| Author | Message | ||
     Biffdotorg |
Well, this 60+ degree weather is putting a fork in our winter. After almost 7000 miles on the Phazer, I pulled the trigger on a Viper LTX as it's replacement. I picked it up Friday night, just in time to put 85 miles on it Saturday. My Daughter got to put another 65 on it Sunday. We were watching the coolant temp very closely as we started below freezing both days, but loaded up at nearly 45 degrees on Sunday! That Viper is very cool. The Pro-Cross chassis is an interesting animal for sure. Macy rode it like a boss!! Carving corners, blipping the throttle over lips and rodding it through the big stutter bumps. This sled was built by a buddy who is a Yamaha factory bike racer. He added all the great Go-fast goodies that should be done to this sled. That and factory warranty till 2018. What could be better. I think Macy just liked the custom wrap! I did pull the D&D Barker can off it, it was just too loud. But it did come with Ulmer Stage II Clutching, Power Commander 5, Air box mod, HID Headlights, C&A Pro Skis with 6" shaper bars, 144 Woody's studs, extra wheel kits, custom wrap, And to top it all off, HyGear Axis Custom shocks up front and in the skid with dual rate springs. This sled is setup like a freak and fun to drive. The big old tree thumpin bumper was a nice touch as well. She was drawing a bit of attention in the woods.   (Message edited by biffdotorg on March 10, 2015) | ||
| No_rice |
thats a kickass sled! for a yami  lol some nice goodies on it also! to bad its a 4 stroke or id take that d&d off of you. im just not sure the new bmp velocity silencer i put on has enough bark for me. you should be happy with the headlight upgrade. stock is not good. not good at all... i fly blind for the most part. i might be interested on finding out more on your rear skid upgrades once i look into mine a little more. your daughter seems very happy to be out playing! Loose, how did the racing go? | ||
| Loose1 |
Tim, I have one more race Sat. It's going to be on a privet pond and I think it will be real slushy. I've been having a problem with keeping condensers in it. I think I traced it back to the tether hooked up wrong. We'll see. This is the first year I've really tried doing a whole race circuit. It's been a learning experience and all the racers are real nice and everyone has fun win or lose. You wouldn't believe how fast you can make a pre '73 "stock" single cylinder snowmobile go. Are you going to make it out to home coming this year? Matt | ||
| No_rice |
It's all about the fun! And I'm not sure if I will or not. Haven't put a lot of thought into it yet. Been busy doing snowmobile trips! And then planning the bike trip we leave for next wednesday. Headed down to suches for badness. Be there 19,20,21, then Head to Nashville on the way back to explore 22nd and 23rd with Chili, and I think squids and who ever else pops in. Then drive home Tues the 24th. Work 25th 26th. Catch a plane from des Moines to cali on the 27th (chili is catching one from Atlanta to cali) then spend 27th, 28th, 29th,30th,31st and April 1st riding around in cali with chili, and Asbjorn, slaughter, and maybe fireman Jim and Brian. Jump a plane from cali to Denver on the first. Then get picked up by my cousin and go skiing all day on the 2nd. Then fly from Denver to Des Moines on the 3rd to return home... lol. I'm going to be tired! | ||
| Loose1 |
Sounds like you'll need a vacation after you get back from your vacation. I want to go to badness, buelltober fest, and others outside of home coming. I just can't pull the trigger. It's a big trip and a lot of planning to make sure it all goes good and even then it might not be. Hope you have a good time and post pic's, we all like pic's. Got any lines on a nice s3t that have the bags and lowers? Needing work is fine I just don't want to hunt down the lowers and bags. They don't give them away! Matt | ||
| Biffdotorg |
I had to do a quick 2 minute edit of the video I shot last weekend. You can tell real quick she was hesitant for the first few miles. But as she got used to it, the skis started coming off the snow, and she was leading me through the woods. Having a bit more HP from her previous sled and more stability, she now has no issues ripping 80mph+ across the lakes. I guess I will have to explain to her about speed limits and DNR with Radar guns before it becomes an issue! | ||
| No_rice |
BWAHAHA! ah yes, i forget you guys have speed limits... that was one of my peeves when we used to go there. | ||
| Loose1 |
