Yeller
TY 4 Stroke Junkie
Awesome footage! You're pro caliber with your camera work.
Cody
Expert
Spider in your camera equipment eh...? lol
OST
Expert
Excellent videos there guys! Great entertainment. 
Insane powder!
Insane powder!
Great as always! would have loved to gone up there with you guys...but that would have been a whoooole new vid lol
03RX1-ER-LE
Bleed BLUE
- Joined
- Feb 22, 2008
- Messages
- 1,611
- Age
- 65
- Location
- M-Th Livonia Mich F-S Oscoda Mich
- Country
- USA
- Snowmobile
- 2011 Apex XTX 12,497 miles
2009 Apex ER 8,169 miles
2016 Sport Haven 12 foot Hybrid trailer
Tow Vehicle
2022 F-150 Super Crew 4x4 2.7L EcoBoost
2021 Wolverine X4
- LOCATION
- Livonia Michigan
What no video from last weekend?
Yellowknife
TY 4 Stroke Master
I am on a sled trip right now through Saskatchewan and Manitoba. I'll be back home next week, at which point i'll have some catching up to do on the thread, but it won't take anywhere near as long as the Revy vids. I'll have lots to update you on though, from sled reviews down here on the 1200 4-TEC, to Yamaha Canada and my dealers contribution to my Nytro MTX. Stay tuned for details next week!
Cheers,
YK
Cheers,
YK
Yammerhead
Expert
Where abouts have you been riding in Man / Sask??
Yellowknife
TY 4 Stroke Master
home base has been in Canora. We've been as far away as Weeks, Sask. and Child's Lake/Grandview, Manitoba. What a variety of terrain!
Yammerhead
Expert
Yellowknife said:
Nice! I grew up about an hour South West of Canora and my parents are still out there. (I live around Saskatoon now) Every couple of years we do a sled trip, stay at Goodspirit lake and ride for a weekend. That area always seems to have the first and usually good snow. This year our snow cover has been marginal, but at least it's not brown.
I an guessing you have family in that area? I hope you are having fun and being treated well!
Yellowknife
TY 4 Stroke Master
Yammerhead said:
Nice. I crossed Goodspirit Lake about a dozen times in the past week. I do have family here, i'm with Mamasled and Papasled from Dootalk. They used to live in Yellowknife. They have been treating me like royalty, totally amazing and I don't know what I'm going to do to repay them!!
Yellowknife
TY 4 Stroke Master
Sleding Weekend Number 14 Continued:
After the Revy trip was done on January 31st and I was back in Yellowknife, and Nate and I went for a spin. Mr. I like to drive in the bush and off rock ledges had a mishap…
Boy it is taking some time for me to remember what I was doing and when for the past month.
Sleding Weekend Number 15:
This was around the time I started editing the Revy video’s, but I managed to get out for a couple of rides, one with the local snowmobile club and another with Nate on another bushwhacking adventure…with damages.
Let me back up and say that I got the Phazer and the Nytro back, only to have to send the Nytro back to the shop again this past week.
First, I got the Nytro back after Revy. It had a huge work order done to it. Yamaha is not approving any modifications to my handwarmers under warranty, so they sit idle. The ball joints and lower A-ARMS on my Nytro including the spindles were replaced. They were all toast. If you recall, last year the same things needed to be replaced on my Phazer. I consider this a durability issue. Those parts should last longer. Worn out bushings is one thing, but I want ball joints to last longer than 7000 km’s.
My exhaust gaskets at the manifold were toast and needed replacing. My shocks were all finished, but some excellent news on that front. My dealer (Force One in Yellowknife) and Doug Witty (the owner) went to Yamaha on my behalf and scored me a free set of GYTR front shocks for my Nytro. They are the same shocks offered on the Nytro XTX featuring compression and rebound clicker adjustment. I owe a huge thanks to Doug Witty, Force One, and Yamaha Canada for this. These shocks retail for big bucks (over $1000 CDN) and I appreciate the help I get from both my dealer and Yamaha. I have video of the shocks as you will see, and testing of them to come over the remainder of the season.
