J
Jviper
Member
they are identical....same jackshaft, same belt etc.....the vipers came with a weak front track shock spring that made em brutal to ride. but at the end of the day they are the same.
Ride report Yamaha Sidewinder
- Thread starter Turblue
- Start date
they are identical....same jackshaft, same belt etc.....the vipers came with a weak front track shock spring that made em brutal to ride. but at the end of the day they are the same.
B
BigFish BC
Well-known member
Soooooo you are going to base your opinion on a flatland mags evaluation seems silly to me but to each there own.
I have not put a leg over the switch yet but won't post my opinion till I do.
B
BigFish BC
Well-known member
I finally have a sw avaliable to ride & will give my honest opinion + I can ride it back to back with my boost-it viper.
I truly think all 4 brands are making amazing sleds just need to pick which one fits you.
I truly think all 4 brands are making amazing sleds just need to pick which one fits you.
J
Jviper
Member
does your boost it viper have the 2016 front end? what front track shock? next time i head out i will have the opportunity to ride em both back to back....i have a 2015 viper with 2016 front end...with a turbo kit...i also have raptor rear shocks that made the front end super light feeling compared to the stock shocks.....i cant see how the sidewinder is going to be better handling but i will post my results as well....
Finally rode the sidewinder today. I had a ball. A million times better than my old t-nytro. The weight is still there but the chassis masks it so much better. I wouldn't be afraid to take it sh!tholeing. The motor is really smooth and doesn't have the little burble, out of the hole, that my nytro had. It doesn't have the quick power out of the hole that the 2 strokes have. It seems like more mid on up to me. Definitely a winner if you want a 4 stroke.
B
BigFish BC
Well-known member
Yes 2016 front end & have exits in rear but front shock is a cat exit shock
Sled is home...pretty stoked....maiden voyage Friday with 6 other sidewinders ...should be some good footage...stay tuned
.
I want to say thanks to Spectra Power Sports in Williams Lake , BC. Awesome guys and gals to deal with. Also worked out a ride for it part way...thanks to the young fella that brought it to revy.....can't say enough.
. I want to say thanks to Spectra Power Sports in Williams Lake , BC. Awesome guys and gals to deal with. Also worked out a ride for it part way...thanks to the young fella that brought it to revy.....can't say enough.
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few pictures under the hood....panels and hood come off super easy...no screws. Intake is at the back of the hood under the steering post...the 2 pre filters are angled downward.....Interesting I did some rough measuring the pro rmk width and this sled....the sidewinder isn't any wider body wise and the spindles are narrower.....pro and axys 39" ski stance...sidewinder 36". I will get exact measurements on the body later.
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So refreshing to see typical Yamaha fit and finish on a new sled like that.
I've been a lifetime Yamaha dirt bike guy and own an Apex mountain sled so I bleed blue you could say.
I also own a Pro RMK and there is absolutely no comparison in the fit and finish department.
I spent a lot of time going through that Polaris doing zip tying, chafe protection, water proofing all for reliability purposes.
Definitely a tremendous difference.
I've been a lifetime Yamaha dirt bike guy and own an Apex mountain sled so I bleed blue you could say.
I also own a Pro RMK and there is absolutely no comparison in the fit and finish department.
I spent a lot of time going through that Polaris doing zip tying, chafe protection, water proofing all for reliability purposes.
Definitely a tremendous difference.
Turblue, in the hood area, on the M's that mesh area you were holding was a google bag, does Yamaha offer that? It was a sweet spot on the M's because all the heat would flow right up there and dry out your googles.
Just wanted to make sure they didn't get rid of that, the google bag does a really good job of drying them out
YAMAHA 2018 DEMO RIDE
I was fortunate enough to be involved in 2018 demo ride yesterday......We had a great day getting to check out the new sleds and ride them(zero miles on them) .of course I rode my new sidewinder, but did try a 18. I'm sure most of you are wondering how I am involved in another demo ride. The reason I was involved again, I volunteered my time to help the local dealer by organizating all the test riders and lining the date up with Yamaha's spectacular demo rep Jamie. I have been sledding since I could walk and am very passionate about the sport and enjoy every aspect of it. I truly believe it's one of North Americas greatest pass times. The awesome back country, meeting new people, educating the new up and coming riders is the greatest thing ever. Where the sled manufacturers have come in the last few years has been nothing short of amazing. I do have to say if you haven't tried a Yamaha you need to they are an engineering marvel. Nothing beats 4 stroke boost.
The day started in the staging area with Jamie's introduction in the new 2018's...Weather was perfect with clear blue skies, temp was around 1c...the unfortunate thing was all the great snow had had rain and froze the night before so a hard crust with a bit of fresh on top. So it was a exploring day. Showed everyone some spectacular country.....
So the 2018 (all 162 3" in the demo) are pretty cool....the newly updated running boards, which are 1" narrower than the 17's are going to work well. The lower plastic even tucks in more and will be a bonus on those steep side hills. The other thing I noticed right away is the air intake for the turbo is at the back of the hood under the handlebars on the 17's, on the 18's they have added another set directly above the bottom ones. On the picture below they would be in the 2 black strips. Also there was a goggle bag in the open spot below the gauge.
The new shocks were pretty interesting, Jaime our demo guide demonstrated how the settings worked on the rear QSL shock. There is 3 settings , soft , medium, and hard...Hard is the lockout feature and totally limits the rear travel so your suspension will couple and keep the front end down on those steep climbs. Due to avalanche conditions we never actually got to test out that feature. All the shocks are a definite upgrade and worth it. Trails in were pretty rough with moguls, having the new shocks was awesome.
