I am moving closer every day to pulling the trigger on a Viper. I currently ride a 2006 Apex and my wife rides a 2006 Attak. In that chassis, I far prefer the extra track length of the Attak.
But I am having a tough time determining whether the standard 129 or the LTX at 137 is the way to go on the Viper. I don't have any seat time on the cat chassis in either configuration. I am likely to put 3000+ miles on this winter and ride at a good pace, but not aggressively. I won't ride much, if any, off trail or in really deep snow. (Have a mountain sled I can pull out if I want to do that).
All opinions are welcome...including telling me to wait and ride them both, but waiting is HARD!
But I am having a tough time determining whether the standard 129 or the LTX at 137 is the way to go on the Viper. I don't have any seat time on the cat chassis in either configuration. I am likely to put 3000+ miles on this winter and ride at a good pace, but not aggressively. I won't ride much, if any, off trail or in really deep snow. (Have a mountain sled I can pull out if I want to do that).
All opinions are welcome...including telling me to wait and ride them both, but waiting is HARD!
Well I roade all 3 quite a bit last spring. I was a t a demo ride that had low attendance so I went out for full length rides on each. In my opinion there is very little difference between the 129" & 137" versions. I know they were not yet mapped properly and the clutching was off.
I did feel there was more hookup on the l37 on launch but on the trails I had no diff in feel in the turns except the 129" was a little bit easier to sweep the rear through the corners which will be lost if you stud the track (probably)
With them both having the small bars on the front there was a bit of push into the turn and felt better throwing the sled in hard with a little overturn to get the back to step out ( which should be fixed with 8" carbides).
Both were very flat in the front end (no ski lift) no matter how hard I drove throught the corner. I did not have to get it to turn with the brakes like I had to with the RX's and Apexes. I could drag the brake a bit and stay in the throttle and get back hard on exit.
My personal prefference of the 2 was the 137 seemed a little nicer in the studders but that could have been diff in air pressures of rear skid shocks. You have to remember the 137" is the length of the track shich is a circle and the footprint (contact with snow area) diff is only about 4" x 15" but it is more out the rear of the sled.
When I went from the Rush Pro R 121" to 136" I got faster because the drive from the track is further back and it put me forward of center and I felt I could feel the sled turn more on the front axis. I think side by side the 136" is 8" longer than the 121"
Both sleds were easy to ride sitting or standing and I could run them through the corners as fast whether sitting or standing.
I personally went with the XTX cause the skid is uncoupled and that is what is in my Pro R's. It allows the nose to come up a bit easier under acceleration and the longer track moves the center even further back - My riding style really made this more fun. The bite of the 1.6" track and longer track length really made the sled launch hard even on the hard packed trail and the weight transfer to the rear was awesome (ski lift).
I would go 137 with the coupled but that is my opinion based on how I ride.
I did feel there was more hookup on the l37 on launch but on the trails I had no diff in feel in the turns except the 129" was a little bit easier to sweep the rear through the corners which will be lost if you stud the track (probably)
With them both having the small bars on the front there was a bit of push into the turn and felt better throwing the sled in hard with a little overturn to get the back to step out ( which should be fixed with 8" carbides).
Both were very flat in the front end (no ski lift) no matter how hard I drove throught the corner. I did not have to get it to turn with the brakes like I had to with the RX's and Apexes. I could drag the brake a bit and stay in the throttle and get back hard on exit.
My personal prefference of the 2 was the 137 seemed a little nicer in the studders but that could have been diff in air pressures of rear skid shocks. You have to remember the 137" is the length of the track shich is a circle and the footprint (contact with snow area) diff is only about 4" x 15" but it is more out the rear of the sled.
When I went from the Rush Pro R 121" to 136" I got faster because the drive from the track is further back and it put me forward of center and I felt I could feel the sled turn more on the front axis. I think side by side the 136" is 8" longer than the 121"
Both sleds were easy to ride sitting or standing and I could run them through the corners as fast whether sitting or standing.
I personally went with the XTX cause the skid is uncoupled and that is what is in my Pro R's. It allows the nose to come up a bit easier under acceleration and the longer track moves the center even further back - My riding style really made this more fun. The bite of the 1.6" track and longer track length really made the sled launch hard even on the hard packed trail and the weight transfer to the rear was awesome (ski lift).
I would go 137 with the coupled but that is my opinion based on how I ride.
