In its second season of the reintroduction of the two-stroke mountain sled, Yamaha has managed to cut significant weight off the Mountain Max, an indication that the company known for four-stroke performance really wants to be a player in the deep snow/steep terrain market.
This first effort in weight reduction is focused on Yamaha’s all-new Mountain Max LE 154 SL model, which is a welcome addition for deep snow riding. The SL trim of the Mountain Max 154 is the lightweight version. The electric start has been removed to save over 20 pounds of weight on this two-stroke snowmobile.
From our scales, the 2021 Mountain Max 154 weighed in at 592 pounds wet. The 2022 Super Lite weighed in at 543 pounds wet. That puts the weight much more competitive with other mountain sleds.
Yamaha continues to move at a cautious pace in its efforts to clean out the pipeline of carry-overs (non-current models) that have a tendency to keep retail prices low and used snowmobile prices even lower. Although prices are up for consumers, increased sales in new models means Yamaha can become more competitive with more innovations and more technological advancements.
This also leads to more new models being produced (which actually reduces manufacturing costs) and allows Yamaha to be much more competitive with pricing. Although Yamaha is careful to not over-build, the company is working toward replenishing dealer inventory and incrementally increasing production to meet demand in 2022.
The Mountain Max 800 LE 154 “Super-Lite” offers changes in the primary and secondary clutches, a single rail rear suspension, a shorter seat and gas tank, a 154x3-inch lug track, short style heat exchanger and a small tunnel bag. This sled will not have electric start (a big weight reduction move, thus the super-lite designation). It also will come with a premium painted Frost Silver hood and custom stitch seat.
Although Yamaha didn’t send its fleet of 2022 models to West Yellowstone for the new model introductions last February due to the lingering issues with Covid restrictions, we were able to snag the Super Lite for a week’s worth of riding this past March. This gave the editors of SnoWest a chance to test it in different snow conditions.
The Super Lite’s 154-inch track features three-inch lugs that hook up strong and propel the sled through the deep snow. Other features include a shorter seat and fuel tank for rider mobility when changing sides of the sled as terrain dictates. It also has a 36-inch ski stance, mountain front suspension and industry-leading single-beam skid frame for unparalleled handling ability.
Yamaha’s Mountain Max line features a second generation, two-cylinder, 794cc, 2-stroke engine with an ECM controlled batteryless fuel injection and electronic oil injection. Its three-stage auxiliary exhaust port power valves control the gas flow into a tuned pipe with stainless exhaust collector and silencer. The engine is solid and proven. It generates an abundance of torque that allows the Super Lite to jump on top of the snow and power up steep terrain.
A lightweight tunnel is designed with narrow, tapered running boards for deep snow maneuverability. The chain-case is dropped and rolled to provide a gradual low track approach angle.
The Super Lite features a single-beam rear suspension and delivers exceptional handling in the deep and steep. With a single pivot at the mid-point of the rail running down the center line of the track, the Super Lite offers track flexibility that allows you to roll into turns with ease. The single-rail system is lighter than dual-rail rear skids and doesn't trap snow, keeping the sled much lighter in real world conditions.
The single-beam suspension still uses Fox Zero coil spring shocks with adjustable QS3 damping on both front and rear arms to deliver a smooth ride. The rear arm is equipped with the mountain-specific QS3L shock which features a special lock-out mode for extreme climbing.
Up front the Super Lite comes with the SRV-M front suspension which is compact to reduce unwanted spindle and suspension drag when in deep snow. The narrow stance allows for extreme maneuverability and delivers aggressive lean angles for incredible side-hilling and powder-turn capabilities.
A mountain-specific SRV-M chassis distributes weight via a triangulated lightweight aluminum structure to deliver a rider-centered balance platform. About 60 percent of the sled’s weight is centered within the main triangulation, allowing the rider to easily initiate turning and sidehilling.