3,000+ miles on the 2017 Yamaha SideWinder

As soon as the Holidays passed, we hit the trails full of anticipation and excitement. The early season welcomed us with plentiful snow cover to destinations across wide areas of the Northeast region.  By the end of January the first 1,500 miles were on and our long term impressions of the new Yamaha SideWinder were very clear.

While many articles have gone into great technical detail on the how and what makes this new power plant special, I’m more of a seat of the of pants type of guy.  Sorry, No Nickel Alloy Turbine, Ceramic Ball Bearing, 9 Sensor ECU, Unconventional Bypass Valves or Planet Exclusive Technology details from me. My season on the SideWinder was all about the straight scoop on what Yamaha’s new 998cc Genesis Turbo does and how it feels versus how it does it.

After 3,000+ miles, what we really learned was that the SideWinder absolutely and without any doubt, changes everything that any of us ever thought we knew about Turbo powered snowmobiles.

The “ludicrous” smooth power of this machine is seamless beyond your wildest imagination.

Yes, those are strong, but 100% accurate words. It’s a sneaky unanticipated power, without the Turbo ever giving any indication of being there. In secure closed course conditions, the only real question is “to triple digit or not to triple digit?”

I had the opportunity to ride the Arctic Cat 9000 versions of this sled and the SideWinder is definitely uniquely Yamaha in its feel and engine response characteristics.  Yamaha’s exclusive and ultra smooth YSRC primary and secondary clutching calibration, seat density and Tuner 3 skis steering characteristics give the SideWinders a notably unique and gentler feel.

On various occasions I have had the opportunity to ride a significant number of Turbo powered snowmobiles, each time I accepted the spit, sputters and whistles as being normal.  It is utterly amazing how far the Yamaha 998 Genesis Turbo has advanced the technology, performance and delivery. I had no idea that a Turbo could be this friendly.

For the moment let’s forget about the particular model of our 2017 long-term trial. Let’s stay focused on what everyone really wants to know about ……..THE most powerful full production engine ever offered in a stock snowmobile.

This gentle giant of power pulls from smooth engagement to never, never land

Sure, previous Turbo engines made lots of power, but not without the search, seek, surge, lag and all types of weird pressure control noises.

It’s a stealthy kind of power that easily propels an ordinary snowmobiler to an incredible sensation. When you look down after a moderate massaging of its light pull throttle you are easily surprised by the resulting velocity of this premium ride.

Smooth and quiet are not usually adjectives that describe big power, but that is what the SideWinder gives you at all times. From the initial non-abrupt engagement to arm-stretching acceleration and everything in between, it is smooth and quiet beyond preconception or expectation. And, it did it all season long without glitch or adjustment beyond recommended routine maintenance.

The next thing that quickly became very evident was the “complete snowmobile” feel of the SideWinder chassis. While several 4 stroke models give the distinct feeling that you are riding only the front of the sled, the SideWinder has an extremely well balanced and positive feel of rider input.

Logic would dictate that the SideWinder should be even more front end heavy, but that is most definitely not the sensation of control or lack of control that you get.

As far as model selection, there is a SideWinder model for everyone and that can be a challenge. Your personal preference and riding environments should be realistically reviewed before making your final selection of SE, LE, 129,137,141,153 and beyond.

You may recall from our SideWinder introduction article that our originally anticipated XTX 137 LE with coupled dual QS3 shock rear suspension was changed to the uncoupled XTX 141 SE with the Fox Float 3 shock package.

We were fortunate to experience January and February conditions which allowed the 141” rear skid to shine where it is most well suited. The flotation, traction and ability to get up on top of fresh and deep on and off trail snow conditions were inspiring.

The Cobra 1.6 track was perfectly suited to 141” XTX and did not overpower our steering, resulting the very well balanced feel that we experienced. The 1.6 Cobra had excellent acceleration and deceleration traction and had a predictable release of side traction resulting in effective turning capability without any easily initiated “Apex swish”.

Without a doubt, smooth trail and deeper on and off trail snow were the strong areas for our particular test model. Harder bumps of medium size and larger are where the uncoupled 141 and SE shock package became more than slightly challenged. Again, be realistic and choose your SideWinder model wisely. There is definitely one that is right for you.

As we previously experienced in our 2016 long-term trial of the SledMagazine.com Yamaha Viper, the Tuner 3 skis provided a positive response to rider input. Throughout the season we enjoyed the added control of 6” Top Gold carbides by Qualipieces, always kept sharp with the use of BiteHarder’s carbide sharpening tools.

Nothing beats a set of Qualipieces RollerSkis on the ferry dock

Rider position and effort proved to be very comfortable over multiple 300+ mile days and the SideWinder’s LED headlight (after proper adjustment) makes the night time the “white and bright” right time. Gauges were more than adequate, handlebar controls were convenient and the handlebar warmers were excellent (after early season warranty repair).

We cover many miles in our season long testing. Yamaha’s combination trunk bag with integrated saddle bag luggage system, windshield and goggle storage accessories and tall windshield options kept us comfy and well packed throughout our travels whether Vermont near or Havre St Pierre far. The SideWinder Pro front grab bar looked and functioned well, but is not easily installed.

Throughout the season, fuel consumption remained very impressive. With the SideWinder’s unequaled (in my experience) capabilities, I totally expected the “feed the beast”, fuel equals power equation to be in play. Much to my pleasant surprise, my personal experience was an average of 12 mpg.

SideWinder conclusion

Our 2017 SideWinder proved to be a capable and comfortable high powered giant that can be easily operated in a totally reasonable and calm fashion. However… when the mood or moment strikes, ludicrous acceleration can easily and instantly be yours. Hyperspace or grocery getter, the smooth choice is always yours. The 2017 SideWinder was a big thumb up.