SRX the storybook ..

should'nt this post be a sticky-post ?? !! i think so!

SRX500_129 said:

This is just bullshit, how can you say this??? starts with 001001 , but not all of them listed here actually starts with 001 ! why are people making up stuff about 8R9 ??? in the orginal SRX500F manual will you see the truth, it confirm what i said about the case!

arsticsrx:
well, how can you tell that this numbers you re listing up actually are not homemade ???!!!

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Guys, Deep Breath,,,, Breath..... there are many many many stories about the 82 SRX 500's. I believe that most are true and some are not. I have had many direct phone and face to face conversations with the guys who did the Research and Developement on the SRX 500's. There are a lot of things that went on during this black eye for Yamaha. There were marketing R&D sleds sent to the US, Production Sleds sent to Europe, motors sent in crates from Japan for racers, VIN'd RT499 gear boxes sent as warranty replacements in Canada for the 81 SRX's and on an on. I personally own RT499-000101. It is a prototype motor from a Preproduction prototype 81/82 R&D 82 SRX 500. The 82's that were sent to the US were all Preproductions intended for last minute R&D, Marketing and Promotions. Approximately 100 sleds were sent for this part of the development. This info. was supplied to me from the person at Yamaha who headed R&D. As far as Canada goes there is no clear confirmed data. Maybe some 82's slipped out into consumer hands before the plug was pulled, but it is my understanding is that the 100 sleds were not released to testing in Canada. The 100 test 82's were stored in Spokane, Wa and also a warehouse in the East Coast before being sent back to Japan. Rumors also swell around the fact that they purportedly were dumped in the ocean and never made it back.

The VIN's in Europe are different that in the US usually for all of Yamaha's sleds. The way they start the number sequence. What is listed in owners manuals and Yamaha guides does not always hold true as being accurate. Especially with the 82's. I have three owners manuals and two come with a paper insert with additional updates to the carbs and clutching. Again, the best thing we can do is continue to supply your VIN's to Chuck so we can continue to identify a pattern to the VIN's and production numbers.

For 82's I recommend taking a digital photo of your tunnel and crank case when you send it to Chuck or me.

SRX500F82 said:

The SRX 500 #8R9 Pipes with Can looks the same to me when i compare them. As the Vmax 540 #8U9 Pipes and Can. The only difference is that it seems that the 500 pipes are maybe tuned better. It have a metal ring welded inside before the Header Pipe section. Just like the SRX 440 -81 Pipes have. And the vmax 540 Pipe Have not that kind of ring inside it.

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The 81 pipes are smaller in diameter, the mufflers on the 82 vmaxes are the same mold as the 83 vmax. VIN's are 8R9 compared to 8U9. The pipes on the 82 SRX are very similar in design to the 83 Vmax but the 83 Vmax are fatter and have a lower power band than the 82's. They are actually completely different pipes.

82 Pipes are incredibly hard to find and they are marked 8R9. I got all the 82 Pipes from Benders shop a couple years ago from people who were buying out parts from him. Bender parted out the 82's he had raced.

CORRECTION:
SRX snowmobile
S-SNOW
R-RACER
X-EXPERIMENTAL

SRX motorcycle
S-STREET/SPORT
R-RACER
X-EXPERIMENTAL

(FOR THE RECORD)
SR snowmobile
S-SNOW
R-RACER

This thread has some really great information!

I have some new info about the 1974 mod Sno Pro . edited in the main post.

there will come some more about that machine I hope

SRX500_129 said:

I have some new info about the 1974 mod Sno Pro . edited in the main post.

there will come some more about that machine I hope

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What info. ?

T T T

tttt
still waiting

Wow! Great info. I don't that much about the 82's, but in western canada, I got a brochure and talked with dealer about what was supposed to be, opening a can of wuppass! I was surprised when the dealer told me they'd been canceled. I have never seen one in real life to this day.

As for the SSR, I had heard that before on this site that it was, or should have been considered an embarrassment to Yamaha.

PARDON ME!

I only ever saw the SSR's at one race in Alberta Canada, the Wetaskiwin North Am and the SSR's DESTROYED the competition! There was only two of them there and they ran together racing against each other, I kid you not, a full half lap and a little bit better, in front of the rest of the field!

