Apex18
Expert
If it is happening to the 06 Apex GT's..then won't it might happen to the ER?...as they both have the same suspension?? Has anyone heard of this happening on an RTX or ER?????
Riceburner
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Apex 18,
GT's have differnt shocks than the ER's.
Not sure whether the springs are the same or not.
Shock absorption appears to be the main issue though.
The Truth,
No problem man.
Hope you enjoy the NEW RTX when you get it.
Like I said, I may have been too quick to judge
Rice
GT's have differnt shocks than the ER's.
Not sure whether the springs are the same or not.
Shock absorption appears to be the main issue though.
The Truth,
No problem man.
Hope you enjoy the NEW RTX when you get it.
Like I said, I may have been too quick to judge
Rice
I have heard of a few buckled tunnels, has to be something to do with riding style my guess "airborne maneuvers" There are an awful lot of guys on this site that ride really hard and very few have experienced this problem. I don't believe it's a weight issue! just use Sasquatch for an example there couldn't possibly be a bigger guy could there? (guessing he's 340+ no offense Charlie I luv ya man)(saving my a$$ lol)? He has an 05 with the big boy spring, but no buckled tunnel. These sleds are designed as high performance cruisers they are not really made for jumping. The Nytro on the other hand should be built to take that kind of abuse (has anyone bent a tunnel on a Nytro?) Every year these sleds get better, sometimes it ain't as fast as we would like to see but they do improve on them every year. My suggestion is if you ride hard and like to leave the ground frequently take the initiative to protect yourself and add whatever is available in the form of bracing and if need be get creative and make something on you own. Right now the Nytro and possibly the RTX are the best sleds for that style of riding can't wait to see what they come out with for 08 maybe it will be the jumper some of you guys are looking for.
dlhryan
Newbie
- Joined
- Nov 27, 2005
- Messages
- 11
It is definitely not the riding style!!!!!!!!!!!! I weigh about 180 lbs without gear and definitely do not like to jump. I ride hard but when i say hard, i mean fast and like to cover alot of miles. Don't get me wrong, I love my sled. the #$%@#$$ problem is that in order to sell the sled so i can update to an 08 GT, somebody else is going to have to love it as well. Aint going to happen with a bent tunnel. As expensive a sled as this is, this is rediculous. How Yamaha handles this will be the deciding factor as to whether i buy another one Sorry-----
twomorestrokes
TY 4 Stroke God
This issue is definitely NOT specific to the mono shock skid! There are a lot of us Vector and Nytro ProActive sled owners with bent tunnels. Here's pics of mine after last week's ride. Rough trails and a couple of unexpected airborn sessions did it. I have never landed on the rear of the skid. I have a short snow flap so it was not from backing over it. There is a post in the RS section about braces a memeber has fitted to his sled. I have heard about bracing on the RTX (?) in this area. Can anyone help me out? The parts diagram is unclear as it shows three sets of bracing back there and I'm not sure what's what. I need to fix this so it does not happen again. Thanks.
Attachments
Got rear ended by a 2001 skidoo summit this weekend. Summit had a 2 inch crack in the hood and broke a screen. The Vector ended up with a buckled tunnel. Really surprised me that it was that weak unless it got hit just right.
NB-NYTRO
TY 4 Stroke Junkie
I've decided the buckled tunnel thing is a internet thing blown out of proportion.. I'm guessing less then 1% of all fourstrokes sold have had problems with their tunnels with the exception of people who got rear-ended. I've never even heard about this problem locally.. and according to my local dealer no one has blown a shock or bent a tunnel locally... whats this guy THE-TRUTH got like 12 posts. Someones trying to stir up #*$&@. 
Dano
TY 4 Stroke Master
twomorestrokes
TY 4 Stroke God
You guys should do a search. It happened to a few members last couple seasons also and it is not bending at the suspension mount but farther back. It is happening to Vector, Nytro and Apex riders so it is not just the Mono skid sleds. I've also read that the RTX has extra bracing in this area to pry to prevent this. Looks like a built in crinkle area waiting to happen to me. You'll see in my photo that it looks like a weak spot there where it bent as there is an opening in that area for the rear heat exchanger pipe to pass through. The tunnel opening is right on the radiused edge of the tunnel where support is lost by doing this. Looks like an obvious weak spot to me. There are others who have fabricated their own bracing for this area after the repairs. It could be caused by backing over the flap but not in my case, as I ditched the long flap two seasons ago.
I agree that forums tend to "blow things out of proportion" as once someone notices something, several others jump in, all of the sudden having the same issue. This problem is probably not very wide spread, but the fact is that it DOES exist and a bent tunnel is no laughing matter! My sled has never been hit by another sled and I take very good care of it. I ride it hard in the bumps but in my opinion, you should be able to do this without kinking the tunnel! I realize that the Vector was not designed as a ditch banger, but the Nytro tunnel is exactly the same design in this area.