As for the rear shocks, I have ordered new GYTR shocks which are also found on the XTX, and new heavy duty torsion springs. All of these fit into the Nytro MTX without any modifications required.
The dealer replaced my Reverse Lever, I didn’t have any luck doing it myself.
My entire brake system was also replaced including the rotor, caliper, emergency brake and cable. The rotor was warped, which I found odd because I hardly use my brakes, but when I would apply them, the sled would vibrate and shudder to a stop.
My clutches have all stock parts in them and they are in great shape after 7000+ km’s.
For those interested in the oil spillage issue into the airbox (especially the mountain riders) I have been told Yamaha will be solving this problem. Whether that means a solution for older models or 2011 models, I’m not sure.
My oil pressure switch also needed to be replaced, it was leaking oil. The only other thing was a rear idler wheel bearing that was gone, again the entire wheel needed replacing.
Now that is quite the list of repairs, and I can be honest and say not much of this speaks reliability to me. Given I am using the products in a harsh environment, I still expect better durability, or I need 3 sleds lol
Back to sleding weekend number 15, Nate and I were off trail when I came down on a stump and the stump pushed my side panel right into my clutch, and in a fraction of a second my clutch ate right through the side panel. I will need to repair that hole.
I have video of Sleding Weekend Number 15…
What would have been weekend number 16 had no riding in it what so ever. That was my round the clock Revelstoke editing. It was beautiful out, sunny, mild, and I didn’t even ride. But the video’s were worth it, at some level anyway!
Over to the Phazer, I ended up getting it back on February 13th. Remember how it left me stranded? Yes, the wiring harness was confirmed the culprit. There is a grounding block, looks like a big plug and it has metal in it. Many ground wires go into this block, which is connected within the wiring harness. The wires going into the block were corroded. One of them broke off, causing all sorts of electrical malfunctions and incorrect error codes, which also led to the unit leaving me stranded. The corrosion caused excess heat, which in turn melted the plastic casing that held the grounding block, which in turn damaged the wiring harness. The entire harness needed replacing, and I owe another thanks to Yamaha Canada for getting that harness out to my dealer as quickly as they did. I could have been waiting all season for a back ordered part, but they went the extra mile and I appreciate the service.
I have to acknowledge that despite all the down time I have with my sleds, regardless of brand, Yamaha and Force One have been the best team of support I have ever experienced by far in snowmobiling. BRP lacked in this department, and Yamaha certainly does not. It makes a world of difference having a company that backs their product and a dealer that backs you as a rider and does everything they can to keep you on the snow. Both of these guys have gone above and beyond anything I’ve ever experienced to keep me riding and for that I thank them!!
The Phazer has had a grand total of 68 days down for this season so far. I haven’t gotten many miles on it this year either, but that amount of downtime has matched the time it was down last year waiting on parts and having issues. Given this year included a new motor, I’m really glad I have two sleds or I’d lose half my season.
A couple of comments on the Phazer. The cold weather kit that it has including cold weather fuel mapping and decompression springs do nothing to assist in cold weather starting. The unit simply needs to be plugged in beyond –28 C (-18 F) which doesn’t cut it for a snowmobile. Obviously when it is time to purchase a new unit, My Phazer will be the sled to go before the Nytro.
Remember the guard I installed over the radiator on the Phazer? It receives a failing grade. Great idea for groomed trail Phazer riders in warmer temps, but not good for powder riding guys who deal with cold climates. The snow cakes around the guard and blocks air to the rad. I’ll be removing it. I was always concerned I’d put a stick through that exposed rad, but I now think it would be a fluke – which means I should probably keep the guard in place given my track record!
