Think I'm DONE with the sidewinder experience

[yamaha06]

3 winders went down this past weekend

What happened with the 3 winders that went down?

 

[XP123]

One guy joe ,and it seems he caused his issues .

One guy my arse Ken. The pic I posted was from up near Gaspe last week. 4 stroke reliability my azz! They blow up just as fast as the old reliable 800 Etech. I have 2000 miles on my Winder with original belt and it has been flawless. I could give a rats arse what anybody rides. I just don't care but to read all the lies on here and DT about how great the 850 is just makes me laugh.

 

[ClutchMaster]

What happened with the 3 winders that went down?

They were vandalized at the bar after putting a spanking on everything on the lake!

 

[Rtbo]

I just got home from riding 170 miles from Oneida lake to hook and ladder. Was riding with two 2018 mxz xrs renegade 850s out of break in mode and we lined them up on the lake when we got back, 2017 sidewinder ltx le vs. 2011 apex with ulcer clutch kit vs. the two doos,
1 sidewinder
2 apex
3 doos
Doos got out for the first 50 ft and it was over with me on the winder went right by and I weigh 300 vs 180 on the others. The apex is a 129 and drove around them by 200-300 ft and was on my back door.

 

[krm]

One guy my arse Ken. The pic I posted was from up near Gaspe last week. 4 stroke reliability my azz! They blow up just as fast as the old reliable 800 Etech. I have 2000 miles on my Winder with original belt and it has been flawless. I could give a rats arse what anybody rides. I just don't care but to read all the lies on here and DT about how great the 850 is just makes me laugh.

Sounds like your chest might hurt ,glad your happy with the winder .

 

[XP123]

Sounds like your chest might hurt ,glad your happy with the winder .

The Winder is not perfect Ken but the 850 isn't perfect either. We can talk about belts blowing on the Winder but what about the 850? Lots of guys talking about really hot clutches and poor belt life and blown belts on the 850 also. Then there are all the guys posting about stuck frozen throttles on their 850's. Really stuck frozen throttles on a 2018 sled? That's pretty dangerous don't you think. Then there is that 4 stroke reliable engine. There are 850's blowing up and if they had 4 stroke reliability this would not happen. You don't read too much about it n DooTalk because most guys are afraid of saying anything. Guys are pushing the Winder engine up past 270 HP and how many have you heard of blowing up? The stock SW engine truly has 4 stroke reliability. For whatever reason SkiDoo has had and still has the least reliable 800/850 engine in the industry. Every 800 Etech owner I know had engine issues with them and I think the 850 is going down the same road. I would never have posted that 850 Doo being towed but after seeing how the guys on DooTalk like to post stuff like that with other brands I just figured they might like my pic.

 

[Finesy]

You don’t like your Winders?? What’s wrong?

The engine is absolute perfection. It's everything around the engine that's going down. For $19,500 plus tax, nothing should break. That's why people pay top dollar for Porsches- they are buying the quality and reliability. I can, and will spend less money and have the same or less problems. I love my 17 Sidewinder LTX when it's running properly and my wife loves her 18 Sidewinder 50th RTX. But if I gotta worry that it will quit on me OR won't start because a relay might freeze up??? Really??? Or the oil reservoir leaks. Etc etc We buy these most expensive sleds in the market to drive them in "cold" weather....

 

[krm]

The Winder is not perfect Ken but the 850 isn't perfect either. We can talk about belts blowing on the Winder but what about the 850? Lots of guys talking about really hot clutches and poor belt life and blown belts on the 850 also. Then there are all the guys posting about stuck frozen throttles on their 850's. Really stuck frozen throttles on a 2018 sled? That's pretty dangerous don't you think. Then there is that 4 stroke reliable engine. There are 850's blowing up and if they had 4 stroke reliability this would not happen. You don't read too much about it n DooTalk because most guys are afraid of saying anything. Guys are pushing the Winder engine up past 270 HP and how many have you heard of blowing up? The stock SW engine truly has 4 stroke reliability. For whatever reason SkiDoo has had and still has the least reliable 800/850 engine in the industry. Every 800 Etech owner I know had engine issues with them and I think the 850 is going down the same road. I would never have posted that 850 Doo being towed but after seeing how the guys on DooTalk like to post stuff like that with other brands I just figured they might like my pic.

