How does the Nitro compare to the rev XP?

[sledhead75]

Hey guys...thinking of switching from doo to the Yamaha Nitro. I am coming off of a 2003 Rev 600. Has anyone ridden either the old rev or new rev XP and the nitro??? With the problems they are having with the new doos and the release of the new Nitro it might be a good time to change over. The only disadvantage of the Yamaha I might see with the is the weight issue. Is it even noticable on the trails??? I have read nothing but good things about the power, reliability, and handling of the Nitro. I am an aggressive trail rider....fastest across the lake is not important to me. Just looking for a great handling aggressive trail sled that is reliable. Any thoughts on this would be appreciated.....
Thanks!!!!

 

[nate007]

Doo is superb at beating it into peoples heads that weight is a killer issue. How heavy was that old MachZ 800??? I know. I had one. Dug it out of snow drifts a few times, and it wasn't any more fun that what we have now.
Just because Doo invented the XP a.k.a. "Flexible Flyer", they have spent their money wisely to inform everybody else that we are riding Sherman Tanks!
I own both an '06 Apex GT, and a '08 Nytro RTX. Of all the sleds I've ridden, and ridden with, I have never had an issue with weight. Yamaha does an awesome job of balancing these sleds. You won't be disapointed.
The Nytro is actually a few pounds lighter than the Rev when fueled up and ready to ride. The Rev is lighter dry, though.
In my opinion, I don't care how heavy a sled is, but rather how well its built, how long it will last, and how the "weight is placed". Even my Apex, which is over 800 pounds with my fat @$$ on it, usually wins most races. It's more an issue of traction and conditions.
The Nytro is still a first year production sled. There are bound to be minor tweaks and "issues" we will all deal with. Most of us 4-strokers are a tweaking bunch anyway, and even if it were perfect, we'd still find stuff to change!
Welcome to the site!

 

[fxnytrortx3]

i have 2 friends that ride ski-donts on has an 03 600 HO rev and the other has a 800 R XP renegade. I rode with them other night and when i got there he said look at how light this sled is and he tipped it up on the side. I have a FX Nytro RTX and i said o ya watch this did the exact same thing just as easy and that shut them up for the night on the weight issue. and no you cant feel the weight on the trail. We lined them up on an air strip me on my nytro the xp renegade 800 600 ho rev and a 05 vector. the gade got the hole shot with me not far behind and i started to catch him but we had to start slowing down. The other 2 sleds i kicked the crap out of them.

 

[unpride]

Came off an 05 800X last year rode an 800R this year and I like my Yamaha Nytro alot more. The suspension is better and the way it built is better. The Nytro feel Revisn but ot is just alot smoother. Just buy it you'll be very happy

 

[rightarm]

The question should have been,How does the RevXP compare to the Nytro.

 

[gormleyflyer2002]

sold my 04 REV, bought a Nytro.....had a demo XP this past weekend.

I could on in detail, but honestly they are very similiar, it coems down to the small details, they are all very close. Personal sled set up has more impact on handling. I was a little worried after my first ride on my FX but after riding 2 REV's and an XP this past weekend I'm pumped.......

If you forget about 2stroke VS 4S, the Nytro is heavier but I don't think this holds it back at all. Most of the negative feedback I notice is from the floats. They are harsh on trail junk but love to be pounded into unseen bomb holes......LOL

ps, fun for me is any non groomed trail.

 

[RSD]

I've ridden both, raced both, and your gonna love the engine I bought the nytro because I didn't want all the small problems the xp's are having but after having vented about the nytro problems I now realize it isn't perfect either, nor should I expect it to be. First off your gonna notice it's a little heavier on the front, it goes through drifts instead of over, I'm gonna put on wider skis to take care of that, then limit the weight transfer a little which the xp needs also. Did I mention how your gonna love the eng? 800 xp rider couldn't believe how I shot out of a canon, many 1/8 mile races never saw him.

 

[Nytro 1]

I traded my 800 Rev in on the Nytro. After 250mi on the Nytro all I can say is I love it! In my opinion the Nytro has better mid range punch and hooks up better out of the corners. (non-stud). I needed to get used to the handling but it is great and I really do like the four stroke. Yamaha has hit a home run in my opinion. I love it so far! And the gas mileage is much better than my Rev.

 

[sledhead75]

Thanks a lot guys for the imput.... Any other thoughts????

 

[silversurfer]

Thanks a lot guys for the imput.... Any other thoughts????

Break it down into pros and cons:

The Nytro is not perfect; all indications are that you may have to spend more than a little time to set up the sled to gain the most out of its handling. There is a good thread about it on this page.

Like RSD said, the Nytro is still a little heavier than some sleds. If you need the lightest out there, it is not Yamaha.

Yamaha stock skis are notorious for being bleh; many many people on this site run Pilots or Slydogs.

