from warrior to 09 vector ltx

[pat the rat]

i am shopping for a sled at the moment,ive been riding a warrior since 04,the vec really interest me but there are a few things to consider.i love the power of my sled and i hope i wont be disappointed with the 120 hp mill,we do mainly ride trails at average speeds,50-60 mph,the gauge cluster is not fancy like the apex but its not a big deal to me,i know that 2010 will have a efi vec but is efi really worth it,you hear alot of people saying that the relays freeze up when real cold,the choke on my warrior works just fine and the vec must be the same,i might go for an 08 ltx,if i cant find one i'll go with an 09,what are the issues with the db11 vector

 

[twomorestrokes]

Can't answer on the DBII question other than I wish I had one! As far as the power concern goes for the 120, I really doubt you'd be disappointed with your trail riding style you describe. The 120 has very nice power, and the torque rating is actually higher than the 4 cyl engine due to the large bore. A little lighter in the front makes it a nice sled on the trails. An '08 LTX would be my choice if I were in the market right now. Not sure why Yamaha hasn't put EFI on it yet. Seems like a no brainer after they did it to the Nytro?

 

[apltx08]

twomorestrokes commeneted on weight difference 3cyl verses 4cyl is like 10lbs +/-, for POWER pat the rat you coming from a 4cyl I'd think twice its not the same feel at all especialy you running these nice stretches and lakes in your area you will miss that 4cyl top end performance you really notice the difference from 80mph +, bottom end the 3 cyl has a lot of punch, EFI I myself love it! they did have some issues with the 1st edition and has been very reliable on the later models and for COLD starting is a breeze no more CHOKE!!! and BURBLING idle, the other thing I don't really care for the rear ELECTRONIC shock which is more $$ to purchase and to up keep on the APEX GT'S if you go the APEX way go for the base LTX w/RA remote adjuster and save your self some $$, for the cluster well the APEX'S is hard to beat but you can live without it!...LOL and 1 last thing is the 4 HOLER SOUND to DIE for!!!

If you could wait till riding season and borrow 1 for a day, it realy comes down to the individuals expectations their BOTH very reliable and proven sleds...this is a tough decision and you'll get MILLIONS of opinions and YOU have the last word and its your WALLET

Happy shopping and good luck with your decision, let us know which way your going.

 

[twomorestrokes]

Certainly the Apex can stretch it's legs more when wide open on the lakes but that is not the riding style described. ("we do mainly ride trails at average speeds,50-60 mph") It is true that the difference in speed is mostly noticed above speeds of 80 mph where the 4 starts to walk away from the 3. I do stand corrected after looking up advertised weights. There used to be a larger weight difference between the two sleds "back in the old days" but apparently due to changes over the last few years, the weights appear to be more comparable. The 120 was just begging to be put into the Apex chassis, and made the Vector into a great sled getting great reviews. Personally, I would chose the 120 over the 150, but that's just my opinion and worth no more than others.

Ask Mighty (formerly MightyWarrior). He had the same concerns back when he was changing from a Warrior to an Attak then to an RS Rage. (with maybe an Apex shoved in there somewhere too?) From what I remember, he was pleasantly surprised. (although currently I think he's back to a 2 stroke...can't keep up with him)

 

[scott17]

i am shopping for a sled at the moment,ive been riding a warrior since 04,the vec really interest me but there are a few things to consider.i love the power of my sled and i hope i wont be disappointed with the 120 hp mill,we do mainly ride trails at average speeds,50-60 mph,the gauge cluster is not fancy like the apex but its not a big deal to me,i know that 2010 will have a efi vec but is efi really worth it,you hear alot of people saying that the relays freeze up when real cold,the choke on my warrior works just fine and the vec must be the same,i might go for an 08 ltx,if i cant find one i'll go with an 09,what are the issues with the db11 vector

Handling night and day, power at your trail speed very little difference,
top end 101-104 The big improvement 20 mpg NO BS. you will never ride a four holer again PERIOD ! I had a 08 LTX GT and loved it. I came off a 07 RTX and let me tell you foul a spark plug on one of those -2 days. Well I did and it sucked to say the least and the most MPG I saw was 11-12
Handling on DB2 vector LTX compared DB2 of the apex DB2 was alot better. I think a 10-20 lb diff. and I could surely feel the diff.
The only thing that has not changed is the hand warmers still stink!!

 

[05_RX1]

I'll elaborate a bit more on Scott17's post, because I actually bought HIS sled!

Although I haven't had the chance to ride it yet, I'm pretty sure this thing is going to be "all that and a bag of chips!" Scott did an excellent job "dialing in" this sled.

I rode an 05 RX1 and never had a problem with it with regards to it being carbed. In fact, it's proven that these carbed sleds actually get BETTER mileage than EFI. For example, when that G150 engine went EFI in the Apex in 06, it lost mpg. In addition, like mentioned above, the G120 has more torque, being it does have larger bore. So, it will feel a bit quicker out of the hole and really launch you. I'm sure it will be ideal for your type of riding.

The handling of the Vector in the DBII chassis is supposedly the best. Being that the sled is a 3 holer instead of 4, it is said to have a lighter front end feeling, which results in easier handling. This thing is reported to rail!

Scott ended up putting Doo 440 springs up front to allow the suspension to go from softer to harder as the front end is compressed. He stated it made it ride a bit more plush, so I'll have to report back on this after I have some trail time.

