Mountain 4 Stroke on a Budget

[brianidaho]

I'm hoping you guys and gals can give me your thoughts on this. I currently ride a '01 Mountain Max 700 up here in the mountains of North Idaho. I'm looking to get a 4 stroke before too long. I don't tend to swap machines all that often and hope to make a good choice that I can live with for a number of years, and that I can get into for a modest amount of money. I'll be buying used, and a turbo or SC is a ways out at best.

Having said that, I'm wondering which is the smart way to go, a used RX-1 and mod it to make it suitable for mountain riding, an Apex (lots more $$) or perhaps a used Vector. So, I'm seeing used '03 RX-1s for around $4k, 04's and 05's for somewhat more. I understand the '03s need more work to get them dialed in than the latter models, especially the '05s. I'm seeing used Apexs for around $7-8. I understand these are considerably better in the mountains than RX-1s, but are they twice as good, or perhaps the better question is would a used RX-1 with $3k of mods be comparable to an Apex?

With the RX, it sounds like the first things to do is to swap to the '05 skis, swap to a lightweight battery and perhaps do the lightweight exhaust.

Anyway, any thougths for a poor working stiff? Maybe I should give it one more season till used Apexs drop in price.

Also, can anyone tell me what track lengths were standard on RX-1 mountains over the years?

Thanks.
Bri

 

[LFM]

I went from a 2001 MM700 to a 2003 RX-1 Mountain. I am glad I did the switch. A stock RX is too heavy but for the price that you can get them for there is lots of room to mod it so it works great in the mountains. My RX has aftermarket a arms, skid, seat, skis, battery, bar riser, exhaust and now it awesome. It just needs a turbo. I ride strickly in the mountains and would recomend a 03 RX. You can find them usually with a good base of aftermarket and low mileage, most guys upgraded to the Apex so the RX market is flooded right now, so good deals...
My 2 cents anyway

 

[brianidaho]

Thanks for the quick reply. I like the tinkering involved, it's fun to do it once, making something better than it started! I just don't care for fixing stuff that broke-hence the Yamaha. I'm thinking that the RX-1 is the way to go too, especially if I can get one cheap, and mod a bit at a time. Dropping $4k all at once on mods is painful, but over a couple years wouldn't hurt nearly as much.

 

[snomadTT]

I have read posts about the lighweight, budget RX1s that Kachess is building. Search for some of his posts and you will have a bunch of well engineered, cost effective ideas to get an RX1 rocking on a budget!

 

[Kachess]

We are just finnishing our 5th 03 RX1, (need a seat) and are headed to Boise this weekend to pick up our Sixth. That'll make three just this year. If you really shop for the RX1 you can do an awsome sled for under $6500, that'll last forever, and run with anything. Our last one took us two full days to pull off once we got all the parts. The work is not complex, lot of drilling and riveting. It is important to do all the mods at once. i.e. the forward mod makes the pod go away and gives a spot for the gauge. Also, picking the sled is important. Mileage is not important (4stroke) and since stock rx1 were such tanks guys never rode them. Most have between 700 and 2300 miles. Mods already accomplished are worth $. For instance, the sled we are picking up this weekend has powder pros, skid plate, and cooler. We can sell the cooler for $60 and the skis and skid plate are worth $450. We are buying the sled for $3700 so it's stock price is $3190. Here's our list of mods and what they are worth:

Suspension, Holz $1598.00 34#
Tunnel Extension Hartman $232.00 5#
Skis-Powder Pros $335.00
Yuasa YTZ10S Tristate $85.00 10#
Carb Springs Holtzman $34.00
Exhaust Deans $55.00 20-30#
Antiratchet Drivers Whals $160.00
Handle Bars Sportland $60.00
Headlight Schucks $18.00 5#
Airbox -Rubbermaid Walmart $4.50 4#
Remove tool kit $00 3#
Belly Pan Ebay $90
Running Board edges Sportland $37
Boss ZX seat Cudney $205 10#
Total $2913 100#

Big problem, however. After ordering our third suspension this year Mark form Holz confirmed that they are discontinuing their RX1 model and have only enough parts for one or two more skids. For future mods we will have to try arctic cat skids. I hear people with success with those skids, and we'll have to give it a try. I just know our sleds work real well the way they are set up, and am not sure how much of the difference is the skid. If you are interested in more detail on what's required, email me.
A modded Rx1 is an awsome sled, as is illustrated buy the fact we have only one doo left in our group. And he just spent 8K on an o6 Rev and 3K in mods to keep up. If he starts going higher, there's always the turbo.

joelandlynne@starband.net

 

[brianidaho]

Thanks everyone, Kachess I have been looking through some of your other posts. Thanks for taking the time to post the steps you went through on your mods, it's alot more encouraging to tear into some of these with the confidence that the tweak can be accomplished. You have me sold on the RX, I'll be keeping my eyes open, hopefully I can pick one up for less than $4k and have something to start playing with.