This is what happens when you break off a ski tip and ignore when we said take it off and ride with one ski, or bend the end up. It happened at about 30mph. He wasn't feeling real well after.  If you want to see more pic from the wild bill 20. Lots of pics. http://vintagesleds.com/bs/index.php/topic,200889. 0.html Matt | ||
| Biffdotorg |
Just keeping this thread alive and on the first page till fall. I ordered new tunnel side wraps for the new Viper. My daughter thought it would be cool to peel off my buddies nickname and include hers. I think she was right! Once applied, two of these will be ready for bed in the enclosed trailer for summer. Her old sled will be getting the royal treatment before being sold in the fall. I already polished the tunnel. I just need to replace some bushings to take some slop out of the steering, do an oil change and it will be ready to rock for another owner!  | ||
| Biffdotorg |
Polishing results. 1000 grit wet sand and some Mothers Mag and Aluminum polish. I don't think the powerball did as good of a job as polishing by hand, but my fingertips feel better when done.    | ||
| Sifo |
Not sure where I should post this, but it's got tracks and can run on snow so... TAKE MY MONEY! | ||
| No_rice |
made my east coast, west coast bike trips, and even the skiing on the way back from cali! Dad hauled my sleds back from wisconsin the other day, and already has them bundled up for the summer in the loft above the shop... guess ill have to work on rounding up some goodies for both sleds over the summer and make sure to get them down early next fall so i can wrench on them some more and not feel so rushed! | ||
| Biffdotorg |
I have a full time lapse of the tunnel wrap install. But it's sort of boring. Here are the results, including my official GoPro Scrunchy Nose (un-intentional selfie)    | ||
| No_rice |
im already trying to figure out what i will need to look for at haydays... lol | ||
| Biffdotorg |
I have a page on my notepad app for that. As things come up, I put them there. Although I usually find them online before I ever go. So then I can just concentrate on the booth babes and cold beer. It's a show just to watch people as much as anything else. Wandering aimless through the swap is always interesting too. I need to highlight some of the new manufacturers that I want to visit this year on the map. I missed some last year that I think I would like to chat with. We went out of our way last year to visit with the folks from Uclear about helmet communicators and then never bought any. | ||
| No_rice |
i would be interested in picking up a clutch kit while there, but im just not sure. i want more oomph(as always) but it seems alot of them make the reverse kind of questionable as to wether or not it will function once the kits are on. and after now having a sled with reverse for the first time, i kind of like it... lol | ||
| Biffdotorg |
Clutch kits are voodoo as far as I am concerned. Not sure who makes the best kits for Cat, but the Viper has Yamaha Clutches, so I went with Ulmer on it. I have had Ulmer clutching in my previous Apex, and now this one. Unlike the Apex, which made it launch like a Mo-Fo, the Ulmer kit on the viper tones it down. In other words you can load it on the trailer without the studs shredding the deck. You can putt around a gas station without taking studs out. It also makes it one smooth snake at any speed. So it was a better trail sled with the kit installed and I am happy with the results. Find some good clutching guys that know your model and tell them what you are looking for. Don't buy what others think is right, as only you know what you want out of your sled. | ||
| No_rice |
i built a few clutches myself on some older stuff, with the sole purpose of hitting hard and pulling. but havent torn a clutch apart for years. im really looking for more pull out of the corners. ive seen alot of talk among people of good improvements with a few different setups. i could easily give up a little on the top for more bottom and mid. ive also been looking into gearing it down a hair. but will first try some clutching i think. i havent spiked it yet, and am still unsure if i will. currently it hooks ok enough without, while still allowing me to slide it around and drift through the corners some. i know i give up a little bit of hook because of the lack of studs, but my zr900 pulls harder out of the corners still while not being spiked AND having a stock track that is worn way down... i really should replace that track, but that thing is SOOOOO great at power slides the way it is now, that i just cant bring myself to do it. | ||
| Biffdotorg |
I have yet to stud my 144" XTX either. After this season, I am happy with it in all the conditions I rode it in. Icy corners being the only exception. After putting miles on the 137" viper with studs, that sucker stayed planted. It's love/hate with studs. My garage floor and trailer are happy I was moving away from them. | ||
