Headed up to Haliburton this weekend, looking at a three different sleds up there, hopefully one of them is the right one.
twyztid
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2012 RS Vector
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Did you run the SRX springs on your older one?
I am having trouble finding out what the wire diameter is for those springs. I see they are 100-degree but I don't know if they are .394" wire diameter like the standard LTX springs or something else. The Thundercat springs have 100DEG-18.5 in the description but nothing for wire diameter. The stock 17 Sidewinder LTX springs are 90DEG-16.5 (.394 wire diameter). The stock torsion springs that I had taken off my 15 Viper LTX are 94DEG-18.5 (.405 wire diameter).
I ran the front shock springs on my 2020 but stock rears. Ill measure them against the stock springs and report back but im 99% sure they are same wire thickness, just an obvious clocking difference.
Hard to get accurate measurements as my good calipers are at my job site but according to my cheapo plastic ones it looks like stockers are .395 and srx ones are .410. Im assuming the way they are clocked differently and having more initial sag they travel further before reaching similiar force. They definitely are softer in comparison to stockers if they are on the same setting.
twyztid
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- 2017 Sidewinder LTX SE - TD Power Trail, CAI, 3" Super Quiet
2012 RS Vector
2006 Apex GT
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- Middleville, MI
Sounds like the SRX torsion springs are the same as my 15 Viper LTX ones are... other than being clocked to 100-degrees instead of 94 (or 90?). The 15 Viper ones are .405 wire diameter according to the specs and you are measuring on the outside of the powder coat.
It seems like the different clocking would allow more sit-in sag but would be progressively stiffer deep into the travel since the SRX springs are thicker wire than the stock Sidewinder LTX springs.
And the winner is!
2021 with extended warranty and 40 miles on the odometer! Got it out this weekend for a couple hundred miles of break-in running up in Haliburton. Thanks guys for all the advice, she is a beast, what a fun machine. More to follow later, I need a beer.
2021 with extended warranty and 40 miles on the odometer! Got it out this weekend for a couple hundred miles of break-in running up in Haliburton. Thanks guys for all the advice, she is a beast, what a fun machine. More to follow later, I need a beer.
VX1R
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Nice choice! Have fun with the new sled.
KnappAttack
24X ISR World Drag Racing Champion
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2017 Sidewinder LTX-LE
Great looking SRX!
Those 21 SRXs are even better looking then the 19s
After your beer, get a bigger windy. You'll thank me when it's -35f. Lol
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(edited, wow my grammer stinks after a few beers)
Again, thanks for all of your comments/advice prior to my purchase, especially on how the SRX handles. I looked at 3 sleds, found the one I finally chose up north a bit, it had only been ridden a few times and the owner decided it wasn't for him. That's okay with me!
Put about 200 miles on it this weekend, mostly fresh powder snow over glare ice mixed with some groomed trails and goat tracks. I have zero concerns about how the SRX handles. The front end is very capable. This is out of the box, no adjustments have been made.
For all three days we got 6-8" of powder every night and the trails are a mix of wide, perfectly groomed trails, overgroomed trails turned to ice under fresh powder, and goat tracks that have never been groomed or aren't groomed very often as far as I can tell.
On groomed trails the sled just rails, I had to find my riding position but once I did I can feel the sled responding quite nicely to body english. I followed the break in procedure so I really didn't get to play with the boost much for the first day and a bit. Still haven't pinned it and held on for any real length of time.
On powder over ice, that 1" track with 144 studs is 'interesting'. The first morning we road it was -22c and the trail was challenging to even stand on. With 6" of fresh powder on top it was .. intensely engaging to ride at speed. It felt like a mario kart game at times. Drifting long sweepers, I had to be on the bodywork leaning pretty far to the inside and forward to get it to hold a line, great fun but exhausting. Most of the time (on a better surface) I could just shift more weight forward, lean in, and get the sled to pivot underneath me. Throttle response is a thing of beauty but I have to fix the thumb throttle position.
We had about 20km in one section that was just beat to death single track, literally one and a half sleds wide and twisty with intermittent straights. On those goat tracks the woops were 10-12" deep or more sometimes and it was a blast to just stand up and rip across the tops. I had to wait several minutes at the end of a section for the other guys to catch up, one was on a 2022 Renegade X. It wasn't so much that the Renegade didn't handle and my buddy can ride but it was hard to get it to hold a line while powering through any corner that was bumpy. For clarity we switched rides in a couple of sections and he was waiting for me to catch up at the end.
