New to me 2017 ltx-le

[scottt]

So I bought a 2017 sidewinder 137 with 4900 miles on it. The person I bought it from had it 2 years with minimal problems. A oil pressure sensor and occasionally would get warm riding it. He had it go into limp mode only a couple of times. Owner before him had the same issues i guess. Dont believe there was ice scratchers on the sled but it now has cable scratchers. I did notice someone added the 4th wheel in the back. Other than that I believe its completely stock. Id like to upgrade the power but Im a little cheap.Looking at turbo dynamics they have a 250hp upgrade that only requires a reflash and some clutch weights with a stock muffler.. Price looks reasonable. Havent had the sled on the trails yet myself so I hope the heating problem isnt real bad. I just sold my 2007 apex gt which was the newest sled Ive ever owned. Im hoping the winder rides better and is easier on my back while being maybe faster than the apex which would do 109 GPS under ideal condition.. Was wondering what you guys think of the TD upgrade and any other things I should be looking at. I read some things here about sidewinders and got a little overwhelmed. Thanks

 

[WinderFab]

Heating issues can just be from leaving the sled running trail side, on a cold morning start it takes these sidewinders some time to get to operating temperature but once up to temp it doesn’t take long to get them real hot. Shut sled down when stopped trail side.

Others will help you out on TD tunes, and your back will be thanking you, sidewinder is a much better ride..

 

[rtx moose]

I have a 2017 ltx.le and have had zero issues..as far as overheating it does not take much if you don't have ice scratchers and if you let it sit and idle too long..I would I spect your chaincase to make sure your upper gear bushing is not worn out.also make sure the chain tension screw is loctited..I would not go down the rabbit hole with some people on here being there OCD and tend to make things sound world ending!!!

 

[scottt]

Did I read on here somewheres about a replacement gear thats better than stock? I talked to the original owner that had it the first couple of years and all he said was he had overheating problems alot but who knows the conditions that was under. The most current owner didnt make it sound as bad,,he had just put 400 miles on it the weekend before.. I guess Ill find out when I get a chance to ride it. When winter is over Ill bring it in the garage and really look it over. Anything Im not comfortable with Ill have the yamaha dealer look at it. Thought maybe about also doing the reflash and clutch weights. Im not really experienced in modifying sleds.

 

[Rtbo]

Try to bleed the system with the turbo side bleeder. And do it a few times

 

[Simplespeed]

If you check the threads in grey that start this forum as issues with Sidewinders and known fixes will answer alot of questions.. overheating in low or very little snow conditions is possible but thats the case with many sleds.. there are a whole list of things to check and or maintain at 5000 miles if you want a trouble free sled… You may want to make sure everything is perfect before adding power as this will prevent any extra problems later. Good Riding and stay safe

 

[scottt]

heres another question that has probably different opinions. Currently stock tuner 3 skis and carbides on my 17 SW. I was going to put snow tracker semi aggressive on the tuner 3s. I put snowtrackers on my previous sled(07 apex gt) and couldnt believe the difference over stock. Only thing was they could push some in the corners making me wonder if I was going off the corner sometimes. Question is should I just put snowtrackers on the stock skis or try to find some curves or pilots. I only do trail riding really. Snowtrackers are 260.00 just for those. Im also trying to keep the costs down too.....I wouldnt be against buying somebodies used skis.

 

[Simplespeed]

heres another question that has probably different opinions. Currently stock tuner 3 skis and carbides on my 17 SW. I was going to put snow tracker semi aggressive on the tuner 3s. I put snowtrackers on my previous sled(07 apex gt) and couldnt believe the difference over stock. Only thing was they could push some in the corners making me wonder if I was going off the corner sometimes. Question is should I just put snowtrackers on the stock skis or try to find some curves or pilots. I only do trail riding really. Snowtrackers are 260.00 just for those. Im also trying to keep the costs down too.....I wouldnt be against buying somebodies used skis.

Have you worked with the springs and suspension to get your sled handling before you start thinking of spending money on new skis???

 

[scottt]

Its things I was planning to do over the summer since it looks like our season is probably done here unless i want to travel several hours north. I hadnt heard anything too good about the tuner skis and I was trying to get things ok as far as that stuff goes so im not working on the sled in the middle of next winter. The stock skis on my apex were terrible(heavy steer and bad darting) without the snowtrackers and I dont want to fight with that on the SW. If theres a proven combo thats alot better than the stock skis i would think I would do it. No,,,i havent tried any suspension adjustments. If you guys think it will handle good with the stock skis and certain suspension settings I can try that but I just didnt want to take it out next winter to find out no matter what i did the steering and handling sucked. Just going by threads on the stock skis,,,personally i havent tried them yet. Ive yet to drive the sled anymore than around the yard,,,,once.

 

[Simplespeed]

I understand and yes some guys think that the tuner ski’s are junk and no matter what a new ski is needed .. Well depending how and where you ride that may true in some cases … Also the existing conditions play a major role .. Here what I found in my testing and set up of this chassis and I too came off a Apex and know the exact issues you are talking about… That sled needed dooleys ( twin Carbide ) preferably 8” and the understanding of rebound to make it corner right… The sidewinder pro cross is a very different chassis and will rail when set up right..let me give you this in parts so all can share as I explain in simple terms ….

 

[Pstn head]

I believe Cat or even Stryke skis are less expensive than aftermarket options, and work really good if you have troubles dialling in the tuners.

 

[Simplespeed]

Part One : When you set this chassis up to corner the one thing you are after is Dynamic Ride Height.. What is this and why is it important? Basically its getting to get the sled to sit low but also the ability to get as much travel out of the shocks as possible .. low Center of gravity . Spring settings ( spin collards ) how far you preload determines ride height.. Springs hold up the sled . The more you preload the less travel the shock rods will have… The more you preload the higher the sled will sit and the springs will make the ride stiff and harsh. Too much preload and you will get the polo stick effect or bucking bronco effect as I call it… Now stay with me here cause it all effects handling..

 

[Simplespeed]

Part two : Shocks. Two parts to a shock… compression …Comfort and ride quality .Compression forces are determined by vehicle speed, weight, size of bump and or terrain . Rebound … The return of the shock. Rebound forces are determined by spring energy stored during compression . Rebound damping controls how fast the shock returns to its normal height after gets compressed so its ready for the next bump. Compression controls ( adjustable knobs ) determines how fast the spring can travel toward bottoming out.. Shock shims which are called values can be adjusted ( stacked ) to change these fuctions both ways..

 

[Simplespeed]

All shocks and springs, including Air work under these basic principles.. Now when you set up for smooth trails, long sweeping turns , lakes roads, rivers your not using full travel and have no need for soft springs but you are interested in no body roll so you want more preload and slower rebound… In this case you set your compression alittle more ( stiffer ) and you turn rebound knob ( clockwise ) to slow rebound.. This will keep sled flat and both skis sharing the pressures of the turns at high speed..

 

[Simplespeed]

Part Three : setting up for trails …. First and foremost the first thing you do is make Dam sure your Track tension, track alignment, and ski alignment are dead nuts perfect .. No adjustments will give you the results your after if these are not spot on … almost right is still wrong.. If your not sure how this is done go on you tube and watch the factory guy from Arctic Cat as he shows proper techniques …