By Scott Monroe
When I was first contacted about the possibility of reviewing the Apache Track system, I was more than a little excited. The first thing that went through my mind were several questions that needed to be answered. How well would they work in our deep Alaska snow and extreme cold? How would they steer, and alter the way my Outlander handled overall? Most importantly how much fun would they be while still being useful for utility work?
If a person is an avid ATV forum participant, then you are well aware of the evolution of products that are now available for ones ATV. The Apache Track system was introduced by:Can-Am BRP
When I was first contacted about the possibility of reviewing the Apache Track system, I was more than a little excited. The first thing that went through my mind were several questions that needed to be answered. How well would they work in our deep Alaska snow and extreme cold? How would they steer, and alter the way my Outlander handled overall? Most importantly how much fun would they be while still being useful for utility work?
If a person is an avid ATV forum participant, then you are well aware of the evolution of products that are now available for ones ATV. The Apache Track system was introduced by:Can-Am BRP
to open up their ATV market to more winter use and more importantly winter fun! Now most of us are guilty of taking our ATV's out in the middle of freezing winds and winter snows to see just how far our tires, chains and lift kits will get us. Often times we find ourselves not getting nearly as far as we would probably like. Of course that means we end up stuck more often then not and find ourselves working more than having fun.
Thanks to BRP's Apache Track system the terrain in which ones ATV can conquer in the winter has been greatly expanded and simplified.
Apache Track Facts:
Weighing in at just a bit over 68 lbs per track set (rear came in right at 68lbs and the fronts at 70lbs to be exact), a person is adding a fair amount of weight to ones machine compared to tires / rims. Considering the aluminum wheels and tire combination that comes with the XT package weighed in right at an average of 35lbs. In essence you are adding right at double the weight by going from the OEM tires and rims to the Apache Tracks.
But don't panic just yet, because here is the rest of the story! Even with those extra pounds you will stay on top of the snow better then any tire / wheel combination out there could ever hope to achieve. Not to mention stay right with many trail snow machines out there when it comes to going through the deep stuff.
Sitting on hard pack snow, I took the length and width of the track sitting in the snow and came up with the following average footprint per track of 2.5 square feet. Take that by four tracks and your ATV now has right at 10 square feet of tracks ready to keep you and your ATV on top of the snow. Compare that to the best OEM / aftermarket tires out there and one is doing well to come up with anything over .9 square feet per tire. What this all means is this: the Apache Tracks will more than double the area in which you and your quad will drive upon in the snow compared to tires.
Remember, the above figures were with the Apache Track on hard pack and the area in which they cover only becomes greater as they get into deeper snow. With a track length of just over 30 inches and a width of 11.5 inches per track, you are in for some real flotation. Not to mention the increased ground clearance of 12.5 inches in front and 14 inches everywhere else, you will become even happier that you are now riding on a wheelbase that measures in at 53.5 inches (compared to approx. 48 inches with OEM tires / rims). This extra width really helps keep the quad stable during off chamber situations and high-speed trail riding.
For the rest of this article and additional photos, follow this link to www.atvfrontier.com.
Thanks to BRP's Apache Track system the terrain in which ones ATV can conquer in the winter has been greatly expanded and simplified.
Apache Track Facts:
Weighing in at just a bit over 68 lbs per track set (rear came in right at 68lbs and the fronts at 70lbs to be exact), a person is adding a fair amount of weight to ones machine compared to tires / rims. Considering the aluminum wheels and tire combination that comes with the XT package weighed in right at an average of 35lbs. In essence you are adding right at double the weight by going from the OEM tires and rims to the Apache Tracks.
But don't panic just yet, because here is the rest of the story! Even with those extra pounds you will stay on top of the snow better then any tire / wheel combination out there could ever hope to achieve. Not to mention stay right with many trail snow machines out there when it comes to going through the deep stuff.
Sitting on hard pack snow, I took the length and width of the track sitting in the snow and came up with the following average footprint per track of 2.5 square feet. Take that by four tracks and your ATV now has right at 10 square feet of tracks ready to keep you and your ATV on top of the snow. Compare that to the best OEM / aftermarket tires out there and one is doing well to come up with anything over .9 square feet per tire. What this all means is this: the Apache Tracks will more than double the area in which you and your quad will drive upon in the snow compared to tires.
Remember, the above figures were with the Apache Track on hard pack and the area in which they cover only becomes greater as they get into deeper snow. With a track length of just over 30 inches and a width of 11.5 inches per track, you are in for some real flotation. Not to mention the increased ground clearance of 12.5 inches in front and 14 inches everywhere else, you will become even happier that you are now riding on a wheelbase that measures in at 53.5 inches (compared to approx. 48 inches with OEM tires / rims). This extra width really helps keep the quad stable during off chamber situations and high-speed trail riding.
For the rest of this article and additional photos, follow this link to www.atvfrontier.com.