The day was great even with the hard pack conditions, sleds handled great compared to their predecessors. It really didn't feel harder to maneuver than my skidoo T3, but let's face it, riding in hard pack snow isn't ideal for any sleds. There were a couple riders in our group that did make these sled shine...those guys could ride.
Again I want to thanks Jamie Moberg for letting us ride these. Yamaha is lucky to have a great guy with such a positive attitude representing their product. He's always accommodating and willing to "commit" to the groups riding style. Also the dealer ROCKY MOUNTAIN YAMAHA in Pincher Creek, Alberta for sponsoring this event, great new shop in Pincher, and great guys to deal with. AND a big shout out to Climbmax(Randy) and Yamaha Canada for getting these sleds in the hands of the riders. It's just amazing a company spends the time and money to get these sleds out for a whole day of riding.
Here is a short video of the terrain we rode in.....would of been a awesome day with pow..
<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/e4LEQBbalVI" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
I was fortunate enough to be involved in 2018 demo ride yesterday......We had a great day getting to check out the new sleds and ride them(zero miles on them) .of course I rode my new sidewinder, but did try a 18. I'm sure most of you are wondering how I am involved in another demo ride. The reason I was involved again, I volunteered my time to help the local dealer by organizating all the test riders and lining the date up with Yamaha's spectacular demo rep Jamie. I have been sledding since I could walk and am very passionate about the sport and enjoy every aspect of it. I truly believe it's one of North Americas greatest pass times. The awesome back country, meeting new people, educating the new up and coming riders is the greatest thing ever. Where the sled manufacturers have come in the last few years has been nothing short of amazing. I do have to say if you haven't tried a Yamaha you need to they are an engineering marvel. Nothing beats 4 stroke boost.
The day started in the staging area with Jamie's introduction in the new 2018's...Weather was perfect with clear blue skies, temp was around 1c...the unfortunate thing was all the great snow had had rain and froze the night before so a hard crust with a bit of fresh on top. So it was a exploring day. Showed everyone some spectacular country.....
So the 2018 (all 162 3" in the demo) are pretty cool....the newly updated running boards, which are 1" narrower than the 17's are going to work well. The lower plastic even tucks in more and will be a bonus on those steep side hills. The other thing I noticed right away is the air intake for the turbo is at the back of the hood under the handlebars on the 17's, on the 18's they have added another set directly above the bottom ones. On the picture below they would be in the 2 black strips. Also there was a goggle bag in the open spot below the gauge.
The new shocks were pretty interesting, Jaime our demo guide demonstrated how the settings worked on the rear QSL shock. There is 3 settings , soft , medium, and hard...Hard is the lockout feature and totally limits the rear travel so your suspension will couple and keep the front end down on those steep climbs. Due to avalanche conditions we never actually got to test out that feature. All the shocks are a definite upgrade and worth it. Trails in were pretty rough with moguls, having the new shocks was awesome.
The day was great even with the hard pack conditions, sleds handled great compared to their predecessors. It really didn't feel harder to maneuver than my skidoo T3, but let's face it, riding in hard pack snow isn't ideal for any sleds. There were a couple riders in our group that did make these sled shine...those guys could ride.
Again I want to thanks Jamie Moberg for letting us ride these. Yamaha is lucky to have a great guy with such a positive attitude representing their product. He's always accommodating and willing to "commit"
to the groups riding style. Also the dealer ROCKY MOUNTAIN YAMAHA in Pincher Creek, Alberta for sponsoring this event, great new shop in Pincher, and great guys to deal with. AND a big shout out to Climbmax(Randy) and Yamaha Canada for getting these sleds in the hands of the riders. It's just amazing a company spends the time and money to get these sleds out for a whole day of riding.
Here is a short video of the terrain we rode in.....would of been a awesome day with pow..
<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/e4LEQBbalVI" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
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Turblue, thanks for sharing your day. It sucks that the snow setup on you guys especially on demo day! At least you and the guys were able to get out there and do some exploring.
Keep the updates and videos coming, some of us, especially myself like the info and commentary.
Keep the updates and videos coming, some of us, especially myself like the info and commentary.
I
Insaneboltrounder/sjohns
Well-known member
I wonder how tge 153 will work?
I'm really hoping for some good snow this year yet and get some tree riding footage to show people what these sleds are capable of. Stay tuned.
Thanks for passing on all the info. I have to say, this new Sidewinder has seriously caught my attention. I have always loved the fourstroke but never liked the handling. From what I've heard from you guys as well as other's is that this is the real deal. I have a friend that is a local dealer that just took delivery of one yesterday, so I got to look around it. Really like the sled and look forward to getting some seat time. Things I like, it's a "factory" turbo, they've really improved the suspension, great shocks and great styling. Now I will say as close as I came to ordering a 2018, there were a couple of things that kept me from doing so. First, the running boards. Yes, I know a person can change them out, but you shouldn't have to. Polaris and Doo have good running boards and so should Cat and Yamaha. Another this I didn't really get is the low riser on the Sidewinder. I'm 6 foot tall and don't like being hunched over. Another thing that would have been nice is a 174" track. A sled with that much HP should have a track to make it. Hopefully these things will be updated in 2019. But once again, thanks for the info.
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