Colebrook Snodeo Observations..

[RippinV]

Well, I will be honest, all I rode were Yammi's. I rode the 04 RX1, the 05 RX1, and the 05 Vector. No RS RAGE available. The loop was about 2 miles long and consisted of two lake runs for about 1/2 mile, some twisties, and some nice mogul sections. It was a bit slushy late in the day due to mixed parcipitation, but it was cool to try before you buy. Poo did not have the Fusion avail for rides and looking at this thing in person I think they made a big mistake. It is sooooo ugly that it has to be super impressive in riding in order for them to sell any. I had no interest in the Cats and SkiDont did not have the Mach Z for riding but they did have one under the tent for viewing. I rode the GSX before and don't really care for the REV's handling and riding position, but nice rear suspension.

Riding style: I ride both very aggressive bangin the bumps and laying it out in the twisties. I also cruise the trails and enjoy just toolin around. I also like some play time on the lakes.

I am 32, weigh in at ~200lbs and am 6'1"

I have been riding snowmobiles for ~6 years and have owned two sleds: 96MXZ583 and then 02Viper. I raced motocross for 7 years and have been riding dirtbikes for 18 years.

My observations:

Vector: Nice sled, good fit and finish, the red was ok but I would go with blue on this one. The silver was nice but uninspiring. The sled is very snappy, and has decent acceleration but not like my Viper. More like the 600 Venom. Tops out at about 105 per the speedo. The sled handled very well in the corners, almost as good as the Viper. With some tuning I can bet it would be just as good. Suspension was set up soft and was very nice, handled the big bumps well, and I do ride hard. Sled feels light, doesn't feel much different than my Viper weight. Love the seat and the new handlbar hieght. Good sled for the wife or the easy going trail rider. Sled is slightly more quiet than the RX1 and the rep said it prbbly will get a bit better gas mileage. I did notice the motor was a bit more noisy with some funny pinging after the lake run.

05 RX1: I rode the 04 out and the rode the 05 back and man what a difference. You can feel the weight difference. The 05 goes right where you point her and its easy to manuver her around. The 04 felt good but a bit bulky and you had to work much harder to make her move around the twisties. The rear suspension was great, at 3 clicks above medium I did not bottom her at all over some nice deep moguls and on the gas. On the lake I put it a few below medium and it was nice a smooth. A big improvement. Only time will tell how it will hold up. The acceleration on this sled and the throttle response is so so impressive. This is the machine to have for 2005. Great on the trails and very fun on the lake. Sled is super quiet and no more stink. I was completely impressed with this one.

Placing my order for an 05 RX1 Candy Apple Please!!!

Peace!

 

[srx600]

RippinV...Nice info. I like the Candy Red & the black matte. Just waiting to sell my Warrior before the end of the month (i hope)

 

[Flipper]

RippinV,

Thanks for the info, good post.

You mention that the Vector has decent acceleration but not like your Viper. Are you running a stock Viper? I have a stock 02 Viper.

You are the first to comment that the Vector would be slower from all the accounts I have read.

I am planning on the Vector for next year, I have read other reports and my local Yamaha rep indicates that the Vector will run with the RX up to 80mph or so. After that the RX walks away.

Our local rep also said he has raced the ViperS and the Vector a few times and the Vector get the Viper everytime.

I don't want to get into something with less performance than my Viper. Equivalent is fine, but not less.

Any other thoughts?

CV

 

[JDKRXW]

RippinV,
You are the first to comment that the Vector would be slower from all the accounts I have read.

I am planning on the Vector for next year, I have read other reports and my local Yamaha rep indicates that the Vector will run with the RX up to 80mph or so. After that the RX walks away.
CV

IMO, if a Vector owner thinks his/her sled is going to stay with an RX......... well, it just ain't going to happen. You can't make up the 25 Hp the RX has with the Vectors 30-40 lb weight loss. This is like comparing a zrt8 to a zr6.

 

[RippinV]

Canadian and JD, I dont think the Vector will stay with the RX1 off the line. The Vector does hit nicely but not like the RX1. It would have been nice to have ridden a Viper as well that day to get a fair comparison, but I still think my stock Viper had more nut than the Vector. Now, one caveat is that my Viper is studded 144 FAST TRAC, so maybe its not such a fair compare. If I handicap the Viper for studs then the sleds are probably equivilent. I will say that IMO the RX1 handled just as good as the Vector in the corners and the mono shock suspension seems better than the new Pro Active. I love the on-the-fly adjustment capability. So that with the extra ponies is worth another $1000.00 to me.

Hope that helps!

Peace!

 

[Silverbullet]

Thanks Rippin for the info Makes me wish it was next winter already :!: :!:

 

[Swiss Sledder]

RippinV,

I don't want to get into something with less performance than my Viper. Equivalent is fine, but not less.

Any other thoughts?

