My wife does not like her sled. Advise?

[mrtwostroke]

My wife hade a -08 phazer that i made to 136" .
Bought hear an -11 apex se with eps and she loves it.
Lover cg and eps makes IT not as tippy as the phazer.

 

[DGZRT]

I own 2 Vectors , for the trail only they are awesome and my girls handle it just fine. For anything off trail sadly I revert back to what I posted above. If you can find a Viper with all the updates she might really enjoy that. I know exactly what's it's like to have a family vacation and have a 2 stroke blow up. It's happened to my girls 3 times in the last 2 years. This is why I'm going all 4 stroke . Sadly "I" feel Yamaha doesn't make a good smaller off trail sled. Lets hope we see something to change my mind next year.

 

[titanrcr]

My wife hade a -08 phazer that i made to 136" .
Bought hear an -11 apex se with eps and she loves it.
Lover cg and eps makes IT not as tippy as the phazer.

Same here, my wife has taken over my 2011 Apex and loves it. Like you mentioned the sled has a low vertical CG so not likely to tip at all, comfortable seat and EPS. She prefers the Apex over the vector because the seat is a little higher. With the power of the Apex and EPS the weight is not a factor.

 

[steiner]

I would likely have to ship a Vector in from somewhere? Im not familiar with that sled to be honest. I have never seen one in person.

The Vector is the same chassis as the Apex and has less power. If she doesn't like your Apex then the Vector will not be a good fit either.

 

[Grimm]

If you ride mostly in deeper snow, I wouldn't recommend a Yamaha. The new 4 stroke Skidoos have a pretty darn good reputation as being durable, and she'd likely feel at home once again on a Skidoo Renegade. Much like the Nytro, you won't be able to dial out the tippiness and poor handling characteristics without spending a good amount of coin. The Vectors and Apexes are heavier...a deep snow machine they are not. Your wife needs a lighter sled, in other words, not a Yamaha.

 

[titanrcr]

If you ride mostly in deeper snow, I wouldn't recommend a Yamaha. The new 4 stroke Skidoos have a pretty darn good reputation as being durable, and she'd likely feel at home once again on a Skidoo Renegade. Much like the Nytro, you won't be able to dial out the tippiness and poor handling characteristics without spending a good amount of coin. The Vectors and Apexes are heavier...a deep snow machine they are not. Your wife needs a lighter sled, in other words, not a Yamaha.

Agreed, Apex and Vector belong on the trail not deep snow............

 

[DSimps10]

i would think viper would fit the best, i ride a Nytro (have never ridden a phazer or viper) but from sitting on the viper it feels like it sits lower(closer to apex/vector) the Nytro will feel tippy to her and dart much like the phazer but have more power and weigh more which is what it sounds like you are trying to stay away from. getting off trail (fields) the apex always feels like it wants to dive and stay down where the viper should stay up and "float" better.

Again, I have not ridden any Vipers or Phazers but have sat on them at the dealer and shows. Just so you know where im getting this from, I do ride my Nytro with a few Apexes and another Nytro and my friends mom prefers the Nytro simply due to seat position but complains about "tippy and darty" feelings. I see a Viper in their future haha

 

[blueironranger]

Was she happy with the power of the 550 summit, if so The Ace 600 is right in the same wheelhouse for terms of power while using 1/2 the gas plus the benefit of liquid cooling. If she is use to the power of the Phazer then 900 ace is a better choice, 0-70 mph and low end torque is very close with the 900ace having ~5mph more topend and a touch more punch past 70. The Doo ace sleds are a lot more forgiving to "sit and turn" riders while still working well off-trail without any mods. Older Rage or Vector LTX would be another good choice but would probably need a few mods to help off trail. My wifes the other way, she hated her sit down sled (Vmax 600 triple) but likes my Phazer because it reminders her of riding an ATV.

 

[4StrokeAddict]

Check out a Viper! Very good off trail and feels light and stable. Has the same motor as a Nytro, so don't worry about blowing it up. Like all sleds, it has its nuances but they are well documented and correctable. I think the biggest one for the average rider is hard rear suspension. There are plenty of places that will re-valve those shocks to make it ride very nice. Take a look at the LTX. Fully coupled suspension, longer track bridges the bumps some and it still handles off trail. Tuner ski kills the on trail darting. Make sure it had its updates. If it has a 2014 flash and it runs well, I probably wouldn't get the 2015 flash. Seems the 2014 flash was better for many, but not all.

