My brother (SamueLJackson) is a somekind of an nut when it comes to building older sleds. He has history with several SRV´s,Vmax540´s, Exciter´s (lc), Vmax XT´s and with my Vmax4 in racing. He also has raced XP Doo´s in enduro racing and in sprints here in Finland. And he also writes test reports to an finnish snowmobile magazine here in finland.
His latest project involved a Phazer MountainLite which he´s raced in the historic class here in sprint and enduro racing. In that class you can ride older sleds up to 500cc, fan or liquid cooled,and the sled has to be older than 2003. He chose the Phazer as a half serious joke, since he knew other racers were planning to race 440 Lynx and Doo sleds, and also 500 Edge Polaris sleds. He wanted to show that you can race a Phazer , and be in the podium with it.
That was the starting point for the project. Almost brand new Phazer. Only 15000km´s on it.
After adding a full set of piggypack 46mm KYB´s and some strengthtening of the chassis and skid, sled was ready to be tested.
After one sprint race, he noticed that Phazer needs some serious tinkering with jetting, clutching, suspension, seat, track, handlebars etc... So some really long nights were spent at garage.
After few tests and days spent on the trails, Phazer was able to handle that punisment. Ride like you stole it etc was the attitude what was needed to race against bigger hp sleds. Only part what was not touched was that motor. Later on that...
So after some succesful testing and racing, Sami tought that he would like to take part in the longest enduro race in europe, the GIANT (www.giant.fi). Some americans have also raced that race, likes of Paul Mack and Kirk Hibbert ( http://www.tucker-hibbert.com/blog/blog/finland-old-friends-new-friends/ ) "Only days before our trip, I got an email from Raoul Bergman, Kirk’s long lost friend who was his Finnish tour guide and Arctic Cat teammate for a cross-country race 20 years ago. The Giant Enduro was a two-day, 565-mile race in Kemijärvi, Finland. They raced eight hours each day and were only allowed one 10-minute break for food and water. Kirk called it, “A true cross-country race…one of the most enjoyable races of my career.”. And some french motorcycle racers whom raced the Paris-Dakar few times. Toni Haikonen has also won the race before he went to USA to race in snoX back in 1992.
Today the race is in 8 long special stages (like in WRC rallying), but it still is a long and hard race. You only get a 1 hour after the first day to repair / maintance time to your race sled.
GIANT was raced last weekend and the result was great. Sami finished second in his class. Phazer and the rider got trough the gruelling 2-day race with zero problems, or almost zero problems. The engine in the Phazer was starting to show signs of loosing power in the second day, in the second to last special stage. So Sami was forced to slow down and save the motor and make sure he kept his second place. Some serious metal noises from the clutch side bearings in the crank area were heard when rpm´s were in the 8000´s.
Here is Sami racing ss7 and in ss1 in GIANT last saturday and friday. (copyright Race Only). Like Sami said; "the time what I loose in the lake crossings, I make up in the twisties in forest. I just hold it wot over there too" LOL
More pics of GIANT can be found at https://www.facebook.com/RaceOnly?fref=ts RaceOnly facebook and from https://www.facebook.com/kemijarvenmk/photos_stream Kemijärvi´s motor club.
Ike
His latest project involved a Phazer MountainLite which he´s raced in the historic class here in sprint and enduro racing. In that class you can ride older sleds up to 500cc, fan or liquid cooled,and the sled has to be older than 2003. He chose the Phazer as a half serious joke, since he knew other racers were planning to race 440 Lynx and Doo sleds, and also 500 Edge Polaris sleds. He wanted to show that you can race a Phazer , and be in the podium with it.
That was the starting point for the project. Almost brand new Phazer. Only 15000km´s on it.
After adding a full set of piggypack 46mm KYB´s and some strengthtening of the chassis and skid, sled was ready to be tested.
After one sprint race, he noticed that Phazer needs some serious tinkering with jetting, clutching, suspension, seat, track, handlebars etc... So some really long nights were spent at garage.
After few tests and days spent on the trails, Phazer was able to handle that punisment. Ride like you stole it etc was the attitude what was needed to race against bigger hp sleds. Only part what was not touched was that motor. Later on that...
So after some succesful testing and racing, Sami tought that he would like to take part in the longest enduro race in europe, the GIANT (www.giant.fi). Some americans have also raced that race, likes of Paul Mack and Kirk Hibbert ( http://www.tucker-hibbert.com/blog/blog/finland-old-friends-new-friends/ ) "Only days before our trip, I got an email from Raoul Bergman, Kirk’s long lost friend who was his Finnish tour guide and Arctic Cat teammate for a cross-country race 20 years ago. The Giant Enduro was a two-day, 565-mile race in Kemijärvi, Finland. They raced eight hours each day and were only allowed one 10-minute break for food and water. Kirk called it, “A true cross-country race…one of the most enjoyable races of my career.”. And some french motorcycle racers whom raced the Paris-Dakar few times. Toni Haikonen has also won the race before he went to USA to race in snoX back in 1992.
Today the race is in 8 long special stages (like in WRC rallying), but it still is a long and hard race. You only get a 1 hour after the first day to repair / maintance time to your race sled.
GIANT was raced last weekend and the result was great. Sami finished second in his class. Phazer and the rider got trough the gruelling 2-day race with zero problems, or almost zero problems. The engine in the Phazer was starting to show signs of loosing power in the second day, in the second to last special stage. So Sami was forced to slow down and save the motor and make sure he kept his second place. Some serious metal noises from the clutch side bearings in the crank area were heard when rpm´s were in the 8000´s.
