I bought a Viper LTX 137 in 2014. Very good sled. It had the Arctic Cat skis on it. One of the best upgrades you can do with this sled is put Bearcat skis on it. I put a 160-pound spring on the center shock much easier to make corners in the twisties. As the engine brake sucks down the front end coming into a corner. Took the rear blocks out for the rear scissors. Rode much better. I also did some upgrades for performance. Opened up the air box, header pipe, trail quite can, programmer, and clutching. Made it as strong as an 800. Rode it 9000 trouble-free km for 6 years. I would highly recommend this sled.
Nice review Mark. Been scoping a Viper out since they were introduced in 2014. The elephant in the room is the fuel mapping issue that went on for YEARS. Wish you would have addressed it. If it's resolved then I think more customers like myself would take the leap. Unfortunately, as if it was a secret military operation it was never acknowledged at a corporate level and thusly never officially resolved either.
Never tried a yamaha 4 stroke and i was really skeptic about 4 stroke snowmobile until last year. I tried a Mach Z and it changes my opinion on 4 stroke for trail riding. If i was doing any kind of long distance i would go with a good 4 stroke machine they are smooth and fast. Yamaha may lack in modern design in their snowmobile but their engine is second to none. Good review like usual. It is difficult to find a good balance in reviewing products and find that you guys found it.👍i agree that qs3 are excellent and 99% of riders don’t need more than 3 settings.
Ordered one of these back in march!! 295 miles on it and I love it so far! Coming off an 09’ Nytro the suspension is night and day with the viper! So far I’ve made a great choice!
Diggn the color,bought an 05 warrior new in the flat gray/black still loving it,get many compliments on the color combo,love the understated look,great video and agree,the doolys made a YUGE difference
Yamaha needs to come out with a Viper in Yamaha blue!!! I would rather see a new display that’s like their old Apex ones. Big analog tach with a modern led display for speed and coolant temp. Keep it simple.
Amazing motor with tones of torque. Would be perfect in a new sport utility snowmobile for work and play. VK professional with an updated chassis would be amazing. Think of that motor in the ski doo expedition.
Buy high quality gear with (Gore-Tex, Sympatex or eVent) PTFE membrane and the height of the windshield isn't quite that important. The shield can help a little at -20 below F, but even then, its not necessary.
@@bedlambikes You are a Special kind of slow now aren't you. I ride at Night .. It's cold on Trails .. running 30 to 100 MPH .. I have windscreens on both of my street bikes .. Some times I remove them when the temps are over 90 F .. Look at all of the Cross Country racers they all have windshields . Look at the I-500 ran last weekend in Northern MI they all have tall windscreens.. If you want to be a special kind of Stupid or you are Mountain riding then by all means don't use a windscreen .
@@mikeskidmore6754 Get offended and start throwing insults much? Wow, do you have an inferiority complex or something? Calm down. All I said is being properly prepared and dressed is more important than a plastic windscreen. I am strictly as a trail rider and was also on the XC race team for one of the major OEM sled manufacturers several years ago. And while they do all have windshields they aren't all of the school bus variety as depicted in this video. Heck, the sled in this video is the furthest thing from a XC race sled! I never said a tall windshield is bad to have, but its not necessary for trail riding if you are properly prepared. I rode in -30 F temps just 3 days ago with 6" low height windshield. No matter what, its cold at those temps. But I'd take the proper gear over a 18" tall windshield 10 out of 10 times in those conditions. Enjoy the rest of your winter.
Even losing 10hp since 2014 , I couldn't imagine a 137 1.25 track getting any traction .. My 2015 S-tx DX 141 sizzled the track , recently upgraded to a 146 1.6 ice ripper for the win
Nice video Mark but disagree with the 137 track being necessary for the torque of the 1059 cc motor to hook up. I had a 2015 7000 El Tigre with a 129 and it hooked up big time on the trails.
Beautiful sled! You can’t beat that motor and QS3’s but for the price I think Yamaha needs to step it up with the gauge, storage system and maybe a new seat just looks bulky compared to other manufacturers.
what is the true horsepower of this engine i thought it was 135/140 horsepower it seems to change all the time and yes i understand it competes with the 600 class sleds
I don't know .. I just know I don't want to pay way more for computer controlled electronic suspension that can fail and cost a fortune to fix .. I prefer simple ..
