1st SX Viper Experience

S

srt842

New member
Joined
Jan 5, 2010
Messages
21
Location
South Branch, MI
Hi All,

I'm new to the forum and just wanted to say Hello!!
I bought a 2003 SX Viper 700(650 miles) and 2004 SX Venom 600(500 miles)in August and they were in better-than-show-room-condition.

My wife and I got them out last week for the first time, and I must say, we were very impressed. I couldn't be happier with the Viper. My only gripe was I had a hard time starting it, but in hindsight, I believe it was the 87 Octane gas I put in it. The power and responsiveness of the sled was incredible.

The Venom is a heck of a nice machine too and perfect for my wife. Plenty of power.

On a sidenote, my second day on the Viper, I decided to go across our lake, which I calculated was safe to try. When I got to the middle of the lake, the ice was cracking around me and my rear end was down in the water. I nailed the throttle and 25 feet later, I popped back up on the ice and into a spinout. Oh, this was during a whiteout in Northern Michigan. My wife and Brother-in-Law were supposed to be following me, so I freaked when my sled finally came to a stop. I immediately saw my Bro-in-Law off to the right of me, but assumed my wife would come up behind me and go in the hole I just created. Thank goodness she opted out and didn't go on the lake.

Anyway, I feel privileged to be a Viper & Venom owner and I love the info on this site. Vipers rock and with the help from this site, I hope to keep it rocking!

Happy Trails!!

Brian
 
Welcome to the forum. You will love your Viper.

Just a little advise, you calculate your lake was safe but in the middle the ice cracked. To me that is not the best calculation. STAY OFF THE LAKES UNTIL COMPLETELY FROZEN OVER. How would you have felt if you wife and brother-in-law fell into the hole you created????
 
Viper77 said:
Welcome to the forum. You will love your Viper.

Just a little advise, you calculate your lake was safe but in the middle the ice cracked. To me that is not the best calculation. STAY OFF THE LAKES UNTIL COMPLETELY FROZEN OVER. How would you have felt if you wife and brother-in-law fell into the hole you created????
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The lake was frozen over, I saw a sled and ATV on the ice already, and I measured 5 inches two days before we had a cooling off period. So, I felt it was safe. Unfortunately, the lake has varying degrees of depth and it's spring fed, so I'll chalk it up to bad luck. However, it was good luck that nobody followed me in the same tracks and that my wife went with her instincts.

The only smart thing I did do that day was I purposefully kept my speed up in case something like this happened. Needless to say, I'll be more careful in the future.

Thanks for making me feel like a dufus!! ;)!
 
Not making you feel like a dufus, just hear too many guys falling though. Sometimes you have to think it through a little more thats all. :2strokes:
 
DV8 said:
Only run premium fuel in your Viper. With 87 your playing with fire.
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The viper was made to run on 87 and does great with it. Run 93 if you feel like paying more per gallon. Same with the venom

Also, vipers like to have the throttle cracked a bit when you're starting them. I don't know why but all of them seem to be like this.
 
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Ice thickness on lakes can vary greatly and even during a cold winter some lakes are always unsafe in places such as near a creek or river mouth and heavy springs.Local knowledge goes a long ways in this matter.
 
Bad fuel

Hey Groover - Our Vipers have high compression at 13.5 to 1. I agree that regular fuel can detonate if your not careful. We are right on the edge of being safe. You may run ten tanks of fuel and be OK. Then it seems like for no reason they blow up. Keep reading this forum and every week more and more reports where guys are asking the same question "what happened".
 
Manual says 88octane or higher, but I wouldnt run anything less then 91. Especially if its cold out. Just my .02
 
staggs65 said:
hey brian, i cant help but notice the atlanta ga as your location, surprised you have any ice... lol
just joking where are you riding though?
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Riding in Northern Lower Michigan. Yeah, it's a long commute!!:rofl:
 
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