I agree that forums tend to "blow things out of proportion" as once someone notices something, several others jump in, all of the sudden having the same issue. This problem is probably not very wide spread, but the fact is that it DOES exist and a bent tunnel is no laughing matter! My sled has never been hit by another sled and I take very good care of it. I ride it hard in the bumps but in my opinion, you should be able to do this without kinking the tunnel! I realize that the Vector was not designed as a ditch banger, but the Nytro tunnel is exactly the same design in this area.
NB-NYTRO
TY 4 Stroke Junkie
Take up your concerns with Yamaha/local dealer.. no one on here can do anything about it..
twomorestrokes
TY 4 Stroke God
Whoa, down boy!
I don't know why you seem defensive about this subject, but I am not looking for factory assistance or for one of you to come over and fix it for me. I am capable.
However, this is a help forum, so you are wrong about nobody here being able to help. I know others have fixed theirs so there's nothing wrong with asking for other's input on the situation. Just don't tell me that the problem does not exist, as it does. I appreciate input such as maybe a rear impact or backing over the flap could cause this, This is correct, as it could, but not in my case as these things have not happened. I am convinced that it was the result of last week's 500 miles on very rough trails, as the damage was not there prior and it is now.
Now, can anyone tell me if the GT or RTX has the extra bracing in the tunnel in the same areas shown in my pictures? I read earlier in this thread that it did but the parts diagram is unclear. It shows some bracing back there, but I'm not clear on which one it may be. I'd appreciate any help I can get. Thanks.
I don't know why you seem defensive about this subject, but I am not looking for factory assistance or for one of you to come over and fix it for me. I am capable.
However, this is a help forum, so you are wrong about nobody here being able to help. I know others have fixed theirs so there's nothing wrong with asking for other's input on the situation. Just don't tell me that the problem does not exist, as it does. I appreciate input such as maybe a rear impact or backing over the flap could cause this, This is correct, as it could, but not in my case as these things have not happened. I am convinced that it was the result of last week's 500 miles on very rough trails, as the damage was not there prior and it is now.
Now, can anyone tell me if the GT or RTX has the extra bracing in the tunnel in the same areas shown in my pictures? I read earlier in this thread that it did but the parts diagram is unclear. It shows some bracing back there, but I'm not clear on which one it may be. I'd appreciate any help I can get. Thanks.
NB-NYTRO
TY 4 Stroke Junkie
No worries.. let us know what your local dealer says.
ReX
TY 4 Stroke God
twomorestrokes said:
The 07 GT has 2 extra pairs of reinforcement plates in the same area yours buckled. The remainder of the 06/07 Apex 121" line-up have a single pair of reinforcements in almost the same place as yours buckled. These all install inside the tunnel.
For extremely aggressive riding (or surviving serious bottoming out, riding with a blown shock, backing over the snow-flap, tying the sled down too tight, or just peace of mind) adding the full set of 4 reinforcement plates (2 pairs) is the way to go, IMO. For 121" sleds with the ProActive suspension (like yours) the pair of plates that mount up against the suspension brackets have to be cut down a fair bit but can still be installed with a little work.
Unfortunately in your case your tunnel is already bent. I would recommend you straighten it as best you can and then install external, thicker plates like garserio did with his Vector. This will not only reinforce your tunnel, but it will hide the buckled metal. You might consider adding the OEM internal reinforcements also.
Do a search with my name on this topic and you should be able to find all of the part numbers, including rivets and rivet quantities as well as pictures (that others posted).
twomorestrokes
TY 4 Stroke God
Thank you very much ReX! That is exactly what I was after, and that was a huge help! I cut and pasted that post along with the photos onto an email to myself and will order the parts. Wow, part numbers for everything, including the rivets with quantities needed.
As far as fixing the tunnel I think it should be not noticable when done. I imagine if I suspend the sled by the rear bumper, I could work the wrinkle out fairly easily with some care. If it is still visable then I will make some outer plates like garsario shows in last season's post.
As far as fixing the tunnel I think it should be not noticable when done. I imagine if I suspend the sled by the rear bumper, I could work the wrinkle out fairly easily with some care. If it is still visable then I will make some outer plates like garsario shows in last season's post.
ReX
TY 4 Stroke God
Glad I could help.
If I were you, I'd still consider additional external reinforcements though - maybe a little thinner than garserio's. Once the tunnel has been buckled and straightened it will at best be left with a fraction of the strength wrt to the loading that caused it to buckle in the first place.
I'm not sure the OEM reinforcements alone will be enough at this point.
If I were you, I'd still consider additional external reinforcements though - maybe a little thinner than garserio's. Once the tunnel has been buckled and straightened it will at best be left with a fraction of the strength wrt to the loading that caused it to buckle in the first place.
I'm not sure the OEM reinforcements alone will be enough at this point.
