Are Snow Claws any good?
 

Has anyone ever tried Snow Claws and are they any good? I'm seriously considering going to the Elephant Rally this January and wouldn't mind the extra grip on ice. If you don't know what they are check the link:- MV Snow Claws Set and for Xtrem Driver - Snow Chains for Motorcycles - MV Motorrad Technik GmbH - Sonderzubehoer fuer Motorraeder

normal chains
 

Why hasn't someone developed a design similar to car versions? I'm sure I say a picture of a bike with them on. Is this supposed to be lighter or something?

sorry
 

Suzuki DR650 Tires Page

Wunderlich Snow Chains

Here it is..

I guess Snow Claws would work okay at very low speeds and might help you if you get stuck but I wouldn’t used them for ordinary riding.

IMHO snow chains on bike are not the way to go.
I’ve used it a lot on cars and it’s not uncommon that a link breaks. This means that you have 10cm of chain that moves with massive force. It will hit something (forks, brakes, shock, mudguard) or lock up your tire. It might help you if you get stuck but it’s not funny to put on the chains when you are in snow. They are also heavy and bulky.
Using a rope is a better solution.

Trellebog with studs are a nice option, they also perform well without studs.

What do the ice speedway riders use ??

I'm sure they put scews through their tyres or something similar ??

You can use screws, it gives extreme traction on ice (way better then a normal tire on tarmac). Sadly it’s not useable for tarmac.

Take one 12-inch long luggage strap, and 6-inches of chain. Use one to fasten the other to the tyre. Repeat eight or twelve times round the wheel. For the sort of distances you might find chains useful for, these will suffice and are a lot cheaper that anything else unless you really want your luggage straps to be black with yellow writing and "that" logo on! You aren't going to ride 900 miles on tiger feet, chains or any other cure-all gimic.

Twenty foot of rope wrapped round the tyre works too up to a point.

Make sure your puncture kit is up to it, chains can result in flats.

For anything over a few miles it's the tyres that count. M&S markings mean what they say BTW, there is a notiacble difference between a M&S and a bog standard knobblie. I've never ridden with studs they are illegal in the UK and probably lethal on the ferry, so not really practical unless you want to change tyres part way.

I did the elefant once on basically slicks and was fine except for foot deep stuff in the main entrance. Another time I tried it on road tyres and turned back 100 miles out after 50 miles of serious fear and three offs. The weather is unpredictable, some years it's a cold road ride others it's real snow. If it's a bad/good one even sidecar outfits with snow tyres turn back.

See you there :thumbup1:

Andy

Thanks guys.
 

Thanks a lot for all your answers, for anyone that's going I'll be the one with all the gear and no idea on the white KTM Adventure 990 riding from sunny Cornwall... Feel free to point and laugh.