Today I rode an RS Vector, RX-1 and Fusion

H

Hebi

New member
Joined
May 16, 2004
Messages
248
Age
45
Location
Edgerton, WI
Today I attended Cruiser Fest in Minocqua, WI.
While I was there I test rode 3 sleds: RS Vector, RX-1 and Polaris 900 Fusion.
First off: RS Vector. I LOVE this sled!!!! If I could afford it, I would have left Cruiser Fest, came home, loaded up my 600 XC in my truck, drove to Heckel's Marine in Eagle River, WI and ordered an '06 RS Vector. I would buy one today without a second thought. I have never liked a sled this much in my entire life!!!
The Vector was a very nice sled. Even though the trail condtions were pretty bare and icy, it still cornered like it was on rails (my XC would have pushed like a mutha on those corners) and carved a tight line around any corner. Also, the ride of the Yammies was amazing. They were very plush. I was riding over 6" moguls and didnt even stand up. Where my XC would have tried to punt me off of the seat, the Vector's suspension soaked up the bumps and didnt pound me AT ALL!!!
Also, the engine has so much torque!!! Its amazing! It was very linear. It starts out very mild at engagement and just builds and builds as the rpms increase. The Vector actually felt MORE nimble than my 600 XC. It actually felt lighter than my 600 XC. For the kind of riding I do, this sled is BY FAR the best I have ever ridden!
The RX-1 was very similar to the Vector but it has more of a snarl to it. When riding it I got the sensation that someone was following very close behind me. That would take a little getting used to. Where the Vector is somewhat subdued, the RX-1 has a "kickin' butt and takin' names" sound to it. I would say the power of these 2 sleds is pretty equal, but where the Vector kinda runs out of steam at about 8000 rpm, the RX-1 pulls hard all the way to 10,000 rpm. I was going across the lake at about 45 mph and pinned the throttle on the RX-1 and it carried the skis 2" off the ground for about 30 feet. Very impressive! ;)! The RX-1 also rode and handled great and also felt more nimble than my 600 XC. It also felt lighter than my 600 XC. I very much liked the RX-1, but its got a little bit more power than I would probably want.
I also rode a Polaris Fusion. I wasnt impressed. The thing shook and vibrated a LOT. After about 5 miles of riding it my hands and feet started to go numb. Also, it didnt feel as powerfull as the RX-1. It just didnt have the torque, in my opinion. Also, the Fusion had somewhat of a harsh ride, certainly not as plush as the Yammies. The Fusion didnt ride any better than my XC. I did like the seat and handlebars on the Fusion, its MUCH better than my XC.
I took a bunch of pictures, and I will post them as soon as I can. I even have some pics of a few of the '06s! They had 3 '06s there: Nytro, Apex GT and Apex RTX.
I want to apologize for the things I said about Yamaha being behind the times in terms of suspension. The ride and handling of the '05s I rode was AMAZING!!! I could easily ride 250 miles a day on either the Vector or the RX-1!
What a great day I had! I wish to thank Yamaha for giving me this wonderfull opportunity. They have made it 100% certain that my next sled will be a Yamaha. I will be buying used and I would prefer a Vector, but if I came upon a nice RX-1 I would not hesitate! ;)!
Hebi
 
You should copy your post and slap it on AMSNOW'S polaris section.LOL
Yamaha's a great sled I would not look at anything else.
 
I went down there not really sure if I was going to lean towards Polaris or Yamaha. Now I can say with abosulute certainty that I wont look anywhere else but Yamaha.
Jlance, dont ride a Vector unless you can afford to get one because 1 ride and you will want one!
Think about it, if someone can come off of an '01 600 XC and be this excited about a Vector, that tells you something.
You guys should head over to Hardcoresledder.com all the Polaris people got upset with me, stating that no big-bore sled can touch the Fusion and how the Fusion ride is the best there is and this and that. Im just like, "whatever, I rode all 3 and that Fusion didnt impress me!"
Hebi
 
The other thing too, if those Yammies ran that great at 45*, I cant imagine how well they will run when its 0* or -10*. Yamaha has always set their sleds up waay rich so those things must really haul when the jetting is spot on! Im still excited even the next day! The torque and the sound is amazing! The sound of the RX-1 even at idle is not like anything Ive ever experienced on a sled. Its just got a certain buzzy snarl that reminds me of a formula 1 car. Words can not experess how impressed and excited I am about getting one of these sleds in the near future.
I wish I could have ridden an Apex, but the sleds they had there were the prototypes so they were there for show only. All in all, after spending all day riding some '05s, seeing the '06s firsthand and talking to the Yamaha reps, I am convinced! I was surprised to find that (according to the Yamaha reps) that the GYT-R shocks are actually better than the Fox Floats. They told me that the GYT-Rs are more resistent to fading than the Floats. I think they will be easier to adjust too, because they have a dial on them that adjusts the dampening. On the Floats, you have to add or remove air and Im sure you need some kind of air pump. Also, I wonder if the Floats are effected by temperature, sort of like air pressure in a tire.
Anyone who hasnt ridden a Yamaha 4-stroke, you really owe it to yourself to experience one first hand. I had thought that Yamaha was giving us the typical "why you should buy a new sled this year" BS, but now I know it was all true. Im hooked, Im in love and I think I need to get me 2 or 3 part time jobs so I can afford to buy one!
:4STroke: :yam:
Hebi
 
