Finally got to ride an XTX

[Yamadogger]

A friend of mine decided to pick up a blue XTX and I got a chance to swap off my '06GT for a while last night while we were out to put it through the paces. It had basically no miles on it so I was pretty easy on it. Overall it's a pretty darn nice sled with awesome power and pretty good handling, from my very limited experience on it. The biggest unsettling thing about the sled was the power steering. To me, it felt like I was turning on glare ice and my mind was telling me I was pushing through the corners yet I was railing around them. For those that have logged some miles on the new sleds, I'm sure this is pretty easy to get used to but boy did it feel weird. The steering effort was remarkably easy, however, and I think I'd learn to like it. I really like the extra height on the seat and the foam is much firmer. The thing hooks up like crazy certainly puts the power to the ground. He has done no set-up to it so it certainly needs to be tweaked but the rear suspension is quite noticeably harsher than my GT. A big positive was the handwarmers were actually hot. Sounds like it may still be hit & miss but his were scorching hot. Up front, darting was quite noticeable. I have Snowtrackers Extremes on mine so I'm spoiled with no darting and slot car cornering. It's amazing to me Yamaha still can't make a decent ski. At any rate, this sled has been reviewed hundreds of times but I figured I'd put my 2 cents in. Personally, I have my GT dialed in so well, I actually didn't feel too envious of his sled after jumping back on my 5 year old relic. Kind of like that favorite pair of jeans...

 

[Terminator]

A friend of mine decided to pick up a blue XTX and I got a chance to swap off my '06GT for a while last night while we were out to put it through the paces. It had basically no miles on it so I was pretty easy on it. Overall it's a pretty darn nice sled with awesome power and pretty good handling, from my very limited experience on it. The biggest unsettling thing about the sled was the power steering. To me, it felt like I was turning on glare ice and my mind was telling me I was pushing through the corners yet I was railing around them. For those that have logged some miles on the new sleds, I'm sure this is pretty easy to get used to but boy did it feel weird. The steering effort was remarkably easy, however, and I think I'd learn to like it. I really like the extra height on the seat and the foam is much firmer. The thing hooks up like crazy certainly puts the power to the ground. He has done no set-up to it so it certainly needs to be tweaked but the rear suspension is quite noticeably harsher than my GT. A big positive was the handwarmers were actually hot. Sounds like it may still be hit & miss but his were scorching hot. Up front, darting was quite noticeable. I have Snowtrackers Extremes on mine so I'm spoiled with no darting and slot car cornering. It's amazing to me Yamaha still can't make a decent ski. At any rate, this sled has been reviewed hundreds of times but I figured I'd put my 2 cents in. Personally, I have my GT dialed in so well, I actually didn't feel too envious of his sled after jumping back on my 5 year old relic. Kind of like that favorite pair of jeans...

Thanks for your thoughts on the new XTX. I like to read as many opinions as possible. I'm thinking of pulling the trigger on a XTX or an SE, just wish I could ride one first before I abandon (or give to the wife) my 07 RTX and shell out all that coin.

 

[Stigapex]

The biggest unsettling thing about the sled was the power steering. To me, it felt like I was turning on glare ice and my mind was telling me I was pushing through the corners yet I was railing around them. For those that have logged some miles on the new sleds, I'm sure this is pretty easy to get used to but boy did it feel weird. The steering effort was remarkably easy, however, and I think I'd learn to like it.

It took me a 100 miles to get used to the power-steering, but after that just love it more and more

 

[blade072]

XTX With Curve Skis

It is good to hear that you liked the XTX. I have about 300 miles on mine and really like it. It didn't take long at all to adjust to the power steering. I feel that the power steering is spot on with just enought effort to let one feel the sled. I also came off a 07 Attak GT and found the new sled to be quiter, smoother, and throttle response is amazing. I can't wait to get more miles on it to break in the engine. I am only able to get about 10,200 RPM at the moment. This is the first sled that I have had for a long time that I am not anxious to play with clutching and gearing. Time will tell there. I also put a set of Curve skis on for my last ride and it made a tremendous amount of difference in steering and non darting..Now it is a real cruiser without the tension of the sled moving around. I also think that the XTX is the only way to go to harness the HP and hook it to the ground. I don't use studs, but it is amazing how well it hooks up. I will be thinking about a Cobra track next year as I know that it will add extra traction.