| Biffdotorg |
Well, I put the Phazer up for sale this week. I had all intentions of posting it up in the fall just before Haydays. But there was some interest on the Totally Yamaha site, so I shot a video. Seems like there are some issues with embedded YouTube today, so not sure if this will work. | ||
| No_rice |
if you have interest it is worth trying, otherwise its always hard to sell a sled in the summer for some reason... or a low snow winter... lol i have no plans of doing an sled swapping this year. 3 in 2 years is enough for me for awhile. Jenn only gets to come riding with me a handful of days a year so the zr900 will continue to do just fine! BUT... she did just start a new job monday, and the business shuts down for 3 weeks around christmas(with pay!) so... we may actually be able to go a little longer then, if there is snow around that time this year. | ||
| Biffdotorg |
Less than 80 days till Haydays! WOOT WOOT!! | ||
| No_rice |
i just had a kid drive about an hour and a half to buy one of my blasts last night. as we were loading it in his truck i saw his big skidoo sticker so started giving him a little friendly ribbing, and ended up talking about haydays. seems they haul alot of sleds and parts up to haydays every year and set up a spot. im already looking forward to the kick off of the season! although i just found out that my dad has sold his house, so... now i have to find a new storage spot for my sleds. plus the old prowler that he is now giving us for the kids to ride. | ||
| Biffdotorg |
less than 60 days to Haydays! Yup, when I moved from my bachelor pad condo, I had to sell my 1966 Johnson SkeeHorse. I just had no room for it, and didn't ride it other than vintage runs. It had been in our family since new! Bummer | ||
| No_rice |
that does suck! the 91 degrees and 98% humidity really has me jonesing for some snow! i think im going to have to try to find a clam shell trailer or something also somewhere. dont want to spend a ton, but i only have the back of my truck ans a small 5x8 trailer now. cant haul 3 that way... and why buy an open 2 place or whatever, when if i bought some type of enclosed i could store the sleds in it(once i make sure its got some decent venting so the summer heat doesnt wreck stuff... or i guess i could just throw together a homemade wood sleddeck for the back of the truck and haul 2 there and one on the trailer. but that still doesnt help with storage... although i also dont have a ton of room for a bigger trailer either | ||
| Biffdotorg |
I bought my first enclosed trailer while living in an apartment. I knew that I would not have room in a single garage, so the investment was big, but got me storage in the summer and in my parking spot. I have since upgraded to a Triton Elite with Triton cap. It's worth the money for safe storage. That and they are always clean even after trailering. You can just barely see it in this photo behind my truck. The 4'x4' door is great for getting at the tie downs. Triton has interior lighting options, high lights in the back and all aluminum hardware cutting down on rusty moving parts. A sled deck is pretty popular with the mountain guys not only for additional capacity, but they don't have to tow a trailer up some sketchy mountain passes That being said, I don't think you want to consider one unless you have at least a 3/4 ton pickup. That amount of weight up high is quite dangerous on a half ton truck so I have been told.  | ||
| No_rice |
Truck part is covered. 3/4ton Duramax manages anything I ever need!  I'm keeping my eyes open for a trailer, just not sure I want to plunk down that kind of money currently. But, at the rate I'm going I may be able to look for one at haydays. Should have that new 800RR I picked up last year at haydays, paid off before we go this year! Also just reserved out room for Friday and Saturday night :-) | ||
| Biffdotorg |
Nice, we are debating staying Friday night as well if we bring any kids with us. It's a long drive for them twice in one day. Especially after being drained in the sun. Can a person get anything close, or did you have to go as far as St Cloud? | ||
| No_rice |
last year we stayed at the Quality inn, in Arden Hills. its about 45 min away. so the group decided thats where we would stay again this tear. i dont know if there is much closer or not. im just kind of along for the ride... lol | ||
| Biffdotorg |
Snow fall in Jackson hole last week. I saw pics all over facebook. Gotta love the first July snow to get the blood flowing. |
