1996 snow cruiser comparo

A Royal Venture: Yamaha Vmax 600 DX
Yamaha used to be the king of niche marketing. Now that title has gone toothers. We're glad. Because snowmobilers aren't stupid. With Yamaha, snowmobilerscan recognize that there's a sled for them, especially in the key Vmax series.Yamaha has the key segments covered.

Look at the two-up luxury touring machines: With the biggest displacementengine in its class, the Vmax 600 DX features a 598cc twin that is justa titch bigger than the XLT's 597cc triple. With its new free flow exhaustand the use of flat slide 38mm twin carbs, we expect the Vmax 600 DX tohave equivalent performance to the triple, too.

If you need more pop, though, see your Yamaha dealer and get a set oftwin pipes that are now available in GYT kit form. Unlike last year's GYTkit exhaust, which was a bit of a disappointment, we expect the twin pipeswill make Yamaha 600 Max owners forget the fact that Yamaha doesn't havea 600 triple. We'll just add this: we're ordering our 600 with the GYT kittwin pipes.

In reality, there's not a lot new for 1996 with the DX. The YVXC variableratio clutch has been upgraded with new calibrations and the carb settingson the Mikuni flat sliders are different due to the new exhaust.

What you get is a design that is state-of-the-art and has benefited everyyear from minor enhancements in an already quality product. This sled isthe leader in fit and finish. If you want a high quality machine, this isit.

If you want a stylish sled, this is it. Yamaha seems to have taken itsknowledge of touring bike riders and applied it snowmobiling. The king-queenstep seat is extremely inviting. The driver's bun is tucked as is the rearpassenger's seat area. The low backrest is stylish and more effective thanthe overstuffed pillow backrests used on the competition. The rear passengercan flick on grip warmers, but a wind deflection shield might be a nicetouch here.

Yamaha has the best reverse gear. It is cleanly styled and integratedinto the console area of the sled. The instrument panel is pure joy - wellstyled and smart as a top flight bike. We also feel that Yamaha has gonefrom worst to first in hand grip and throttle thumbwarmers. The infinitelyadjustable rheostat control is top drawer. The competition better glom onto this concept. It's a winner.

So is the Telescopic Strut suspension. With a 40-inch ski stance anda sway bar to transfer weight from one ski to another, the TSS unit hascome along very well since it was introduced in the late 1970s. At 7.2 inchesof front suspension travel, the Yamaha is second in overall front travelbehind the Indy. It is one of the best systems for straight ahead riding.Its Pro-Action rear suspension delivers upwards of 8.5 inches of travel.You'll find nitrogen gas shocks on this setup.

In overall execution, the Yamaha is one of the best in this class. Whileit's priced just $50 more than Cat's Pantera, both the Yamaha and Cat areat a price disadvantage compared to the Indy and Ski-Doo. But if you wanta sled that is extremely well executed in fit and finish and is probablythe fastest one in the group, the Vmax is the one you want. As for us. We'lltake one of each.

1996 YAMAHA VMAX 600 DX
 Engine Type: 598cc Liquid, 7 port, reed valve
Clutching
Drive: 3 Swing Arm
Driven: Torque sensing
Suspension
Front: Telescopic Strut; 7.2 in.
 Rear: Pro-Action; 8.5 in.
Ski Stance: 40.0 in.
Overall Height: 45.9 in.
 Overall Length: 117.5 in.
Fuel Capacity: 10 gallons
Offical Dry Weight: 573 lbs.
 Price US  $6,999.00
Key Features: Speedo, tach, odometer, tripmeter, gas and oil gauge,temp light, high beam ind., TORS ind. Electric start, reverse, 2-up seat,backrest, adj. hand, thumb warmers, parking brake, auto fuel shut-off, plasticski skins.
Riding Impressions: Maybe we're just getting more used to the Vmaxseries. But Yamaha really is doing more things right than we have giventhem credit for. This is a heckuva nice sled.- Jerry Bassett, test rider