February 9, 2010
Apex XTX Answers
Just a brief update today. I received some info regarding Danes questions over on TY. Surprising as it may seem, the Apex XTX is faster than the SE or standard Apex. It blows it away up on top by a blistering 1.4 kph… that’s .87 mph for the metrically challenged.
The A-arms on the new Apex are the same as the 2010 (current arms) however the spindles and tie-rods are different, therefore your a-arm kit will work (that’s not to say Yamaha would ever endorse such a modification, don’t doo it).
Finally it appears that the torsion skid and extra track length on the XTX will add a whopping 9 pounds to the overall weight of the base model sled. Please don’t tell anyone over at Skidoo marketing or we will most assuredly be faced with another good reason why not to own another reliable Yamaha 
That’s it… keep an eye on ‘yournextsled’ for the latest poop from the web
cheers
cr
Chris,
Thought you might like to see this:
Google Maps + Street View + Olympics + Yamaha
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UJ4pgcrJU8c
That’s pretty cool, will have to keep an eye on that footage as they progress, thanks Dustin… cheers cr
February 9th, 2010 at 4:44 pmChris,
February 9th, 2010 at 9:21 pmThanks for the follow up on my questions. I’m not sure how you’ve been able to keep up with answering all of the questions on this site and TY along with your other responsibilities, but your efforts are appreciated. I’m looking forward to the upcoming demo rides later this month here in Minnesota on the new Apex sleds. I’ll be sure to post my impressions of the new sleds.
Chris,
Thanks again for all your hard work. 1.4 KPH …Wow, Although not much it is faster! It’s just like HP, 159 is sooooo much more than 158, at least in our heads. The sled with 158 will never beat the one with 159 or 160…..
Only 9 extra pounds? That ain’t bad given that the track itself is responsible for 5 lbs.. Looking at the pictures on the XTX it looks like it’s like the Old Warrior, where you have an option of mounting the rear arm in two spots in the drop brackets so you have the option of even more deep snow clearance, or raising the tail of the snomobile.
I should do another Survey on TY, I’ll bet 70% of people will pick XTX over 128 as it should be quicker out of the hole and on top, just too bad you can’t get an XTX SE, as people may pick that for it’s colour and shocks, even though it’s slower…. This year Black ain’t the fastest.
With EPS, there is no reason to not get the XTX as they are both so easy to turn anyways.
I’ve been in to see John at Customsleds.ca to see how best to make to make an XTX completely black. It’s a Dangerous place to go, you can get a lot of high pressure thoughts going through your head and holes burning in your pocket.
See you on the trails.
February 10th, 2010 at 5:32 amThat was awesome Dustin, thanks for sharing.
February 10th, 2010 at 9:04 amMy Guess of 70% of People picking the XTX wasn’t that far off, actually 74%.
See this link http://www.ty4stroke.com/viewtopic.php?t=85541
Some Great Reports coming back on the XTX as well http://www.ty4stroke.com/viewtopic.php?t=85584
What’s not to like? Better in the rough stuff and 1.4kph Faster! Give me a well set-up 144″ sled and I know that I would be faster than Rider Forward 121″ out there. In the rough stuff length really makes a difference.
How long until we’re asking for 151″ Trail sleds?
February 10th, 2010 at 4:51 pmChris,
Do you know if the new 2011 Apex line has grease zerts on the drive shaft and jack shaft bearing? If not please pass this along to Yamaha Engineering as there is no reason that a sled as nice a Yamaha doesn’t offer this convenience for their customer. Sleds thousands of dollars less from other OEM offer this and it is a shame that Yamaha doesnt.
Thanks!
Mark
February 18th, 2010 at 1:38 pmChris,
What is the actual seat-of-the-pants difference in feel when comparing a 2010 Apex GT and a 2010 Vector LTX GT. I have an opportunity to buy either and I’m not sure which is a better sled for me. I know the Apex has more power. Does the Vector handle better? Is the long track a better trail ride? I want the best all-around sled and best value. What are your thoughts? Keep up the great work. I love the blog. Thanks for your help.
Justin
short answers Dustin, yes the 2010 Vector does handle better than the Apex and the 136 will bridge the bumps a little better with no loss of top speed over the 121. The Vec will pull as hard corner to corner up to around 80mph, the Apex gets the nod on top and the sound o the engine is the best. I think your best bang for the buck for an all rounder is the Vector (2010) but I still love my Apex… cheers cr
February 18th, 2010 at 8:14 pmI had the honor of test riding the 2011 APEX SE & XTX. Really like both sleds. The APEX SE rear suspension seemed to be very soft & bottom out. Will the new fox float rear shock handle a 300 lb aggressive trial rider??? I am really interested in buying new APEX SE but a little worried about the new shocks..
Hey Darryl, the Mega Float is sensitive to set-up, it really needs to be aired to the rider weight and style. That said the nature of an air spring is quite different than that of a coil. The pre-pro shocks do not have final calibration as I understand it the negative spring is changed. Another thing I have heard is some guys are adjusting the air pressure with the track on the ground I’d be taking the weight off (elevating the track) if it was me… when it’s dialed it works awesome, it will require the pressure be checked occasionally during the season and 300 pounds should not be a problem, just add more air.
March 1st, 2010 at 10:37 am