SRX vs. Viper
- Thread starter jay87lx
- Start date
SRX's were always considered a muscle sled or lake racer,they handle great corner flat and pull like a freight train where as the Viper I would say is more of a power cruiser for the trails.They have more suspension travel than the SRX but lack about 15-20hp.They kind of picked up where the SX-R left off,in a way,with more power but the same tired suspension,we had to wait another few years until the mono shock to come along which would have made the Viper a much better sled.
From what I've read about piped Vipers they tend to be rather hard on gas so in my opinion doing the suspension mods to an SRX is the way to go.
From what I've read about piped Vipers they tend to be rather hard on gas so in my opinion doing the suspension mods to an SRX is the way to go.
Put viper shocks on the back and ohlins shocks with pioneer performance extensions, also the hauck drop brackets up front. Will lose some top speed though with the higher suspension. This is what I did with my 01 srx and it eats up the bumps thanks to Bruce at pioneer performance.
You are no doubt talking about the same Ohlins plus he is also saying to put the extensions on for more front end travel or you can also just flip the shock brackets on the front for an added 1" or so of travel.
ottawaair
New member
Best to go with the srx & swap to a completely different suspension. The Viper susp. is the same crappy set-up, just more travel. Go with a polaris, cat or M-10, you will also lose some weight in the process.
Yea, they fall out...its typical. When i run a new track i always run it a year to stretch it out before i stud it. Most people dont. This shouldnt be a huge concern if you decide to buy a sled. Track replacement and stud replacement is inevitable. I would make sure to look the sled over really carefully. Check the tunnel and make sure that its straight, and the front braces in the engine to make sure it hasnt been rolled. Ask him if he has checked the compression, changed out bearings, and kept up on greasing. Also, check the signs for alot of miles. Chipping in paint, Oil buildup around where the exhaust exits. Some people will change out speedometers, and sell a sled with 9000 miles with the buyer believing it only has 3000. Just be careful and if your not sure take pics and post them on here!!! Theres alot of people on here that know a ton about yamaha's!!
srxr700 said:
a srx and viper use the same 33 mm carb size
a viper uses a headgasket with its monohead design, a srx has o-rings not headgaskets for its individual heads.
I would say if you want maximum fuel mileage with the stock power youd have to buy a srx, because they will get 12-14mpg all day long if its clutched/geared correctly. The srx weak point is its short travel suspension that will become very evident as soon as the trails get beat up. So it would be cheaper to long travel a srx then mod a viper up,but theres some points I will make about a mod viper.
PROS:1.) modded viper with a simple installation of triple pipes has more hp(On average about 10, for a 150hp) then a srx does(140hp).
2.) viper is lighter then the srx
3.)long travel suspension works decently if set up to your riders weight and style
CONS:- 1.) fuel mileage will be at best 9-10mpg if your clutching/gearing is perfect, the triple pipes require larger pilot jets and richer midrange to run the pipes and cope with the extra ign. timing of the viper cdi box
2.) no where near as stealthy, a piped viper will be known even the slp pipes have a tone to them, and with the new exh. laws in effect is something to think about.
3.) if your not a tuner and someone who just wants to ride and not check plugs,etc. a piped viper should be avoided.
mrviper700 said:
I think Don pretty much summed things up. I'd only add that flipping the front shock brackets will increase the front ride height 1" but susp travel stays the same.
IMO, adding susp travel (i.e. using a Viper skid or other long travel susp from brand X) to an SRX is a much cheaper and easier approach than upping the power on a Viper.
Not sure about the aftermarket susp up-grades from Pioneer and the others, but I just used Viper front end parts like the radius/tie rods, Viper shocks with custom -BetheViper- brackets and a Viper skid with lots of sag. By using Viper/SXR/Venture parts up front, you also widen the ski stance which helps retain most of the SRX "on rails" handling.
Finally, I have not had studs just fall out on any sled I've owned. They usually tear out or I've seen T nuts back out and the stud is lost but most trail studs today are push throughs. I think you'll find that if studs are missing, there is probably a hole in the track the size of the stud head. Not a total buzz kill, but you'd be wise to replace the track sooner than later. If it still has the OEM .920" Yoko, I'd add a new track to the list of things wrong when haggling over price.