Notes:
Need to play around with center shock I think, but basically I need to find some time to play around with some suspension settings. On IQS I found soft to be a bit too soft and med to be just about right except for the back end coming up sometimes on hard hits. I tried firm in a couple of sections but I really just didn't need it in any of the terrain we were in.
The front end is very good. It is confidence inspiring to know that it is pretty much glued to the trail. A couple of my buddies (all doo riders) took a turn on it and they all commented on how linear the throttle is, how deceptively fast it accelerates, and how good the front end is through chatter and powering through corners.
It runs a bit warm I think, will hit the search function later to see what others think, every time we stopped I watched the temp and shut it off a few times to just let it cool down. I need to find out if it is coolant levels, lack of scratchers or something else.
Even with that non-existent windshield I was warm most of the time and hot sometimes and had to open the vents open on my jacket. No problems with hands, feet, or a$$ with the heaters on, I was pleasantly warm even when we were riding at -20c.
I need to upgrade the track, while the 1" track is very entertaining at times it simply cannot hook up in soft snow at all. This was actually a good thing for learning the machine as acceleration was somewhat compromised by the loose traction. It also slid very easily but I chalk that up to the conditions and maybe 144 studs just isn't enough. Looking at the storm or ice storm. I would like to keep some of the character of the current track (ability to corner with the throttle) while getting better hook up in the conditions we see around here. I think on groomed trails up north the 1" track would be great.
I was surprised (in a good way) at how warm the little phone bag thing gets.
The switch cluster is meh. I like the backlighting but the rocker buttons are seriously meh. Its probably the gloves I have as I took a heavy pair of gloves with me because I knew I would have to buy a sled to ride (apex is down with a stud through the cooler) and all three sleds I had lined up had micro windshields and no hand protection. I really wanted to look at a matryx because of the high tech gauge but I don't really spend much time looking at the gauge, it was mostly about the GPS but having looked into it and spending some time talking to a Polaris ambassador I just decided I need to sort out a more traditional GPS. I also need to mount some scratchers.
Comments:
We swapped rides several times, and here is my very generalized comparison. The renegade X (650) has a very 'urgent' throttle feel as you would expect of a 2 stroke. The X gets to its top end pretty quickly and when there is any significant straightaway you could really feel that. It would accelerate quickly and then flatten out, the 850 had more top end but felt nearly the same (just more of it). The SRX in comparison was relentless in its acceleration and it is deceptively quick. Where the doo kind of makes a big deal about acceleration (ski lift, back end dropping, etc) the SRX just pulls with little change in the attitude of the sled and just pure forward momentum. I expect this will change with a more appropriate trail track but I doubt it will be as dramatic about how it handles under hard acceleration. The renegades felt very sporty but that sporty nature does not necessarily transition to great all around handling. It is fun in its own way and I am sure one that is dialed in and with a very good rider would probably do well with it but... it just wasn't for me. In corners (and this sled is set up well) it was front end light under throttle. This would cause constant corrections, sawing away at the (small movements) bars while at speed or working hard to hold the bars to keep the skis holding the line. In comparison the SRX would hold the line and if it strayed off line it was because it was sliding a bit (push) but in a very predictable way. I prefer predictable push compared to the sometimes random feeling traction with the doo. The skid (r-motion x) is great, really good but the front end was just okay. We are going to try to dial that sled in some more next weekend. I could be happy with the doo despite the fact that it is a 650 as that is a perfect engine for the tight woods. I would however need to get that front end to be more predictable in corners, under power. Stock doo headlights suck. I was running behind the doos and casting their shadow into the woods ahead of them. Maybe that are aimed low but several times I got the request on the cardo to ride closer so that they could see better. I would rate the headlights on the SRX to be good, not outstanding but better than the doo and much cleaner than the polaris (2022 matryx). Even in the parking lots it was evident that the matryx headlights throw all kinds of nasty shadows. The SRX does as well but only in a narrow strip right at the start of the beam where it is localized to right in front of you at the beginning of the beam, and the rest of the light spread is pretty clean with very nice lighting stretching out to the sides.