LOL

 

[ClutchMaster]

I believe we are seeing the beginning of the end to the legendary Yamaha reliability. Keep your Apex it will be a historic piece, known as one of the most reliable sleds ever built. Ten ~ twenty years down the road they will still be running with 30 grand on the odometer and people will be wanting them. All good things come to an end eventually, that includes snow in the Midwest. We only have another 10 years and snow will be gone anyway down here. When I was a kid they actually had rideable trails for a month or two in Northern Illinois. Then the snow line moved north to Wisconsin dells. Now it’s around Wausau so yes soon it will be gone. Sorry for the buzz kill, just being a realist.

 

[Joe ltx-le]

The engine is absolute perfection. It's everything around the engine that's going down. For $19,500 plus tax, nothing should break. That's why people pay top dollar for Porsches- they are buying the quality and reliability. I can, and will spend less money and have the same or less problems. I love my 17 Sidewinder LTX when it's running properly and my wife loves her 18 Sidewinder 50th RTX. But if I gotta worry that it will quit on me OR won't start because a relay might freeze up??? Really??? Or the oil reservoir leaks. Etc etc We buy these most expensive sleds in the market to drive them in "cold" weather....

great rant! we all feel the same way but we still do it. there isn't any other sled id buy right now. Ive got my sled setup how I like it, oil tank is fixed for good , relays are an easy fix if they freeze and the engine is perfect. main problem is im sitting on the computer on this site because it going to rain and fu$k my weekend up.

 

[snowfever27]

great rant! we all feel the same way but we still do it. there isn't any other sled id buy right now. Ive got my sled setup how I like it, oil tank is fixed for good , relays are an easy fix if they freeze and the engine is perfect. main problem is im sitting on the computer on this site because it going to rain and fu$k my weekend up.

X2 on the weather! I HATE rain in the winter. Trails were awesome in early January for the first time in 3 years, now 1” of rain. It’s sucks. Hopefully we get some more snow early next week.

 

[actionjack]

The small gremlins, assembly issues and internet over hype of the problems do irritate me, but I have to laugh when I read the comments of I paid $20K for the sled and it should be perfection. Reality much? The space shuttle costs billions and still blew up and burned up. You think Porsche doesn't have any warranty claims? Teslas are expensive, you think they haven't burned to the ground, you think those X-wing doors are perfect, people haven't died on auto pilot?

The relays are ridiculous, the 100% glycol is stupid, backwards oil sight glasses WTF, Turbo bolts, steering blocks, loose hoses, silicone sealed oil tank. The only one I had were the turbo bolts. Every snowmobile owner is a factory test pilot.

 

[Deeppow16]

I believe we are seeing the beginning of the end to the legendary Yamaha reliability. Keep your Apex it will be a historic piece, known as one of the most reliable sleds ever built. Ten ~ twenty years down the road they will still be running with 30 grand on the odometer and people will be wanting them. All good things come to an end eventually, that includes snow in the Midwest. We only have another 10 years and snow will be gone anyway down here. When I was a kid they actually had rideable trails for a month or two in Northern Illinois. Then the snow line moved north to Wisconsin dells. Now it’s around Wausau so yes soon it will be gone. Sorry for the buzz kill, just being a realist.

I would love to buy a new sled but the price and all the stuff that needs to be upgraded to keep it from breaking down before 1000 miles is too much. I will keep my nytro. I have done a lot to my nytro to make it super reliable and I know it will get me home at the end of the day. I hear ya on the weather. I haven't been able to ride my sled from my house in almost 5 years now. I used to be able to ride from my front day almost daily and then one day that stopped and has never been back. I have a feeling this crappy winters are the normal now which means its time for me to move to the snow. I hate saying that but its the only way I will be able to ride because I cant afford to drive 3 hours every weekend.

 

[XP123]

We talk about the cost of the Sidewinder but the 850 is not cheaper. I know of guys who paid a grand more for their 850 Renegade 850 XRS than I did for my Spring only LE Winder. They also don't have the quality of shocks I have and things like heated seats and LED lights are all add ons with the 850 and std on my Winder. Not to mention my Winder has a turbo 4 stroke engine that is probably worth two times what the throw away 850 cost.

 

[75northface]

So go buy something else. Quit the “winding”.

I ride with a group of 6 SWs and have two of my own. All have been flawless. Wouldn’t ride anything else.

We have two 850s in the group too. Aside from being a really funny looking ditch banger, they’re perfect sleds for watching snow flaps and tail lights.

A lot of people baffle themselves in their own bull$hit and like the attention.

Pick your poison and enjoy the ride.

I nominate this thread as a top 5 contender for “most useless thread of the year” award