My first ride on a 2011 apex and nytro xtx impressions.

[Comatoast]

And everyone thought I was crazy for selling my new 2011 Apex XTX so soon.

My neighbor has his 2011 Apex for sale now too with just 850 miles on the clock. He like I was, have been pretty loyal to the Yamaha camp for quite some time. But, there comes a time when you just can't stay loyal any longer.

I won't tell you how much better the Ski-Doo's are because others are doing a good enough job of it. Ski-Doo is number one in sales for a reason. They take pride in their snowmobiles!

The Yamaha's have gotten heavier with every model that gets "upgraded". This and evidently having the same old engineers working the snowmobile product is flat out killing their sales. Hard to imagine what is going thru managements minds at Yamaha corporate. I know they ride the other brands to compare their stuff. Maybe they just go down the roads?

Hey Yamaha, there is a reason there are no rave reviews of the new sleds here! Plenty of complaints though. Hello, Is anybody in the office in Japan listening?

It's time to make some wholesale changes Yamaha!

I may just be starting to see some of your logic, Mr. Knapp. But with Yamaha's set up is key and these sleds were set up for long, wide, straight trails. Not the icy, twisty trails they had us on. Actually, they just picked a poor location to have the event, IMHO. Island lake is a big reservior lake with tons of pressure ridges and unstable ice. And there are no good, wide trails nearby. And the local club up there (Reservior Riders) has not been very good at grooming this year, at all.

But it was nice of Yamaha to come to town and let us ride their sleds.

I dunno about you but the yamaha reps there almost seem like they had no interest in sleds or even being there. The trails were horrible yes and I agree even fish lake would have been a better choice. Or the tri county corridor in superior which is by far the best trail in the area. Flat, wide, groomed and pretty straight. To ride these trails up at island lake was more work than enjoying the ride for some.

But after riding a etec on the same trail I will say yamaha did a terrible job in sled setup and choice of trails.

 

[KnappAttack]

I would say you are a little bitter.

I had my sled up for sale too but the more I ride it the better I like it. I still prefer the Yamaha engine to any other mfgs. We just need them to get there head out of there a$$ and figure out the slide wear, darting and shock valving. Things that Ski Doo has done a great job of when you buy the sled.

I agree with you that it is BS that Yamaha can't figure it out but I will still take reliability of the engine.

My guess is next year you will have slide issue solved and snowtrackers will be available for US customers just like Canada.


Who knows maybe everyone on the site needs to quit drinking the kool-aid. Probably somewhere in between.

Not bitter at all. Just trying to smack some sense into Yamaha. I don't care if I ever throw a leg over another one again. Just find it a shame they could be so blind to the direction they are traveling.


I had Snowtrackers on my right from the first mile. It still wanted to move around! The old sled without power steering never wandered with them. As for slide issues, I have none, I sold the Yamaha so no slide wear for me anymore.

The new Yamaha is just way, way to heavy and poor handling. It is so tippy with its extra weigh way up high there is just no way to call it a performance trail machine. I put it in the cruiser category.

The 2011 Apex XTX was my 13th Yamaha Four-Stroke and my last, until I see them come with a machine that is on par with my 2009 Ski-Doo XR1200 Renegade. And shame on them for touting 164 HP in their advertising and only delivering a 152 HP machine.

 

[Comatoast]

As sad as it is to say. I really wish ski doo had the reliability of a yamaha. They might as well just merge and get it over with

 

[Banks93]

I would buy the first 1200 with the apex motor.

 

[Banks93]

I would say you are a little bitter.

I had my sled up for sale too but the more I ride it the better I like it. I still prefer the Yamaha engine to any other mfgs. We just need them to get there head out of there a$$ and figure out the slide wear, darting and shock valving. Things that Ski Doo has done a great job of when you buy the sled.

I agree with you that it is BS that Yamaha can't figure it out but I will still take reliability of the engine.