It was almost a boring race as these two lone SSR's came screaming by....by themselves, as you see the rest of the pack running all together all the way across the other side having a race amongst themselves for THIRD! Would ya like to see the pictures?

Embarrassed by the SSR!!!? That was the coolest sled I EVER saw, and you're right, it was no competition! It was a SLAUGHTER! G.

Im sick of hearing that the SSR was no good. Why because it did not win any Sno pro races in 78? Big Deal ! didnt Ito get second a few times?
Yamaha had as many wins if not more, in the local ranks every weedend at hometown races with the ssr than the other brands.
Looks like the North American companies that own all the publications did what ever they could to make the Yamaha out to be a joke.
Put the Polaris riders on the Yamahas and we have a different story. The guys that rode Yamaha did not even get paid like the Polaris guys.
Didnt Yamaha nearly win ER with a leafer in 77?
Proud previous owner of ssr ##148 and ##108
Dont listen to the Polloc, Arctic Crap, and Ski Donkey, maddness

SSR's

Here is the only pic I can find of that day that shows one of the SSR's racing.....by ITSELF! You can't even see the rest of the field, they're still on the back straight and not even into the turn yet!

This other picture was the local paper the following Monday. I raced against this Dennis Clarke fellow they're talking about years earlier and he replaced me as driver with my then Sponsor, Topline Cycle. Sadly Dennis is no longer with us, but this was definitely a day in the sun for him on his SSR. I know I'll never forget it! G.

Have you tried to track down his SSR?

No I did not. Never actually considered that he kept it as he a had a lot of sleds and a small engine repair business. In 1975 he sold and raced both Polaris and Rupp. The GPX's gave him fits that year as you can imagine (including mine!) and that's why he switched! Not a bad idea though, I'm going to poke around a little! G.

Missing models

RJH: Maybe you or someone else can shed some light on this one then. This of course is the 77 SRX pictured being piloted by Larry Omans in the 78 brochure. It's easy to see that the hood is a little lower than the publicly sold SRX's.

When I saw this I thought not only was it a very cool picture, ( I wanted that hood! Still do!) but the differences intrigued me so I asked my dealer. He told me that this was a machine that only the factory teams got and was much lighter and pushing around 114hp!

What kind of truth is there to that? The weight part is easy to believe based on your posts on the 75 SRX's, but what about the power?

I'd also like to get my hands on one of those lightweight 82 SRX chassis that Bender got!!! Anyone know where they're hiding? The whole ten years of riding my 83 I felt it was too heavy in the nose and dreamed of an aluminum bulkhead! Thanks. G.

The Yamaha mod motors in the 77 SRX and SSR's made as much as 118 HP for Sno Pro racing. They had many configurations of them too! Those hoods were available from Kalamazoo back in the day. I have been trying to find one too! I will probably just make one.

1st..Yamaha One…

The Yamaha sleds have always been good…the guys sitting on the SSR’s could simply not figure them out….You see…..Yamaha engineers design it right…but they seem to go astray buy the time they hit production.

Others mentioned the GPX sucked…we won everything at major racers with it in 74. In 340 stock..I had problems with the factory T-Jets..it took 3 laps to catch and pass them. Mod stock was the same..the only thing bad…was they made me run circle m’s went thru many sets.

We ran the 340 is mod at races that allowed that…we finished 2nd overall in 400 and 3rd overall in 440. However – Yamaha did give us a 440 mid way thru the season.

OK – the SSR. You see – race thinking has morphed into a ..well..not the way I think direction..theses past decades…hmmmmm..I wonder why Polaris factory is so fast..old Bender…. Cat – Hibbert…ovals..Wahls dad…ya see. The new guys just don’t get it.

We drove Larrys factory SSR one weekend only. I was told..you tell the engineers – you are having a hard time getting use to it..as the boss new I could make it rock..but – he would loose face..ya see.

Anyway..to this day..I have not driven a 440 engine that made more HP then that factory SSR. E.G./ MXZX 440’s

The jetting was near perfect

I had to let off waaaaay too soon to turn…as the weight would not transfer. The engine was lowered – but it should have been raised. My 76 springer would have smoked it on a ½ mile. Could have been fixed.

