamish Goodall has imported seven snow bikes from Canada and is negotiating with landowners in the South for access to space in the snow so he can rent them out.
Mr Goodall, who spoke to the Otago Daily Times while in Wanaka this week, said he had always had ‘‘dirt bikes’’ and had picked up an interest in snow bikes while in Calgary, Canada, on a twoyear working visa.
Snow bikes are a combination of a normal trail bike with a skid on the front and a snowmobiletype track on the back.
‘‘It’s a lot of fun. It’s pretty similar to a dirt bike.
‘‘It’s the same sort of feel, and if you can change gears you are good to go.’’
Mr Goodall, who has brought seven of the bikes to New Zealand, said they were easier to ride than a snowmobile and good for all snow conditions, from ice to deep powder.
They could travel at 70kmh or more, depending on how much ‘‘tinkering’’ their owners had done.
He said riders had less to worry about when falling off.
‘‘They say it’s like dirt biking without consequences.’’
Mr Goodall said a lot of engineering went into the complex, lightweight components of the bikes, made from a combination of carbon fibre, titanium and alloys.
He is at present working on the health and safety requirements to operate a tour business and sales.
The snow kits for the bikes range in price from $6000 to $12,000.