The front end of the SRX (and I guess other sidewinders or tcats) is really good, better in my opinion than any of the doos I rode. It is very neutral and steering while not effortless is a LOT better than my unassisted apex even with its snowtrackers and everyone that rode it commented that steering effort was fine. Could have been the conditions however. I probably would want EPS if it was available but I do not long for it, I find the steering effort to be just fine as is. Prior to spending time on the sled I thought I would end the weekend with sore arms, I didn't, I have sore legs from standing up and blasting across the trail bumps. In comparison to the doo(s) the rear skid of the sidewinder is a bit less plush. Never to the point of being harsh but you could certainly feel some of the bumps only slightly more than you could on the doo sled. It is probably at 85-90% of r-motion but I have even attempted to make adjustments yet and the sled is really new so I want to give it some time to settle in. I liked the seating position and narrower body on the doo better but again, that light front end also required more attention so its like you need that extra room to move around. The SRX is wide in the body work and I found myself on the bodywork a lot but the conditions were also very loose. I wish yamaha had made the seat shorter (length) as it would give me more space on the tunnel for 'stuff'. I will probably add a small light under the bars to light up the area where the helmet plugs in, its awfully dark just in front of you at night.
All in all a great trip with lots of adventure. Got the trailer (21' car hauler) stuck twice, put some miles on the new toy, the airbnb rental was superb, beverages were cold, bbq was hot, and fresh snow all day long.. did some really fun night rides, a really awesome (but short) trip.
Again, thanks for all of your comments/advice prior to my purchase, especially on how the SRX handles. I looked at 3 sleds, found the one I finally chose up north a bit, it had only been ridden a few times and the owner decided it wasn't for him. That's okay with me!
Put about 200 miles on it this weekend, mostly fresh powder snow over glare ice mixed with some groomed trails and goat tracks. I have zero concerns about how the SRX handles. The front end is very capable. This is out of the box, no adjustments have been made.
For all three days we got 6-8" of powder every night and the trails are a mix of wide, perfectly groomed trails, overgroomed trails turned to ice under fresh powder, and goat tracks that have never been groomed or aren't groomed very often as far as I can tell.
On groomed trails the sled just rails, I had to find my riding position but once I did I can feel the sled responding quite nicely to body english. I followed the break in procedure so I really didn't get to play with the boost much for the first day and a bit. Still haven't pinned it and held on for any real length of time.
On powder over ice, that 1" track with 144 studs is 'interesting'. The first morning we road it was -22c and the trail was challenging to even stand on. With 6" of fresh powder on top it was .. intensely engaging to ride at speed. It felt like a mario kart game at times. Drifting long sweepers, I had to be on the bodywork leaning pretty far to the inside and forward to get it to hold a line, great fun but exhausting. Most of the time (on a better surface) I could just shift more weight forward, lean in, and get the sled to pivot underneath me. Throttle response is a thing of beauty but I have to fix the thumb throttle position.
We had about 20km in one section that was just beat to death single track, literally one and a half sleds wide and twisty with intermittent straights. On those goat tracks the woops were 10-12" deep or more sometimes and it was a blast to just stand up and rip across the tops. I had to wait several minutes at the end of a section for the other guys to catch up, one was on a 2022 Renegade X. It wasn't so much that the Renegade didn't handle and my buddy can ride but it was hard to get it to hold a line while powering through any corner that was bumpy. For clarity we switched rides in a couple of sections and he was waiting for me to catch up at the end.
Notes:
Need to play around with center shock I think, but basically I need to find some time to play around with some suspension settings. On IQS I found soft to be a bit too soft and med to be just about right except for the back end coming up sometimes on hard hits. I tried firm in a couple of sections but I really just didn't need it in any of the terrain we were in.
The front end is very good. It is confidence inspiring to know that it is pretty much glued to the trail. A couple of my buddies (all doo riders) took a turn on it and they all commented on how linear the throttle is, how deceptively fast it accelerates, and how good the front end is through chatter and powering through corners.
It runs a bit warm I think, will hit the search function later to see what others think, every time we stopped I watched the temp and shut it off a few times to just let it cool down. I need to find out if it is coolant levels, lack of scratchers or something else.
Even with that non-existent windshield I was warm most of the time and hot sometimes and had to open the vents open on my jacket. No problems with hands, feet, or a$$ with the heaters on, I was pleasantly warm even when we were riding at -20c.
I need to upgrade the track, while the 1" track is very entertaining at times it simply cannot hook up in soft snow at all. This was actually a good thing for learning the machine as acceleration was somewhat compromised by the loose traction. It also slid very easily but I chalk that up to the conditions and maybe 144 studs just isn't enough. Looking at the storm or ice storm. I would like to keep some of the character of the current track (ability to corner with the throttle) while getting better hook up in the conditions we see around here. I think on groomed trails up north the 1" track would be great.
