SR Viper has Gremlins

[Banks93]

Lets use your same comparison on Yamaha sleds you can buy a 2014 Vector LTX EPS or Nytro for $10,000-10,500 and the viper is going to be $12,000. I don't think the Viper is $2000 better then a Vector LTX with EPS or Nytro IMHO. If Yamaha would sell all three of them for a similar price since they are all in the same engine class then I would be in for a Viper sled.

Because it was a new thing this year Yamaha and Cat overcharged knowing everyone would go for the new thing this year. I didn't like it and switched brands and bought a 2014 800 ski doo X package. A sled worth that price tag. Everyone knows buy your Yamaha in Feb and save big money with the discounts they have had on past slow selling sleds. Maybe the Viper will change it.

These guys who have tubos on the vipers to get them to be 100mph sleds have $17-18K in to these sleds. After that much money you have no choice but to love a sled.

First Ski Doo I have owned and there is a reason they are number one in sales the handling, suspension and power are great. I am not blind and know I will probably have to replace the top end around 4,000 miles but I will get a new one by then.

When I owned my yamahas I always had to spend $1,000 on extra boogie wheels, special slides and snowtrackers to make it handle descent and not wear slides.

This ski doo I took home from the dealer with just bringing home oil and a set of 6" shaper bars. I have had Apex, Vector-carbed, Vector-FI, Vector LTX EPS, Apex EPS. I was a huge Yamaha guy and when I took my blue glasses off I could admit I was wrong about the other brands.

Maybe next year. I do like the gas and go and change oil once a year. Engine is bullet proof and they seemed to fix the blowing belt issue with cat.

 

[kip]

Good points Banks93 and I understand where you're coming from. Glad the Doo is working out good and yes they make a great product for sure.

 

[buddah2]

Let's see......guy buys a new model sled from another mfg and then comes on here and whines about the pricing of the Yamaha.....what happened? P.O.'d that Yamaha wouldn't bend to your perceived price point? I don't get it...........

 

[maddog24]

I am very happy my Viper so far.I have had zero issues so far. No sled is perfect. I put nearly 10,000 miles on my Apex, although I had some issues, it never left me stranded. I went to the Apex after my Polaris left me stranded with a grenaded chain case ( XC 800) . As far as TY Poll ( that anyone can chime in whether they own one or not) if you don't like the Viper no big deal . Its nice to have choices.

 

[ranlam]

Tell you what, buy me a brand new Viper and give me a gas card & I will put 6000 miles on it before April. Then everyone will have my unbiased opinion on performance and maintenance!

 

[kip]

That's funny! Bet a lot of guys would sign up for that program ranlam!

 

[Banks93]

Yes, I would sign up for it and promise to only put 3,000 so the next person could use the other 3,000 miles.

Kip I think I know your cousin Mike G. Good guy.

 

[kip]

Ah you know Mike? Yes he's my cousin and he is quite the character!

 

[blkhwkbob]

I'm a long time Yamaha guy and the fact that Yamaha never owned up to RX-1's burning oil still has me peeved.

 

[renegade]

I talked to a salesman at Zachos about the Viper for about 20 minutes. He says they have been riding this sled for 3 years around northern wisconsin in arctic green testing with their motor in the chasis. They changed something like 92 differant things on the chasis to make yamaha engineers happy. Sounds like to me they went through a fair amount of testing, if it is true. Either way this is the first time in my life I ever thought about even looking at a Yamaha. So I am very interested in peoples opinion on them and anything that might be a problem with them. So I like these threads about the Vipers. And I have already decided that I would get a taller windshield if I did buy one.Lol Cold problem solved. The red Viper Zachos had that day did looked sharp!

 

[polarisrider1]

Wayne went fishing, looks like he caught a couple!

keeps it interesting. I am actually looking for a trail sled or a switchback type sled for Michigan. Darn RMK Pro is way over kill.

 

[polarisrider1]

lol, I thought is was obvious myself, he is pretty upset that the poo threads keep coming.

