# Ebikes for Icefishing



## BobberDown? (Apr 4, 2016)

So these bikes have been gaining popularity in recent years and now it seems there is a niche for them. I'm wondering if anyone has ever used one on the ice. Looks like depending on snow levels on the ice these can pull sleds pretty easily. If you have studded tires they seem to run well. It would be interesting to know how this would fare on say Sag bay or larger bodies of water where you would have to run this awhile out to get to fishable areas. What I find really intriguing about these is the low maintenance and easy storage if you don't have space for an ATV or snowmobile. Looks like they really like using them for deer hunting and even riding out into geese fields if landowners don't allow vehicles on it. Seems very versatile but the price points are high because they are a newer trend. What are everyone's thoughts?


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## d_rek (Nov 6, 2013)

My biggest concern would be battery life and performance in the cold. The performance drops considerably below freezing. Otherwise my only real concern would be riding on very smooth ice. You’d need studded tires or chains on them otherwise you’re just going to pedal in place. 

Also I learned the hard way you are not supposed to charge the Lion batteries the eBikes use below 40F or you can permanently damage or even destroy them. 


Sent from d_mobile


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## BobberDown? (Apr 4, 2016)

Ouch, that's a hard lesson learned. That is the other concern for me also. The battery in those temps. Cabelas/BP is getting into this market by selling quietkat which they at least market work well sub-zero temps. So maybe just like the electric augers, it is best to take the battery off and bring it into the shanty to keep it out of the cold when not in use.


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## Scout 2 (Dec 31, 2004)

BobberDown? said:


> Ouch, that's a hard lesson learned. That is the other concern for me also. The battery in those temps. Cabelas/BP is getting into this market by selling quietkat which they at least market work well sub-zero temps. So maybe just like the electric augers, it is best to take the battery off and bring it into the shanty to keep it out of the cold when not in use.


I have a battery auger and I never take mine in to keep it warm and I have fish at -20 before with no problems of power loss


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## Ronnie D (Dec 8, 2020)

If 2 wheels were a good idea on ice,motorized bikes have been around for over 100 yrs and I've never seen a shanty pulled w/one. Sounds like another expensive way to get hurt


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## Cat Power (Jan 6, 2013)

I've been wanting to buy one for the same reason. A fat tire version


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## pgpn123 (May 9, 2016)

You'd need studded tires wherever it's slippery. Even w/o pulling anything, it'd be hard to power through more than a few inches of snow.


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## trucker3573 (Aug 29, 2010)

Buy an ATV. To get into one with enough power to pull a sled and go through snow you are going to drop some coin. ATV will go through more and have tons more power and you can find a really nice used machine for the price of one of these under powered ,over priced and over rated motorcycle wanna be things. Heck just get a motorcycle and stud the tires. Electric vehicles just aren’t quite there yet. 


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## wpmisport (Feb 9, 2010)

I seen a dude riding a dirt bike trying to get a couple of miles out on Saginaw Bay when there was good ice a great fishing. He kept falling down, it was entertaining but so was seeing someone drying a minivan out there.


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## pgpn123 (May 9, 2016)

Don't confuse an ebike with an emotorcycle. Not yet at least. If you're on pavement or a dirt road, they'll carry some groceries, or a small child, depending on make and model. If you stay on a 2 track or a path, and there isn't a lot of mud/snow/logs, they'll get you there pretty quickly, QUIETLY, and w/o much effort. They're fun. Don't get one if you're looking for exercise. They're not for everyone and not inexpensive.


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## thill (Aug 23, 2006)

Maybe with studded tires and training wheels.


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## Chessieman (Dec 8, 2009)

How about Studs and a bolt on side car or outrigger to carry your stuff on.


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## Ronnie D (Dec 8, 2020)

Chessieman said:


> How about Studs and a bolt on side car or outrigger to carry your stuff on.


Now that would be a show that i would pay to see.


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## jimbo (Dec 29, 2007)




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## jiggin is livin (Jan 7, 2011)

wpmisport said:


> I seen a dude riding a dirt bike trying to get a couple of miles out on Saginaw Bay when there was good ice a great fishing. He kept falling down, it was entertaining but so was seeing someone drying a minivan out there.





wpmisport said:


> I seen a dude riding a dirt bike trying to get a couple of miles out on Saginaw Bay when there was good ice a great fishing. He kept falling down, it was entertaining but so was seeing someone drying a minivan out there.


I think we were out on the same day lol. 

