Ski-Doo Rider wants to know which yamaha is best for me ???

[Heritage]

I hope to upgrade my sled..I currently have an 03 X package Rev (600 HO)....I am seriously looking at the yamaha 120 Hp sleds...and will probably buy a used 06 as there are a few around at good prices..I am sick of messing with two strokes...worrying about burning down, buying oil etc...I test rode a Rage 4 days ago...I didn't get much of a chance to really open it up..due to the icy, low snow conditions...and it was pretty smooth so I have no idea if the mono rear will be tooo plush of a rear suspension for me...I liked the low end power alot..had alot of traction......but I was wondering if the nytro might be a better sled for me...I am not interested in an apex...i don't want that much HP, and the phazer is not enough for me. I sat on a nytro, and it felt much more comfortable to me than my rev..alot more leg room...however I have a couple of questions. I should tell you I ride pretty hard, and am used to an x package rev (rather stiff).......but I also like to run some off trail (forest service roads, and logging roads) I would love to try a nytro...but no dealers have any for demos up here. So I am trying to deside Nytro or Rage...I do like the longer track, on the rage...but would prefer the rider forward of the nytro.

My questions are:

Is the mono skid too plush of a skid for aggressive riding...(I have heard that guys are breaking them)

Is the Nytro skid as stiff as my x package rev..or is it more like an adrenline package (x package is great in the really rough..big stuff...sucks in stutter bumps).
Is the nytro skid a really stiff skid???

I have also heard the nytro is more tippy than the vector or rage..is this true?? Is it because of the fox floats???

The nytro has lower gearing....right???...how much top end do you lose???
Is it alot slower than a REV 600 HO??? Is the nytro alot quicker than a Rage out of the hole??? (I thought the rage accelerated pretty hard...better than my rev from 0-60).

Any help would be appreciated....I have been racking my brains out trying to figure out which 120 Hp yamaha would be best for me..either way my next sled is a yami...either this winter or next fall.

BTW....I don't want to know what they have coming for 08...I have a limited budget, and can get great deals on 06's right now (used and new).

Thanks again.

 

[Sled Dog]

Well there is talk of a 120 hp Phazer in 08 whether Yami delivers on this is anyone's guess my guess is no. If you ride hard I would say the nytro is the sled for you.

 

[albird1]

go with the Nytro

I don't know what you weigh, but if you are over 180 consider getting the heavy spring in the rear. It will make up for any differance in suspension. You might want to consider upgrading the front skis as well. Either Pilot 5.7 or aftermarket

 

[Swiss Sledder]

Re: Ski-Doo Rider wants to know which yamaha is best for me

Is the mono skid too plush of a skid for aggressive riding...(I have heard that guys are breaking them)

In my opinion, no. Depending upon your weight you may need to upgrade the stock rear spring to a heavier rated spring, i.e. stiffer. Stock rear spring seems geared towards a rider around 180 with gear. With the stiffer rear spring, you will have more clicks to choose from on the mono clicker.

Is the Nytro skid as stiff as my x package rev..or is it more like an adrenline package (x package is great in the really rough..big stuff...sucks in stutter bumps). Is the nytro skid a really stiff skid???

I don't have experience with the Rev X Package, but I doubt the Nytro's settings are that stiff.

I have also heard the nytro is more tippy than the vector or rage..is this true?? Is it because of the fox floats???

Tippy feeling can be controlled through better use of the throttle. On a 2-stroke, you hammer into a corner, let off the throttle, turn, hammer out of the corner. On the Yamaha 4-strokes, you slightly let off the throttle going into a corner but never let off completely. Just enough to safely make the corner yet not enough so that the weight fully transfers to the rear skid. If the weight fully transfers, the skis will pop up in the corner.

Most people will agree that the 136" tracks are more stable at high speeds. Doesn't mean you are going to roll the sled or that the 121" tracks are not safe. Personally, I like my 136" track better than past 121" track 4-stroke models.

Any help would be appreciated....I have been racking my brains out trying to figure out which 120 Hp yamaha would be best for me..either way my next sled is a yami...either this winter or next fall.

How many miles a day do you like to ride? Why kind of trails are they, i.e. Ontario wide open trails or tight twisty trails?

I prefer the rider forward riding style too. Not as extreme as on the other manufacturers and it is easy on long day rides. You can get the same feel of the rider forward on a Rage simply by installing a Nytro seat and a set of riser bars. The site member Nos-Pro did this on his 05 RX-1 and he loves the new set up.