CV

CV, I spoke to my friend that rode the 05 RX-1 and who has the 04 Viper S. He said he could "throw around" the 05 RX-1 like his Viper, and unlike the 03 or 04 RX-1 models. He also confirmed the steering was very close to the Viper. The Vector was good up to 80mph, but then it started it fade. So, a hard riding Viper owner may not be happy with Vector.

 

[Flipper]

Guys,

Check out the RSVector on the Trail thread for another perspective.

I keep flip floping between RX and RS :shock: . I wish I could have the RS for a day with my Viper.

My only concern with the RX is its behaviour in the tight and twisties.

I spend a lot of time in Quebec where this is not a concern, but our local trails here in Ottawa have a lot of narrow twisty running.

CV

 

[RippinV]

Spring Issue of Snowmobile Magazine

Article goes through all the new sleds, they even compare the Vector to a 600 cc 2stroke when it comes to power. FYI

 

[Swiss Sledder]

CV, I found this post on the Vector over on HCS that might help you out. The guy rides an Artic Cat ZL 600 SS, but I think he did a fair analysis.

The first thing you notice is the engine sound. A mellow deep burble at idle and a motorcycle sound when revving up( go figure !). The clutch engagement is more immediate than the RX1, it seems like there is no delay between throttling up and forward motion.

The ride is busy, almost nervous, and I felt I had to work hard to navigate the moguls. The foot well locks your feet in and the handlebars are just forward enough that pulling yourself up to avoid the big holes is a lot of work. Standing up is not a prefered position.

The Vector is quick and responsive on the throttle. The brakes are outstanding. The controls for handwarmers are well positioned and require you to watch the digital speedometer for the setting. After a few seconds the display returns to the gas gage.

As a trail sled, if you are on smooth groomed trails, you will love the ride. I have mixed feelings on the adjustability of the rear suspension. It is deep up into the tunnel and requires a spanner wrench to adjust, but there is only one adjustment point. If you are like me, once you dial in the sled, you don't need to fiddle with it constantly. I can't really recommend this sled as a mogul master, but I don't feel it has been marketed that way.

It is comfortable with a tight feel and a hint of heavy steer. I was riding a test mule so maybe this could be an adjustment in the front spring rate.

I like the look of the sled and it comes in blue, red and silver.

It isn't my cup of tea, but I would pick it as a strong number two consideration over Ski-Doo and Polaris. I enjoyed the T660 more than the Vector, probably because I am more familiar with the handling and ergonomics of Arctic Cat.

 

[monker]

I have a warrior and have ridden it on very narrow trails without any problems. Does it handle like a viper? No. But once you get used to the sled, you can ride it just as fast. It all depends on the rider and how you like the sled setup. The first few times out I couldn't keep up with by buddy on his viper, no I have no problem even when we're really pushing the pace.

 

[srx600]

here's my thoughts on my new Warrior i posted on another forum after the first two weeks on the Yami after returning my 04 F7 to the dealer in the middle of winter...........


I have 500 miles on the warrior the past 2 weeks after returning my F7 with all the "smart Valve" problems this year.

The Warrior is a great sled if ridden within it's limits. The rear suspension is now dialed in really well and it's much smoother than my 02 Viper was. The smooth engine is VERY addictive and it is a BLAST!! The weight of the sled is hidden real well with the balance of the 136" track, which has some major bite, i must add. The sled handles exceptionally well until the trails get ugly. I put on a set of C & A pro's which has eliminated any push from the longer rear and weight from the front end. The weight is only an issue if the trails are ugly with 3 footers. I'm very impressed with the fit n finish which is top notch and very Yamaha like...the sled starts every time with a cool sounding roar coming from the rear...This sled is not going to leave you stranded...major quality difference.

Comparing it to my F7...the F7 has better top end and a bigger fun factor on the tight twisties. The Warrior is much smoother and the throttles response is instant. The F7 has a harder hit on the low end but the warrior is very inpressive in the very wide power band........

Conclusion: I miss the performance of the F7 in very bumpy trails but love the reliability of the Warrior. It's a much better ride and handling than others may think...You must try one!! Keep the Warrior within it's limits and you have one hell of a sled. Don't go outside of it's limits or you'll really be disappointed. It is heavy!!

Smoothe trails...i like it better than the f7...rough mogul trails and i want my f7 back.

If i sell my Warrior i'll be buying a RX1-ER.........
Peter

 

[QCRider]

RippinV,
You are the first to comment that the Vector would be slower from all the accounts I have read.

I am planning on the Vector for next year, I have read other reports and my local Yamaha rep indicates that the Vector will run with the RX up to 80mph or so. After that the RX walks away.
CV

IMO, if a Vector owner thinks his/her sled is going to stay with an RX......... well, it just ain't going to happen. You can't make up the 25 Hp the RX has with the Vectors 30-40 lb weight loss. This is like comparing a zrt8 to a zr6.

He was comparing it to a Viper, not the RX-1