I hope I didn't make a mistake!!!!!

[2lapsdown]

A little background...this is YAMAHA #14 for me. In 2012 I switched to DOO on all my sleds with the exception of my sons POLARIS 120. I was tired of having to spends thousands to simply TRY and get the suspension and handling to be what it should be from the factory on all of my YAMAHAS. I have loved every minute of my DOOS and will continue to ride them state side. Then came along the VIPER and I just couldn't help myself For a Canada sled.

After speaking with multiple YAMAHA reps and others supposedly "in the know" (I knew about the venture with Cat long before it was made public) I was assured that in "no uncertain terms that this sled will be built to YAMAHA quality standards that I have come to expect based on all previous sleds but with Cats legendary suspension and handling."

I was further assured that "YAMAHA had brought over dozens of engineers and production specialists and that the VIPER would be built by YAMAHA people to YAMAHA quality standards. Production was to be done on a production line side by side Cats but to YAMAHA quality standards". (Notice the common theme....YAMAHA quality standards?). So this fall after having my best year ever in business I decided I would buy one and make it my Canada sled as I rack up miles pretty fast. I bought an LTX SE in blue. After reading so many threads on here about issues, which at first I thought was just YAMAHA guys being excessively anal, after loading all 5 sleds in the trailer today in preparation for our family trip for a week to Canada starting the end of this week, I thought maybe I should go look at mine a little more closely.

So, I get out of bed and head outside, my wife thinking I am even more insane than she already knew I was. Sure enough....handle bars loose as a goose. Now, I have no ride time on this sled whatsoever other taking it out of the trailer after picking it up and loading it today. What did find? A leaky radiator lower hose. Put 2-1/2 turns in the upper hose clamp on the bottom of the radiator and 4 turns on the lower hose clamp on bottom of radiator. Went on to tighten every clamp that was able to be tightened. I even checked the oil lines and sure enough they took at least 1-1/2 turns as well.

I find it VERY hard to believe that this sled is built/assembled to YAMAHA standards by YAMAHA people. They may technically be YAMAHA employees, (i.e. their pay checks come from YAMAHA) but they are more like Arctic Cat employees wearing a blue uniform. There is ABSOLUTELY NO EXCUSE that in today's day and age that so much can be overlooked in the assembly process. It is my contention at YAMAHA should be calling, emailing, snail mailing etc., each and every VIPER owner telling them to bring it in immediately for the dealer to finish what wasn't done in TRF. I will be notifying my dealer of see issues so he can check all sleds that advent left and perhaps notify those that haven't. I will also be reaching out to YAMAHA directly.

Sorry for the diatribe. Merry Christmas everyone.

You need a different dealer. There is no excuse for a sled to leave a dealership with loose handlebars. Every sled that Arctic Cat makes leaves TRF with the bars folded down and loose. The same 9 dollar an hour flunky at the dealership that screwed that up, also didn't spend the 5 minutes necessary to check those clamps. Your sled has not been set up correctly by your dealer. You need to recheck everything that the dealer is supposed to set up. Track tension, alignment, toe etc. As for the rest of the fantasy stuff about the sled being built by Yamaha people, not true. Yamaha does not sign anyones check in TRF. Exactly the same people built your sled as every other Arctic Cat that leaves that building. If you were told that you were being lied to by your Yamaha rep. On a positive note once you ride the sled, you may not be quite so worked up