Viper all over the trail...

ajviper, specifically says it's not a darting issue, and it occurs in loose snow conditions. Classic rear boggies are not pushing down enough.
 
You're right XXX...

No issue on hardpack and it is fishtailing not darting. THe track basically feels like it comes unhooked. I'll check out all of the settings tomorrow. THANKS!
 
I would think the shocks are fine other than them being stiff because they're the orig. from 2002. The sled had 500 miles ont before last weekend, so I don't think they are blown. Will post back later with settings.
 
AJ just set it up like I told you, as you stated it feels like it loses traction, and you're right, the sled is imbalanced front to rear and thats why it does what it's doing, there is too much on the front, tighten the center and let the straps out, and someone noted that I said toe it in, reread my post, I said toe it out 1/4"
 
800 and the others know way more than i do about yamaha's but i have an 02 viper with the exact same issues your are having. I will just post what i did to take care of the issues you are talking about. by the way the stock track suchs on loose snow i would get a 1.25 and you will be amazed at the difference. anyways i took all perload out of the front skid shock. then i sucked the limiter straps up so that when i picked up the back end of the sled and set it back down the track would hit the ground equally at all points. then i re adjusted the front skid shock a couple of turns past the point that the spring was flopping around. then you you soften or tighten up the rear to your liking. just remember that if you make adjustments on any setup (skis or skid) you may have to make all around adjustments. hope this helps...also on a side note remember toe in bad toe out good
 
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just another piece of input to add... a buddy of mine has an 02 sxr 600 that was doing some serious tail wagging (i tried it, and it was pretty scary on loose snow). he asked a dealer about it and they said it was actually a result of darting. he needed a new track and carbides anyways, so he changed from the stock junkohama to a new hacksaw with 96? picks, and put on new 6" woodys doolies, and it completely eliminated the problem. not sure if it was the doolies or the track w/picks-- probably both helped, but he says it's a whole new sled now and didn't do anything to the suspension. i know you guys know a lot more about suspension than i do, but i had to chime in on it-- good luck! ;)!
 
MR. Rocket

I also agree. Had a similar experience and just installed the doolies and it fixed it. Some of the guys here know this suspension like the back of their hand and I don't doubt that some of the suspension tweaks will contribute to the fix. The more I thought about it the more sense it made. If the front of the skid had too much of the total track pressure the sled would want to pivot around the center all the time. As you steered to counter this the back and forth motion is DARTING. My APEX GT did it so bad a few weeks ago it was scary to ride. I added doolies and sucked the limiter up one hole and it's fixed. On the proaction the front shock spring tension seems to be the key also. Just my 2 cent
 
I fixed mine by tightening my center shock limiter strap, turned the nut a little and tested, turned a little more and tested, works great now. I think thats where you will find your problem.
 
Here are the current settings...

Straps .75"-1" thread showing
*Center 3"
*Rear 2.5"

*measured from adjustment ring to mounting bolt

In addition to the above settings, my front ski shocks are set at the softest settings according to the manual.

Thanks again everyone!
 
How much do you weigh with all gear on?
Where is the FRA at right now?
What are the gaps on the control rods with you sitting on the sled?

Personally I think the front ski shock springs could be turned a little tighter. This will help some. Mine never did that unless it was a freshly groomed trail with alot of loose snow on it. Everyone I ride with says their sleds do that right after the groomer goes by. We all ride different brands.

Go to the tech pages and look for the suspension setup guide. I bet the problem will be greatly reduced of you get the balance right.
 
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FRA is in the middle and my transfer rods are set to the softest setting (full gap at top with maybe 75/25 while sitting on the sled). I'm about 175lbs.

I know what you mean about being loose on a fresh groomed trail or in light powder. This is different... it slides all over the place when riding above 60mph in fairly loose conditions.
 
Does this fishtail stuff ever sound like my sled! Only difference is my sled seems to track better at speeds above 60mph. It seems SO heavy on the skis at slower speeds. I asked the dealer to set the sled up for a heavy rider (260+ pounds).

I also have a 1998 700 V-Max to compare to and found the SX700R hit 10X more stones on the same railroad grade. I have no idea where any settings are at and have the luxury of comparing the 2 sleds.

From what I read so far on the limiter straps is that I need to lengthen the front strap to lighten the front end. I will compare the shock settings this weekend. :letitsnow
 
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this was last year, but I did seem to fix my problem (i think). I let the limiter strap out a bit and replaced all of my shocks with the upgraded ones(from yamaha) and my sled seems to ride much, much, better this year. I also added a set of the newer deep keel saddleless skis and shimmed them prior to this season.
 
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