Couple of traction ?'s for a 99 phazer.. please help..

S

Scratch

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Joined
Dec 19, 2005
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54
Location
IL
Hey all,

Trying to figure out the best all around traction setup for a 99 phazer. Mostly trail riding, not a big fan of lakes but we do get some icy trail conditons here as well. My wife will be riding this sled next year and I want it to be a safe, extremely well handling machine.

Here's the current setup:

Stock track (very short lugs)
4" carbides
'99 or '00 SRX plastic skis.

Are the 98-99 SRX plastic skis the same as the '00 and up models? I'm asking because I'm looking at stud boy shaper bars and they only seem to make them for the '00 and up model sxr/srx skis. Will these work on mine? Like I said I'm not 100% but I think the skis I bought from Kevin at Port Yamaha were the 99 SRX skis.

Which sized lug ripsaw or hacksaw track to get? I'm trying to decide between the 1" or the 1.25" track. Not sure if I want to run studs in the future though it may be a good idea for those icy spots. Am I going to have any tunnel clearance issues with a 1.25 track and no studs? If I decide to install studs should I go with a 1" track instead? I'm really leaning towards the 1.25 since I'd prefer not to run the studs. Weight of the track is also an issue, I have very little power to work with and don't want to add any unsprung weight unless I really have to.

I just need this thing to handle as good as it possibly can without losing too much top end, it's already a little weak and the only time it breaks 70mph on the speedo is on hardpack.

Finally and this is a little off topic (and it's my topic, lol), how can I get a little more performance out of this engine? A little more snap down low and a tiny bit of top end would work wonders and make this a great little tight trail sled. Any little things I can do that won't sacrifice reliability?

Any ideas and insight is appreciated. I've done a search but not too much for the 98-01 phazers came up.

Thanks all.

PS- Went out last night and felt like bambi on ice! The *** end is all over the place no matter if it's deep powder/drifts or hardpack or road surface. The skis are shimmed but still getting alot of darting and hunting. Really need some help here....
 
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i had a 99 phazer and i just put 96 studs in it up the middle on the stock track. it hooked up good. i also had the new style skis on it helped handling alot. in the bush i could keep up with bigger sleds. as for performance there's not too much i put carbon fiber reeds in mine found it made her snappier and pulled better in the midrange. i also messed with the jetting some i went down one or 2 sizes on the main jets and one size on the pilots again throttle response was better and she used to top out around 87 mph on the speedo on good hard pack. they do sell a pipe for it that supposed to gain around 10-14 horse. i put one on my old 89 phazer and it really woke it up but then you start to get into reliability issues espesially in warm weather. hope this helps.
 
The 1 inch Ice Claw works great on that machine for all kinds of trail conditions. The 1.25 Ice Ripper works better for any powder or off trail riding. These tracks are about 36 and 37 lbs. respectively. Both of these tracks offer the benefits of studs without all the weight. There are no heat exchangers to protect, so just throw some low profile protectors in for the tunnel or keep the track a little tighter.

Most definitely go to a newer plastic ski. Those 2 changes combined are an awesome upgrade to that sled.

There is a little more power on the table, but not as much as previous models. Some on here have found more.
 
Scratch-
STUDS STUDS STUDS. Studs will be you most economical choice and the best traction as well. With Illinois and Wisconsin trail riding, they worj great. I have run them on phazers, exciters, and many v-max's as well. One word of caution, once you ride with them, you will never want to ride without them. Also jeting and clutching wake up the phazer a bunch but don't know if this is needed for the misses.
 
snowrules- Yeah I'm thinking some re-jetting might be in order. The plugs, though not fouled do give the appearance of the sled running way rich. This makes me feel a bit better about not burning down the motor but I think it can run much better. I'm just worried about warmer, 30 degree plus weather. Not sure if it's worth the risk but maybe going one down on the main would be alright.

Ding- Never heard of either track you mentioned, time for a little research. Are these waaay expensive and is studding a cheaper alternative? Which brand of "economical" skis would you recommend? Would the low end C&A's do the trick? Don't want to spend a small fortune. If I can get a good set for under $180 (hopefully w/ carbides) that would be sweet. Are the tracks you mentioned pre-studded? I briefly spoke with a guy who got a 110mph out of his phazer, didn't get into it too deeply since I thought at that point reliability must become a problem and he wasn't the sort that was too concerned about $$$.

mid 90's- Actually you'd be suprised, the misses does want a little more power. She's quite the handful and took to snowmobiling really well. Some more power all around would be great for both of us until I get my next sled but not unless it can be controlled with GOOD TRACTION! I hear you on the studs, might be unavoidable to get it to handle correctly. I know there's more to be gotten with clutching, though that part of it has always been sort of a "black magic" to me, I'm not at all familiar with how to properly clutch a sled. I would love to re-jet it but as mentioned before, I'm just concerned about blowing it up since we do ride in 30+ weather on occasion here.

