Comments on: Snake Eyes: The Viper Story

By: Kevin

Kevin — Thu, 11 Feb 2010 05:18:15 +0000

I have read many complaints about the suspensions on the Vipers but I have heard that yamaha makes a reliable sled. So, what should I buy? (under $2,000)

Can the Viper be a nice sled if I change the shocks and seat? I bought a 96 Ovation at an auction 2 years ago and I did not know what I was buying. That sled beat me bad on trails. I don’t want to ride something like that again.

Thanks

The Viper is a great sled and most Yamaha dealers know how to dial in the old Pro-Action skid. The original Viper got a bad rep from being oversprung with too much compression damping, there were updates. No comparison to the Ovation what so ever. cheers cr

By: scott

scott — Fri, 14 Aug 2009 06:12:54 +0000

This is a great set of articles! I was never into the Viper but I really enjoy seeing the behind the scenes development and race information.

Reading through OM58 parts book makes me wish Yamaha offered something similar for the Nytro. I’ve personally inspected one of the prototype front ends that Yamaha has been testing. I wish they would release it as a limited build kit so privateer racers like myself could bolt them onto our sleds. It kind of saddens me to see the race program Yamaha had 10 years ago as opposed to what currently exists.

Maybe when the economy gets better Yamaha will developed a renewed interest in snowmachine racing?

By: Yammerhead

Yammerhead — Tue, 28 Jul 2009 14:46:23 +0000

Hey Chris, thanks for the post! I have been up at the lake with limited connectivity, so I missed out on all the action! So the Viper motor really was based on the SRX motor, with a few tweeks. After the home run from the SRX, the Viper had a tough act to follow. Interesting to note the dissapointment of the Yamaha faithful even after all these years…

I notice nowadays the Viper is either loved or hated depending on the experience of the rider, I plan to stay the middle ground in my detailing of the story, personally I have some pretty fond memories of the Viper riding season (and still harbor some frustrations on the development / maintenance side)… enjoy the lake it’s worth the slow connection! cheers cr

By: Bryant B.

Bryant B. — Mon, 27 Jul 2009 15:43:43 +0000

I love reading about the stories of “behind the scenes”. The parts that the rest of society doesn’t know about (probably never will unless someone, like yourself, writes about them). But what about some of the parts and specifications, are you able to talk about those? For instance, for mechanically inclined individuals it would be nice to try to replicate some of the ‘prototype’ parts that Yamaha attempted (i.e. – the rack steering, the front suspension geometry for better long travel handling, etc.)

By: Dan Cochrane

Dan Cochrane — Sat, 25 Jul 2009 04:23:44 +0000

Chris, you have to love sledheads!!! It is the middle of summer, hot weather has finally arived and here we are on the sled blog. Great post and I also look forward to part 2. As a field staff member, we usually don’t get the juicy stories about product development. Keep them coming!

By: snoguzzler

snoguzzler — Fri, 24 Jul 2009 19:19:31 +0000

I had an 2003 Viper. It was the fastest trail sled I ever owned. Not to mention the best looking. When my wife sold her Venom I switched out her seat with mine and it made a world of difference. Believe me if the trails got rough my back got sore. I’ve told my riding buddies more then once if you could ever be guaranteed on trail conditions I would take the Viper on smooth groomed trails and my Attak on the rougher ones. can’t wait to hear the rest…..

By: parepadarappa

parepadarappa — Thu, 23 Jul 2009 16:08:19 +0000

I can’t believe what I’m reading here! After making me wait for nearly two years (I don’t know if it’s really been that long, but it sure feels like it) for this story, it’s FINALLY HERE!!! Now that I have read it, I hope there is more to the second part, because this one left me feeling confused. Being the proud owner of both the bitchin’est boondockin’ 01 SXr and an 02 viper, I have to say that these sleds are way more similar than they are different, so who dropped the ball? BTW, my biggest complaint about either of my sleds isn’t the lack of suspension, it’s that it isn’t stiff enough. I I’d much rather have a sled that you need to hold WFO to work, because that’s how you are supposed to ride, right?
And as for the other guy who mentioned having to do a lot of mods to his sled, that’s part of the fun of sledding, making it YOURS. My 9″ risers and white windshield on the SXr make it stand out for sure.
And on AC’s plow thing. I’m putting my money on Dumb-A$$.

By: LeeKo

LeeKo — Thu, 23 Jul 2009 13:22:55 +0000

I love my Viper and still have it. But, like all Yamaha snowmobiles you need to tweak the suspension to make them work well. 1st seson I ran Ohlins front shocks and stock rear. It rode horrible in the rear and only realy seemed to work when pushing it, but then it would soemtimes bottom pretty hard. Put Ohlins in the rear and the sled was flat out awesome.

I remember when the sled came out and I was excited, but dissapointed at the same time. I really thought they would have the race/mono skid in the rear. I also always wondered why Yami didn’t put the unequal length A-arms they had on the race sled on the Viper. Any answers?

Anyways.. I still love the sled. I did have to do a lot of mods to get it where I wanted it. Boss seat, handlebar riser, Ohlins, Rox sledtreads, Srx motor mount and engine tensioner, Hood straps(hood kept popping out), studs and C&A skis. I always loved the motor, 3 jugs into one pipe is the best sounding motor in snowmobile history.

By: Rob

Rob — Thu, 23 Jul 2009 04:23:37 +0000

Great story! Can’t wait to read part 2. I was thinking of selling my Viper this season but after reading about it in your story I think I may keep her for another season of riding. All the best!

By: Ryan

Ryan — Wed, 22 Jul 2009 23:27:19 +0000

It was funny to see what the original Monoshock looked like compared to the later production built model. They 2 are so totally different. On the viper, I always wished they came with tripple pipes from the factory. It almost seamed like going backwards in technology from the SRX. I also wondered why DCS that first appeared on the 2002 SRX was never put into production on the 2002-03 Vipers. All in all it was and still is a great sled.