The suspension was a drag race skid…it needed way more pressure up front..and some sag in the back.

The clutch..OMG..it ripped at the belt – could have fixed that.

We were confident – we could have put it up front..but politics prevented that.

What a crime…

RJH said:

1st..Yamaha One…

The Yamaha sleds have always been good…the guys sitting on the SSR’s could simply not figure them out….You see…..Yamaha engineers design it right…but they seem to go astray buy the time they hit production.

Others mentioned the GPX sucked…we won everything at major racers with it in 74. In 340 stock..I had problems with the factory T-Jets..it took 3 laps to catch and pass them. Mod stock was the same..the only thing bad…was they made me run circle m’s went thru many sets.

We ran the 340 is mod at races that allowed that…we finished 2nd overall in 400 and 3rd overall in 440. However – Yamaha did give us a 440 mid way thru the season.

OK – the SSR. You see – race thinking has morphed into a ..well..not the way I think direction..theses past decades…hmmmmm..I wonder why Polaris factory is so fast..old Bender…. Cat – Hibbert…ovals..Wahls dad…ya see. The new guys just don’t get it.

We drove Larrys factory SSR one weekend only. I was told..you tell the engineers – you are having a hard time getting use to it..as the boss new I could make it rock..but – he would loose face..ya see.

Anyway..to this day..I have not driven a 440 engine that made more HP then that factory SSR. E.G./ MXZX 440’s

The jetting was near perfect

I had to let off waaaaay too soon to turn…as the weight would not transfer. The engine was lowered – but it should have been raised. My 76 springer would have smoked it on a ½ mile. Could have been fixed.

The suspension was a drag race skid…it needed way more pressure up front..and some sag in the back.

The clutch..OMG..it ripped at the belt – could have fixed that.

We were confident – we could have put it up front..but politics prevented that.

What a crime…

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Thanks, RJH. I wish this topic/thread, was on vintage sleds "aka" vintage anything, but YAMAHA.

Thanks RJH: Way cool stuff. I am curious about a few things though, what do you mean by "The new guys just don't get it"? Can you expand on that at all?

All of these problems sound like easy fixes today given the technology we have available. The SSR's, including the repops should flat out rock, yet I have heard that Rotax is the one to beat these days in vintage? That surprises me as I recall if ever I glanced over my shoulder to see what was there, it was either a T-jet or a twister and NEVER a rotax! Got beat by one cat all season and he was protested and found to be cheating heavily, mine truly was stock! But during pre-race tuning, my 338 was pulling rotax 440's, never mind the 340's!

I'm sitting here imaging my 79 SRX motor done to the nines dropped into a repop SSR with a wahl bros skid and all the latest goodies being damn hard to beat! Think I'm getting chub just thinking about it!

The problem then would be the old fat guy on board slowing it down! Thanks again. G.

Gorkon said:

Thanks RJH: Way cool stuff. I am curious about a few things though, what do you mean by "The new guys just don't get it"? Can you expand on that at all?

All of these problems sound like easy fixes today given the technology we have available. The SSR's, including the repops should flat out rock, yet I have heard that Rotax is the one to beat these days in vintage? That surprises me as I recall if ever I glanced over my shoulder to see what was there, it was either a T-jet or a twister and NEVER a rotax! Got beat by one cat all season and he was protested and found to be cheating heavily, mine truly was stock! But during pre-race tuning, my 338 was pulling rotax 440's, never mind the 340's!

I'm sitting here imaging my 79 SRX motor done to the nines dropped into a repop SSR with a wahl bros skid and all the latest goodies being damn hard to beat! Think I'm getting chub just thinking about it!

The problem then would be the old fat guy on board slowing it down! Thanks again. G.

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Last year a guy did just what you are saying. Marc Pomasl Used a repop SSR with an 81 SRX motor in it and did very well! I know he beat them all at least once!

Is that the one with the little holes in the hood for clearance? I had heard about that, something about having an accident at one event putting it into the bales. I think I have some pics of that sled. G.