My guess is next year you will have slide issue solved and snowtrackers will be available for US customers just like Canada.


Who knows maybe everyone on the site needs to quit drinking the kool-aid. Probably somewhere in between.

Not bitter at all. Just trying to smack some sense into Yamaha. I don't care if I ever throw a leg over another one again. Just find it a shame they could be so blind to the direction they are traveling.


I had Snowtrackers on my right from the first mile. It still wanted to move around! The old sled without power steering never wandered with them. As for slide issues, I have none, I sold the Yamaha so no slide wear for me anymore.

The new Yamaha is just way, way to heavy and poor handling. It is so tippy with its extra weigh way up high there is just no way to call it a performance trail machine. I put it in the cruiser category.

The 2011 Apex XTX was my 13th Yamaha Four-Stroke and my last, until I see them come with a machine that is on par with my 2009 Ski-Doo XR1200 Renegade. And shame on them for touting 164 HP in their advertising and only delivering a 152 HP machine.

So you are saying that I should save my money on the snowtrackers I was going to buy for it. I will just live with it darting. It is the powersteering crap IMHO. Anyway to turn it off?

 

[jaydaniels]

I would say you are a little bitter.

I had my sled up for sale too but the more I ride it the better I like it. I still prefer the Yamaha engine to any other mfgs. We just need them to get there head out of there a$$ and figure out the slide wear, darting and shock valving. Things that Ski Doo has done a great job of when you buy the sled.

I agree with you that it is BS that Yamaha can't figure it out but I will still take reliability of the engine.

My guess is next year you will have slide issue solved and snowtrackers will be available for US customers just like Canada.


Who knows maybe everyone on the site needs to quit drinking the kool-aid. Probably somewhere in between.

Not bitter at all. Just trying to smack some sense into Yamaha. I don't care if I ever throw a leg over another one again. Just find it a shame they could be so blind to the direction they are traveling.


I had Snowtrackers on my right from the first mile. It still wanted to move around! The old sled without power steering never wandered with them. As for slide issues, I have none, I sold the Yamaha so no slide wear for me anymore.

The new Yamaha is just way, way to heavy and poor handling. It is so tippy with its extra weigh way up high there is just no way to call it a performance trail machine. I put it in the cruiser category.
The 2011 Apex XTX was my 13th Yamaha Four-Stroke and my last, until I see them come with a machine that is on par with my 2009 Ski-Doo XR1200 Renegade. And shame on them for touting 164 HP in their advertising and only delivering a 152 HP machine.

Did Skidoo somehow manage to mout their 4-stroke motor lower in the chasis than Yamaha. I've looked at my Apex closly and don't see any way to get that motor any lower.

 

[SledFreak]

I would buy the first 1200 with the apex motor.

You ever drive a 1200?

 

[Banks93]

I would buy the first 1200 with the apex motor.

You ever drive a 1200?

Not with the new Apex motor in it.

 

[SledFreak]

I would say you are a little bitter.

I had my sled up for sale too but the more I ride it the better I like it. I still prefer the Yamaha engine to any other mfgs. We just need them to get there head out of there a$$ and figure out the slide wear, darting and shock valving. Things that Ski Doo has done a great job of when you buy the sled.

I agree with you that it is BS that Yamaha can't figure it out but I will still take reliability of the engine.

My guess is next year you will have slide issue solved and snowtrackers will be available for US customers just like Canada.


Who knows maybe everyone on the site needs to quit drinking the kool-aid. Probably somewhere in between.

Not bitter at all. Just trying to smack some sense into Yamaha. I don't care if I ever throw a leg over another one again. Just find it a shame they could be so blind to the direction they are traveling.


I had Snowtrackers on my right from the first mile. It still wanted to move around! The old sled without power steering never wandered with them. As for slide issues, I have none, I sold the Yamaha so no slide wear for me anymore.