This! The average Joe wants the machine to start every time and take care of them on the trails. Frankly any new sled is going to ride great and be plenty fast for most Joes. I completed understand the guys who like to modify and chase horsepower, but they almost always sacrifice reliability in the process.
He's saying that the average rider probably doesn't need 16 adjustment settings. Some guys love that infinite adjustability and actually take the time to calibrate and test, but most riders might not. QS3 just makes it easy.
Hi Mark, you mentioned Woodys Slim Jim dooleys resolve push on 137s. How about them on the heavier Sidewinder w/ Stryke skis, or 850 XRS Renegade with Pilot-X skis?
So it's an Arctic Cat but the hood Fastners are different? Why did you Mention a Turbo ? You lost me there. So it's an Arctic Cat Chassis with Yamaha Skis and Yamaha gauges and Yamaha hood fasteners? I like both Yamaha and Cat .. I just like to know what is Interchangeable and what is Unique. In 2014 I paid $29.00 per gallon for Klotz Two stroke Oil .. in a case of 4 gallons.. This Year it seems Cat Doo and Polaris all want like $58.00 per gallon for Oil .. Klotz sells for $55.00 per gallon in a case of 4 .. I just ordered Lucas Synthetic Two Stroke Snowmobile oil for $30 per gallon on Amazon from an auto parts store in WI .. Close to half the price of other oils .. The Lucas meets all the Top Specs but is not claimed to meet TCW-3.. Here I end up on a rant about two stroke oil on a 4 stroke sled Video .. My Point is the 4 strokes run forever and you don't have to run a total loss oiling system ..
U don't want or need a TCW3 oil in a sled. Its not summer nor ridden in a lake. Oil is oil, they both use it. Spend 200 on a case of 2 stroke or 200 at the end of every season to service the 4 stroke. He told u the differences, u forgot the clutches and jackshaft. Rest is same..go on internet and do some research, everyone has talked about everything u mentioned since Yamaha started using Cats chassis 6+yrs ago. Also add 150lbs vs a 2 stroke. No thanks, I'm not ready to sit down all day and idle around at 45mph
He mentioned turbo cause he said it was a different motor in that sled. Go back and listen or get some Qtips to clean out your ears. Turbo is a 998, a 1049 is in this sled that's 120hp class
@@kwmiked I did more research the Japanese oil specs have higher requirements than TC-W3 have. If you had paid attention , I said I just paid $120.00 for 4 gallons of Lucas synthetic Snowmobile Oil. Turn on your brain some time and pay attention. Why on Earth would anyone pay $200 for an oil change?
Whats better then QS3 , QS3R ! They all should come with rebound adjuster! Ice Ripper, they don't offer it cause it's Useless on a sled that makes 120hp and the tq. Its not worth the extra cost. Just stud it! And Yamaha Knows that! This is like a 55 and over sled that's basic and simple, Basic gauge, don't have to worry about your Girlfriend or wife staring down at it. QS3 are OK, To much of a gap between 2 and 3 and not enough between 1 and 2. People buying this sled will never use 3 cause they just out cruising at 45-55mph and will never hammer this thru bumps where u need that 3rd setting. It's not comfortable for a old person
I don't know how can people afford these sleds lol. You can only get maybe 2 months out of the year in Wisconsin to ride something that costs 20,000+ I thought sleds in 90s were expensive to collect dust 10 months out of the year lol
Only reason they still stay in the game are to give their Yamaha dealers in the northern hemisphere something to sell on the winters, but with the abysmal market share Yamaha snowmobiles have today, it's probably not worth the hassle.
It does get tough to come up with new and interesting stuff to talk about but Yamaha sleds keep selling because they're renowned for their reliability and reputation. You'd be hard-pressed to switch a die-hard Yamaha rider to any other brand.