And given I missed my first weekend of riding to edit footage, it was time to head south yet again for a week long trip in Saskatchewan and Manitoba with Mamasled and Papasled! Details to come on that trip later…
Oh and before I forget, the Nytro is down again. It is leaking coolant and the water pump gasket is the cause. This is another example of a part that shouldn’t be failing. It is part of the motor, isn’t being taken apart and I just don’t think something like this should be failing. If these sleds weren’t under warranty, I wouldn’t be able to afford to ride them! The Nytro has been down a total of 31 days this season and counting. That’s 99 days this season alone between the two sleds.
Here is Sleding Weekend Number 15 video;
Sleding Weekend Number 15: Video Link
Cheers,
YK
After the Revy trip was done on January 31st and I was back in Yellowknife, and Nate and I went for a spin. Mr. I like to drive in the bush and off rock ledges had a mishap…
Boy it is taking some time for me to remember what I was doing and when for the past month.
Sleding Weekend Number 15:
This was around the time I started editing the Revy video’s, but I managed to get out for a couple of rides, one with the local snowmobile club and another with Nate on another bushwhacking adventure…with damages.
Let me back up and say that I got the Phazer and the Nytro back, only to have to send the Nytro back to the shop again this past week.
First, I got the Nytro back after Revy. It had a huge work order done to it. Yamaha is not approving any modifications to my handwarmers under warranty, so they sit idle. The ball joints and lower A-ARMS on my Nytro including the spindles were replaced. They were all toast. If you recall, last year the same things needed to be replaced on my Phazer. I consider this a durability issue. Those parts should last longer. Worn out bushings is one thing, but I want ball joints to last longer than 7000 km’s.
My exhaust gaskets at the manifold were toast and needed replacing. My shocks were all finished, but some excellent news on that front. My dealer (Force One in Yellowknife) and Doug Witty (the owner) went to Yamaha on my behalf and scored me a free set of GYTR front shocks for my Nytro. They are the same shocks offered on the Nytro XTX featuring compression and rebound clicker adjustment. I owe a huge thanks to Doug Witty, Force One, and Yamaha Canada for this. These shocks retail for big bucks (over $1000 CDN) and I appreciate the help I get from both my dealer and Yamaha. I have video of the shocks as you will see, and testing of them to come over the remainder of the season.
As for the rear shocks, I have ordered new GYTR shocks which are also found on the XTX, and new heavy duty torsion springs. All of these fit into the Nytro MTX without any modifications required.
The dealer replaced my Reverse Lever, I didn’t have any luck doing it myself.
My entire brake system was also replaced including the rotor, caliper, emergency brake and cable. The rotor was warped, which I found odd because I hardly use my brakes, but when I would apply them, the sled would vibrate and shudder to a stop.
My clutches have all stock parts in them and they are in great shape after 7000+ km’s.
For those interested in the oil spillage issue into the airbox (especially the mountain riders) I have been told Yamaha will be solving this problem. Whether that means a solution for older models or 2011 models, I’m not sure.
My oil pressure switch also needed to be replaced, it was leaking oil. The only other thing was a rear idler wheel bearing that was gone, again the entire wheel needed replacing.
Now that is quite the list of repairs, and I can be honest and say not much of this speaks reliability to me. Given I am using the products in a harsh environment, I still expect better durability, or I need 3 sleds lol
Back to sleding weekend number 15, Nate and I were off trail when I came down on a stump and the stump pushed my side panel right into my clutch, and in a fraction of a second my clutch ate right through the side panel. I will need to repair that hole.
I have video of Sleding Weekend Number 15…
What would have been weekend number 16 had no riding in it what so ever. That was my round the clock Revelstoke editing. It was beautiful out, sunny, mild, and I didn’t even ride. But the video’s were worth it, at some level anyway!
Over to the Phazer, I ended up getting it back on February 13th. Remember how it left me stranded? Yes, the wiring harness was confirmed the culprit. There is a grounding block, looks like a big plug and it has metal in it. Many ground wires go into this block, which is connected within the wiring harness. The wires going into the block were corroded. One of them broke off, causing all sorts of electrical malfunctions and incorrect error codes, which also led to the unit leaving me stranded. The corrosion caused excess heat, which in turn melted the plastic casing that held the grounding block, which in turn damaged the wiring harness. The entire harness needed replacing, and I owe another thanks to Yamaha Canada for getting that harness out to my dealer as quickly as they did. I could have been waiting all season for a back ordered part, but they went the extra mile and I appreciate the service.