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Its in the "general" section. Its got the same title as this thread.
Its getting funny now. The Poo people swear there is no electric shock and they swear that a-arms dont corner any better than trailing arms. Typical Poo rhetoric...
Hebi
 
thanks for posting and apologizing for what you said earlier about being behind the times. is says a lot to admit you were wrong about how they rode, and really speaks to who you are. a great asset as an honest and thorough poster on the site. a lot of your posts are really well written (if a bit long winded, not that it is bad at all!) and that you follow through with things! thanks for the great write up and comparison! keep em coming!
 
I guess it's true. "Don't believe everything you read" (or hear). Find out for yourself even if it's the hard way. Nice job Hebi and welcome to TRUE BLUE!
 
Thank you everyone. Id like to think that I add something to this site. Ive found Yamaha people to be some of the coolest folks around. We dont get much bashing on this site and even on other forums that I go on, the Yamaha owners dont really bash anyone's sled. That is a very cool thing, and I am proud to consider myself to be part of the Yamaha family.
03viperguy, I will be the first to admit that I am not always right. In fact, Im probably wrong more often than I am right. Im not afraid to admit that. I also agree with you, (I mean heck, I spent 4 hours grilling the Yamaha reps about every little detail of the '06s sleds, if that isnt dedication I dont know what is) sometimes I am a little long-winded but that is because I am passionate about snowmobiling and I try to express myself as clearly as possible.
Hebi
 
:rocks: Great post! Converts must be won on solid sleds not blind faith in your choice brand. Exhaust sounds great but for me its the sound I hear in my helmet when I tuk behind the windsheild at max. speed. No wind, no buffeting just pure mech. symphony rising from beneath the hood. Never understood muscle sled folks till I rode an RX. More stuff on 06s, keep it coming, especially on handling of Apex/Nytro. Now wheres my lottery ticket?
 
low slung said:
:rocks: Great post! Converts must be won on solid sleds not blind faith in your choice brand.
Click to expand...
I grew up around Polaris sleds, and thats what I learned to ride on. The rest of my family still rides Polaris and they do not understand what I see in Yamaha. They still have the perception of the old SRVs and Phazers (not Phazer IIs) in their heads, so they have the idea that Polaris is superior in every way.
They have no interest in riding anything but Polaris and I constantly hear stories from my father about "people" he knows who had nothing but trouble from their Yamahas. He told me once about a friend of his who bought a brand new SX Viper and rode it less than 5 miles and then all of the sudden the primary clutch fell off, tore through the bulkhead and broke his knee. He has told me of people he knows who broke bulkheads on SXrs just doing normal trail riding. He has told me of people with RX-1s who had the suspension break, causing the track to lock up, which caused them to get thrown over the handlebars which caused them to break their collarbones. He also told me that Yamaha was working on a rider-foreward sled but that they couldnt get the bulkheads to stay together because the sleds always want to land on the nose. He has told me that a 4-stroke snowmobile wont hold up because the engine cant take the stress of bouncing around all the time.
However, NOTHING on a Polaris EVER breaks according to him. I think all these stories he has told me are nothing but brand-biased BS! He also told me that buying the '90 Phazer II was a mistake, but that sled is my favorite to date. It was far more comfortable than any Polaris I ever rode and unlike his claims that "Yamahas have always gotten poor fuel milage and arent durable/dependable" my Phazer got 16-18 mpg and never gave me a single moment of trouble!
Yet, I look at other forums and when you read that Cat, Doo or Polaris threads over half of them have to do with people having problems. You almost never hear people talking about problems with their Yamahas and if you do it has the do with them complaining about poor suspension performance.
I tried to get my father to go to Cruiser Fest with me and try out a Yamaha. He refused, stating that he will never own a Yamaha because they are too expensive to fix. He doesnt believe me when I say that the 4-strokes are expected to last 50,000 miles. According to him, there is no durability advantage to a 4-stroke an that in fact a 2-stroke will last longer because it has "fewer moving parts". He says he will only own a Polaris because they are dependable and cheap to fix.
I respect my parents, but when it comes to a lot of things we agree to disagree. I find nothing to be excited about when it comes to Polaris. For them, new and improved has a tendency to end up meaning bold, new graphics. I give Yamaha credit for going aganst the grain and coming out with new, innovative technology. I also like the very high level of quality and great durability/dependability that Yamaha has always had. My '90 Phazer II had better fit 'n finish than my '01 600 XC does!
I will be a Yamaha owner and when they are constantly fixing their sleds, whereas I am not, I will just knowingly smile as if to say, "see what blind brand loyality gets you?"
By the way, this is not intended to be a Polaris bash!
Hebi
 
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