Is it overkill to go from 136" ´99 MM700 to 162" ´06 Apex Mtn?

Kris MM700

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Hey, I'm in the process of trying to find a new sled to replace me 99 MountainMax 700 that has a 136" 2" high track and I have the 06 Apex Mountain with the 162" long 2.25" high track in mind. Now correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't the 162" track length the only choice you have, when you only want to go with the Mountain sleds? And would this choice be an overkill?
Have some of you taken a big leape like this? I ride in an area that can have between 5 and 6 feet of snow when the season is good and as low as a couple of feet when we have a bad season.
Any input would be great, as I have a hard time figuring out what to go for within the Yamaha line up that'll keep me above the snow in the backcountry.
 

Im not a mountain rider, so you can take my opinion for what its worth.
I think that with the added weight of the Apex you would want the longer track and taller lug.
You are going to need that to help you get through the steep 'n deep.
If you think that the Apex Mountain is overkill you could always go with an Attak.
Cap'n
 
how has the 136" been working for you? if it works good, then get an attak and put a 2" on it.
 
The 136" has worked quite good, but there's always those times where there's so much new powder that I have to take several tries and make a path up a steep ´n deep hill, before I can get over the top and then again sometimes there's just not enough power in the sled. It's at these times I would like a bigger and more powerfull mountain sled. But i'm just worried that the big leap is maybe an overkill, since I haven't riden anything bigger than the 136". But then again, I'm not against the challenge of learning how to ride a big boy like the Apex Mountain, if it means that I can start taking over bigger hills ;)!
 
A longer track has a lot better flotation & will enhance your riding skills. A combination of more power & more track make climbing in powder a lot easier & will get you into places you won,t believe. Sometimes coming down is a lot scarier then going up!
 
and don't forget...the apex has a 16" wide track also
yamaha should really come out with an apex mountain with a 144" or 151"
or a attak with a 144" and at least a 1.5" lug
i wonder if yamaha realizes how many sales they loose for not having a sled in this market
 
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they still have the viper mountain, thats 144, and that is probably exactly what they would say ;)!
 
Yeah Yamaha does lack the line up in between with the 144" and 151" tracks, that's also why I think it's quite a big leap if I go from 136" to 162" :confused:
I wouldn't mind starting out with an Apex Mtn that had a 144" or even the 151", those would also suit my riding conditions better. But since the Apex Mtn only comes in the 162" size, I really don't have any other choice IMO, if I want a stock mtn sled with 150Hp with atleast a 2" high track.
 
The Mountain Viper with a set of SLP's, makes a pretty good mountain sled. They still make'm new ( for one more year anyway), the 05's and newer come with the good ski's, lighter rear skid, 144" track your looking for, and they are quite a bit lighter then the Apex. For those who dont want to step all the way up to a 162", IMO it would be a good choice.
 
Take a look at the Mt Vector. Its a 151x15x2 and still also weighs 30lbs less then the Apex Mt. It has about 10 more hp (stock - stock) then your Mt Max had. Lot less money too. ===SRXSRULE===
 
Yeah but isn't there quite a big difference in power between a Viper and Apex? Even with a set of pipes?? Or might the weight of the Apex make it an equal run?
 
The Apex should have about 30 hp on the Viper, but the big difference is TORQUE. I demo rode an RX-1 last winter and the torque of that engine is amazing! With the changes that were made to the Apex engine, it should be even better. ;)!
If you dont want the full Apex Mountain, I think Id give the Vector a serious look.
It puts out pretty much the same power as the RX-1 did up to about 7500-8000 rpm, but its lighter and costs less. Plus, it comes in the track length you are looking for.
I also demo rode a Vector last winter and its a very sweet sled. If I was going to get a new sled, that would be what Id buy.
Cap'n
 
yamaholic22 said:
they still have the viper mountain, thats 144, and that is probably exactly what they would say ;)!

I forgot about the Viper Mountain. The only thing they changed on it for 2005 was the redesigned Pro Mountain skid. I don't believe they changed anything on it for 2006. If you ask me they should improve the Viper Mountain every year or come out with a 4 stroke mountain sled with 144" track......and on a side note they should've kept the Viper S also. :o| #$%&*
 
Yes, they should have keep on making the Viper S, that was one nice sled! Now that's actually the one I originally fell in love with and I had a dream about buying the Viper S and making it into a 144" or 151" mtn sled, but there's not a lot of those around for sale #$%&*
But Cap'N, that's what I was hoping to hear from people, that the new Genesis engines have power and Torgue ;)! I'm still leaning towards the Apex Mtn, besides there's just not that many mtn sleds that come with 150 ponnies out of the box...
 
The pipe builder's claim 153 horse power, but really it's more like 146ish. The apex will have more torque for sure, it's kind of a apples to oranges comparision. Both with power and weight.
Dont get me wrong, I like the 4 strokes. Hopefully I will get the chance to ride an Apex the season. Not trying to talk you out of an Apex, it's just that if you are concerned about making to big of a jump in sleds. The Viper would be similiar to your MM, with more power, bigger track, and a better rear skid. Hopefully there is a dealer that will let you test ride the Apex, Vector, and Viper, so you can compare them back to back.
Although I think I would wait on the Vector, to see if it comes out with fuel injection for 07!
 
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Kris MM700 said:
But Cap'N, that's what I was hoping to hear from people, that the new Genesis engines have power and Torgue ;)!
Oh yeah, HP and torque, theres no doubt about that. ;)!
Keep in mind, I ride an '01 Polaris 600 XC and the torque of the Vector TOTALLY blows away by little 600 2-stroke.
If I could afford to, Id trade my XC in on an RS Vector without even so much as a second thought. It took a 5-minute demo ride to convince me that Ive owned my last 2-stroke sled.
Cap'n
 
I rode the Apex Prototype last year and it handles very well. It rolled around in the powder much easier than my 2002 MM700 with the stock 141. Down the trail it (Apex)really absorbs the bumps. It rides like a caddy. It climbes very well too. It is an amazing machine. Wouldn't want to get it stuck. If you campare it to an RX-1 it handles very different in my opinion (no camparison). Even the Apex will have to make several attempts climbing in the deep stuff if its fresh, just not as many. It climbs good, doesn't lose power and it floats great. My MM700 is ported and piped and I love the 2 strokes so I am sticking with it for now. What mods have you made to your MM700? Where do you ride? What altitude?
 
Alright, I've done some research and thinking about the Apex Mtn and the Viper Mtn and with the savings from a possible purchase of a Viper Mtn, it starts to sounds very attractive. On Yamaha's american site, the Viper Mtn goes for 7.999 USD That's a difference of 4.000 USD. Now that's quite a lot of money, that I could mod the Viper Mtn with, right? Like Mtn Viper wrote, throw in some SLP pipes and I would still save money. Now how big a difference do you guys think there would be between a modded Viper Mtn and a stock Apex Mtn?
Man, I'm starting to be really split up between the Apex and the Viper :o| :ORC The Apex Mtn is attractive because of the great power and torque right out of the box with a huge track, but with the added weight. The Viper Mtn is also attractive because of the price and the possibilities of moding and the light weight. Hmm, guys help me out, what do you think?
 


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