Here is Sami racing ss7 and in ss1 in GIANT last saturday and friday. (copyright Race Only). Like Sami said; "the time what I loose in the lake crossings, I make up in the twisties in forest. I just hold it wot over there too" LOL
More pics of GIANT can be found at https://www.facebook.com/RaceOnly?fref=ts RaceOnly facebook and from https://www.facebook.com/kemijarvenmk/photos_stream Kemijärvi´s motor club.
Ike
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Weatherbyman
Member
Excellent, Ike! Thank you for sharing.
Thank´s ! It was a great race!
low slung
Member
Heard about this race over 20years ago in a supertrax mag here in Canada(First ZR440s won it).Congrats to your brother on the 2nd place.What sled was the overall winner?
Overall race was won by Hannu Härkönen. He raced a Lynx 600 RE E-Tec. He was in second place after day 1, but the leader had to retire when his Lynx 800 RE suffered a electrical problem in the engine. So he got the victory.
Results ---> http://www.giant.fi/giant2015/html/g_loppu.htm
Lynx 2016 line-up ---> http://www.brplynx.com/fi/kelkat-lineup-2016/sport.html
low slung
Member
Wish we could buy Lynx sleds here.There rear suspension seems better suited for our areas(My brothers 2014 ski-doo mxz 600carb has a full X-package shock kit along with the full Grip-N-Rip brace kit)Heres a vid from the other day when I was chasing him on my 2014 phazer RTX(only rode groom trails once in my life
)https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xs0KPPm_T_Y&feature=youtu.be
)https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xs0KPPm_T_Y&feature=youtu.be
That scenery actually looks a lot like my area here in lapland. Nice going!
My cousin raced a RTX Phazer for one season here in endurance racers. It took a lot of work to make it suit him on the races. He broke few sliderails, shocks etc from that sled.
Here is a link to a video where he crashes his Lynx e-tec while racing in GIANT last weekend. He was doing about 140 kmh when it happened.He still finished the race with a broken handlebar, brakelever etc.
https://youtu.be/tdMytJbzF-Y
My cousin raced a RTX Phazer for one season here in endurance racers. It took a lot of work to make it suit him on the races. He broke few sliderails, shocks etc from that sled.
Here is a link to a video where he crashes his Lynx e-tec while racing in GIANT last weekend. He was doing about 140 kmh when it happened.He still finished the race with a broken handlebar, brakelever etc.
https://youtu.be/tdMytJbzF-Y
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low slung
Member
Whoa,end over end.Be thinking about that the next time I go through a rough section,remind myself to slack back a bit.Always wear a helmet,knee/elbow pads and a tekvest.
Vmax540
VIP Member
Good job on the racing results ! I have been criticized for saying this before... the Trailing arm Phazer's seem to have way more crank failures especially, for the low production numbers compared to the original or Phazer II's...
03viperguy
Moderator
awesome! vmax540, what do you think causes the crank failures? I thought the motor was identical
Isn´t the oil pump located in different place? Could that be it?- Otherwise I don´t know any differences.
Ike
low slung
Member
When the 485 fan was put into the SX chassis(Trailing arm)Yamaha had to change the crankcase in order for it to fit(remembering this from SNOWGOER Canada back in 199
SamuelJackson
Member
My race Phazer have earned engine rebuild and serious service. I am replacing both drive saft bearings, shock will be serviced and all worn parts replaced by OEM yammie parts ....��
A couple of bucks
VIP Member
It's good to hear from both of you guys!! It has been awhile.
New year new races. SamuLJackson is going to take part in the GIANT again with his Phazer MountainLite. Tough 2 day race will begin tomorrow morning.
Here is a list of the racers. Sami is the only Yamaha in the hole race.. and the only one in the historic class whom races fan cooled sled. This year sleds up to 600cc are allowed in the historic class. Still, he was at podium last year.
http://www.lapdatasystem.com/giant2016/lahtoluettelo_perjantai.pdf
Ike
Here is a list of the racers. Sami is the only Yamaha in the hole race.. and the only one in the historic class whom races fan cooled sled. This year sleds up to 600cc are allowed in the historic class. Still, he was at podium last year.
http://www.lapdatasystem.com/giant2016/lahtoluettelo_perjantai.pdf
Ike
A couple of bucks
VIP Member
GO #910 !!!!!!
So tell us more about this race. Cross country?
So tell us more about this race. Cross country?
Yep, it's cross country. Special stages just like rallying. Longest snowmobile cross country race in Europe.
low slung
Member
Couple of your countrymen are running in our cross country race in the big landhttps://twitter.com/cainsquest snowmobile race https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r1vtvBh0jNI
Funny you to mention that Cain's quest race. My brother Sami was actually one of the guys whom helped to build those Lynx Boondocker 3700 sleds... Small world eh?
Sami noticed during maintenance that the older Phazer has better crank than the trailing arm one. Older cranks are better build and finished. Also the bearings are better quality. Sami has a 92,(?) Phazer what he builds up also.
Ike
Sami noticed during maintenance that the older Phazer has better crank than the trailing arm one. Older cranks are better build and finished. Also the bearings are better quality. Sami has a 92,(?) Phazer what he builds up also.
Ike
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