Breaking in the new sled in the Black Hills!

[flyinghigh]

Well, took 10 hours to drive what normally takes 6, but we made it to the BH today. Roads were ice...it was actually raining with a temp of 25...not sure how that happens.

2-3 ft of new snow over the last 48 hours in the upper elevations. Not enough to feel secure about going off trail very much....rocks and stumps are everywhere, but the trails are good and should be some good meadows up north tomorrow.

So put the first 20 miles on the 2014 phazer XTX....on some really rough trail since it was the last 30 minutes before dark so the zillions of riders had all been beating it back to the lodge before dark. Before I came, I put the 2500 springs on but forgot to crank them up to high...they were on low so the rear end was bottoming pretty hard. Was able to rectify that at the lodge after getting back.

What a smooth running machine. All the little stuff is so much better quality than the Polaris I came off of. Everything just feels more "solid" if you will...more precise. Hand warmers, starter, reverse all of it.

Very flickable...in fact I am going to have to get use to that a bit, but I know I am really like it. It does seem a bit cold blooded...good idea to warm it up good I imagine. Some times have to crank for 2-3 seconds to get it to fire. Then I made the mistake of blipping the throttle like a 2 stroke...that just kills it ...oppps Just accelerate normal and smooth like an ATV and all is well. Will be interesting to see if it starts in the morning...supposed to be 4F.

One thing that was interesting was I put 5.8 gallons into the tank before leaving...and it had some left in it from the dealer. I thought it was a 4.6 gallon tank. Either pump was wrong on the tank is larger now.

The lake effect 2.5 riser is a real improvement....I only rode 2 miles without it at the dealer, but it seems very comfortable and natural now.

We will see how the shocks hold up on an all day ride tomorrow...might have to get some gas charged, at least for the rear. Will be curious to see what the gas mileage is like at this altitude as well.

Thanks to everyone who helped me on the other threads, really appreciate all the advice, explanations and pictures. This is my first Yamaha and my first 4 stroke, so lots to learn.

 

[Voda2000]

Photos please.

 

[Black7]

The engine will get better once you get a few hundred miles on it.

 

[ATV PRO #11]

Awesome to hear!! I've put 20kms on mine but trying to break it in by the book is hard in the flats never mind the hills/powder your in. 8000rpm is barely bearable lol.
Have fun, post some pics. We're getting a very light dusting so I may go out tomorrow mornin for a continuation of the break in.......

 

[canoehead]

You might want to read this. I'm a firm believer of opening up the throttle. High pressure is what seats the rings rather than burnishing the cylinder walls at lower rpm's.
www.mototuneusa.com/break_in_secrets.htm

 

[ATV PRO #11]

Can't argue with that. I break in similar to the dyno runs they do. Most important thing no matter the RPM's is just don't hold it steady. be off and on giving full throttle blasts here and there. I was just saying above it's torchur and virtually unrealistic to expect to even try and break in as per manual in some if not most conditions. I went out today, we got maybe an inch total over the 6" of frozen quad ruts left behind for us. Can't ride slow over those or your toast.
Cant wait to see some shots of "Flyinhigh's" ride!!

 

[flyinghigh]

Hi Guys,

Just a quick update. Interesting day. Here are the things I really like about the phazer vs the 2012 shift 136 I came off:

1. Reverse engagement is smooth and reverse is so linear. With the shift I try to avoid reverse, with the phazer no issue...use as needed.
2. On the first 45 miles mpg was 15....over 2x better than the shift, so I am very happy!
3. Hand and thumb warmers are hot, hot, hot!
4. Lots of low end torque.
5. Never the slightest hint of getting stuck, even in 2-3 ft of powder going uphill from a dead stop. I credit the track length, depth and sled weight with this.
6. Quiet compared to the shift.
7. Tight....no rattles or weird noises.

Now the things that have me going hmmm....

1. The darting skis, especially as the trail becomes worn. The Shift has bergstrom triple point skags, so advantage there. The phazer has dual keel skis with dual carbides...any recommendations?
2. The stiff ride. Probably due to the 2500 springs being set to hard...had them set to soft and was too soft. Just changed them to medium for the quick ride we plan to take in the morning...we will see if that is any better. The shift has a deycore custom rear shock for my weight and riding style and heavy torsion springs as well...set to low.
3. Narrow seat...the rear end gets sore in a couple of hours....of course I bought this to be my ditch sled back on the east side of the state, so it is not really suited for hundreds of miles of trail riding...but with the shallow depth of the snow here, that is all that was safe to ride....I found that out the hard way...now for the bad news:

I was crossing a ditch from 1 trail to another when my right ski hit a 2 ft rock just under the snow. Now both my skis point to the left, so to go straight down the trail I have to hold right. I can't see any bent a arms so I am not sure what the problem is. On the front shocks, 1 is closer to the a arm than the other. I will try to upload some pics tonight. Hopefully it is something simple...will be headed to the Yamaha dealer on Monday.

 

[flyinghigh]

 

[flyinghigh]

 

[flyinghigh]

 

[ATV PRO #11]

Awesome write up FLyinhigh!!
I ran out to the mancave and looked at mine. Shocks are even both sides, pencil thickness away from front a-arm.
Your bottom arm may be tweeked to the rear slightly by the looks of it to me. I can't think of another reason your shock would be like that.
Maybe you'll get lucky and it's just 2 busted lower a-arm bushings (plastic/nylon).

 

[flyinghigh]

Thank you ATV Pro...that is encouraging. Appreciate you going out to look at yours and the information provided. One other thing I really like about the phazer vs the shift is how well the running boards stay clear and clean out. The ride this morning on medium was better...but still not up to the shift. Probably going to need to replace that shock to get what I am after.

 

[canoehead]

You tweaked your subframe. Some guys just use a 3-4 foot hunk of pipe or metal pry bar and bend it back. Your'e not the first nor the last this has happened to.

 

[flyinghigh]

Where/what is the sub frame and where is the best place to pry?

 

[canoehead]

I believe the guys put the pry bar between the upper and lower A-arms to realign them. Do a search on here and you'll find some pictures and write ups.