4 Strokes suck... there heavy more moving parts means less reliability and they rev slower all for the simple fact of better fuel mileage and less exhaust emissions? They can keep it 2 stroke or 2 cycle is where it's at and has been since forever
@@PavelessAdventure good for you...and my ski doo is passing you and always will because I don't need valves and valve guides and camshafts to run properly and I get good quality injection oil for almost free 2 cycle or 2 stroke has always been the clear winner in durability and speed
@@stevemino142 lies!! Show me any 2 stroke that will do 20 000 miles with 0 engine work!!! Guess what you’ll see tons of genesis 2 Yamaha motors though!
@@Zeffy55 impossible new 4 strokes rev faster... you have twice as many cycles to perform to make maximum power and even if new 4 strokes were able to rev faster than a 2 stroke... 4 strokes are heavier and have exponentially more moving parts internally that could potentially fail... that you don't have to worry about in a 2 stroke and ultimately you do not need a warranty as many parts for 2 stroke power are much cheaper and more in supply than any 4 stroke Power sport motor
I bought a Viper LTX 137 in 2014. Very good sled. It had the Arctic Cat skis on it. One of the best upgrades you can do with this sled is put Bearcat skis on it. I put a 160-pound spring on the center shock much easier to make corners in the twisties. As the engine brake sucks down the front end coming into a corner. Took the rear blocks out for the rear scissors. Rode much better. I also did some upgrades for performance. Opened up the air box, header pipe, trail quite can, programmer, and clutching. Made it as strong as an 800. Rode it 9000 trouble-free km for 6 years. I would highly recommend this sled.
Nice review Mark. Been scoping a Viper out since they were introduced in 2014. The elephant in the room is the fuel mapping issue that went on for YEARS. Wish you would have addressed it. If it's resolved then I think more customers like myself would take the leap. Unfortunately, as if it was a secret military operation it was never acknowledged at a corporate level and thusly never officially resolved either.
Never tried a yamaha 4 stroke and i was really skeptic about 4 stroke snowmobile until last year. I tried a Mach Z and it changes my opinion on 4 stroke for trail riding. If i was doing any kind of long distance i would go with a good 4 stroke machine they are smooth and fast. Yamaha may lack in modern design in their snowmobile but their engine is second to none. Good review like usual. It is difficult to find a good balance in reviewing products and find that you guys found it.👍i agree that qs3 are excellent and 99% of riders don’t need more than 3 settings.
Most all Yamaha Models are now in a Cat Chassis .
Appreciate that! Thanks for watching!! 🙌
I love my 4 stroke I don’t think I could ever go back!!!!!!
i have a 15 viper L-TX.. love it... over 8000 miles and still runs like its brand new..
That's awesome.
Ordered one of these back in march!! 295 miles on it and I love it so far! Coming off an 09’ Nytro the suspension is night and day with the viper! So far I’ve made a great choice!
how much
@@jiwuj4091 how much for what?
@@nathanielhodge7708 Yes, how much did you pay for it?
@@jiwuj4091 well I bought an extra 2 years warranty from my dealership so I walked outta there at just under $17k
Diggn the color,bought an 05 warrior new in the flat gray/black still loving it,get many compliments on the color combo,love the understated look,great video and agree,the doolys made a YUGE difference
i like my 16 adjustments. 1-2 clicks totally changes the feel on the walker evans.
Yamaha needs to come out with a Viper in Yamaha blue!!!
I would rather see a new display that’s like their old Apex ones. Big analog tach with a modern led display for speed and coolant temp. Keep it simple.
Agreed. I like that retro design too.
Amazing motor with tones of torque. Would be perfect in a new sport utility snowmobile for work and play. VK professional with an updated chassis would be amazing. Think of that motor in the ski doo expedition.
Sharp color combo. Great unit. Personally, would like to see a 1.35” Cobra. Or even a 1.6”.
It actually has a function windshield ..
Trail sled :)
Buy high quality gear with (Gore-Tex, Sympatex or eVent) PTFE membrane and the height of the windshield isn't quite that important. The shield can help a little at -20 below F, but even then, its not necessary.
@@bedlambikes You are a Special kind of slow now aren't you. I ride at Night .. It's cold on Trails .. running 30 to 100 MPH .. I have windscreens on both of my street bikes .. Some times I remove them when the temps are over 90 F .. Look at all of the Cross Country racers they all have windshields . Look at the I-500 ran last weekend in Northern MI they all have tall windscreens..
