UNIMPRESSED!!

[Sled Dog]

Be nice now guys not everyone is going to be happy with the Yammy product line. We all know the 03 Rx-1 handling has its issues but also it can be made to ride descent enough except for ditchbanging. So if 2003red136 would do some research by that I mean use the search button more than once he would find all the tricks to make his sled a better ride. Like every sled out there it is not perfect whoever said it was anyhow. So why come on here and act like it should be then bitch instead of asking for help to fix it. So your UNIMPRESSED well as luck would have it so am I with your post and lack of effort to try and fix your sled to make it what it can be.

 

[Silverbullet]

What Sleddog said......the 03s rode hard and handled poorly...he should have done his homework 8)

 

[Convert]

Moved to where it belongs!

The 03 limited edition silver is still the best looking RX1 ever made : ) and if you take the time to set it up right it can stay with just about anything .

 

[2003red136]

touchy! TOUCHY! DOES THE TRUTH HURT? I am quickly losing respect for what I have gotten out of this site over the past few months.

 

[nbsledder]

Are you still using the stock shocks? I have a suspension kit from maximum.....it made a world of difference in the ride and the handling.Can be made into a very good trail sled, but not my favorite sled for off trail.The rx-1 is no ditch banger but yamaha has a sled for you , if not now in the very near future.As far as everyone jumping down your throat....what did you expect? you told us to stick our heads in a snowbank! P.S Ride what you want,but please don't come on here to bash our sleds

 

[nhrxrider]

Well I ride with Doo owners, and although I have to agree that the '03 suspension belonged under an old Phazer instead of a $9000+ sled, with the right mods not many sleds will stay with these on the trails. With the mods in my sig, and nothing else, I can outrun an MXZ700 and a Rev 600 SDI on the trails, because they can't stay with me in the corners. I guess that says something about the handling. And with my completely stock engine, neither can stay with me on a lake either.

Are these the fastest sleds every made? Nope. Are they the best handling? Nope. Are they the best riding? Nope. But they are among the very few sleds that do everything well, and rate very high in every category. Then add a few cheap and easy mods, and they handle like they are on rails and will outrun just about any stock sled on a lake. And they do all this while staying extremely reliable.

I don't expect you to actuaslly listen to any of this though, since it sounds like you came in here just to read our posts and badmouth RX's. If you really bought an RX to ditchbang with, you are foolish. But if you want to be able to spank all of your friends on the lake, then hit the trails for a 300 mile ride without worrying about breaking down or changing plugs, then the RX is for you.

Jim

 

[2003red136]

Like I said in my origional post I only expected to be as good as 1999 bombardier tech but not meaning to offend anyone as this was a first doo for me in a line of yamahas from about 1984.Maybe I just expected this to be like all my older yammies ride it! It seems though instead of spending time on engine work we need to spend time changing suspension parts and doing adjustments.I wasn't trying to bash anyone just ask if there is life outside this site.Then some guys got so very defensive.

 

[Convert]

No offense intended we get a lot of bashers that come on here with the sole intent of causing trouble. Your head in the sand comment may have sent the wrong message to a few of us : ) If you are interested in getting your 03 setup correctly I'll move this back to the RX General forum and those of us that have dealt with the issues can help you out.

Regards
Steve

 

[2003red136]

OK let's start over. Right now I have straps with 30mm stud showing and front springs with about 1 3/4" thread showing or 5/8"preload. not so tippy but extremely heavy to steer. Rear spring on min preload,FRA to max.My next move will be to let straps out most of the way to lessen ski pressure and fine a line between heavy steering and super tippy. It still has the variable springs. Keep in mind this is a no trail machine with the best conditions being 4" chops 3' apart to some small lakes to constant one footers which we ride at 60mph plus. Highway style groomed turns are not an issue.Tight trails one sled wide with lots of bumps are the norm.

 

[nhrxrider]

As much as I like my RX, I have to say that I bought it for the motor and reliability alone. The stock rear suspension on the '03s and '04s sucks. I constantly fought with adjustments, then broken parts because the stock skid can't handle rough conditions. The first time you break the W arm, you'll be hating life. Many people on here swap out the rear skid in favor of either aftermarket, a Cat skid, or more recently, a Doo skid. The skid swaps seem to clear up many of the complaints people have. For example, a Cat skid can be adjusted in 30 seconds for varying conditions, and even without adjustment its very progressive, riding smooth over smaller bumps while still being firm enough to handle the large bumps and jumping. It also makes the sled feel much lighter, especially when you venture into deep snow. Mine did much better in powder conditions once the stock '03 track (which also sucked) was replaced, and the Cat skid swapped.

Before you think a skid swap is a difficult and expensive mod, let me say that its not. There is a bolt hole template people on this site have used to locate the bolt holes, and you need to make up a couple new brackets for the rear. They are easily made at home by someone with little experience. The cost of a good used Cat ZR skid is less than a new W arm. Mine came off ebay, shipped, for aprox. $250. You have the bonus of getting rebuildable, revalvable Fox shocks with the ZR skid (depending on the year of the skid).

Jim

 

[Convert]

Two things to really help with the tippyness get yourself a 13mm sway bar and the longer 04 links from Pioneer Performance, straight rate springs will also help a lot. For the hard steering issue try the ski shims that are talked about on this site. Basically you add a little rubber to the back side of the rubber piece that sits between the spindle and the ski saddle. It raises the tips of the ski's up a little so the front of the carbides don't dig in so deep.

 

[4Fighter]

Well I ride with Doo owners, and although I have to agree that the '03 suspension belonged under an old Phazer instead of a $9000+ sled, with the right mods not many sleds will stay with these on the trails. With the mods in my sig, and nothing else, I can outrun an MXZ700 and a Rev 600 SDI on the trails, because they can't stay with me in the corners. I guess that says something about the handling. And with my completely stock engine, neither can stay with me on a lake either.

Are these the fastest sleds every made? Nope. Are they the best handling? Nope. Are they the best riding? Nope. But they are among the very few sleds that do everything well, and rate very high in every category. Then add a few cheap and easy mods, and they handle like they are on rails and will outrun just about any stock sled on a lake. And they do all this while staying extremely reliable.

I don't expect you to actuaslly listen to any of this though, since it sounds like you came in here just to read our posts and badmouth RX's. If you really bought an RX to ditchbang with, you are foolish. But if you want to be able to spank all of your friends on the lake, then hit the trails for a 300 mile ride without worrying about breaking down or changing plugs, then the RX is for you.

Jim

I have to disagree with you about the Phazer skid, Jim. LOL An INCORRECTLY setup Pro-Action rides much worse.

IMHO: Yamaha did do a damn good job of selling the sled to the wrong crowd. But despite that, I'd have nothing else. Heck, I may have mine for another 3 years (without having to change the rings)

 

[Sled Dog]

No offense intended we get a lot of bashers that come on here with the sole intent of causing trouble. Your head in the sand comment may have sent the wrong message to a few of us : ) If you are interested in getting your 03 setup correctly I'll move this back to the RX General forum and those of us that have dealt with the issues can help you out.

Regards
Steve

I was going to to also tell you the same thing shim the skis and most of your darting and hard steering will clear up. There is also a mod here where a member put 4 inches of high density foam on the orginal seat. These are the first two mods I would also do the sway bar as said earlier.

 

[Black 1000]

Doc What ditchbanger do you have? And how the hell are ya anyway?

 

[NEED SNOW]

I like the way 'Kren' said it...