First Ride: Yamaha Viper MT-X 162 LE

[christopher]

So far I have not run into any issues with the skies.
Maybe we just don't have enough fresh deep powder to make a difference yet.
But so far the OEM skies are working pretty dang well for me.

 

[n2otoofast4u]

You arent kidding. These boards suck. I hit a small dip (2ft maybe) before a hill and bent a side. Im a big guy 6'5 250lbs with gear but I still dont think it should have taco'ed. I havent decided if Im going to see if Yamaha will warranty it or not. Ill probably ask about it when I take it in to have the drivers looked at. All in all I love how this sled feels. Sorry about the pic overload.

Holly S......

 

[BigFish BC]

any guys looking at new boards check out the cr racing extreme boards love mine.

http://crracingcanada.com/main/sled/yamaha/viper/extreme-running-boards-viper.html#


http://crracingcanada.com/main/sled/yamaha/viper/extreme-running-boards-viper.html#

 

[Shattered1]

So far I have not run into any issues with the skies.
Maybe we just don't have enough fresh deep powder to make a difference yet.
But so far the OEM skies are working pretty dang well for me.

Ya know, I have a friend who got a new M8 HCR last season and he had no complaints about the sled other than no tether.

He had the same stock skinny skis and they look like they wouldn't be any good in the powder, but I never heard him complain about them. Then again, we had crappy snow last season and didn't see a lot of deep powder.

Maybe they work even though they look like they wouldn't. I still think I'd opt for a wider ski. More flotation couldn't hurt and they look like something you'd see on a trail sled.

 

[stingray719]

Ya know, I have a friend who got a new M8 HCR last season and he had no complaints about the sled other than no tether.

He had the same stock skinny skis and they look like they wouldn't be any good in the powder, but I never heard him complain about them. Then again, we had crappy snow last season and didn't see a lot of deep powder.

Maybe they work even though they look like they wouldn't. I still think I'd opt for a wider ski. More flotation couldn't hurt and they look like something you'd see on a trail sled.

Didn't take us long to ditch the stock cat skis last year on my 2014 M8 and girlfriends Viper. Not so bad on marginal snow but in the deep powder those skinny skis made it feel more like a Nytro than I wanted. Went to powder pros and the aggressive keel made it hard steering. Ended up with Polaris Grippers on the M8 and liked those.

 

[Deep Powder Guy]

The grippers are better than the stockers. The Mohawks are to aggressive.. We are liking the Gen 1 Simmons for all around performance...If you go 2 wide you float slightly better but at the same time we think giving up the power steering & carving character of a narrower ski is not worth the extra width. 6-3/4 wide ski's are ideal all for us.

DPG

 

[christopher]

Ya know, I have a friend who got a new M8 HCR last season and he had no complaints about the sled other than no tether.

He had the same stock skinny skis and they look like they wouldn't be any good in the powder, but I never heard him complain about them. Then again, we had crappy snow last season and didn't see a lot of deep powder.

Maybe they work even though they look like they wouldn't. I still think I'd opt for a wider ski. More flotation couldn't hurt and they look like something you'd see on a trail sled.

Need to find out which skies were on that Turbo Viper I was playing with last sunday. That sled felt MUCH lighter in the front end steering wise.

 

[motojunkie101]

The way the rear skid is set up will play a part in how light the front end feels too.

 

[christopher]

The way the rear skid is set up will play a part in how light the front end feels too.

No doubt.
But when the sled was sitting still it was noticeably easier to turn the skies.

 

[hahler2]

Thank you guys for all the good input on the new Viper. That is a great looking sled! Does anyone have any experience coming to a Viper from a M8 Cat? I've currently got a 2012 Proclimb M8. Looking at trading it for a 162 Viper with the MTI turbo.

I love my Cat and that's all I've ever ridden. But I'm really interested in making the jump to 4 stroke. I like the idea of just adding gas and then turn the key and go. Plus with the boost being able to maintain HP even in the mountains is awesome. And I know I don't want the Cat 1100 turbo. My brother in law has one and it's an ok sled, but I think the Viper would be a better setup.

My one concern is I'm fairly new to mountain riding. My 12 is my first mountain sled and when you only make one or two trips west every year it's hard to get a lot of experience. I'm getting better but still struggle in slow speed sidehilling. It's hard for me to get the sled to do what I want it to. I'm afraid going to a heavier sled is only going to make it more difficult for me. Just curious what your guys thoughts are.

 

[stingray719]

Thank you guys for all the good input on the new Viper. That is a great looking sled! Does anyone have any experience coming to a Viper from a M8 Cat? I've currently got a 2012 Proclimb M8. Looking at trading it for a 162 Viper with the MTI turbo.

I love my Cat and that's all I've ever ridden. But I'm really interested in making the jump to 4 stroke. I like the idea of just adding gas and then turn the key and go. Plus with the boost being able to maintain HP even in the mountains is awesome. And I know I don't want the Cat 1100 turbo. My brother in law has one and it's an ok sled, but I think the Viper would be a better setup.

My one concern is I'm fairly new to mountain riding. My 12 is my first mountain sled and when you only make one or two trips west every year it's hard to get a lot of experience. I'm getting better but still struggle in slow speed sidehilling. It's hard for me to get the sled to do what I want it to. I'm afraid going to a heavier sled is only going to make it more difficult for me. Just curious what your guys thoughts are.

I went from a 2014 M8 to a Viper.

The M8 was a GREAT sled but I missed the 4 stroke power so I bought an XTX Viper and made it into an MTX. The Viper has the newer Cat chassis from the 2012 you have and they handle MUCH better.

The one thing you need to do if you get an MTX Viper is change the front skid shock. It will then feel no heavier than your M8. Really, if you do that mod you will swear it is as light or lighter. The reason you need to do this is the Viper comes with a 110 pound spring and it should be a 160. T&T In Wyoming is putting a 180 in the M8! So imagine a 110 in a Viper............

The other problem you will have if you get a boosted Viper is once your M8 friends ride it you may have trouble getting it back.................

 

[snow-seeker]

There are a couple of draw back to CR's boards. One, they are wider than stock. Great if you are JUST a hill climber, not so much if you like to run the trees more than the hills. Two, they drop from the outer edge to the foot stays. This makes it difficult to wrong foot forward.

I see three pluses with CR boards. No screws to break off, can be used for added cooling (turbo or engine) and they are as tuff as nails.

I would love to see them use the same tubing throughout the board and tilt the outer tubing slightly outward so the picks will grab your boot more when the sled tries to go downhill on you.

Overall a good board, but if you are a tree rider, you should really look at the BDX boards.

any guys looking at new boards check out the cr racing extreme boards love mine.

http://crracingcanada.com/main/sled/yamaha/viper/extreme-running-boards-viper.html#


http://crracingcanada.com/main/sled/yamaha/viper/extreme-running-boards-viper.html#

 

[hahler2]

Awesome comparison stingray thank you! I was just in Laramie this weekend and went riding. Had good snow while we were there but i wouldn't recommend going there now til they get more.

I really really like the idea of a boosted 4 stroke. Sounds like so much fun. I'm going to wait until the 2016 models get announced. Then either snow check one or see if I can find a really good deal on a 2015 carry over.