If you want to be a special kind of Stupid or you are Mountain riding then by all means don't use a windscreen .
@@mikeskidmore6754 Get offended and start throwing insults much? Wow, do you have an inferiority complex or something? Calm down. All I said is being properly prepared and dressed is more important than a plastic windscreen.
I am strictly as a trail rider and was also on the XC race team for one of the major OEM sled manufacturers several years ago. And while they do all have windshields they aren't all of the school bus variety as depicted in this video. Heck, the sled in this video is the furthest thing from a XC race sled! I never said a tall windshield is bad to have, but its not necessary for trail riding if you are properly prepared. I rode in -30 F temps just 3 days ago with 6" low height windshield. No matter what, its cold at those temps. But I'd take the proper gear over a 18" tall windshield 10 out of 10 times in those conditions. Enjoy the rest of your winter.
Yamaha does a great job with their colors and graphics. That's a sharp looking sled.
Well, that's literally the only thing their snowmobile division do nowadays, so they have plenty of time thinking about bold new graphics every year.
@@Echoes- yeah.....besides the whole motor
what is the difference between the viper engine and the YXZ ?
Even losing 10hp since 2014 , I couldn't imagine a 137 1.25 track getting any traction .. My 2015 S-tx DX 141 sizzled the track , recently upgraded to a 146 1.6 ice ripper for the win
Nice video Mark but disagree with the 137 track being necessary for the torque of the 1059 cc motor to hook up. I had a 2015 7000 El Tigre with a 129 and it hooked up big time on the trails.
Fair enough!
Beautiful sled! You can’t beat that motor and QS3’s but for the price I think Yamaha needs to step it up with the gauge, storage system and maybe a new seat just looks bulky compared to other manufacturers.
what is the true horsepower of this engine i thought it was 135/140 horsepower it seems to change all the time and yes i understand it competes with the 600 class sleds
It’s more like a 700cc 2 stroke
Sounds like it is time for a dyno...
@@snowtrax I’ve seen some Dyno sheets in the 130hp range
That's a nice looking cat
are qs3s better than smartshocks?
I don't know .. I just know I don't want to pay way more for computer controlled electronic suspension that can fail and cost a fortune to fix .. I prefer simple ..
Not necessarily, but the r motion is the better skid overall
Same sled. Big price jump. Not worth it.
What is top speed on this model?
We'll do some lake runs once the lake freezes right up.
They go about 85 mph on good hard pack. The 600 class 2 strokes (esp the Polaris 650) waste it on the top end.
No matter the machine I buy dependability tops the list.
This! The average Joe wants the machine to start every time and take care of them on the trails. Frankly any new sled is going to ride great and be plenty fast for most Joes. I completed understand the guys who like to modify and chase horsepower, but they almost always sacrifice reliability in the process.
I LOVE the new guage
artic cat with Yamaha motor
Depending on all these things he mentioned is assuming a certain weight of someone. So in a Polaris review he must be saying it's too much adjustment?
He's saying that the average rider probably doesn't need 16 adjustment settings. Some guys love that infinite adjustability and actually take the time to calibrate and test, but most riders might not. QS3 just makes it easy.
Great video. But when you talk about carbides maybe lay sled over and show us
Ok will do
Yamaha make a 2 stroke 600 or 700 triple
Hi Mark, you mentioned Woodys Slim Jim dooleys resolve push on 137s. How about them on the heavier Sidewinder w/ Stryke skis, or 850 XRS Renegade with Pilot-X skis?
So it's an Arctic Cat but the hood Fastners are different? Why did you Mention a Turbo ? You lost me there.
So it's an Arctic Cat Chassis with Yamaha Skis and Yamaha gauges and Yamaha hood fasteners?
I like both Yamaha and Cat .. I just like to know what is Interchangeable and what is Unique.
In 2014 I paid $29.00 per gallon for Klotz Two stroke Oil .. in a case of 4 gallons.. This Year it seems Cat Doo and Polaris all want like $58.00 per gallon for Oil .. Klotz sells for $55.00 per gallon in a case of 4 .. I just ordered Lucas Synthetic Two Stroke Snowmobile oil for $30 per gallon on Amazon from an auto parts store in WI .. Close to half the price of other oils .. The Lucas meets all the Top Specs but is not claimed to meet TCW-3.. Here I end up on a rant about two stroke oil on a 4 stroke sled Video ..