 

[4strokeluvr111]

Thanks for the reply's. This is good information.

She came off of a 2007 Ski- doo 55o summit. She really liked it until it lost a cylinder while on a sledding vacation. We decided reliability is the #1 priority after that. She has ridden my Apex, but she is a small lady, so it was a handful on anything off of the roads.

Her qualms with the Phazer are that it feels "tippy", it darts, has sloppy steering and wants to "roll" on her when she gets into anything technical.

I have tried everything this forum has to offer with regards to addressing these issues. I like the sled, its a kick in the pants to ride. But, she is done with it after it rolled on her. Im sure you guys can relate, once they get an opinion on something, its over.

The cost is not a huge concern, but I also don't want to invest too much in something she only rides a dozen times a year, on a good snow year.

We have had bad luck with Ski Doo ( two 800R's died on me, plus her 550 fan), so that is not an option

In four years of snowmobiling I have seen two Apex's, and two Nytros. Sadly Yamahas are not very popular around these parts.

I would likely have to ship a Vector in from somewhere? Im not familiar with that sled to be honest. I have never seen one in person.

How does the Nytro compare to the Phazer with regards to handling?

You don't want a Nytro IMO. Or a Vector.

The Doo 550 was a fanner and I'm sorry but no fanner for me if you want reliability.

Any 800cc 2S (with the possible exception of a Cat) will be out?

So a Doo is totally out?

If so that leaves you Polaris, Cat and Yamaha.

MUST it be a 4 stroke?

 

[4StrokeAddict]

My understanding is Polaris is blowing up their 2S as well. Haven't researched in a year or more, so my info is likely out of date. Its too bad since their chassis is getting great reviews.

 

[Berg570]

You don't want a Nytro IMO. Or a Vector.

The Doo 550 was a fanner and I'm sorry but no fanner for me if you want reliability.

Any 800cc 2S (with the possible exception of a Cat) will be out?

So a Doo is totally out?

If so that leaves you Polaris, Cat and Yamaha.

MUST it be a 4 stroke?

No two strokes. I get sick from the exhaust, don't really like the smell, and we have had a bad run with reliability. Im sure Ski Doo is perfectly fine, I just had a bad run at them. I enjoy pulling the battery tender off of our Yamahas, adding fuel, turning the key and away we go each year. Zero issues in three seasons.

Finding any 4 stroke sled in Washington is tough. I found a few Vipers that the dealers are dumping, but that's it. I would drive into Idaho or Oregon if there is another brand 4 stroke worth purchasing? I guess I didn't realize that Polaris had 4 strokes?

 

[4strokeluvr111]

No two strokes. I get sick from the exhaust, don't really like the smell, and we have had a bad run with reliability. Im sure Ski Doo is perfectly fine, I just had a bad run at them. I enjoy pulling the battery tender off of our Yamahas, adding fuel, turning the key and away we go each year. Zero issues in three seasons.

Finding any 4 stroke sled in Washington is tough. I found a few Vipers that the dealers are dumping, but that's it. I would drive into Idaho or Oregon if there is another brand 4 stroke worth purchasing? I guess I didn't realize that Polaris had 4 strokes?

Polaris does not have a 4 stroke. If they did and it was in the AXYS chassis, IMO, lots of people would be riding them.

If it must be a 4 stroke that leaves you with Doo (1200 or 900ACE), Cat and Yamaha.

No Doo so it's a Cat or Yamaha.

7000 Series (?) Cat or a Viper are your two best options then. A Viper is just a Cat in Yamaha colors.

If I'm a salesguy (and I am...but not powersports) and I will only sell you a sled that's BEST FOR YOUR SITUATION, I'd try to get you to rethink a Doo. Look at a Summit or Renegade.

Guys and gals, I love my Yamaha's but in this gentleman's situation, I just don't think it's the right sled for her.

 

[4strokeluvr111]

My understanding is Polaris is blowing up their 2S as well. Haven't researched in a year or more, so my info is likely out of date. Its too bad since their chassis is getting great reviews.

The 800's still suck. 600's are OK. Best 8002S out there is the Cat 800.

 

[RIGIDONE]

My wife has a nytro, she was faster on her phazer, the nytro is just an animal, just as much if not more body english required to get it to handle, and way more steering effort, but she loves the power..she's a bit of a speed freek.. My opinion, go with a vector or apex with power steering..