srx600
Extreme
Check this out!!!
Motorhead Mark Weighs In on the ‘05 Yamahas
Excerpts from February 2004 article by Mark Lester
Okay, it’s no secret. Yamaha has taken a lot of hits from Supertrax for more than a few seasons. We’ve been outspoken about ride quality (or the lack thereof). We were unimpressed with 4-stroke handling. What we haven’t been critical of is quality, value and innovation. So what gives for 2005? Are we going to deck the big Y for these issues again?
Nope, in fact you might want to reset your watch, notch your calendar, make a note in your diary or something significant today which will remind you of this moment. I did. I just jumped off the new Yamaha Vector and RX-1 after wringing out the sleds on a variety of trails and lakes. I’m impressed. Naw, that’s not good enough. I’m trying to find my socks - they’ve been blown off.
I should have known I was in for a surprise. C.J. had attended the ‘05 Sneak Peek in Minocqua, Wisconsin two weeks ago and reported handling improvements and mumbled something about good suspension on the ‘05 Yammers. We didn’t buy it and instead suggested he seek counseling.
The 2005 RS Vector
First, the RS Vector. The new 973cc, 120 HP triple with twin cams and four valves is a lighter package than the RX-1. As light as the Viper ER. The weight saving in the engine room is 30 pounds alone. This trimming combined with a reconfigured A-frame set-up which effectively raises the roll-center of the chassis about three inches makes the Vector feel light. That’s not a mis-print. I used the word light and 4-stroke in the same paragraph. I’m still dizzy.
Lighter weight and vastly improved turn-in and mid-turn stability of the Vector wouldn’t make a story if the next chapter was the status quo for Yamaha. Let’s talk rear suspension. The Vector’s all-new rear skid delivers the kind of ride 2005 snowmobiles are supposed to. It’s plush, it feels almost bottom-less and it throws in a nice bonus - weight transfer. Throttle wheelies and precisely timed blips off trail crests immediately lift the sled’s nose and produce a satisfying surge in your gut. After an hour in the saddle the sled never hurt me - not once - on mogul laden trails, square edged bumps and cement-like slush tracks at 100 MPH. I can’t believe it.
The 2005 RX-1's
Mono-Shock Rear Suspension
The RX-1 comes with a new rear skid (and a ton of other new stuff for ‘05 which shed another 30 pounds from the sport’s only four cylinder 4-stroke) that just might rewrite the rules on rear suspension. This single, coil over shock unit works the damper from both ends to produce what I can best describe as M-10-like sensations. However, this is not a falling rate design. Ad in the trick, left ankle mounted shock compression clicker control and you’ve got an adjust-on-the-fly package that doesn’t just improve the RX-1 for ‘05, it re-invents the sled. I ended up at five clicks off full soft (there’s twenty available) and could run a mile long stretch of trail strewn with stutters and evenly spaced moguls at over 80 per - sitting down, relaxed. Yes, this is a report on Yamaha snowmobiles.
In conclusion - because we don’t want to give away too much here until we give you the total skinny in the September issue of Supertrax - you better recalibrate your preconceived notions about Yamaha handling, weight and most importantly, ride quality.
They are about to change.
Motorhead Mark Weighs In on the ‘05 Yamahas
Excerpts from February 2004 article by Mark Lester
Okay, it’s no secret. Yamaha has taken a lot of hits from Supertrax for more than a few seasons. We’ve been outspoken about ride quality (or the lack thereof). We were unimpressed with 4-stroke handling. What we haven’t been critical of is quality, value and innovation. So what gives for 2005? Are we going to deck the big Y for these issues again?
Nope, in fact you might want to reset your watch, notch your calendar, make a note in your diary or something significant today which will remind you of this moment. I did. I just jumped off the new Yamaha Vector and RX-1 after wringing out the sleds on a variety of trails and lakes. I’m impressed. Naw, that’s not good enough. I’m trying to find my socks - they’ve been blown off.
I should have known I was in for a surprise. C.J. had attended the ‘05 Sneak Peek in Minocqua, Wisconsin two weeks ago and reported handling improvements and mumbled something about good suspension on the ‘05 Yammers. We didn’t buy it and instead suggested he seek counseling.
The 2005 RS Vector
First, the RS Vector. The new 973cc, 120 HP triple with twin cams and four valves is a lighter package than the RX-1. As light as the Viper ER. The weight saving in the engine room is 30 pounds alone. This trimming combined with a reconfigured A-frame set-up which effectively raises the roll-center of the chassis about three inches makes the Vector feel light. That’s not a mis-print. I used the word light and 4-stroke in the same paragraph. I’m still dizzy.
Lighter weight and vastly improved turn-in and mid-turn stability of the Vector wouldn’t make a story if the next chapter was the status quo for Yamaha. Let’s talk rear suspension. The Vector’s all-new rear skid delivers the kind of ride 2005 snowmobiles are supposed to. It’s plush, it feels almost bottom-less and it throws in a nice bonus - weight transfer. Throttle wheelies and precisely timed blips off trail crests immediately lift the sled’s nose and produce a satisfying surge in your gut. After an hour in the saddle the sled never hurt me - not once - on mogul laden trails, square edged bumps and cement-like slush tracks at 100 MPH. I can’t believe it.
The 2005 RX-1's
Mono-Shock Rear Suspension
The RX-1 comes with a new rear skid (and a ton of other new stuff for ‘05 which shed another 30 pounds from the sport’s only four cylinder 4-stroke) that just might rewrite the rules on rear suspension. This single, coil over shock unit works the damper from both ends to produce what I can best describe as M-10-like sensations. However, this is not a falling rate design. Ad in the trick, left ankle mounted shock compression clicker control and you’ve got an adjust-on-the-fly package that doesn’t just improve the RX-1 for ‘05, it re-invents the sled. I ended up at five clicks off full soft (there’s twenty available) and could run a mile long stretch of trail strewn with stutters and evenly spaced moguls at over 80 per - sitting down, relaxed. Yes, this is a report on Yamaha snowmobiles.
In conclusion - because we don’t want to give away too much here until we give you the total skinny in the September issue of Supertrax - you better recalibrate your preconceived notions about Yamaha handling, weight and most importantly, ride quality.
They are about to change.
Wow, that coming from supertrax I'm impressed. Maybe a red '05 RX1 ER turbo for me. 8)
joe howard
Veteran
- Joined
- Dec 29, 2003
- Messages
- 29
Hmmmm...Supertrax has unjustly shredded Yamaha for years cause of , I'm sure , silly things like exclusive test drives and inside info , etc. It makes one wonder what gives ?
Are the 05 's so good that Mark can't control his excitment ? or maybe something has changed at the Supertrax cave , something like less ad revenue from the Feb issue of Supertrax . In fact , unless someone can correct me , I'd say The big Y has no ads in the most recent issue , all the other manufacturers' do . ???? Check it out !
Do things like this get the attention of the editorial staff ?
Are the 05 's so good that Mark can't control his excitment ? or maybe something has changed at the Supertrax cave , something like less ad revenue from the Feb issue of Supertrax . In fact , unless someone can correct me , I'd say The big Y has no ads in the most recent issue , all the other manufacturers' do . ???? Check it out !
Do things like this get the attention of the editorial staff ?
BlueBlood
Pro
Thought about getting an M-10 for my '03, maybe I'll wait and see if this mono-shock will fit. I do love the M-10, however.