My Point is the 4 strokes run forever and you don't have to run a total loss oiling system ..
U don't want or need a TCW3 oil in a sled. Its not summer nor ridden in a lake. Oil is oil, they both use it. Spend 200 on a case of 2 stroke or 200 at the end of every season to service the 4 stroke. He told u the differences, u forgot the clutches and jackshaft. Rest is same..go on internet and do some research, everyone has talked about everything u mentioned since Yamaha started using Cats chassis 6+yrs ago. Also add 150lbs vs a 2 stroke. No thanks, I'm not ready to sit down all day and idle around at 45mph
He mentioned turbo cause he said it was a different motor in that sled. Go back and listen or get some Qtips to clean out your ears. Turbo is a 998, a 1049 is in this sled that's 120hp class
@@kwmiked I did more research the Japanese oil specs have higher requirements than TC-W3 have. If you had paid attention , I said I just paid $120.00 for 4 gallons of Lucas synthetic Snowmobile Oil. Turn on your brain some time and pay attention. Why on Earth would anyone pay $200 for an oil change?
Whats better then QS3 , QS3R ! They all should come with rebound adjuster! Ice Ripper, they don't offer it cause it's Useless on a sled that makes 120hp and the tq. Its not worth the extra cost. Just stud it! And Yamaha Knows that! This is like a 55 and over sled that's basic and simple, Basic gauge, don't have to worry about your Girlfriend or wife staring down at it. QS3 are OK, To much of a gap between 2 and 3 and not enough between 1 and 2. People buying this sled will never use 3 cause they just out cruising at 45-55mph and will never hammer this thru bumps where u need that 3rd setting. It's not comfortable for a old person
Hi Mark, who makes, sells rear lift stands for the new modern sleds these days? They all have an extended snow flap that gets in the way. Thanks
I don't know how can people afford these sleds lol. You can only get maybe 2 months out of the year in Wisconsin to ride something that costs 20,000+ I thought sleds in 90s were expensive to collect dust 10 months out of the year lol
Financing and years of trading in sleds.
Please say proprietary one more time!
Proprietary.
Got to be hard to talk about Yamahas every year. Same stuff with different paint, be surprised if they even stay in the game.
We will see if Cat's new platform will accomodate a 4 stroke engine. If not, Yamaha may be exiting sleds entirely.
Only reason they still stay in the game are to give their Yamaha dealers in the northern hemisphere something to sell on the winters, but with the abysmal market share Yamaha snowmobiles have today, it's probably not worth the hassle.
It does get tough to come up with new and interesting stuff to talk about but Yamaha sleds keep selling because they're renowned for their reliability and reputation. You'd be hard-pressed to switch a die-hard Yamaha rider to any other brand.
Proprietary
4 Strokes suck... there heavy more moving parts means less reliability and they rev slower all for the simple fact of better fuel mileage and less exhaust emissions? They can keep it 2 stroke or 2 cycle is where it's at and has been since forever
4 strokes rev faster than 2 strokes
I used to own an 850 etec and now I have a Yamaha 4 stroke and I’ll never go back!
@@PavelessAdventure good for you...and my ski doo is passing you and always will because I don't need valves and valve guides and camshafts to run properly and I get good quality injection oil for almost free 2 cycle or 2 stroke has always been the clear winner in durability and speed
@@stevemino142 lies!! Show me any 2 stroke that will do 20 000 miles with 0 engine work!!! Guess what you’ll see tons of genesis 2 Yamaha motors though!
@@Zeffy55 impossible new 4 strokes rev faster... you have twice as many cycles to perform to make maximum power and even if new 4 strokes were able to rev faster than a 2 stroke... 4 strokes are heavier and have exponentially more moving parts internally that could potentially fail... that you don't have to worry about in a 2 stroke and ultimately you do not need a warranty as many parts for 2 stroke power are much cheaper and more in supply than any 4 stroke Power sport motor