uncle_ed
Active member
I would like to start by saying that this was a short test ride this past saturday at Peacocks in Baldwin and was by no means long enough to get a serious idea of what each sleds potential may be, but was a taste of what they have to offer. Yamaha had a sampling of the Viper there and a vector with powering steering of which I did not get a chance to ride unfortunately.
Our group of six left at 9:30 in the morning for a spin and it was 10 degress out and clear. We switched off on the sleds while out and I was able to ride 4 different sleds on the trip. My first sled was an LTX-SE which has the 137 inch ripsaw II track, fox floats and was using dual runner carbides up front. I choose this sled for my first ride because I have never had a sled with a longer track than a 121 and have been thinking about going longer next time around as more than half of my riding is off trail. I must say that the power was crisp and linear with a steady hard pull when I squeezed the flipper. 20 to 60 comes quick and it was somewhat comparable to my 2010 600 e-tec. Might have been quicker but I couldnt say for sure. I found the dual runner skis to track straight with no darting and actually might have been too much as it really want to go straight and resisted turning just a touch. All in all it was very nice ride that sucked up the bumps quite nicely and handled very well in the twistys.
My next ride was on the SR Viper with the 129 inch ripsaw and coil over shocks. I dont belive any other sleds had the duallys and I found this set up very appealing and easy to steer. The track was very adaquate with no traction problems like I had experienced in the past on my 121 inch Apex. This set up would honestly be a great trail sled for most riders as it just handled great and had good bite and some side slip in corners on demand. I found the seating position to be rider forward like most other sleds of todayand comparable to my XP. Wind protection was good and kept my hands and body protected, just my head was feeling the wind when driving. I probably liked this sled as much or more than the others!!
My next sled was the SR Viper LTX with the 137 track. This was the sled I had in mind to ride before I got there as it does not have the Fox floats and is the cheaper/base sled with a mid size track. I found this sled very fun to drive and with little to no push in the corners which was my concern going from a 120 inch track to a 137. I did have to set up some of the tight corners with the brakes a bit but then I have to do that on the shorty also. Squeezing the trigger on this sled would not raise the skis but would definitely give me all the power I need anymore with corner to corner acceleration that would keep you caught up with a group on a brisk pace for sure. I would have to say that this was my favorite set up and would be my choice if I were to purchase a new viper.
My last ride was on the SR Viper XTX-SE with the 141 inch ripsaw and fox floats. This sled is defintely geared to the cross-over crowd unfortuanely we did not get a chance to test it in the deep powder that was everywhere. I just couldnt find the opportunity to get off and try it (we were supposed to stay on the trail anyway) so my experience with it was strictly on trail. I found this sled pushed the most in corners with more effort needed to negotiate corners. The ride was plush and it did really soak up the bumps. When I squeezed the flipper on this one the front end would come up a bit and had me thinking that it might have been geared differently. I asked after the ride and all the vipers were geared the same. The down side on this one was that the heated hand grips did not work so I could feel the 10 degree day a lot more! This sled was fun and I wished I could have tested it in powder to see its full potential.
Not to be to winded it was all in all a fun ride and was nice to get a chance to test out some different iron. I have owned Polaris sleds for years and Yamaha as well and currently hold the title to a Ski-doo so I am in no way brand loyal. I am a snowmobiler and just like what feels good and works for me at the time. When I look for a new sled I consider price, weight, dependability etc in my quest for my next ride so a test ride helps in making that choice so I can compare to what others are riding. Get out and throw your leg over something new so you can compare it to what you have but most importantly go out and ride!!!
Our group of six left at 9:30 in the morning for a spin and it was 10 degress out and clear. We switched off on the sleds while out and I was able to ride 4 different sleds on the trip. My first sled was an LTX-SE which has the 137 inch ripsaw II track, fox floats and was using dual runner carbides up front. I choose this sled for my first ride because I have never had a sled with a longer track than a 121 and have been thinking about going longer next time around as more than half of my riding is off trail. I must say that the power was crisp and linear with a steady hard pull when I squeezed the flipper. 20 to 60 comes quick and it was somewhat comparable to my 2010 600 e-tec. Might have been quicker but I couldnt say for sure. I found the dual runner skis to track straight with no darting and actually might have been too much as it really want to go straight and resisted turning just a touch. All in all it was very nice ride that sucked up the bumps quite nicely and handled very well in the twistys.
My next ride was on the SR Viper with the 129 inch ripsaw and coil over shocks. I dont belive any other sleds had the duallys and I found this set up very appealing and easy to steer. The track was very adaquate with no traction problems like I had experienced in the past on my 121 inch Apex. This set up would honestly be a great trail sled for most riders as it just handled great and had good bite and some side slip in corners on demand. I found the seating position to be rider forward like most other sleds of todayand comparable to my XP. Wind protection was good and kept my hands and body protected, just my head was feeling the wind when driving. I probably liked this sled as much or more than the others!!
My next sled was the SR Viper LTX with the 137 track. This was the sled I had in mind to ride before I got there as it does not have the Fox floats and is the cheaper/base sled with a mid size track. I found this sled very fun to drive and with little to no push in the corners which was my concern going from a 120 inch track to a 137. I did have to set up some of the tight corners with the brakes a bit but then I have to do that on the shorty also. Squeezing the trigger on this sled would not raise the skis but would definitely give me all the power I need anymore with corner to corner acceleration that would keep you caught up with a group on a brisk pace for sure. I would have to say that this was my favorite set up and would be my choice if I were to purchase a new viper.
My last ride was on the SR Viper XTX-SE with the 141 inch ripsaw and fox floats. This sled is defintely geared to the cross-over crowd unfortuanely we did not get a chance to test it in the deep powder that was everywhere. I just couldnt find the opportunity to get off and try it (we were supposed to stay on the trail anyway) so my experience with it was strictly on trail. I found this sled pushed the most in corners with more effort needed to negotiate corners. The ride was plush and it did really soak up the bumps. When I squeezed the flipper on this one the front end would come up a bit and had me thinking that it might have been geared differently. I asked after the ride and all the vipers were geared the same. The down side on this one was that the heated hand grips did not work so I could feel the 10 degree day a lot more! This sled was fun and I wished I could have tested it in powder to see its full potential.
Not to be to winded it was all in all a fun ride and was nice to get a chance to test out some different iron. I have owned Polaris sleds for years and Yamaha as well and currently hold the title to a Ski-doo so I am in no way brand loyal. I am a snowmobiler and just like what feels good and works for me at the time. When I look for a new sled I consider price, weight, dependability etc in my quest for my next ride so a test ride helps in making that choice so I can compare to what others are riding. Get out and throw your leg over something new so you can compare it to what you have but most importantly go out and ride!!!
