Just bought a 2002 SX Viper

SXVIPERGUY21

SXVIPERGUY21

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Joined
Jul 19, 2015
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Location
Columbia City, In
Hey everyone new to this thing but i just picked myself up a real clean 2002 yamaha sx viper ER. Red body everything in good condition track is not the best but not awful. 2835 miles on it and paid 1900 for it. got it outside of grand rapids MI on my way back from our place in Cadillac. only i very small crack in the front of the hood. i have owned a few older yamaha sled before so what im wondering is some good things to check for to make sure everything is in good working order. also did i get a fair deal? ill try to post some pictures up here soon.

Thanks!! Landen.
 

Welcome to the forum! I think that's a pretty good price considering the vipers are around $3,000 with double the mileage in my area of Canada. First thing I would check would be the speedo bearing key, if that's broken only the seller will know exactly how many miles are on it. I'm not familiar with vipers but I would think it's located below the secondary clutch. Take off 3 nuts and remove the bearing cover. There will be a 1-1.5" long skinny key or pin or whatever it's called. Lol if it's broken then you'll know the mileage is incorrect. This happened to me when I bought my SRX.

Blow out the clutches with air, take power valve servo motor cover off and just touch the cables with fingers and make sure they are tight. If there's A LOT of slack on either of the 3 cables you probably have a "pull through" on the power valve.
Check sliders and skid etc. go over everything!! Make sure you clean the carbs, if you don't know how there's info in the tech section of step by step instructions. Or get somebody else to clean them, but make sure they get cleaned! Look for cracks in the track. Check for loose bolts everywhere, youve got lots of time before it snows. Siphon old fuel out and throw in mower or use for Bon fire. Put in fresh gas. There's lots of other things to look for....
 
A Viper doesn't have a speedo key like the SRX because of the digital guage. Still check out the bearings and be sure to clean the carbs this fall!
 
Good stuff

Thanks for all the info that is great!! also i was wondering how long of studs i can run without damaging my heat ex changer it is in awesome conditon now. also should i add octane booster to my fuel when winter rolls around?
 

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Nice sled. Check your chain case oil/change it. Check the slack in the chain it's self. Look for any wear metal filings. Studs depends on the track lug height as well. If you run a sled hard or in marginal snow I would recommend adding the Hyfax savers and the rear heat exchanger. It looks like the previous owner took care of it. But If it was me I would run through it to make sure. Also check your compression and or leak down test. Carbs are big on these sleds. Check the jetting. Like said before you have some time before the snow flies.
 
Power valves must be cleaned every year on these sleds. Nasty job but a must. Check if the power valve cables are broken or the power valve ends are pulled through. I ran Amzoil in mine and still had issues with the power valves sticking. The seat is a rock, look into an 04 seat. Much better foam in those seats and your tailbone will thank you for it. Other than that adjust it like a SXr and run it. The stock shocks on these sleds tend to be valved harsh. A good shock re-builder can do magic with them and improve the ride considerably. You will appreciate the dual headlight as well !!
 
Ok awesome information glad i came this site lol. i really appreciate all the help!! It has a 1 inch ripsaw track on it i was told.. i will be doing mainly casual riding with some trail blazing stuff mostly all in Irons Michigan, would you all recommend getting studs or just running it how it is. also is there a place i can get a service manual for the sled? im not to familiar with this motor

Thanks again, Landen
 
Ya you might want to stay away from amsoil. In my experience the first year I owned my srx I used amsoil and the valves were caked with carbon. I switched to IPone for about the same price and the valves have been much cleaner the past 2 years. Lots of good oil out there, comes down to personal preference, availability and how much your willing to spend. You should be able to find a manual on eBay. My dealer wants $175 for a manual. He sold me a copy on a cd for $30...might be an option at your dealer.
 
Nice sled by the way. Common issues to look for:
Speedo bearing
Dirty or poorly adjusted carbs
Power valves dirty or bad cables/ends
chipped or cracked reeds
chain case fluid not changed
Loose chain
Idler bearings in track
If you check these items along with the general stuff, you will be further ahead than most. Good luck and check the tech section for a ton more info.
 
I also believe that I heard some guys were raising the needles to richen up the midrange. That is where a lot of the burn downs are happening. Also a rear heat exchanger is a must if it doesn't have one. If any of this was mentioned already I'm doing it again because it's important.
 
Nice looking sled and you got a good deal. I would just run it with the stock track for now and see how you like it, i personally dont like studs unless im running a lot of ice. Do the things mentioned above and you should be good. Powervalves, carbs, chaincase maintence, and drive, jackshaft bearings are a must and when in the carbs raise those needles. Start searching on those topics and read, read, read. plenty of info and just ask when in doubt. Also when becoming a VIP member you get access to all the manuals you need. Just $15 and well worth it! Plus MR SLED does trivia every month and we also do a football board during the NFL season to win cool prizes and lots of fun. Welcome!!! Chris
 
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