In February 2013, Yamaha and Arctic Cat announced their supply agreement to develop snowmobiles equipped with the Arctic Cat ProCross chassis and the Yamaha 3-cylinder Genesis engine of 1049 cc exclusively found on the FX Nytro models at that time. This is how was born the 2014 SR Viper lineup offered in 5 flavors.
It did not take long to snowmobilers to react. Effectively, right from the spring sales, many dealers had concluded more sales of Viper units than they had expected. In short, snowmobilers were very enthusiastic and it continued last fall.
One year after that announcement, how is it going between the two manufacturers ? Well, it goes pretty well at Yamaha's and we can feel that the «honeymoon» is still going on. People from Yamaha told us that their relationship is very respectful and that they benefit from it mostly by increasing their rapidity to develop new products.
Another aspect that satisfies the Japanese manufacturer is that snowmobile sales for 2013 (from January to December) all over the industry were increased by 16 %. Also, the number of unsold units of the current year versus those of previous years is the best of the 15 previous years for Yamaha.
OK, that's enough talking about 2014. Let's see now what Yamaha has to offer in 2015. Firstly, Yamaha promised to offer at least one new model for each year until 2018. So, we were sure that the 2015 Yamaha lineup would include at least one new model… But what would it be? Would it also be built on an Arctic Cat platform or would it be a 100 % Yamaha product ? Many talked about the successor of the Apex while others predicted an entry-level snowmobile or a mountain sled… In brief, many rumors have been heard during the last months !
The first snowmobile introduced to us is … (drum roll) the SR Viper M-TX. «SR» means that this snowmobile is built on a SRV chassis (i.e. issued from the agreement with Arctic Cat). Yamaha people wished for a great manoeuvrability, a very good control, a ligthweight still strong chassis and of course, a reliable engine that can be modified to increase its performance.
The SRV Mountain chassis is designed to allow wide clearance between track and tunnel, which helps evacuate snow. This chassis is rather lightweight and there is no radiator at rear in order to avoid snow and ice accumulation. Effectively, there is no use to have a lightweight chassis if snow and ice can pile up at rear. The wide and lightweight running boards provide a good evacuation of snow and a solid grip for rider's boots.
The snowmobile is equipped with large single keel mountain skis to increase flotation. Moreover, the ski stance may be adjusted from 96,5 to 99 cm (center to center) according to the usage and/or to the pilot's preferences.
In order to be adapted to mountain riding, the steering post is vertical and the handlebar is raised.
The seat has also been redesigned, being narrower and shorter than the seat of other Viper models. This new type of seat helps the pilot to switch positions during maneuvers.
Of course, the motorization has been modified to change the calibration of the electronic control unit (ECU). For mountain riding, we seek for instant response, high-torque and fast-revving engine.
The pulleys have also been modified for this usage. Effectively, Yamaha introduces a special edition of its YVXR clutch system. This edition is calibrated for a quick clutch response all while providing durability to the driving belt (V-Belt).
The rear Dual Shock suspension shows a new geometry designed for mass centralization. It is offered in 153 in. and 162 in. editions. The 16 in. Power Claw track is equipped with 2,6 in. lugs.
Please note that the M-TX 153 is offered in two editions : the SR Viper M-TX 153 and the SR Viper M-TX 153 SE. You will find the main difference in the shocks. The standard edition is equipped with HPG shocks with spring at front and for the rear shock under the tunnel. The SR Viper M-TX 153 SE is equipped with Fox Float 3 shock at front and Fox Float 2 shock at rear under the tunnel. There is no spring around these two shocks of the SE edition. Finally, both M-TX 153 models are equipped with HPG central rear suspension shock.
The M-TX 162 is offered only in the SE edition equipped with the same shocks than the M-TX 153 SE.
This concludes our report on this first new Yamaha model for 2015 ! Of course, I can't wait to test it in a few weeks at the Snow Shoot.
Another new model has been presented to us and this time, it improves the crossover category. Here is the new SR Viper S-TX DX. Unlike the SR Viper X-TX built and calibrated for a 90 % off-trail usage, the more versatile S-TX DX is designed for the snowmobiler who wishes to ride on trails as well as off trail. The comfort is increased by the large windshield, the heated seat, the large storage bag behind the seat and the standard cargo rack.
Several configurations are possible from the available accessories
You can customize your snowmobile with lots of accessories, such as a passenger seat, luggage bags of various shapes and capacities, and much more. In brief, this is a snowmobile with multiple personalities that will fulfill the needs of a large number of riders. When we see such a model, it is obvious for us that Yamaha people designed it for the Québec market !
New deep keel Tuner ski
After introducing the Tuner ski two years ago, Yamaha offers an improved version with more biting. The keel is 5 mm deeper and shows a more-pronounced angle. These skis equip all the SR Viper models, except for the mountain models. Once again, it will be great to test these new skis in a few weeks.
Other 2015 Yamaha models
The most important announcement regarding the other 2015 Yamaha models is the complete suppression of the FX Nytro lineup. On the other side, the Apex, Vector, Venture and Phazer lineups remain unchanged, except for colors and graphics.
What is coming up at Yamaha's ?
Last year, Yamaha promised to introduce at least two new engines before 2018. So, we may expect two new engines during the next three years… Also, new models will be introduced each year. The Japanese manufacturer's future is quite promising !
