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Unlike it’s namesnake, Yamaha’s SR Viper can actually run. Especially out of the gate!
We hammered the gas on our long-term Viper repeatedly this past season and it never failed to kick us in the seat of the pants. “Thank you sir, may I have another?”
The sled’s YVXC clutch engages a little earlier (about 3,400 rpm), and smoother, than on its Arctic Cat cousin. The Genesis 3-cylinder 4-stroke engine means business. It is especially quick out of the hole, so corner to corner in the North Woods is a blast.
For the record, we recorded a top speed of 87.06 mph at our Original Real World Shootout last January. All of our speeds were down some from previous years due to test track conditions. If you need a little more grip, you might consider its long-track brother, the L-TX which posted a quick run of 90.85 mph in our tests. In either case, the power band is wide and the throttle pull smooth and steady.
Several of our test riders felt overall the Viper seemed a little down on top end speed, even compared with the similar Cat model. But you can run 85+ mph on railroad grades all day with the Viper, which was a new model for Yamaha last season and rides in Arctic Cat’s ProCross chassis. We like that is has a 129-inch track, which sort of bridges the gap between short track sleds and crossovers.
This one rides a little softer (which I like) than some models we’ve ridden and it handles well too. There are coil-over rebuildable HPG shocks up front with 10 inches of travel. While in back there’s a dual-shock setup with a C43 R13 aluminum HPG shock in the center and C53 R13 aluminum HPG shock in back. Rear travel is 13.5 inches.
It took us a while to adjust the suspensions so that most of our crew felt comfortable on it, but there’s plenty of travel and you can get the Viper to smooth out the trails on long runs.
Power is plentiful and the Genesis engine sounds great. It’s less rumble-prone in the 30-40 mph range than the engine was in the former Yamaha Nytro. The 3-into-1 exhaust coming out the bottom up front helps that in our minds at least. Yamaha Nytro, Apex, Vector and many other current and former models have/had rear-exiting exhausts.
The engine braking reduction system works well on the Viper too, just the right amount so it’s not as sudden or sharp as we experienced in the Nytro.
We also like the radial master cylinder brake developed by Hayes Brake. This thing, with its big 8-inch rotor, is a beast that’ll stop the sled quickly. One downside though, riders with small hands (like me) may notice the long brake lever sticks out quite a ways. It’s a bit uncomfortable for me, but the big guys with their giant paws say it’s great.
You get good grip from the single-ply RipSaw II track, with rounded edges on the lugs for better cornering, a bit of the old-school drift through the corner, to reduce ski lift. Indeed, the Viper keeps its skis down where they belong most of the time, compared to the old Nytro, which means more predictable handling.
This is a comfortable sled, like others that ride in the ProCross chassis.
Ergonomics have you sitting upright and balanced mid-sled, comfortably in control. The seat is perfect for long rides, plus it has two heat settings. We happily used that a couple of sub-zero mornings.
What wasn’t quite as helpful was the windshield. Yamaha’s version looks better than that used on the Cat models, but it doesn’t drastically change the wind you catch mid-chest and your hands still get pretty cold on blustery morning rides.
We liked the easy-to-see dual gauge pod, which gives you a variety of useful functions. Other pluses include electric start and push-button (finally!) reverse. The good-sized storage bag under the seat and atop the tunnel is appreciated. You can keep a spare belt, maps and even a hat in there and ditch your backpack.
So thumbs up for the Viper and the joint effort between Yamaha and Arctic Cat. This has good power, is a 4-stroke (should have longevity and fuel efficiency), rides and handles well and comes with a number of amenities too. Can’t wait to ride the 2015s now!