 Poster: A snowHead
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a moped licence from before 2001 only allows you to drive things with a top design speed of 31 mph. Which is why I had to take a proper bike test (this was before CBT was invented). Even a Honda 50 does a lot more - well, a bit more........ than 31 mph.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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@Bigtipper, Go for it, nice to see people thinking outside the box.
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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I would recommend passing your test and getting something a bit bigger; don't underestimate how difficult it is driving such a low powered bike such a long distance. They're just not designed for it. Possible but very very uncomfortable and the time you save in traffic jams will be nothing compared to the time lost by travelling so slow.
However you also don't want anything too big. I used to ride a Suzuki 250 trail bike when I lived in the Shetland Islands and as it was my only transport and I lived 20 miles from work I had to ride it in all conditions and in the Shetlands that meant riding it in snow. The bike was light enough to hold the inevitable and frequent slides around corners with one foot. We didn't have chains for bikes in those days (I liked the look of those chains in the earlier post) but I used to pick up rope from the drift on the beach near my house and I'd wrap that around the wheels in much the same manner. Didn't last long but did give me extra grip (probably illegal but back then in Shetland no one really cared!). Black ice is less likely to be an issue; I've always been impressed by how good the resorts are at keeping the roads (if not the pavements) ice free.
I definitely would not recommend riding in ski boots however. It's not just the problem with gear changing (I think genuine scooters, not mopeds, used a twisting hand grip for gear changes) but the sensitivity when applying the brake. When wearing heavy boots like that you will tend to brake much to sharply... potentially lethal on snow. On the braking front... do NOT rely on engine braking. Engine braking is applied purely to the rear wheel; ALL your braking should be around 75% front and 25% rear. You can also gently pump the brake, giving a similar effect to ABS.
You could probably ride a bike with skis strapped on your sack tent style. However I would almost certainly bet it will be treated as illegal even if, as is likely, there is no specific law it will probably be treated as dangerous driving or it's equivalent in whatever country. I suspect the laws in a country like Bali are somewhat laxer on this front than in Europe. However legal or not the biggest problem with carrying skis like this over any distance will be tiredness. The wind drag on your skis and therefore your shoulders will be enormous, even at 30 mph, and over such a long ride you'll be a mess by the end of it. Maybe I've misunderstood and you're only planning to carry them short distances around the resort, in which case it will probably we alright until the local bobbies spot you... I have wondered about this one myself as I go out skiing in a motor home and have considered a small bike for getting around once there. However for the above mentioned reasons I have rejected the idea of carrying skis on the bike.
Here is a very old '70s picture of my 250 in Shetland snow. Sorry about the focus.
https://scontent-lhr3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xap1/v/t1.0-9/1916698_382273112907_1494425_n.jpg?oh=086bc99bee799cd95da660a3f43f959b&oe=56A80FB4
One final general note. If you do go for a slightly larger bike you'd be surprised by how much you can pile on behind you, on the tank and in saddle bags.
Also, and this might be your biggest stopper, even if you are the best rider in the world capable of doing beautiful smooth drifts around snow covered corners you might just get stopped by the police. Over the years I have been stopped and turned back by the police in England several times when riding a bike and there is snow on the road; they don't care how capable of riding the conditions you think you are. You might just find the police will simply not allow you to ride the bike when the roads are snowed up.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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| MadMountainMan wrote: |
You could probably ride a bike with skis strapped on your sack |
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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I didn't say it would be fun or advisable... just that it could be done! 
So long as skis are in side compression straps and tips tied together it would be doable. Though I'm not sure the local police would agree!!
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Try saying my quote out loud.....that may give you an idea of the nature of the
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So it is doable on a 650cc bike. They had two different helmets, one for skiing and one for biking. Obviously not concerned about keeping luggage to a minimum, they also carried tents.
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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@Bigtipper, Why do you want to do this ?
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You could probably ride a bike with skis strapped on your sack
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You could ... until you fell off and the bindings broke your back 
I have ridden my bikes to the Alps several times....arriving in Tignes in August to find snow on the road (was a long time ago mind...) with a heavily loaded bike (ski boots etc) is not an experience I want to repeat. On the other hand mucking about on my (unloaded) 250 in the snow is enormous fun...
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The one thing to be said for a motorcycle helmet is that it would certainly be built to higher standard than some of the rubbish that is pawned off on us for skiing. I still prefer to ski without a helmet but that's just me. Going a long way off piste, however, I wear one.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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But as oft argued on here, a bike helmet has different objectives to a ski helmet...
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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@under a new name, not really, keeping skull intact and brains the same seems to be the common objective unless I am missing something you do with your ski helmet .....? Care to share ...?
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