Four stroke torque loves extra traction.
canadianhunter
TY 4 Stroke Junkie
Yamadog did the Vipers have the Cat skis that they are being delivered with ? If so how was the darting ?
Ya know I know the skis were diff on the XTX, the 129 and 137 were the same but I did not pay attention to the make on those. There was absolutely no darting you could go up to 90 mph and take your hands off the bars back to 0 did it on all 3. There was no hunt and seek tracking and the sled went exactly where you pointed it.
In some ways I found the sleds to be numb. I did 60 miles that day on the Pro R flat out to get to the ride sight and stepping off that sled that rides like a dirt bike these felt (even though they are CAT) just like my rx's after sway bar, ski changes to simmons and shimming and shock changed to Ohlins up front, used too. Except they corner totally flat and were under powered compared to the rx/Apex.
The steering was a lot more crisp and needed no effort compared to the old Yammi's. I knew that they were going to need more HP but as far as the chasis I did not see a need for a lot of mods. I did buy the fox Evol RC2 shocks for mine - it may be a mistake! I also have 1 set of simmons trail skis, 1 pr simmons flex II mountain skis that I bought the cat saddles for and a set of C&A's to try on it but I don't think it will improve much over the stock except the double 8" bars on the simmons will give them much more corner bite. I will probably have to get used to bad oversteer with the 1.6" track and no studs but I like riding with the back end hanging out.
I think this platform when shocks dialed in for your style will allow for 2 - 300 mile days with no fatigue without spending a ton of money on changes from stock. I am adding turbo cause everything I have owned since 05 has had 155 hp or more and I really noticed the 20 hp loss on the demo's but was happy with the starting point of the ride and riding position on this sled.
In some ways I found the sleds to be numb. I did 60 miles that day on the Pro R flat out to get to the ride sight and stepping off that sled that rides like a dirt bike these felt (even though they are CAT) just like my rx's after sway bar, ski changes to simmons and shimming and shock changed to Ohlins up front, used too. Except they corner totally flat and were under powered compared to the rx/Apex.
The steering was a lot more crisp and needed no effort compared to the old Yammi's. I knew that they were going to need more HP but as far as the chasis I did not see a need for a lot of mods. I did buy the fox Evol RC2 shocks for mine - it may be a mistake! I also have 1 set of simmons trail skis, 1 pr simmons flex II mountain skis that I bought the cat saddles for and a set of C&A's to try on it but I don't think it will improve much over the stock except the double 8" bars on the simmons will give them much more corner bite. I will probably have to get used to bad oversteer with the 1.6" track and no studs but I like riding with the back end hanging out.
I think this platform when shocks dialed in for your style will allow for 2 - 300 mile days with no fatigue without spending a ton of money on changes from stock. I am adding turbo cause everything I have owned since 05 has had 155 hp or more and I really noticed the 20 hp loss on the demo's but was happy with the starting point of the ride and riding position on this sled.
09NytroRTX
Expert
Yamadog, I'm going with the XTX SE as well. I didn't get a chance to get to a demo ride but I hope that I don't regret the decision over the LTX SE for the coupled to un-coupled suspension.
I don't think you will, once you learn to ride them it works beter to me. I love the Rush Pro R but hate the motors. I blew 1 up at 739 miles and just miss the reliability and pull of the 4 stroke. These are not as drastic as the poo that will pull both skis off the ground coming off the corner but you find the sled more reactive to where you sit.
On the tank more ski pressure back up several inches when you launch and the transfer sets the weight on the track and lifts the skis.
I am just waiting patiently to get mine and get the turbo on it.
On the tank more ski pressure back up several inches when you launch and the transfer sets the weight on the track and lifts the skis.
I am just waiting patiently to get mine and get the turbo on it.
STAIN
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I went from a 136 RX1 to a 144 Nytro XTX to a 128 Apex. I missed the extra track lenth when riding my Apex. Less traction in the slop, seems more " assy " on the trails. I ordered a 137 Viper and won't go back to a short track---unless I am out on my v max 4.......
Done! Pick up a red LTX SE on Friday morning. The price was right and I was due for new!!
Congrats!
09nytro
TY 4 Stroke God
Cool 
109rfan
Extreme
Congrats I ordered same sled.
allyammies
VIP Member
Do you ride Knight owl trails if so hope to see you i have a place on tug lake.
We do! I am a member of the Northwoods Riders and frequently ride the N O trails. We live on Nokomis...