All in all, I think the Vector in the DBII chassis, combined w/ it's proven G120 engine is the ideal trail sled. Most reviews claim this as well.

I can't wait to ride it!

 

[Metallicat]

The reason the 3 cylinder handles better than the 4 isn't really due to the weight differences between the two engines, but rather the placement of the 3 cylinder in the chassis compared to the 4. The 3 is more mass-centralized in the chassis since it does not require a gear-reduction box to drive the primary clutch so the engine can sit lower and further back (at least this is what I have been told). I was talking to Mark Lester from SuperTrax and he likes the 3 cylinder over the 4 for trail riding due to the corner-to-corner grunt of the 3 and the inherent handling advantages it has over the 4. Quite frankly, I found my Vector LTX to handle not much differently than a new Polaris IQ600 that I rode last year. They both had about the same amount of inside ski lift and steering effort was similar between the two.

 

[pat the rat]

god,it is hard to make a decision,we ride about 4000 miles a season so gas mileage is kind of important,my warrior is very good on gas but i dont want to buy a sled that will be worst on gas,the vec is at the top on this subject,i think my worst fear is the power cuz i do like a good lake run once in a while but if the sled goes over 100 mph,good enough,im close to making a decision,my warrior is almost sold,will know tomorrow

 

[05_RX1]

Go w/ the Vec...you won't be disappointed.

If you're really concerned about top end speed, don't be! It''ll hang w/ your warrior to about 80ish, but really...Who rides that fast on the trail? On the lake is a diff story, but you're not on that as much.

 

[Metallicat]

I was concerned about top end too but it is just as fast as any modern 600cc 2 stroke sled so if you can live with that then you should be good to go. I've seen 108 on the speedo on a good snow covered road.

 

[twomorestrokes]

The 3 is more mass-centralized in the chassis since it does not require a gear-reduction box to drive the primary clutch so the engine can sit lower and further back

Exactly. The lack of the gear reduction system and the subsequent lower rpm's needed to make the power is the main reason I'd chose the 120. How fast do you need to go wide open if you ride mainly on the trails? Hits 100+ easilly when needed and coming out of the corners with a 120 is a blast with all of the torque on hand. Plenty of power to always beat my friend's old Pro X 600 and now his IQ 600 from dead stops and it keeps up with the Firecat from stops too.

Not belittling the 150, as if I rode more in the wide open spaces I'd probably have to go with that. King of the lakes with quality to match in a sled. Both sleds are tops as far as qualty and power go IMO, just pick which one suits your riding style the best. Either way you can't lose.

 

[pat the rat]

thanks for the info guys,i think a vector will end up in my garage soon,will post when i purchase

 

[scott17]

god,it is hard to make a decision,we ride about 4000 miles a season so gas mileage is kind of important,my warrior is very good on gas but i dont want to buy a sled that will be worst on gas,the vec is at the top on this subject,i think my worst fear is the power cuz i do like a good lake run once in a while but if the sled goes over 100 mph,good enough,im close to making a decision,my warrior is almost sold,will know tomorrow

My 08 vec. GT LTX at about 500-600 miles was going 101-103 wide open on snow covered ice. I am a big guy "240 lbs w/o gear" remember LTX=136" track and I had between 160-190 mega bite studs! Tight trails I would smoke an apex and I had two 150 FI's sleds on the lake my 06 rtx was 116 the 07 rtx closer to 120 NO MORE also 10-11 mpg a guy that weighs 120-150 lbs like 05 RX-1"nick" will easily see 105 maybe 108?? If you put in different spark plugs, fast responding carb slide springs, and a Fix Power Sports intake kit you will see 110 People must remember power comes at a price " MPG" To spend $5-600 to gain 3-4 MPH and lose 1-2 MPG I think is stupid!!! Food for thought.

 

[05_RX1]

Scott, I'm not 120-150! I wish!!! I'll be pushing over 190-200 w/ all my riding gear on! Anyway, if what Scott says is true, the Vector should outperform the Apex (hands down) for the majority of your intended riding. Is 8-10mph really "that" important? You have to ask yourself that question.

 

[Metallicat]

My 08 vec. GT LTX at about 500-600 miles was going 101-103 wide open on snow covered ice. I am a big guy "240 lbs w/o gear" remember LTX=136" track and I had between 160-190 mega bite studs! Tight trails I would smoke an apex and I had two 150 FI's sleds on the lake my 06 rtx was 116 the 07 rtx closer to 120 NO MORE also 10-11 mpg a guy that weighs 120-150 lbs like 05 RX-1"nick" will easily see 105 maybe 108?? If you put in different spark plugs, fast responding carb slide springs, and a Fix Power Sports intake kit you will see 110 People must remember power comes at a price " MPG" To spend $5-600 to gain 3-4 MPH and lose 1-2 MPG I think is stupid!!! Food for thought.

@500-600 miles I was only seeing around 104 on my Vector LTX (not studded) on a good trail (wide and without traffic). Then later on in the season, when it had more miles on it, I was hitting 108 in the same conditions. And that was when I was over-reving to the tune of 9100 rpm. Now that I have adjusted my weights to get back down to 8400-8600 or so I would expect to pull a little more out of it since at 9100 I think I was off the powerband a bit. I go about 180lbs without gear. I bet on a good surface I could pull 112, maybe 115 on the speedo if traction wasn't an issue (no studs so I can't run on anything resembling ice). I do have the Ulmer clutch kit and the green carb springs but I do not think that they add anything to the top end. They just make it pull better down low and in the mid range.