 

[Turtle]

Well, I now ride a Nytro, and I came off an '05 Ski Doo Renegade 600 HO. And I really liked my Doo and had plenty of reservations about switching over. Buts here's my take on it:

Riding Postion - Since you are used to a Doo, you are not going to like the riding position of the Vector - especially if you ride hard. Putting HP aside, the riding position of the Apex would be better. The riding position of the Nytro is much better than the Vector. The seat is higher, along with that the handlebars are higher and further forward ... so you get somewhat of a rider forward on the Nytro.

HP/gearing - The Nytro is geared lower than the Vector. I believe that top-end on the Nytro is around 90-95mph, and the Vector is closer to 100 (maybe a smidge more). You will love the low-end grunt that the engine has. But to give you some comparison with your Doo, here's a scenario:

My sled:
06' Nytro, longtracked to 136" w/ 1.5" lug height
My brother's sled:
04' Ski-Doo Adrenaline 600 SDI, long-tracked to 136" w/ 1/5" lug height, with a Cudney clutch kit

Before he got the clutch kit, I used to blow his doors off. Now that he has clutched it, I still beat him, but by only about a sled length or two. If we drag across a lake he eventually takes me on the top end. But if your going stock-for-stock, the Nytro will definitely get the jump up to about 80mph.

Suspension - The Nytro is stiff, but it takes some time to get it all dailed in. You will notice that if you ride hard, you will bottom the skid out much more often than you are used to with your Doo. The mono shock is something I would stay away from if you are one that likes to bash through the moguls. Coming off my Doo to the Nytro I really missed the rider forward. But my knees would always hurt at the end of the day on my Doo .... something I don't get any more, and don't miss one bit.

When comparing the Nytro to the Doo (adrenaline or x-package) you should ask yourself what you are getting for you money. The Nytro comes stock with Fox Floats (which are awesome!) all rebuildable shock all around, adjustable clicker in the rear, lightweight seat, bar riser with hooks, handgards, etc. etc. To get all of that in a Doo you have to go to the x-package, which is much more $ than the Nytro.

I love my Nytro and have absolutely no remorse for leaving my Doo behind.

 

[Heritage]

Thanks guys...that is very helpful...I think I am leaning towards the nytro too...it feels more comfy than my rev...just sitting on it, and if it's not as stiff in the rear as the x package rev..I'd probably like it more...the rev is a great big bumps sled...very balanced, good in the rough stuff...but just plain sux in the stutter bumps and smaller hits....I too hit my knees way too much on the rev...I like rider forward...but think my doo is too far forward...also...my legs get very tired after 100 miles on a rev...that's why I am looking at other sleds...that...and not having to worry about rings and engine work.

 

[Yeller]

I got rid of my rev for a Nytro as well. I too wanted more reliability and a cleaner running sled. Since our winter sucks so far I've had 20 kms of seat time. I can tell you that the seating position is more comfortable than the rev with a little more room to move around. You're not forced into one far forward position like the rev. One other thing I can tell you is they have lots of grunt.

Here's a first impressions review that I posted a little while ago here on ty:


1) Riding position:

As mentioned I'm coming from a rev 600 and I'm a big fan of the rider forward position. The Nytro is not as rider forward as the rev which is a good thing. On the rev I felt locked into the forward position and felt the sled hard to handle on the trails at fast speeds. On the Nytro the riding position is more relaxed (which I think will be really good for the knees) and you're more free to move forward and backward as well as to lean from side to side.

2) Power:

This thing has some nice grunt even if it isn't broken in. The foru satroke pull is a little deceiving in that with the quiet engine you don't think you're moving along very fast until you look at the speedo of look back at the snow being thrown out the back! Hook-up is great with 144 studs and the skis leave the ground pretty easily. I think it's going to be a blast to ride on the trails.

3) Sound:

Man 'o man does this thing sound sweet! I can't get over the exhaust note on this thing. Best sounding sled I've ever owned period. I won't get tired of that sound at the end of the day.

4) Ride:

Hard to tell just playing around in the field for 20 kms. Bottomed it out a couple of times but this was intentional to look for any stud contact with the exhaust plate and front of the tunnel. This review will have to wait for some trail time.

