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Being a fairly recent inductee into AARP's expanding club, I find myself gravitating to the longer-track sleds when I suspect rough trails ahead, or know we'll be cranking off a lot of miles in a day.
So, I became one with Yamaha's 136-inch tracked Attak GT much of last season. I logged nearly 800 miles on just one trek in Ontario. Talk about easy, comfortable, trouble-free miles.
Tough trails made easyAttak (renamed Apex LTX for 2008) is a primo groomed trail sled, starting with its push-button controlled Ohlins rear suspension. The Mono Shock EC 136 does a good job of handling bumps and jumps on trail. I kept it set relatively stiff most of the time and with 11.5 inches of rear travel, it soaked up bumps without bottoming, while keeping the tail from jumping out on you. I cleared a lot of good-sized rollers and came down hard plenty, but the suspension ate it up, so my back wasn't begging for a hot shower at day's end.
The GT also has multiple-setting GYT-R clicker shocks up front. They're simple to adjust if several different riders need to change settings to suit their own styles. I would suggest marking a starting place on the clicker knob with a marker so you easily know what setting you're at on both sides. That would speed adjustments along the trail, and you would avoid having one side set differently than the other.
Riding position is close to perfect here. You sit upright on a soft seat that is well shaped for long-distance rides. It's not quite as easy on the rider, as say the Polaris IQ seat, but unless you're pushing hard, the Attak's seat is super.
Handling is good too, although there is a heavier feel to the nose than some competing sleds. Still I had no trouble running it for a couple hundred miles in a day with little fatigue. I'd suggest a different ski maybe, or 8-inch long single carbides to give the skis a little more bite. (See
carbide reviews)
Perfect powerCertainly Yamaha's Genesis 150 motor is strong. Our dyno tests put it at 149.8 horsepower, and in last January's Real World Shoot-Out, the Attak posted the second fastest speed overall at 104.75 mph. Throttle response is quick here too, but there's heavy engine back-shifting that quickly slows the sled once you're off the throttle. It's no big deal, but folks coming over from 2-strokes may need a few rides to get the feel.
I noticed too that while the engine sounds great at idle and at speed, there's a helmet-rattling drone between about 20 and 38 mph. The moral: Ride at 40+ most of the time.
The RipSaw track, with 1.25-inch lugs, does a decent job of keeping you afloat on powder. Just avoid getting bogged down because this one is heavy, so it requires more work to get it unstuck.
My experience in chilly Canada taught me that the Attak could use more wind protection for your hands. I had to resort to gauntlets on a couple sub-zero mornings. However, the mid-high windshield does a pretty good job of diverting the air. A bit taller would be even better.
Standing on the sled is easy too, but the toeholds are a little tight, so if you normally move around a lot, you might want to barely tuck your toes in there. Attak's boards are plenty wide, so you have some leeway.
Other ergonomics are good, with a tall wide bar along with hooked ends for more leverage. The speedometer is a high-tech number with an analog tach. Other digital gauge functions show handwarmers, thumbwarmers and the Ohlins rear shock settings. There's a clock, dual trip meters and a barometer too. Attak also has electric start.
Yamaha's cold grip warmers seem to have been remedied for 2007 and were plenty hot for the majority of our rides. You'll also find yourself needing less gas (and no oil!) with the Attak; it got the best gas mileage of our fleet this year at 15.9 mpg. Yamaha estimates that in 15,000 miles you'll save about $2,500 in fuel compared with a 2-stroke, but that difference could grow if gas prices settle above $3 a gallon.
Yamaha also suggests oil changes every 2,500 miles, or once a season. An initial oil change is needed at 500 miles though. We had no maintenance or service issues during a full season.
2007 Yamaha AttakEngine: 998cc 4-cylinder, 4-stroke
HP: 149.8
Exhaust: Dual rear
Ski Stance: 42.7 in.
Front Suspension: Independent double-wishbone
Rear Suspension: Mono Shock RA 136 w/Ohlins
Track: RipSaw 15x136x1.25 in.
Fuel Tank: 10 gal.
Dry Weight: 575 lbs.
Price: $10,499 US
Real World StatsTop Speed: 104.75
¼-mile Time: 13.71 sec.
Avg. mpg: 15.9