Bri

 

[Frostbite]

Brian, I live just west of Spokane and typically try to track up your north Idaho snow via Fernan and Fourth of July Pass.

Jonnyrocket and I both have RX-1s and can help you out. I'm trying to get a couple more buddies hooked up with RX-1s now too.

It's the motor that makes the RX-1 Mountain worth going through all the trouble of modding these sleds. It makes for a great platform for future modifications too. Turbos, superchargers and nitrous are all easily in the cards with an RX-1. The best deal is you don't loose the reliabilty of your sled when going to 200++ hp. Bump a two stroke up to 200 hp and wear a flak vest because it's not IF but WHEN that baby is coming apart.

Frosty

 

[AaronBND]

Brian, you won't find a better group of knowledge than these guys. If you are like me, which I know you are

I like the tinkering involved, it's fun to do it once, making something better than it started! I just don't care for fixing stuff that broke-hence the Yamaha. I'm thinking that the RX-1 is the way to go too, especially if I can get one cheap, and mod a bit at a time.

than you will totally enjoy working on these things. Just try always to remember to reduce weight, not add. There are so many accessories for these things that you can get carried away making them look like christmas trees rather than making them perform well. I have done almost everything possible to mine (about -100lbs down) without turboing it and that might just be next. I have always been one to not really mess with the engine, because it is my pet-peave for it not to be reliable. Anyways......have fun and holler if you need anything.

Aaron

 

[brianidaho]

Thanks for all the replies guys, I'm impressed with how helpful everyone is. I'm going to get with my local club and see if anyone has an RX-1 I can ride just to try one out. I've never been on one, and none of the guys I ride with do.

I've been spending a bunch of time reading up on mods for these...lots to learn and lots of ways to spend money. But heck, modding can be about as much fun as riding.

I'm thinking I might pick one up late this season and tinker over the summer. Right now I'm building a house in my "spare" time and don't have the hours to spend wrenching, what little I can get away I'd like to spend riding. That should turn around in a month or 2, plus I'll have my shop back!

 

[bdm]

I know that I have had great success following the progress of (and copying) the guys from the Pacific Northwest area!

 

[Jonny Rocket]

Thanks for all the replies guys, I'm impressed with how helpful everyone is. I'm going to get with my local club and see if anyone has an RX-1 I can ride just to try one out. I've never been on one, and none of the guys I ride with do.

I've been spending a bunch of time reading up on mods for these...lots to learn and lots of ways to spend money. But heck, modding can be about as much fun as riding.

I'm thinking I might pick one up late this season and tinker over the summer. Right now I'm building a house in my "spare" time and don't have the hours to spend wrenching, what little I can get away I'd like to spend riding. That should turn around in a month or 2, plus I'll have my shop back!

As Frosty has stated, we both have RX-1's and are always willing to help a fellow yami out. I live in Spokane Valley. Let us know when you go out and we will see if we can join you. Then you can see for yourself how wonderful these sleds are.

Also, I would do a search for the the forum user Kachess. He has built 4 very lightweight RX-1's on a budget.

J.

 

[brianidaho]

Let me bounce a couple more questions off you guys.

1) Over on e-bay I'm seeing some real good deals on short-track RX-1s. Given the need to swap the skid, tunnel extension and skis, is there a real advantage to starting with a RX-1 MTN? Other than these items and handlebars, I'm not sure just what else is different.

2) I see lots of posts on the Holtz and M7 skids. Right now there is a Apex skid over on snowest for a fair price, how does this compare to the other 2?

 

[whitee]

Short trackers have a 42" wide front end but if you are going to ditch the skid and pu a tunnel ext. on may as well buy light weight 38" mtn a arms and tie rods

We did this with the vipers in 02 because they didnt make them in a Mtn the first year and worked fine Good luck


Jason

 

[Jonny Rocket]

I am pretty sure the gearing is different. You will definitely want to gear down.

 

[brianidaho]

JR and Frosty, thanks for the riding offer. I'd like to take you up on that in a few weeks. I work in Liberty Lake, it would be a short hop over to 4th of July.

BTW, I'll start with the mtn, as usual when I start looking at a new project I get anxious to jump at a deal. Lots more chances to get a mountain locally.