SRX or Viper with Pipes?

nailsandrails

nailsandrails

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Aug 9, 2003
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Northern, IL
I'm looking for some opinions comparing a piped viper to a stock SRX. From what I have read on here the SRX will still be faster on top end. It also appears the Viper will not get very good gas mileage. I am looking to get back into snowmobiling after being off for a year. My old sled was a ported SRX and I loved it. I always wondered how the Viper with Pipes would have ran against it. All things being equal of course. I realize it's all in the set-up, but let's assume the same tuner set them both up. I also realize the Viper should ride better with the longer travel. That's pretty easily fixed on the SRX when changing to the viper shocks. Thanks guys!
:yam:
 
Piped Viper better on bumpy trails...but..I have seen 04,s even with DCS burn down with SLP pipes. The SRX gets way better mileage & just has that strong pull that is such a blast. SRX feels way more stable at high speeds. Gotta spend $$$$ to make a Viper run with a sRX too.I gotta go with SRX, just for the better reliability & fuel consumption over a piped Viper.SRX is way less finickity too!!!!
 
Thanks Turk. I haven't been on here in a long time, but Last I knew you had moved to the RX1. Can you give your thoughts between that and the SRX? Tuning ability...overall ride and power. How does it compare through the trails? I have read up on it quite a bit on the boards here, but I put a large value on your opinion. It was nice to see you are still posting!! I'll thank you one more time for helping me tune my SRX back in the day. :)
 
You are comparing apples and oranges with the Viper and SRX. If you want a hard pulling sled in low, mid, and top end then get the SRX. Great gas mileage and pulls hard. If you want more travel and a smother riding SRX the best thing is to go with the M10. If you want o good trail riding sled go Viper but dont pipe it. I ride a SXR and ride with someone who rides an SRX again cant compare these two. I like the SXR and would take a Viper but he would always chose the SRX. The SRX is fast and reliable bone stock.
 
I turboed my RX-1 & my 98 MSRX is my mountain/beater sled. RX-1 is probably a better well rounded ride...better on fuel, smoother & quieter. No question go RX-1 over a SRX. SRX is still a blast to drive & mine can still hang with & beat a lot of the new stuff. The RX is just way more refined & easy to run 200 mile days. Wait till 06 tho ...might be some surprises coming???
 
WELL i would go with a RX-1 But if you had to pick from a srx or a vipe i would pick a Srx with out even concidering a viper. No comparision
 
Turk hit it on the head. I had pipes on my Viper last year. They are off now. (it burned down too) The Viper is finicky with pipes IMO. SRX is a good choice. I like the '01 and '02 the best. The NEW RX-1 is quite nice too, but depends what your budget is. I had a 2001 SX-R700 before my '02 Viper and I liked that sled alot in the trails. It seems I am constantly looking for something to better improve the ride and handling of my Viper. The performance is respectable though.
 
Depends on how much off trail riding you do also. With mountain/off trail riding less weight is always a good thing, this is where the Viper has an advantage with less weight on the front end.
 
Piped Viper or SRX

I went from a 2000 SRX to a 2002 CPR piped Viper 2 years ago. I loved the SRX but the Viper is a great sled as well. I racked up about 8000 trouble free miles on the SRX and enjoyed every mile. It's hard to directly compare them because they are such different sleds. If you want gas and go performance don't even think about a piped Viper - the SRX is way better. If you don't mind a little wrench time and poor mileage then you'll have a blast with a piped Viper. I can easily pull all of my friends' SRXs (2-'98s, 2-'01s) but they laugh at me at the gas pump when they take about half the fuel as I do. You'll have a tough time finding a sled that will beat a well dialed piped Viper. I have 5500 miles on mine and have yet to have any burndowns or issues whatsoever but I run EGTs and I pay attention to them religiously. I also went with an M-10 this year which really makes that Viper a blast to ride. Having said all that, however, if I were to recommend a sled to a friend I'd say SRX all the way. If you want more travel after you get it then long travel the front and throw an M-10 or Expert in the rear and enjoy one of the best sleds ever made.
 
Yamadogger is a very dilagent exception to the rule. He has went to great extents monitoring temps from all over under the hood. Welding new springs on his pipes. A true fanatic. Typical engineer, but very honest indeed!!.....LOL!!! HOW"S THE RIDING UP THERE THIS YEAR?? Haven't even been on mine this year. What an aweful winter around here.
 
Riding

J-Man - Riding is awesome! Not to rub it in but I think we have more snow on the ground right now than anytime I can remember in the past several winters. Just rode the Big Fork River today and there were only a few tracks up the river with about a foot of powder to play in. The trails are in excellent shape as well. It sounds like you guys down there are hurting for snow right now - it's hard to believe being only 5 hours north of you makes that much difference but obviously it does. Hopefully the snow gods grace you with some white stuff pretty soon. If you get up this way let me know...
 
12mpg last weekend on piped viper

Can't believe the srx is that better on the mileage. 02 piped with SLP's. No egt's, just common sense jetting and clutching and all the cooling stuff you can find. Then re-fined over 1 year. This thing flies and the F-7's are leary to line up. I think I can stay with "any" SRX.

BUT: as they said earlier, you do need some extra coin after the sled purchase.
 
Great reply's guys. The basic consensus is that the SRX is the more economical choice along with more dependable and possibly even cheaper in the long run. That is basically what I thought, but it's good to hear from other poeple that have actually changed from Viper to SRX. I always did love the good gas mileage with the SRX. Mine was ported and ran very well,... and pulled almost the same gas mileage as stock. (lost 2 MPG) Thanks again for the great responses!!
 
Koodat, how many miles on your setup? Just curious.

Yamadogger,Big Fork River!!........man I love running that. It's been awhile since I've ridden it. My former brother in laws family owns a place five miles south of the river on Highway #6. Needless to say ,I don't get invited there anymore since my sister got divorced. Oh well......


PS:this area (MPLS) has quietly become the rear end of the snowbelt. Tonight we had what was probably our first real chance at over an inch of snow heading right at us. They predicted 3-4". It was just west of the Twin Cities....and BAMM!! Gone. It all broke up like a stick of dynamite hit it and dissapated to the north. I swear someone has silently invented a snowstorm diversion device here that no one knows about.
 
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I am curious as to why piped Vipers don't have the same reliability as the SRX? Has anyone ever tried installing all SRX mains, pilots, needles, needle jet, etc and venting the carbs to atmosphere? It just doesn't make sense that the viper has to be jetted so high that the fuel mileage goes that far into the crapper. Someone please explain.
 
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