The new Yamaha is just way, way to heavy and poor handling. It is so tippy with its extra weigh way up high there is just no way to call it a performance trail machine. I put it in the cruiser category.
The 2011 Apex XTX was my 13th Yamaha Four-Stroke and my last, until I see them come with a machine that is on par with my 2009 Ski-Doo XR1200 Renegade. And shame on them for touting 164 HP in their advertising and only delivering a 152 HP machine.

Did Skidoo somehow manage to mout their 4-stroke motor lower in the chasis than Yamaha. I've looked at my Apex closly and don't see any way to get that motor any lower.

Its because of the rear exit exhaust. They have to put that motor higher to accomodate the straight shot.... Get rid of that exhaust and spin that motor around and you would be able to have a larger gas tank, no ice build up, no stud issues and you could put the motor lower in the chassis., which would give better handling to boot. Yamaha really needs to look at the rear exit exhaust....

 

[evil eagle]

Well.. yes skidoo is no 1 in sales. Just like gm use to be. Back in the 90's everyone loved how gm's worked when they drove them off the show room floor.
I never bought into buying what was no1 in sales. Like gm, skidoo has longevity and reliability problems. Back in the 90's and still now I'll stick with the hondas and toyota's and nissans and such, and my 19000 mile apex.

 

[jaydaniels]

If you spin that motor around then all the weight is over the front skis and not centralized. Also, if you look where the bottom of the apex motor sits it can't go any lower unless you lowered the entire belly pan of the sled. In my opinion the Apex motor is as low and centralized as your going to get it in relation to the track. The only way to get it any better is to bring the rider forward. Also, I drove a 600 ETEC last weekend an loved it but can't say that it cornered any flatter than an Apex. I actually found it more prone to lifting the inside ski. It was noticeably lighter but the seating position is higher. Anyhow, just my thoughts. Both sleds are fun as heck to drive. Usually I'm just glad to be out and not broke down.

 

[RSVECTORFREAK]

It still pulls the ski 2-3' in the air while cornering hard unless you hang off the seat like a monkey. The center of gravity is just too damn high!

I'd be more worried if it pulled the ski a couple feet in the air. Couple inches is nothing but thats me![/quote

That is a foot mark not inches!!

 

[titanrcr]

Not bitter at all. Just trying to smack some sense into Yamaha. I don't care if I ever throw a leg over another one again. Just find it a shame they could be so blind to the direction they are traveling.


I had Snowtrackers on my right from the first mile. It still wanted to move around! The old sled without power steering never wandered with them. As for slide issues, I have none, I sold the Yamaha so no slide wear for me anymore.

The new Yamaha is just way, way to heavy and poor handling. It is so tippy with its extra weigh way up high there is just no way to call it a performance trail machine. I put it in the cruiser category.

The 2011 Apex XTX was my 13th Yamaha Four-Stroke and my last, until I see them come with a machine that is on par with my 2009 Ski-Doo XR1200 Renegade. And shame on them for touting 164 HP in their advertising and only delivering a 152 HP machine.

OK, So it took you 13 Yamaha 4strokes to figure out there no good? Something sure don't add up here......

Remember what they say about opinions folks, I'm sure you know how it goes....

 

[Comatoast]

Sad thing for my decision making. There seems to be more yamaha owners in here that don't like something than people that do

 

[rindtj]

Sad thing for my decision making. There seems to be more yamaha owners in here that don't like something than people that do

There is also something to be said about the members on this site. Many sites you will find people that say brand X is better brand Y is junk because I said so. Here you find a lot more level headed people. I think most people here realistically agree that there is compromises involved in every snowmobile. If I could afford to buy a new snowmobile every two years I probably wouldn't be on a NA Yamaha, however to me I will spend 500-700 dollars over a couple of seasons to get the snowmobile dialed in and be able to enjoy it for 10,000-15,000 miles with great reliability.

More of a 4-stroke idea than Yamaha, and if I could have afforded a used Cat or Doo 4-stroke I would've considered it.