I saw a guy pulling a shanty with a dirt bike one time (assuming studded tires) and a guy behind him pulling a small camper out with his quad. Never been so envious in my life. Lol

My buddy used to take his dirt bike out all the time. He raced and ice raced with it and it was all he had. Worked great, but never pulled anything. Just wheels to get a few miles out.


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## charminultra (Feb 8, 2017)

It would be a lot cooler to get an ultralite airplane and just fly right over to where you want to go.


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## jumbojake (Apr 20, 2009)

It's kinda like the snowdog rideable lil tank contraption.im sure modified it could work out dare.i think fur de coin best to get a sled or quad imo.ive always dreamed bout custom building my own airboat.the best way to get around out dare overall.even dem bad boys have dare flaws without an experienced gunny captain.i do know this walking and dragging shantys sucks especially in snow lol.would be epic if someone invented choice bike thingy dat would get us around


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## BobberDown? (Apr 4, 2016)

What I really think is a good thing about these bikes is the ease of maintenance compared to a quad or snowmobiles and the size of them. Good size if you can't store a big machine and the ease of transport. I believe these are the next big thing for future ice transportation. Price needs to come down and power and battery need to come up. Personally, I would love it because ice season is so short that these have a place in hunting also. I love innovation.


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## BobberDown? (Apr 4, 2016)

Snowdogs are cool too, but those seem to ride on the edge of "why get that when you can get a quad" talk. Seems a lot heavier and less of use for early ice than a bike but they are very very cool little machines.


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## chubface (Apr 7, 2017)

Ronnie D said:


> If 2 wheels were a good idea on ice,motorized bikes have been around for over 100 yrs and I've never seen a shanty pulled w/one. Sounds like another expensive way to get hurt


I agree with Ronnie D. Power source is irrelevant. You have one wheel drive. There are reasons some things won't work. It's called physics. However, there are people who understand physics much better than I and might be able solve this problem. They are called engineers. I know a lot of engineers read these forums. What say you guys?


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## chubface (Apr 7, 2017)

I just saw Jimbo's video. I see it will work under certain conditions.


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## FREEPOP (Apr 11, 2002)

jimbo said:


>


I'd like to see that if a good wind came up, he'd be going every way but straight.


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## micooner (Dec 20, 2003)

FREEPOP said:


> I'd like to see that if a good wind came up, he'd be going every way but straight.


Show me a video of one jumping a sag bay pressure crack then I'll be impressed. Lol


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## Fishfighter (Dec 20, 2009)

I have rode my minibike on lakes before with very aggressive directional dirt tires on it and it did ok. Even with a belt clutch and low gearing snow robs allot of power. Can you swap gears on these E bikes to make them capable of crawling through snow and slush?


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## BobberDown? (Apr 4, 2016)

The deeper snow, I'm not really sure how well they'd fare. What I've read is what they do is use studded tires and lower the pressure of the tire a little. Changing gears? Maybe. I would assume you have different speeds. Soft snow and slush may be a no-go with these but if you start peddling in deeper snow I assume the electric would have an easier time getting momentum.


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## The Mediocre Fisherman (Jan 22, 2020)

BobberDown? said:


> Snowdogs are cool too, but those seem to ride on the edge of "why get that when you can get a quad" talk. Seems a lot heavier and less of use for early ice than a bike but they are very very cool little machines.


Size and portability would be the factor I’d imagine. I’ve got a minivan, which a snowdog and my gear would fit into. Would have to be a cheap ATV, plus the cost of also now needing a trailer to haul it, to beat the snowdog in that situation. A cheap ATV would also likely mean we’re comparing a used machine to a new machine (haven’t seen any used snowdogs yet myself).


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## Overdraw (Jan 12, 2006)

Theres a million ways to get out there. Never stop dreaming.


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## Smallie12 (Oct 21, 2010)

I've always liked this option!


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## Overdraw (Jan 12, 2006)




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## Overdraw (Jan 12, 2006)

I don't know why I like this thread so much, but this is the real deal.

















Its a Rokon all wheel drive, fat tire, all terrain motorcycle. Both of these bikes are on eBay. Both are priced in the same range as a capable ebike. They've been making this bike since the early 60's. The green one was made in 2015, red one early 70's and you can see they haven't changed much. That says it must be working. Good Luck.


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## FREEPOP (Apr 11, 2002)

Overdraw said:


> I don't know why I like this thread so much, but this is the real deal.
> 
> View attachment 631119
> View attachment 631121
> ...


A neighbor cuts wood off my property and pulls a sled with one when the creek freezes over.


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## Fishfighter (Dec 20, 2009)

I believe those were made to be mini portable tractors I was not aware they were still being made.


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