AC guy looking to make the jump to Yamaha

J

Jake86

New member
Joined
Nov 22, 2015
Messages
22
Age
39
Location
Michigan
Well, as the title says I currently have a Thundercat 1000 that has long track conversion and mild motor work, M10 suspension, USI project X skis for trail riding, and D&D pipes.

My sled is great, but I have always loved Yamaha blue.. I raced MX for years on Blue bikes. Still trail ride my old YZ450F. I started riding sleds on a 92 Phazer 2. My father still has the sled it's mint. Then I had a 93 Exciter 2. My father still has that sled too. It's mint as well..

Anyway, long story short is that a buddy and I come across an opportunity to go in on a pair of Yamaha sleds. The first is an 04 Mountain Max with 300 miles, and the second is an 06 Viper Mountain with 800 miles. I get to pick which one I want. I need to help making this choice. I came here to ask the experts.

To help me make my decision here are the determining factors.

1. I am a big guy at 6'1 300lbs.

2. Which sled responds to mods better?

3. Which sled makes more power?

4. I live in Michigan, so UP trails, deep snow, and tight trails.

5. Which sled is a better platform to build off of?

6. I won't be riding in high elevations.

Thank you all





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Both are great sleds and will perform great. Both respond great to mods there are lots of mod here in the tech section for both.
The viper makes more power than the max does. The mountain max is a non power valve red head engine and will basically run forever if maintained properly. The viper should be a blue head power valve engine and it will run a long time to when maintained.
More guys will chime in here with more answers.
 
The viper will have more power but does have the hassle of power valves. Vipers that have been triple-triple'd are known to be a little temperamental. The red-head with triple pipes and reed or reed stopper notch and a head gasket peel will get you better than stock viper power without power valve issues. Vipers also need the head cut to even compression to make them run right and cool right. The red head deals with pto cylinder loading by going up one jet size the viper did it by lowering compression. The viper also has a powder bog issue due to snow dust injestion. The viper does have a better skid and the track length is an industry standard 144 vs the 141. The new 141 mt-X was welcomed with excitement but to fit a 2" lug 3" pitch track is mor hassle then it's worth and you lose a bit in driveline efficiency from the small drivers.

The 144 pro mountain skid is a better skid than a 141 pro action mountain skid but if your going to go all in and lengthen the sled and swap skids it's not a concern either way. Both are heavy in stock form.

My mtn max responded very well to vForce reeds across the band but mid range was the best improvement. I run a race can for weight reduction. People say that reeds are a waste but every race team using them in their race motors and now Polaris putting them stock into the 800 H.O. speaks a lot. The design of vForce cages offers a much straighter shot that you can't get with boysen or stock cages spaced or notched.

My 151 with a ez-ryde skid is a great package I have swapped a viper front end to lift the front end up a little bit and changed the bars to a more ergo friendly setup and riding low elevation in the east I love my setup. I do maybe 100 miles a year and the areas I ride are only a few miles from the parking lot so I can spend most of my time in the woods.

You can't go wrong either way, you just have a different set of challenges ahead of you. Oh the mtn Max hood likes to pack snow into the can and it makes a lot of under hood steam so it helps a bunch to block the upper hood vents.
 
If you want a... Gas-n-go sled, get the MM.
If you don't mind abit of tinkering..... Viper
The red head was (imo) Yamahas most detuned engine. It responds very well to very simple mods.
I'd say go with your gut feeling. It's a win win with either of them.
 
Thanks guys! I appreciate it very much. Still not sure which one I want.

I honestly love the look of the MM, but I would rather have better suspension and motor.

I have a good motor shop who builds some fast Yamaha sleds. He did my Thundercat.

How much power do you think I can get out of each sled with reeds. Pipes, and light porting?


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I don't mind tinkering at all. Whichever sled I get will be getting new skis, shaper bars, studs, pipes, can, and reeds right off the get go.

I also like to put a big wheel kit on the skid. I have 8" wheels on my T-cat. It made a big difference


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After reading about a half of a dozen comparison threads, and about 30 tech and build threads I think I am just going to get the Mountain Max. I will swap out the skid eventually and upgrade to a 144. I talked with a few knowledgeable people about the Red Head engine and think I can hit a safe 140-150 on the engine without compromising reliability.


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If your gonna pipe regardless of which one, I'd go with the MM. It'll get better mileage piped than a piped Viper by a long shot.
I have a set a Carbon Tech reeds for a red head FS.
I even have a couple of stainless stops w/ a notch on them that I have never used.
 
Last edited:
I am going to pipe, and port it regardless... Not familiar with who makes pipes for these sleds since I have been a Cat guy for a while.


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Ok...i gotta say...either sled will require carbs set up and clutching etc when adding pipes or porting. Power valves are easily adjusted and cleaned every 1000 miles or so. Not a big deal. Viper is better in every way...except gas mileage. Add pipes and they are a gas pig...but worth it...Only downside in my opinion. A viper with slp pipes, good porting and some heel clickers is damn hard to beat. Mountain max shmowntain shmax lol. 1 pt for team viper.

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Not afraid of cleaning power valves.. More worried about the gas pig


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