Not really Lenny. As mine is holding up fine. I understand that the shear volume of them out there and the extreme low consumption setting and ethonal gas along with other variables such as oil or just simple neglect of maintaince or a combination of all of the above. Who runs their RMK on the hot side for hours on end? (the scratchers are always down on mine.) they are not trail sleds.
Just seems we never get the whole story. I had Yamaha 2 strokes in the 80's and no problem with the fours on the trail. I just need to get past the "Cat" part. The Red and black does that. I do have more issues I could post on the new Yamicat but what's the point if I am waiting for 2nd year anyways. Key is they all have bugs.

 

[snobuilder]

I talked to a salesman at Zachos about the Viper for about 20 minutes. He says they have been riding this sled for 3 years around northern wisconsin in arctic green testing with their motor in the chasis. They changed something like 92 differant things on the chasis to make yamaha engineers happy. Sounds like to me they went through a fair amount of testing, if it is true. Either way this is the first time in my life I ever thought about even looking at a Yamaha. So I am very interested in peoples opinion on them and anything that might be a problem with them. So I like these threads about the Vipers. And I have already decided that I would get a taller windshield if I did buy one.Lol Cold problem solved. The red Viper Zachos had that day did looked sharp!

all that testing and they still could not get past the reverse problems that still to this day plaugue the 2012 cats....LOL....wait, ...THINK.....before you answer that this is a NEW cat reverse problem....LOL

 

[brad460]

Arctic Cat did not deliver on their promise to Yamaha...and Yamaha should have known better. Cat quality is at the bottom of the list because of the culture at Cat - a culture of poor quality cannot be changed in a year or with force from Yamaha. This Viper is mostly all Cat..Cat designed chassis, Cat tuned the EFI, Cat tuned the suspension, and Cat sourced and assembled the sleds, and Cat is carrying the warranty reserve...Yamaha did make some changes...but very few. Cat has poor quality control...

Honestly what did everyone expect? Don't see this relationship lasting much longer...

 

[attack_06]

only problem with mine are warm re starts there is a trick to it but it always starts this summer there will be a reflash for it otherwise everything else is great ride[steering[warm with mid windshield[quiet[feels way light compared to apex ltx[remember its only three cylinders not 4 so not as fast as apex but i new that before i bought it and 15 16 mpg so far on 10.5 gallons of gas u do the math don't have to buy 2s oil all year $20 bucks less at the pumps than my buds every fill up all other problems you have heard of reverse motor[chaincase[ can usually be blamed on the owner turning the wrenches himself and not putting back together right i have done all my work myself and no problems

 

[slow_one]

I have a 2012 cat four stroke with 7000 miles one recall on reverse, works every time sense no issues. This sled is great but not a lake racer.

 

[xsledder]

Arctic Cat did not deliver on their promise to Yamaha...and Yamaha should have known better. Cat quality is at the bottom of the list because of the culture at Cat - a culture of poor quality cannot be changed in a year or with force from Yamaha. This Viper is mostly all Cat..Cat designed chassis, Cat tuned the EFI, Cat tuned the suspension, and Cat sourced and assembled the sleds, and Cat is carrying the warranty reserve...Yamaha did make some changes...but very few. Cat has poor quality control...

Honestly what did everyone expect? Don't see this relationship lasting much longer...

I have to disagree with you on the quality issue. I had a 2002 ZL 600 EFI ESR and had zero issues with it. I have a T660 Touring Turbo and have zero issues with it. I just sold a T660 Touring Turbo and broke a link on the chain. I have a '07 Phazer and I just toasted the secondary. I have had a Ski-doo Renegade and lost the voltage regulator. And I have owned many Polaris' and had little issues with them. However, I think our statement about Cat having poor quality control is a little (actually a lot) unfounded.

 

[xsledder]

I would like to know from the owners how easy or hard it is to perform maintanence tasks to it. Do you have to take the whole sled apart the change the engine oil and oil filter? Do you have to take the whole sled apart to change the chaincase lube? Do you have to take the whole sled apart to change the spark plugs? (I'm tired of taking the Phazer almost completely apart to change the engine oil and oil filter and the spark plugs.)

 

[Attak man]

Wow...it starts hard when warm??....you mean you actually have to crack the throttle a bit when you turn the key...what a POS!!!

When did snowmobiling become a sport for pee pants...lazy tards?? (smh)

 

[kip]

xsledder,

it is not a hard sled to maintenance. I guess you may hate it the first time but it really isn't bad at all. Much easier than the Phazer and the oil filter is very easy to get to. Hope this helped answer you questions.