I was surprised (in a good way) at how warm the little phone bag thing gets.
The switch cluster is meh. I like the backlighting but the rocker buttons are seriously meh. Its probably the gloves I have as I took a heavy pair of gloves with me because I knew I would have to buy a sled to ride (apex is down with a stud through the cooler) and all three sleds I had lined up had micro windshields and no hand protection. I really wanted to look at a matryx because of the high tech gauge but I don't really spend much time looking at the gauge, it was mostly about the GPS but having looked into it and spending some time talking to a Polaris ambassador I just decided I need to sort out a more traditional GPS. I also need to mount some scratchers.
Comments:
We swapped rides several times, and here is my very generalized comparison. The renegade X (650) has a very 'urgent' throttle feel as you would expect of a 2 stroke. The X gets to its top end pretty quickly and when there is any significant straightaway you could really feel that. It would accelerate quickly and then flatten out, the 850 had more top end but felt nearly the same (just more of it). The SRX in comparison was relentless in its acceleration and it is deceptively quick. Where the doo kind of makes a big deal about acceleration (ski lift, back end dropping, etc) the SRX just pulls with little change in the attitude of the sled and just pure forward momentum. I expect this will change with a more appropriate trail track but I doubt it will be as dramatic about how it handles under hard acceleration. The renegades felt very sporty but that sporty nature does not necessarily transition to great all around handling. It is fun in its own way and I am sure one that is dialed in and with a very good rider would probably do well with it but... it just wasn't for me. In corners (and this sled is set up well) it was front end light under throttle. This would cause constant corrections, sawing away at the (small movements) bars while at speed or working hard to hold the bars to keep the skis holding the line. In comparison the SRX would hold the line and if it strayed off line it was because it was sliding a bit (push) but in a very predictable way. I prefer predictable push compared to the sometimes random feeling traction with the doo. The skid (r-motion x) is great, really good but the front end was just okay. We are going to try to dial that sled in some more next weekend. I could be happy with the doo despite the fact that it is a 650 as that is a perfect engine for the tight woods. I would however need to get that front end to be more predictable in corners, under power. Stock doo headlights suck. I was running behind the doos and casting their shadow into the woods ahead of them. Maybe that are aimed low but several times I got the request on the cardo to ride closer so that they could see better. I would rate the headlights on the SRX to be good, not outstanding but better than the doo and much cleaner than the polaris (2022 matryx). Even in the parking lots it was evident that the matryx headlights throw all kinds of nasty shadows. The SRX does as well but only in a narrow strip right at the start of the beam where it is localized to right in front of you at the beginning of the beam, and the rest of the light spread is pretty clean with very nice lighting stretching out to the sides.
The front end of the SRX (and I guess other sidewinders or tcats) is really good, better in my opinion than any of the doos I rode. It is very neutral and steering while not effortless is a LOT better than my unassisted apex even with its snowtrackers and everyone that rode it commented that steering effort was fine. Could have been the conditions however. I probably would want EPS if it was available but I do not long for it, I find the steering effort to be just fine as is. Prior to spending time on the sled I thought I would end the weekend with sore arms, I didn't, I have sore legs from standing up and blasting across the trail bumps. In comparison to the doo(s) the rear skid of the sidewinder is a bit less plush. Never to the point of being harsh but you could certainly feel some of the bumps only slightly more than you could on the doo sled. It is probably at 85-90% of r-motion but I have even attempted to make adjustments yet and the sled is really new so I want to give it some time to settle in. I liked the seating position and narrower body on the doo better but again, that light front end also required more attention so its like you need that extra room to move around. The SRX is wide in the body work and I found myself on the bodywork a lot but the conditions were also very loose. I wish yamaha had made the seat shorter (length) as it would give me more space on the tunnel for 'stuff'. I will probably add a small light under the bars to light up the area where the helmet plugs in, its awfully dark just in front of you at night.
All in all a great trip with lots of adventure. Got the trailer (21' car hauler) stuck twice, put some miles on the new toy, the airbnb rental was superb, beverages were cold, bbq was hot, and fresh snow all day long.. did some really fun night rides, a really awesome (but short) trip.
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Probably. I would probably opt to stay in and tend the fire at that temp.
Hammer70
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Racy2
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Congrats! Awesome choice and enjoy.
snowdust
TY 4 Stroke Guru
Thanks for the honest review. It seems to be in line with what most feel between the sleds. Congrats on the new sled!
