finnally got to try one

[kingofthehill]

tried an 06 vk pro the other day on a lake which was glare ice after a couple of days of rain then 2inches of snow on top. i found this vk VERY hard to steer as if there was heavy carbides on it but the owner said they were the originals with 4000k on them. also noted a vibration thru out the machine at low speed. not sure if it was the studs on hard ice causing this. the owner also told me he had not done any suspension adjustments at all. the only way i can describe this unit is a big heavy lumbering tank.

a couple of days later i tried an 09 vk pro on the same lake but with 10 inches of snow. this unit steered very well and felt light and nimble relatively speaking. what a nice machine . no comparison to the 06. like night and day. i cannot figure out why such the big difference. i would never buy an 06 but would not hesitate to get an 09 budget permiting

 

[eric3793]

I gotta say that ski alignment and snow conditions play a big part in how the VK handles. I was fustrated with my '08 this winter after putting Yamaha 11" ski skins and Roetin dual carbides on in January. One day it was handling great and the next day it was darting like crazy. After 1000 miles I finally decided to add a little "toe-out" on the right ski...just 1/2 turn on the tie rod. Problem solved. I rode another 800 miles last week and the VK handled like a dream.

I would be leary of any vibration at low speed on a sled with 4000 miles. If you were looking to purchase this sled you should check the chaincase, jackshaft and drive shaft bearings. I spoke with some Yamaha Rage riders that said there is an issue with driveshaft bearings and 3 sleds had new bearings installed after 3000 miles. I'm hoping the VK has heavier bearings but I'm not sure about this.

I really love my VK. It is warm to ride in bitter cold temps. It is good on gas...17 or 18 mpg on groomed trails. The ergos are good enough to feel great after a 250 mile day. My '04 Switchback was painful after 200 miles. The VK does it all...utility champion and comfortable trail machine. However, I took my wife's new Renegade for a spin and it reminded me just how heavy and tippy the VK is and the rear suspension is poor. I just get so used to it that it is not to much of an issue.

 

[Jack_Shaft]

I'm with Eric on this one, your problem was snow conditions, not year of sled. The 06 and 09 feel identical when driven in the same conditions.

 

[kingofthehill]

so would the vk be hard to steer on a hard packed trail?

 

[Tom Lee]

Also for any sled that vibrates at low speeds a belt change is probably the first thing to do. Change it out for a new one to eliminate that possibility before digging any deeper. A belt that has burnt in one spot will cause vibration at low speeds but it becomes less noticeable at higher speeds if the notch is not severe.