I have to acknowledge that despite all the down time I have with my sleds, regardless of brand, Yamaha and Force One have been the best team of support I have ever experienced by far in snowmobiling. BRP lacked in this department, and Yamaha certainly does not. It makes a world of difference having a company that backs their product and a dealer that backs you as a rider and does everything they can to keep you on the snow. Both of these guys have gone above and beyond anything I’ve ever experienced to keep me riding and for that I thank them!!
The Phazer has had a grand total of 68 days down for this season so far. I haven’t gotten many miles on it this year either, but that amount of downtime has matched the time it was down last year waiting on parts and having issues. Given this year included a new motor, I’m really glad I have two sleds or I’d lose half my season.
A couple of comments on the Phazer. The cold weather kit that it has including cold weather fuel mapping and decompression springs do nothing to assist in cold weather starting. The unit simply needs to be plugged in beyond –28 C (-18 F) which doesn’t cut it for a snowmobile. Obviously when it is time to purchase a new unit, My Phazer will be the sled to go before the Nytro.
Remember the guard I installed over the radiator on the Phazer? It receives a failing grade. Great idea for groomed trail Phazer riders in warmer temps, but not good for powder riding guys who deal with cold climates. The snow cakes around the guard and blocks air to the rad. I’ll be removing it. I was always concerned I’d put a stick through that exposed rad, but I now think it would be a fluke – which means I should probably keep the guard in place given my track record!
And given I missed my first weekend of riding to edit footage, it was time to head south yet again for a week long trip in Saskatchewan and Manitoba with Mamasled and Papasled! Details to come on that trip later…
Oh and before I forget, the Nytro is down again. It is leaking coolant and the water pump gasket is the cause. This is another example of a part that shouldn’t be failing. It is part of the motor, isn’t being taken apart and I just don’t think something like this should be failing. If these sleds weren’t under warranty, I wouldn’t be able to afford to ride them! The Nytro has been down a total of 31 days this season and counting. That’s 99 days this season alone between the two sleds.
Here is Sleding Weekend Number 15 video;
Sleding Weekend Number 15: Video Link
Cheers,
YK
BLUEBALLER
Expert
- Joined
- Jan 29, 2005
- Messages
- 420
You are one of few people that can openly discuss yamaha's shortcomings without getting burned at the cross.
Good honest reporting. I had more downtime with my Nytro than I cared for. Hence me jumping ship.
I'm curious - given your history with the two Yammy 4 strokes - would you entertain a 3rd as your next sled?
Good honest reporting. I had more downtime with my Nytro than I cared for. Hence me jumping ship.
I'm curious - given your history with the two Yammy 4 strokes - would you entertain a 3rd as your next sled?
Yellowknife
TY 4 Stroke Master
They all have their quirks, that's for sure. I'm glad nothing has changed for 2010. These guys need time to work on what they got and test what they will be bringing out later. A year isn't long enough to invent and test thoroughly.
As for your question about my next sled - I have spent a lot of time on every brand this year, and if I was offered one free machine out of all 4 makers, I don't know what i'd pick. I'd really have to think hard about it. Nothing stands out as being the leader to me. I'll go through the 2010's and give you an answer later.
As for your question about my next sled - I have spent a lot of time on every brand this year, and if I was offered one free machine out of all 4 makers, I don't know what i'd pick. I'd really have to think hard about it. Nothing stands out as being the leader to me. I'll go through the 2010's and give you an answer later.
So.... How did Greg like his Bearcat after that trip? LOL 
As allways, nice report, and thanks for sharing!
As allways, nice report, and thanks for sharing!
Yellowknife
TY 4 Stroke Master
Two words: Rider Skill.
lol he's his own worst enemy.
lol he's his own worst enemy.
