Tracks on a Quad

The popularity of the durable and versatile wheeled ATV seems to be growing as enthusiasts discover that the machines built with automotive and motorcycle parts are a good recreational investment. The snowmobile though admirable in its ability to deliver transportation across the endless expanses of Saskatchewan's snow covered fields are notoriously expensive to operate as they frequently break down and require a lot of maintenance.

ATV (all terrain vehicles) were first introduced as three wheeled variations of Honda's motocross motorcycle and proved to be so popular with farmers and hunters. Unfortunately the three wheel machines were very unstable and were eventually banned in favour of four wheel drive virtually go anyway machines. When used properly families find them ideal for getting out and around difficult terrain and hunters love the things. In winters with minimal snowfall owners of Quad ATVs have been able to use them all year round but in winters like this one and last winter with deep snow, the ATV has been parked since mid January.

On Friday as I was driving through Melfort I was amazed to see a quad hustling across an open field keeping up nicely with a snow machine and it wasn't until it cross the highway in front of me that I realised what it was. This quad had a set of tracks on each wheel and clearly was handling the snow with ease. A quick look around the Internet turned up three manufacturers of conversion kits to put tracks on a quad. Some of the versions remove the tires while others like the one in this picture a Traxion easily installs on the vehicle with the tires in place.

It appears that the cost of the track kits and installation varies considerably and seems to go up to an upper limit of $4,400 US. If you have a quad which is a reasonable investment but because of its durability and low maintenance costs even the most expensive kit would add so much utilisation to the vehicle that it might be well worth considering. The XGEN system costs about $4,150 CDN. Check the reference listed below for the various versions of track conversion kits.

Camoplast Traxion

Camoplast Tatou

Camoplast Giant

Mattracks Lightfoot

XGEN TJD STS-4