occurrence when testing sleds with this engine over the years . It ’ s historically been a closer battle at sea level . But on our ride , the other four sleds crept away in a cloud of snowdust on long straights while the Viper rider sat in a bubble of comfort .
Handling was decent but not great . On smooth trails the Stryke skis could hold their line well and provide a consistent ride that was much more predictable than SRVipers with Yamaha ’ s previous Tuner ski design . The skis did have an outsized tendency to follow trail grooves , however , making us long for a Yamaha with power steering .
Through tight turns , especially those with bumps , the added weight of the four-stroke engine in the nose required some extra effort from the driver . As bumps got bigger , the three
QS3 shocks continued to do their jobs admirably but the lowgrade front arm shock would bottom and send some tingling sensations through the seat . A buyer of a $ 16,000 sled deserves a better damper in that position .
Test riders dubbed it “ a good high-mile trail sled for nonthrill seekers ,” and “ a nice fit for riders who don ’ t want to crawl all over the gas tank in every corner .” The twin-screen , horizontal gauge , meanwhile , earned some demerits .
Overall , though , the test team ’ s reaction could be summed up in a quote from one rider .
“ It ’ s a fine sled that does its job well , but it just sort of seems like it ’ s about a decade out-of-date , which I guess it kind of is .” Indeed .
NOVEMBER 2024 / SNOWGOER . COM / 29