If I can make some performance improvements in both the handling and power for under $500 bucks that would be ideal. The clutching part I might have to get a professional involved, the jetting I'd like to play with. You think going down one size on maybe both pilot and main is "SAFE"?

Thanks guys and please keep the info coming.
 
Actually I think I have that backwards. Sorry guys I'm a little out of it today but they run richer as the weather gets warmer correct?
 
scratch-
I used to have a bender racing phazer that was really fast machine all around. 110 mph out of a phazer is a stretch though. I would install 96 studs and some carbides to handle the traction and hadling end. I would then install a single pipe KIT by aaen, psi, or bender. Most of these manufactures will give you the jetting instructions and spring and helix for clutch. This would give you a great all around package. It may be a little more than 500 but it will feel like a new sled. My friends used to ride 750's and 800's back in the day and were great in the UP but would beg me to ride my Phazer when we rode in Northern Wisconsin. Phazers are great sleds in the tight and twisty trails. Good luck and enjoy. P.S. I wish I never sold that phazer
 
The power is definately on the board as far as things to do. But traction has to come first. Gotta figure out what's the best bang for the buck. But for sure will look into pipes, jetting and clutching in the very near future. Thanks for the tips!
 
The problem with the stock track is as soon as you put on plastic skis with even a slightly aggressive keel on them, it does not have enough traction in most snow conditions. Studs help on ice or hardpack, but don't do anything in looser snow. The .75 track with good plastic skis up front will over steer like crazy. Remember the old days when we used to power slide all the corners . . .
Turn slightly out of the turn going in, and then sharply into the turn while applying the throttle to get it sliding, then counter steer while keeping on the gas all the way around through the exit . . .
Many a mile put on like this.

I would find a good pair of used Viper, or even the new Yamaha saddleless skis found on many of the four strokes. You should be able to get them for less than $200. I have run SLP SLT's, but they run almost $400 new. If you go to that price range, just get a pair of C&A's from Rich Motorsports. You will want the less aggressive ones.

I really think that you will be happier with a better track. Any of the 1 inch takeoffs, or used tracks from other brands are very good options. You should be able to get a good track for $200 or less.
 
for that phazer i would go with the camoplast 1" ice claw/ripper. its a more agressive track and it comes with studs molded in the track so it is the equivelent of 96 studs. the viper skis are a good choice and worked well on the sx500r i had with the 1.25" ripsaw i had on it. make shure you get a track that is fully clipped as i initally had trouble on the sxr with it burning belts because the track was sticking to the sliders.

as for the motor, the kits sound like the way to go for you as they include all the pipes, clutching and jets etc that you will need to make it the sneaky little bugger that you want to ride.
 
Ding said:
Remember the old days when we used to power slide all the corners . . .
Turn slightly out of the turn going in, and then sharply into the turn while applying the throttle to get it sliding, then counter steer while keeping on the gas all the way around through the exit . . .
Many a mile put on like this.
Click to expand...

You have just perfectly described how I've been riding this thing for a while now. And yes this is exactly how I used to ride Exciters and Phazers 15 years ago.

Looks like Rich has got some deals on C&A's for $165 (forgot which models, cheapest C&A's). I'll check with him on how aggressive they are and for sure look around for at least a good 1" track, maybe a 1.25". Hopefully I'll find a fully clipped good condition take off for a decent price. Thanks again for the advice.
 
Maim said:
make shure you get a track that is fully clipped as i initally had trouble on the sxr with it burning belts because the track was sticking to the sliders.

as for the motor, the kits sound like the way to go for you as they include all the pipes, clutching and jets etc that you will need to make it the sneaky little bugger that you want to ride.
Click to expand...

Good insight there, for sure a fully clipped track. I'm not really sure why all of them are not fully clipped.

Yep got my eye on a few kits, it would be nice to give some of the bigger sleds a surprise out there. I'll never get over how a Polaris rider was going on and on about how he beat me, he was riding a 700 liquid! Sideways and all I still reeled him in on the turns. I don't want or need much, just a little more snap and 5mph on top and color me happy.
 
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