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It's been three years in a row now. The SRX has been at or near the top of our editorial picks since it rolled our eyeballs back into our skulls in '98. Everything we liked about the SRX 700 in the past holds true for 2001- performance, ergos, style points. A few of our gripes were even addressed- needs separate warmer controls, cornering bite. Only one remains- ornamental windshield.
Yamaha made one change in each of four different aspects of its top performance machine: aesthetics, performance, comfort and service.
Consumers will first notice the SRX's new look. The all-blue scheme of last season has been replaced with an attractive blue and silver contrasting paint job. The windscreen also went to smoke.
The performance-enhancing change from 2000 to 2001 comes in the form of a new hydraulic brake disc. The new part has been lightened by cutting additional ventilator holes in the inner portion of the rotor. The result is a reduction of .35 pounds of rotating mass, which is what inhibits acceleration, thanks to our good friend, Inertia.
Yamaha also tells us that the new disc undergoes a revised balancing process to reduce any vibration caused by imbalances in the rotor.
The third change is for rider comfort. Yamaha finally split the hand and thumb warmer circuits to allow riders to set each at a comfortable level. The two knobs have ten little clicks on them to help index favorite settings. Everything about the new switches' operation is great, except the location of the knobs. While longtime Yamaha riders won't have trouble finding the controls on the dash, we'd like to see them relocated to an easier to reach spot on the dash or handlebar area.
The fourth and final major change on the 2001 SRX is the addition of a grease zerk on the steering idler arm. This will make it much easier to maintain lubrication on this important joint. Better lubrication means better steering effort and response down the trail.
Overall, the SRX is still one of the best sleds on the market today. The only thing we'd really like to see Yamaha address is the decorative windshield. But as long as there are dealer options and aftermarket alternatives available, we'll learn to live with it. Concluded Test Rider Jeff Velander, "If I were buying a sled this year, this would be a hard one to pass up."