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WE CAN'T LIE, we often get a chance to test ride a coming model before it's introduced to the dealers, or the rest of the snowmobiling world. It's a perk of the job.
But we rarely get a chance to run a pre-production model for several hundred miles while we are trail testing the rest of our demo fleet. Rarer yet is the chance to run a pre-pro against the radar gun and take a several hundred mile check of its gas mileage. Most manufacturers are leery of letting us get our paws on their sleds for more than a quick impression before the full release.
So we were tickled to hop aboard the new 2010 RS Vector GT that Yamaha has revamped. The sled's odometer read 250 miles when we loaded into the pickup (we can't officially verify that) but we added 200+ miles before doing our radar run.
What's different?
Before we get to all that, lets first consider what's new about the 2010 Vector GT. Foremost is that Yamaha has added Mikuni fuel injection to its reliable, torquey Genesis 120 engine. That, Yamaha claims, will add about 6 horsepower to the motor, making it a legitimate 125-horse powerplant.
Our previous dyno tests put that engine at 122.6 horses, so we figured 128 hp wouldn't be out of the question now.
Likewise, Vector was our most fuel efficient at last season's Real World Shootout, posting 16 mpg. Yamaha says the new fuel-injected sled is 3% more fuel efficient while also offering a broader torque band, especially at the engine's lower end. In addition the Yamaha crew says that running the '09 and '10 models side by side you should see a 3.5 sled length gain in a quarter mile, and about 7 more mph for the top speed.
For the record the new Vector GT also now offers the engine braking reduction system that Yamaha has used on the Nytro. That helps cut engine braking so the sled coasts a bit more like a 2-stroke when you let off the throttle.
Additionally, Yamaha has heard consumers concerns for keeping its sleds cool in low-snow conditions. So it added a larger radiator fan to the Vector to avoid overheating.
For its gauge pod, Yamaha has a fuel trip light that goes on when you're low on fuel, but now it keeps track of how many miles you've ridden after the light goes on. That should help riders better figure their ultimate fuel range and avoid running the sled dry. A DC outlet also has been added for riders who want to plug in accessories, like a heated helmet face shield.
Underneath is the new Monoshock II rear suspension with over a dozen changes to improve ride quality. Highlights include: new extrovert drivers, a larger rear axle for durability, new track adjuster, needle bearings, new wheels and stronger rails, new track with fully open windows, vs. 2/3 open before, and it's also fully clipped vs. 1/3 clipped previously.
How'd it run?
This was one of our group's fave sleds during testing. Senior test rider Les Pinz even wondered if Yamaha added power-assist steering to the model, it handled so light and easy.
On the trail the Vector GT was impressive. Handling was predictable, with minor ski dart, and the track really hooked up. We had rather loose snow conditions many days and Vector grabbed well. There was little tail wag coming out of turns.
Most impressive though was the power and ultimately the fuel economy. We improved from last year's 16 mpg to 16.8 mpg, and like all Yamaha's this one runs on 87-octane gas.
On the acceleration end, the 2010 Vector GT, unstudded, topped out at 94.63 mph with a ¼-mile ET of 13.16 seconds. While snow conditions differed from last year, the `09 model topped out at 90.35 mph with a ¼-mile ET of 13.52. There's a big enough difference here so that it seems clear the new EFI model backs up its claims.
That makes the Vector an even stronger mid-market sled as last year's tests showed it nipping at the heels of the Ski-Doo TNT for ¼-mile ET and third to the Polaris Shift 600 and TNT for top speed. Would the 2010 Vector beat those two in a flat-out speed run? Our early tests show it will be extremely competitive, if not the winner in the MPG war too!