If you ride in the superwillywags and you need to go 100+ miles inbetween each stop, this might not be the best sled for you, either. If I rode the superhighways of Northern ME and Quebec, I'd most likely have whatever the 2009 Apex replacement is going to be.

All sleds have niggling problems, there has been much talk as well about the melting snow issue on the left side, and apparently Yamaha has dropped the ball again on the handwarmers, you may need to tinker with those as well.

Now, on the flip side:

In terms of sleds melting down and leaving you stranded, there are no sleds you have to worry about less than Team Blue's. Yamaha's sled problems, while often annoying (idler wheels, handwarmers, etc), are always far, far less than the competition's. Do you keep sleds for a long time? Personally, the idea of a snowmobile I can run for 25k miles (there are a few members with that on this site) amazes me. Try that with a Ski-Don't or Cat.
And then there is the oil factor; saving tons on 2-stroke oil, not smelling like a sump, one oil change a season (after the 500 mile one).

The fun factor on these engines is off the charts. All accounts have this sled being an absolute low-end and midrange monster. No, you are not going to wax Mach 1000's. But do you spend more time between 0-80 or 80-110? If it is the latter, you are most likely a lake racer and this isn't the sled for you anyway.

When properly set up, all indications are that this sled rails. Period. You are going to hear a lot more from the people who are having issues. Most are likely out enjoying the sled.

The weight issue is over-rated to a certain degree. Competitors would have you believe this sled sinks to China the second it goes off the trail. Personally, the Apex is too big for the kind of trails I ride on; but the Nytro is a good 40 lbs lighter dry (513 vs 553 if memory serves). It's actually lighter than a lot of 2-stroke sleds out there. Fact. Hell, even the Apex is lighter than several offerings from Polaris and Cat, but I digress.
Honestly, the only thing that should keep up with you in the tight and twisties if your sled is set up properly and you know how to ride is the 32 lb Ski-Doo (now with new helium a-arms!).

I think this sled would more than meet your needs, but I wanted to point out some things.

Now, back to work so I don't get fired and can buy one myself when the time comes.

 

[kizerboy]

I have the standard nytro and I Rode with a group of rev riders this past weekend. 5 old syle rev's and one Xp TnT. At the end of the day all trails where washboards. We decided to do demo rides at the end of the day, found that the weight differance betwen the XP and the nytro was very close even though it's a 399 lb sled. The Xp is respectible in engine pull off the line but the nytro is better. The seat of the pants feel on the washboard is that the nytro feels alot more comfortable absorbing the bumps where the Xp starts to give it to you in the kidneys almost instantly. Both machines where being broken in
(aporrox. 300km's on each) and on the standard factory set up. The old style rev's didn't stand up to either for comfort. Hope this helps.

 

[Nytro 1]

A couple of other notes from my first few rides. My handwarmers were plenty hot, we were riding between -5f and 15 above. I did not experience the wet boot syndrome. We were riding mostly on groomed trails but did some trail bashing where no sleds had been in about 18 inches of snow.

I could still walk after almost 200 miles in one day. With my Rev 800 my legs would be so sore I could hardly walk the next day and I do run and work out and am in relatively good shape. The mid range punch is awesome! I love not pulling a rope (my rev did not have electric start)
and of course the mileage and projected reliability of the engine.

Let's face it, most of us are not professional riders and as such are not going to get every last ounce of performance out of the machine so all the arguing about weight etc. to me is more about bragging rights and bench racing than anything else. This sled is just plain fun, fast, eats the bumps better than my Rev did yet is comfortable enough to ride 200 miles in a day without beating you up. I would not go back to two-stroke technology at this point even if the sled weighed 200 lbs less. My dealer told me he has not received the Rev XP's that were snow checked due to multiple issues and he has angry customers since we have plenty of snow here. Good luck with whatever you decide.

 

[sledhead75]

I appreciate the input guys. A lot of good points brought up here. Sounds like the nitro would be a good fit. 0-80 is important to me not lake racing. Handling and reliability are most important to me. Sounds like this fits the bill. A wet left boot and sub-par hand warmers are minor compared the some of the problems i have been reading about the new doos... I have good gear so those issues might not even effect me too much. I am sure these issues will be addressed soon...

 

[SISCAKIDD]

I only have 50 miles on my nytro,but so far the handling is fine the hand warmers are hot my boot is not been getting wet,but it is still racehting a little adjusted the track 4 times already,but i am sure that will stop,I LOVE THIS SLED.

 

[silversurfer]

I appreciate the input guys. A lot of good points brought up here. Sounds like the nitro would be a good fit. 0-80 is important to me not lake racing. Handling and reliability are most important to me. Sounds like this fits the bill. A wet left boot and sub-par hand warmers are minor compared the some of the problems i have been reading about the new doos... I have good gear so those issues might not even effect me too much. I am sure these issues will be addressed soon...

Glad we could help. So when are you getting one?