Yamaha Poll: What Skis are you running on your Sidewinder?

[snowbeast]

Have 2017 LTX-LE with my old pilot 5.7 skis from my cat,love them,have shaper 7.5 wear bar in middle and stock round bar on outside,carve great,will dart some in certain conditions,if I did not already owne these,i would outfit it with 6.9,these skis from doo,just plain work on this cat chassie.

 

[Mike P]

2014 SR Viper RTX SE
Studded 90 down the middle

Interesting video agrees with a lot of this thread. Go to marker 19:50 in the video.

 

[MrSled]

Please keep this thread on topic. I have moved the last few comments to its own thread.

 

[nhmm700]

2015 Viper MTX LE
Track Length:153
Studded: No
Type of rider: Experienced Aggressive Trail Rider.

Simmons Gen 3

 

[Technoman64]

2017 L-TX DX
Track Length: 137
Studded: no
Type of rider: Experienced trail rider, sometimes aggressive

I found the Tuner III skis to be difficult to turn in almost all trial conditions. After many attempts to adjust ski pressure and suspension I went to the Curve XS skis with 6.5" dual carbides. Night and day difference on the trails and off the trials. Steering effort greatly reduced, still experience hard steering in certain trail conditions. Overall very happy now with steering effort and handling now.

 

[budman 1000]

2017 Sidewinder xtx Le 137

I ran last winter with the stock Tuner ski as I wanted to give the Tuner an honest try and get some miles on them. I found they were easy steering contrary to most posts on here. we had very little snow in my area last year and when it did snow it turned to ice and mixed snow amounts of a few inch's and I found the ski was adequate and didn't think anything else would have performed any better in those conditions. what i did find with the tuner the few times i got into snow amounts above a few inch's of depth that this ski was absolutely useless and actually dangerous in corners as it had next to no steering effect.
So now for this year the Tuners are coming off and I have it narrowed down to either Mohawk ski, the Yamaha MTX ski or the 6.9 pilots. I predict one of the latter 2 choices will win out. I haven't read much for reviews on the Mohawk ski so with it being twice as much as the other two in cost I likely won't choose them.

 

[Soldier'spapa]

When my 18 LTX LE arrives, I will be installing Pilot 6.9 with Aggressive Snowtrackers on center keel only. I have semi Aggressives available to try as well if I find the steering effort is too great, as was the case on my 1200 Doo.

 

[LM7800]

Model: 2016 viper ltx le
Track Length: 137
Studded: No
Type of rider: Aggressive Trail Rider.

Yamaha should already know the answer to their question. It's why we have the viper and sidewinder today. Cat didn't have an engine that made any torque and Yamaha didn't have a chassis that turned! Yamaha skis have never been that great. Curves are the only way to go! They put this chassis on rails. I run a single runner w the leading edge. This is the second viper and forth Yamaha four stroke I've had curves skis on and I wouldn't run anything else. I would say the cat skis that came on my 2014 viper handled better than the tuners.

 

[DBon]

A little backstory to get to my point....

I just UPGRADED from a BRP timebomb (and yes, I got to experience it first hand) to a Viper.

I rode what was at the time a brand new 2016 Viper RTX-SE last year for the first time. I switched sleds with a friend who had just bought it. It was awesome until I put it into its first turn, then it was terrifying. It didn't turn AT ALL. I tried different rider positions, adjusted the front shocks, no difference. After that I took it easy, and gave the sled back to my friend.

He changed the carbides, to what, I'm not sure, but he said it made a big difference. I would hope so, because it couldn't get any worse.

Anyway, after I bought the Viper, I did a ton of reading on here, and most of what I read, agreed with what I experienced on my pals Viper. So, instead of messing with different carbides, I took most peoples advice and bought Curve XS's, with 6" round bar carbides. I can't wait to try it out.

 

[Pstn head]

A little backstory to get to my point....

I just UPGRADED from a BRP timebomb (and yes, I got to experience it first hand) to a Viper.

I rode what was at the time a brand new 2016 Viper RTX-SE last year for the first time. I switched sleds with a friend who had just bought it. It was awesome until I put it into its first turn, then it was terrifying. It didn't turn AT ALL. I tried different rider positions, adjusted the front shocks, no difference. After that I took it easy, and gave the sled back to my friend.

He changed the carbides, to what, I'm not sure, but he said it made a big difference. I would hope so, because it couldn't get any worse.

Anyway, after I bought the Viper, I did a ton of reading on here, and most of what I read, agreed with what I experienced on my pals Viper. So, instead of messing with different carbides, I took most peoples advice and bought Curve XS's, with 6" round bar carbides. I can't wait to try it out.

Great choice it won't feel anything like tour buds sled
Welcome to the site ! And congrats on the new sled !

 

[Threeman03]

Ok
2017 sidewinder LTX LE
I have tuner 3 's with stock carbides now 2000 miles last year
.but I also
just installed the new camso Storm 150 track so
I just ordered the new C&A XPT skis with 6" round carbides

I put Curve skis on there last year but when I rode on super hard pack the steering effort was way to much and I prefer lighter effort turning. so I sold em

The stock skis are decent if you run all groomed trails(which I do) no darting minimal steering effort and and actually corner good with very minimal effort. I love light steering feel it makes the sled feel light that's why I like tuner 3;'s track straight feels light minimal effort . I actually prefer them for groomed trails
The problem is when you get a lot of fresh snow on trail or go off trail the Tuner 3 are useless. with the weight of the sled and the narrowness of the tuners there is no float at all it just goes straight.

Yamaha if you listening please offer the Camso storm 150 track on sidewinder . don't wait 3 years. or at lease offer a snowcheck option

 

[Doc Harley]

Ran the tuner III's all last year. Couple times in low snow I ran into some high speed darting. Made me feel a little uncomfortable. Wear bars on tuners are very durable.
Switched to skidoo 5.7's (had them) just to see if the same scenario plays out with different outcome.

 

[DMCTurbo]

Just took the maiden voyage with the C&As with woodys slim jims, must say huge improvement over stock skis.

 

[MrSled]

Just took the maiden voyage with the C&As with woodys slim jims, must say huge improvement over stock skis.

Both that Combo and the Curves with the Slim Jims work very very well...

 

[DMCTurbo]

Both that Combo and the Curves with the Slim Jims work very very well...

I can't believe how well they turn even in fluffy snow, can't wait to see how they perform on a hard packed trail.