gap599
New member
This is prob more of a rant than anything. my SRX is down right now so I borrowed my FIL's sled to ride in a poker rally this weekend.
Its a newer Phazer (4-stroke) and he brought it over to my place last night. I went over it to make sure it is ready to ride and all I can say is what a pain in the **** it is to work on this thing. I couldnt even check the oil without taking a panel off. I like the way it rides and am all for new/better technology but even general maintainance is a pain on this thing! Do all they care about now is weight reduction & mass centralization and have no regard for how anyone could actually work on this thing?
I have always had older sleds and become acustomed to their simplicity and ease to work on. I guess where I am going with this is that I sometimes get frustrated that I usually have one of the oldest sleds out of the group of guys i ride with, but this served as a nice reminder as to one of the major pros to riding an older sled - I can actually work on the thing myself!
Rant over, thanks for listening!
Its a newer Phazer (4-stroke) and he brought it over to my place last night. I went over it to make sure it is ready to ride and all I can say is what a pain in the **** it is to work on this thing. I couldnt even check the oil without taking a panel off. I like the way it rides and am all for new/better technology but even general maintainance is a pain on this thing! Do all they care about now is weight reduction & mass centralization and have no regard for how anyone could actually work on this thing?
I have always had older sleds and become acustomed to their simplicity and ease to work on. I guess where I am going with this is that I sometimes get frustrated that I usually have one of the oldest sleds out of the group of guys i ride with, but this served as a nice reminder as to one of the major pros to riding an older sled - I can actually work on the thing myself!
Rant over, thanks for listening!
bluemonster1
LIFE MEMBER ONLY ONCE!!!
I am with you there.I know it will be difficult to do anything yourself on the newer sleds.Its just like a new car or truck.Open the hood and it scares you off to even try anything.Where as it is so simple to work on my older truck..same as my older sleds..I have read some of the threads in the 4 stroke side and the amount of things you have to do to even change exhaust gaskets as an example is crazy...probably the reason I don't want to go newer.Basically a lot of guys are forced to take the sleds in to the dealer at $100/hr rate.I hear ya..
bluemonster1 said:
LOL, didn't we just cover this the other day?
gap599
New member
Yeah probably, seems to be a re-occuring topic. I dont mean to keep beating a dead horse - just needed to rant.
bluemonster1
LIFE MEMBER ONLY ONCE!!!
just hop on back to your SRX and put that smile back on your face...lol
Think that's the problem Blue. SRX is down.....
bluemonster1
LIFE MEMBER ONLY ONCE!!!
but it won't be for long..he will get that smile back... 
bluemonster1 said:but it won't be for long..he will get that smile back...
That's the beauty of the 2 stroke. ;-)
I'm gonna go put a smile on my own face very shortly. Gonna go rip around with a buddy of mine, and his little son. He'll probably protest and not let me make a strap adjustment I want to try before we go. My quest for perfection never seems to stop. It's frustrating going riding with a "good enough" type person.....He hasn't touched his once all season. Says that he's used to how it rides and handles. SERIOUSLY?!? Complain about this or that, and then not do anything about it?!? It's the same as the day he brought it home this year.....
Cooper0809
New member
I think the manufacturers are making them that way so you have to take them to the dealer. like Blue said, its the same with newer cars or trucks too.
gap599
New member
Yeah, dont get me wrong - I like the new sleds, its hard to beat their level of comfort, I just wish ease of maintenance/repair was higher on the manufacturers priority list.
jabber800
New member
Sled manufactures have been forced into making the sleds alot more complex! Emission regulations are forcing the use of 4 strokes or complex fuel injection systems. It is the way things are moving. Get use to it! They may even restrict us from driving these older 2 strokes someday.
bluemonster1
LIFE MEMBER ONLY ONCE!!!
if they banned 2 stroke sleds,,they would have to do so on everything else 2 stroke..,dirt bikes,boat motors,weed whackers,etc.There would be a major backlash for sure.But with the Leaders of our Country..don't put it past them..the tree huggers...
I am glad they revised the frame to better fit the 4-strokes and all the components required to make them run as good as they do. If they simply plunked them down in the belly pan cavity like the old sleds, they wouldn't be nearly as reliable as they are. That said I do think they could improve the way some of the panels fasten though. Some of the attachment points are well designed and then right next to them are ones that leave you scratching your head.
I do agree whole heartily, a sled needs to be serviceable with minimal tools out on the trail unless it is a major repair. That is where they get used, not in cities with repair shops just down the street.
I do agree whole heartily, a sled needs to be serviceable with minimal tools out on the trail unless it is a major repair. That is where they get used, not in cities with repair shops just down the street.
bluemonster1
LIFE MEMBER ONLY ONCE!!!
Darn Tootin Ding!!!
jabber800
New member
Let be realistic though. How much can you really do on a fuel injected 4 stroke on the trail. You have to just hope they don't break down!
jabber800 said:
Yep. Just like you hope you break a PV on the trail or have a fuel issue and lose a cylinder. How much fixin' can you do on the side of the trail??
The CDI in a 2stroke is just as complicated as the ECU in the 4stroke. If either unit has an issue, your screwed!
Aside from the electronic engine management the 2 and 4strokes will break down in the same areas ie. skid , shocks, bearings ,belts,etc....
Now don't get me wrong here. I really did enjoy my Sx and Viper. Modded them until they were the best I could make them. I don't miss cleaning carbs and PV's. I also don't appreciate doing oil changes on my Attak. Nature of the beast.
New or old each sled has it's merit and downfall.
bADa$$ SRX
New member
How much can you do? A buddy of mine actually rebuilt a top end on his indy on the side of the trail. He blew it, walked home, grabbed a good piston from a parts sled drove his truck back with his tool box and pulled everything a 1/2 mile down the trail in a sled, pulled just the one bad cyl off, put the new piston in, reused the gasket, slapped the head back on and rode it home, its been 3000 miles since that and he hasnt had a problem yet lolstein700sx said:
bADa$$ SRX said:How much can you do? A buddy of mine actually rebuilt a top end on his indy on the side of the trail. He blew it, walked home, grabbed a good piston from a parts sled drove his truck back with his tool box and pulled everything a 1/2 mile down the trail in a sled, pulled just the one bad cyl off, put the new piston in, reused the gasket, slapped the head back on and rode it home, its been 3000 miles since that and he hasnt had a problem yet lol
Git er dun!
jabber800 said:
I have done a number of serious repairs on the trail that I really wish I wouldn't have had to do. I have also spent way too much time on or in a trailer working on them in a remote area. If you ride enough in remote areas, you will be working on them "in the bush" or you will be bringing them all the way home to work on them. In my case this means a bust to the week or weekend. Just the nature of the beast unless you are extremely lucky and don't have any issues. Off-trail riding seems to help find all of the weak points in a sled at a much quicker rate.