New guy to mountain needs help

[Yamadog]

Alright - I have been on this site forever and have had over 15 Yammi-s - all 121 & 136's. For the last 2 yrs we have been out in Yellowtone 3 times and are planning at least 3 trips this yr. I also have a cabin in North MN and rent a place in Hurley for the winter.

I would like to ride more mountain and logging roads this yr. 2 yrs ago we rented an Apex and everybody hated it. It was my first time in snow 12 ft deep and was stuck on a A/C 600 crossfire that sucked & only got to ride the Apex for about 10 mins in open fields.

My question is can you set the sled up for comfortable mountain riding without the added HP of a turbo? and was the rental sled merely not setup properly?

I keep watching this video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3QGiMOlqfIM and cannot believe that sled is the same one we had out west.

I bought an RMK 900 159" for cheap money to beat up to learn mountain riding but have a chance to buy an new leftover 09 Apex for under $8K and its driving me nuts.

Any Help appreciated

Yamadog

 

[Turk]

Buy an apex mountain. they are cheap now new or used & work way better then a short track converted to a long track. Run a riser as high as you can for better leverage.

 

[Sibola]

Buy the Apex, won't regret it

 

[Yamadog]

Thanks guys Im going to pull the trigger. IU figure worst case scenario I have a superb back woods sled even if I can't handle it on the steep & deep.

Oh yeah it will have electric start too that is the other prob with the 900 Polaris I need 2 people to start it & a chiropracter.

 

[doober]

There is a learning curve with the Apex, but once you figure it out you will love it, I bought one last year and love it, and I am not going to boost it, to much power for me. The easiest way to describe it is that they arent a lazy mans sled, you have to ride it.

 

[Sibola]

yes you have to learn to ride it, new learning curve for you. watch for the windshield when you let go of the throttle, has awesome holding back power. once you master riding it you will get the itch like the rest of us.
NEED MORE POWER, then you have the perfect sled to do it with, enjoy.

 

[GotJuice]

Mountain riding

I bought an Apex Mnt. in 07' and for the first 100 miles HATED that sled....absolutely thought it was the worse mistake of my life! Once I learned how to carve it became an investment I don't plan on selling any time soon! Do you know how to carve and counter steer? If you do great if you don't , YOU MUST LEARN! Once you learn how to counter steer and get really comfortable on the chassis it won't be a problem to keep up with any other manufacturer and even suprise them all!
Stock they can be set up ok but there are a few things to consider changing right away! Buy a set of Simmons Gen 2 ski's and cut them down like the Carls Cycle powder pro's, also go to a different track...wether it's a Camoplast challenger extreme or Powderclaw, add a 2" ROX pivot riser.....these items make a HUGE difference! I'd also highly recommend talking to Tom Hartman about a clutching/gear change and then ride it like you stole it! The more aggressive you are the better it performs....don't be afraid of it!
Have you considered buying a used Nytro with goodies or even a used Apex with these goodies already bought ? Hell you could buy one with the front and rear suspension changed for less then your thinking of spending on a new one....this is the last model year, so they are going to loose value when Yamaha comes out with the new iron! Something to consider!

 

[ski-bum]

The more you ride this sled the more you will like it. Ride it every day and it will do anything you want...Ride it three or four times a year and it will kick your arse.

 

[GotJuice]

Agreed!!

The more you ride this sled the more you will like it. Ride it every day and it will do anything you want...Ride it three or four times a year and it will kick your arse.

>>>
This is very true....you have to learn to use the throttle and your weight to control the sled...once your comfortable with this you'll be loving it!

 

[shawnmcgr]

I'd agree on buying a used sled with some improvements. As long as it's been looked after.

It's very important to get the right size riser for your height. I chopped an inch off of the stock riser and added a 5" Rox riser.

Other improvements I'd recommened: CE track, 2wheel rear axel kit, dump sway bar, olite steering bushings, dump as many extra skid idlers as you can and go with scratchers (your sliders will actually last much longer).

Most of these are cheap or free except the track. If you can find a good used sled with a CE track installed already you can save some serious $$.

I've just installed a 2.5" CE track and huge difference in traction. It replaced a '07 Maverick which was missing 10-15% of the lugs and the rest were bent over. I've got some rubbing issues so may have to trim the paddles down .1-.2" but still love the track.

l8r shawn

 

[kinger]

Hey Yamadog, I'm going to make my GT a convertible, a bolt on tunnel extension, ZX2 running 151" with a set back for a 162" apex mtn track, apex drivers. I will have everything but the narrow front which I dont care about right now since I'm learning. I plan to run 121" around here and 162" out there and convert in around 3 hours each time.

Swap the driveshaft
Bolt on the tunnel ext
Add Zxtend, and move ZX2 back
Change weight in clutch with super tips
Dial in SC fuel controller for altitude
Go ride!

 

[Yamadog]

Kinger you get all of the good stuff - hey by the way I leased a place with 4 bedrooms (8) beds and 4 baths in Pence WI just 5 miles south of Hurley for the winter starting the 15th of december. We need to get together this season. Cheap (nice) place to stay.

We are also planning at least 4 trips to West Wyoming, Idaho, Montanna and Colorado. We have a 44' Atlas van lines low deck and split the fuel among 10 to 12 guys and cheap places to stay out there.

 

[kinger]

Sweet man how long is the lease for? I like that area sans hurly (had some stuff stolen last year)

I am planning on 2-3 trips up to WI I would love to hook up some time!

Let me know those dates out west I am planning on a CO trip in march (once sled is long track) and would love to go! Also I got a group around 8-10 if you ever needed to fill up that van line!

Hope my sled holds up all winter!

 

[BlgsRX-1mtn]

Alright - I have been on this site forever and have had over 15 Yammi-s - all 121 & 136's. For the last 2 yrs we have been out in Yellowtone 3 times and are planning at least 3 trips this yr. I also have a cabin in North MN and rent a place in Hurley for the winter.

I would like to ride more mountain and logging roads this yr. 2 yrs ago we rented an Apex and everybody hated it. It was my first time in snow 12 ft deep and was stuck on a A/C 600 crossfire that sucked & only got to ride the Apex for about 10 mins in open fields.

My question is can you set the sled up for comfortable mountain riding without the added HP of a turbo? and was the rental sled merely not setup properly?

I keep watching this video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3QGiMOlqfIM and cannot believe that sled is the same one we had out west.

I bought an RMK 900 159" for cheap money to beat up to learn mountain riding but have a chance to buy an new leftover 09 Apex for under $8K and its driving me nuts.

Any Help appreciated

Yamadog

That sled isn't the same as the rental you had. That was Darko's old MCX turbo'd Apex.

Jim

 

[APEX 06]

Buy an apex mountain. they are cheap now new or used & work way better then a short track converted to a long track. Run a riser as high as you can for better leverage.

I don't about this lol. I have a APEX MTX and love it but just this summer I made my APEX RTX into a 144" and I like how it rides over my MTX. They are both good ways to go.