Overall this sled rocks. I've had an issue with it not wanting to idle anywhere other than full choke. It stalls out and sputters trying to move it forward. I haven't started it since I was out with it but it was running and idling fine after getting some miles on it. Looking forward to getting it on the trails and putting some real miles on it. I don't think I'll be disappointed in getting rid of my rev. Time will tell though.

 

[Heritage]

Does it feel as light as your REV??? I don't care about top speed...as long as it pulls hard down low.....so does the suspension seem to be more compliant than the rev...(does it stroke through the travel better???...softer than the rev???)

 

[Sno-Xr]

Something you may consider also, If you buy a New Nytro(06 or 07) you could longtrack(136") it with very little investment.I would bet you would end up with less than $400 invested after you purchase rail extensions , tunnel ext. , and new track. You would get somewhere in the neighborhood of $275-300 for your new take-off track.
Just something to think about!
Good luck with your decision.

 

[Swiss Sledder]

Does it feel as light as your REV??? I don't care about top speed...as long as it pulls hard down low.

You will be grinning from ear to ear. You need to ride one to feel it, but yes there is lots of low end torque.

 

[Heritage]

Very cool....That is what I always liked about snowmobiling...THE ACCELERATION....IMO top end is overrated...nothing good happens after 85 mph...give me low end grunt, and quickness anyday. My rev is not quick...but it is fast on top for a 600...I have seen 105 mph on the speedo (which I believe ski-doo is very accurate..yamis off 12-14 mph.. right??)..usually after a few runs with my bud on the lake on the lake, they take me out of the hole..but I catch them and pass them if I have enough room...not too short of a run(all 600 class sleds)...it would sure be nice...to jump out front and stay out front...lol

If your sled goes 120 mph...but you get your tail kicked up to 100 mph, what good is it???

 

[buddah]

Heritage,

I have an 06 Nytro I got near the end of last season. I still managed to put almost 1400 mi. on it. Here's some of what I noticed relative to your questions: No, it WILL NOT feel as light as your Rev. Just a fact, but the difference in 4 stroke torque will cover up the weight issue unless you stick it in really deep snow, then you notice the weight; I'm a big guy (290 lbs.) and I do bottom the suspension some........not all the time but some.....I really need to switch to the "big boy spring" others have mentioned (and yes, I know they have them for the ProActive suspension because one of the RTX's at last spring's demo rides had that heavier spring); I bought the Nytro instead of a Renegade because I've had eight (8) knee operations over the years and riding my bud's Rev(s) killed my knees after less than 100 mi........ I couldn't imagine a 200 mi. + day on one; is it a lot slower than the Rev 600 HO? Well as mentioned I go 290+ in gear......I raced (several times) a bud who has a 05 600 HO SDI and we were virtually neck and neck ever y time.....and he only weighs 190; the tippiness.......sort of the same issue as the original 03 RX-1's.....changing the pressure in the Fox floats helped.....I'm assuming changing the sway bar to a thicker one will also (my next step.......$89 add on); if you're really set on a longer tracked version and don't want the lower gearing, several guys on here have put Nytro seats and bar risers on Rage's.

Good luck with your decision!

One question I forgot.......about the rider forward and rough trails, even at my size I've found I can scoot forward right up against the tank and achieve virtually the same feeling as the Rev through the rough stuff.... but remember the ProActive will never be as stiff as your X

 

[Heritage]

Thanks budda...that is good to know....I have bad knees too, and youa re right after 100 miles...my back is great...but my knees/legs are killing me.....I think my x package is too stiff...if the nytro is softer..I will like it even better.....I thought about buying the rage and doing that (adding the nytro bars and seat)..but I have a limited budget, and would probably only have enough money to buy the sled....which ever one I chose...and maybe add studs...that would be about it....the little woman has a strangle hold on my wallet...tax time.....lol

 

[Yeller]

Does it feel as light as your REV??? I don't care about top speed...as long as it pulls hard down low.....so does the suspension seem to be more compliant than the rev...(does it stroke through the travel better???...softer than the rev???)

It feels heavier than my rev but I've only played around in the fields with it so I can't say what it's like on the trails. The suspension seems stiff so far but it's also brand new. I'm 155 without gear and when I jump on it the suspension doesn't move. It is, however, set on the medium setting for the springs. I can give you a better idea once we have snow and trails but I have a feeling you would have made you decision by then.

 

[FastEH!]

Welcome to the world of 4strokes!