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The 998cc Sidewinder is the first 200+hp stock sled ever built, and it has a ton of arm-pulling torque. This muscle is not to be underestimated. Rider fatigue can be real if you are out of shape. It takes some serious strength to hang on and drive 204 ponies. So “cowboy up” and ride!
I honestly think that the Sidewinder generates so much track speed that it actually creates lift. Many times we had it trenched, but it usually only took a ski tug and the power, speed and lift created by the track did the rest. Even with some pin and wiggle, the Sidewinder came out of some pretty sick holes on its own. Get really stuck and you are going to be working for a bit, but that rarely happened to us.
A lot of people think the Sidewinder has a 39- or 40-inch ski stance, but in fact it has a 36-inch front end. Combined with the PowerClaw 3-inch-lug track, new chassis and FOX EVOL shocks, this really makes it nimble and able to carve and hold a sidehill. It can also boondock surprisingly well for a turbo. The zero lag and linear power make it easy to maneuver through trees and in areas where you have to be on and off the throttle.
Compared to the previous Vipers, the Sidewinder’s new design makes it feel more spry and sure underfoot. It feels ready to rip the moment you stand on it. The first thing you notice when going from another sled to the Sidewinder is that it feels like an Indy 500 car. I don’t know how else to explain it, other than it just feels like it is going to be really fun to ride and is more than ready for you to be aggressive with it. In fact, the more aggressive you are with this sled, the better it responds, and it will take you places you never thought possible.
The only issue we had all season was that we were going through belts about every 130 miles. We took it in to the dealership and had the clutch re-aligned, and we haven’t had any issues since (about 400 miles so far).