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Hurley, Wis. - Like many, a 40-year-old Yamaha's snowmobile unit is looking to build muscle while shedding pounds. Maybe its engineers have been watching those Fergie commercials!
Yamaha's fitness plan kicks it up a notch for '08, its sled division's 40th anniversary year. So, if you're thinking last year's five version Phazer onslaught was a high-snow mark, think again.
There's a powerful new Nytro, Vector slips into the Apex chassis and there's a new naming scheme for several sleds.
A big shot of NytroAtop the lineup toning plan is a new Nytro based on Yamaha's Snocross racer, and using its new high-revving Genesis 130FI 4-stroke. Yamaha's brain trust tells us this is virtually the same engine that took Robbie Malinoski to his historic Snocross win (first by a 4-stroke) in Brainerd, Minn., in mid-January.
This 1050cc fuel-injected engine creates 130+ horsepower with arm- stretching torque to give it herculean acceleration, holding 95% of its peak performance for an amazing 1,200 rpm. Plus, Yamaha has designed an engine brake reduction system (similar to that on Arctic Cat's 4-stroke Jaguar) that allows the sled to coast with more ease once the throttle is released.
Get this. The 130-horse engine also has an 11:1 compression ratio, runs on 87 octane pump gas and is 8 lbs. lighter than the Vector's 120-horse, 4-stroke. What's not to like?
But wait, there's more! Nytro is packed into a modified FX chassis - the radical design that houses the Phazer - which moves the driver forward and lowers the engine for better weight balance.
The front suspension is all new, not a derivation from the Phazer. But it includes a torsion bar and GYTR SOQI-built clicker shocks, lightweight spindles to lower the unsprung weight and the engine is (as in a limbo contest) as low as it can go, says Yamaha's tech-sperts.
By lowering that engine and centering it below the handlebars, better balance is created and more positive steering as the linkage is reduced from other models.
In back, there's a whole new Dual Shock suspension with beefy SOQI aluminum high-pressure gas shocks with 40 mm bodies and 14 mm rods, same as on those front shocks. Yamaha says the size helps durability and that these will resist shock fade too.
Ah, but you ask, other than a lighter engine, where's that weight loss, and HOW MUCH?
First, Yamaha says Nytro is 59 lbs. lighter than Apex, coming in at 577 lbs. wet. Add in reverse and it'll hit 585 lbs. wet. We hear too, that this will have a fuel tank in the 8-gallon range because it gets good enough gas mileage, about 17 mpg, that it'll have a 100- to 125-mile range. Remember too, these are pre-production weights, so they likely will change some by fall.
That weight drop comes from shaving a pound here and an ounce there. For instance, magnesium was used in the engine's valve and magneto covers and oil pan. There are new intake and exhaust ports, camshafts, a tapered connecting pin and a crank shaft that weighs 1.7 lbs. less than Vector's. Nytro has no rear heat exchanger because it uses a closed-loop cooling system, as does Phazer.
Plastic also is being used for many non-stressed parts, as in the auto industry. There are plastic clips where metal screws once were used. Yamaha uses a lightweight plastic (same as used in street bikes of late) for the hood and plastic for the headlight stay.
Functionally there are some other high points for the Nytro, which will be offered in Yamaha blue and white, plus a black, white and yellow scheme that had me seeing Ski-Doo Blizzard.
But Nytro also gives you wide floorboards, bigger air-deflecting hand guards, a narrow seat for easier stand-up riding and its radiator system forces warm air out over the driver's feet while sucking in cold air to cool the engine and clutch.
An early prototype ride showed
AmSnow that Nytro lives up to much of its hype, especially from a comfort and power standpoint. Certainly the sled feels much lighter too. The rear suspension is still undergoing fine-tuning, and it seemed a few items, such as the floorboards and tunnel, need additional support.
All that said, what'll it cost you? No prices were set by press time, but expect it to start in the $10,000 range.
New names?Which brings us to naming schemes. Starting in 2008 all models will be designated RTX for rough-trail premium models, GT for groomed-trail versions and MTX for mountain sleds. LTX will indicate sleds with trail versatility due to longer tracks, 136-inches for now. Other initials before the sled name indicate the chassis it rides on, such as FX Nytro or FX Phazer.
Got it? Well, Nytro will come in its base FX form and also as an RTX and MTX. The RTX adds Fox Float shocks up front to handle bigger bashing, and beefier rear Dual Shock Pro suspension, that boosts rods to 16 mm.
There's also a 40th anniversary edition with a higher windshield and a spiffy white paint job with red strobes on the hood and a red streak along the lower seat edge.
The mountain sled is 90 lbs. lighter than the Vector Mountain 151, coming in at about 600 lbs. wet. That should help boost it among the mountain crowd. Nytro MTX adds an additional heat exchanger and uses a Maverick track that's 15x153x2.25 inches. It'll come in blue or the 40th anniversary scheme.
Other models in 40th garb will include the Apex GT and Apex LTX (formerly Attak), LTX GT and the Apex MTX SE (mountain sled). The GT features Ohlins adjustable front shocks, the LTX GT adds Fox Floats up front and the MTX features Fox Floats in front, a new Pro Mountain 153 suspension in back and a new track that cuts 3.3 lbs.
What's your Vector?Not to be left out, Vector moves to the Apex Delta Box II chassis that puts the rider 6 inches further forward and better distributes weight to improve handling. It's a big move in the meat of the market where Vector and its 120-horse 4-stroke compete.
The line starts with the RS Vector, featuring a carbureted engine that will help keep the price down and make this a more economical sled, since it also gets about 20 mpg, says Yamaha. In the new chassis, the bars move forward 6 inches as the rider has moved forward, better centering weight on the sled. There's a Mono Shock RA rear suspension too. RS comes in a black and blue combination.
The GT version is available in blue and also as a 40th anniversary edition in white and red. The LTX model with its 136-inch track also adds KYB shocks up front to create a more luxurious ride.
Other changesPhazer gets some upgrades after debuting last season. Yamaha adds a snow panel along the side between the seat and tunnel that will reduce some snow buildup on the running boards. It also gives the sled a little more color and makes it look a bit more finished.
Phazer also gets a new color to go along with Yamaha blue. This one is Gen Y-approved, a white and orange mix, along the lines of Ski-Doo's Freestyle Park. The FX model now becomes the RTX and adds Fox Float shocks in the front with new calibration to help prevent bottoming. The GT model gets new GYTR front clicker shocks to improve handling.
The GT is available in blue and a new black and silver combination. The mountain Phazer, the MTX, adds the snow panel and also comes in black and silver along with the standard blue.