End of Season Review of the 2017 Yamaha Sidewinder B-TX SE 153

The time has come to do the 2017 Yamaha Sidewinder B-TX SE 153 end of season review. This snowmobile was subjected to a long-term trial during the 2016-2017 season as part of the partnership between Yamaha Canada and the web magazine SledMagazine.com 

Yamaha generated a lot of interest by announcing the brand-new Sidewinder lineup and the arrival of the new Genesis 998 cc triple turbo injection engine. This 180 HP engine, which can even reach up to 200 HP according to some tests carried out on a dynamometer, became the most powerful in the industry. 

I was very excited to do the long-term trial. In addition to being part of the new Sidewinder lineup, the B-TX SE 153 2017 is part of a whole new category of hybrid snowmobiles. In fact, the B-TX name is actually new to the Japanese manufacturer.

As you know, hybrid snowmobiles let us ride both on and off trail with the same snowmobile. At each end, you have the trail snowmobiles and the mountain snowmobiles. At Yamaha, the B-TX finds itself in a new category that is somewhere between the hybrids and the mountain snowmobiles. Many of its characteristics make it perform pretty well in deep snow while others make it a rather efficient trail snowmobile.

Is the 2017 Yamaha Sidewinder B-TX SE 153 snowmobile for everyone? After performing our trial, the answer is no. Why? Because Yamaha has it positioned exactly where it wants it to be. That’s to say, a snowmobile that allows mountain pilots to do several kilometers on trails before getting to the mountain. However, it doesn’t perform as well on the trails as the other hybrid Sidewinders of the 2017 Yamaha range. I am a trail pilot who regularly does long-distance rides (between 400 and 600 km a day). On trails, I noted some understeer and often had to apply additional effort to turn the handlebars in tight turns. 

We have to remember that the 2017 Yamaha Sidewinder B-TX SE 153 has an SRV chassis as well as a front and rear suspension that is adapted for the mountain. Combined with the long 153” tracks, it’s normal that consecutive turns in winding portions of the trails are executed with less ease. Another factor, the skis stance which is purposely narrower for mountain usage, is somewhat of a handicap on trails. It's the price to pay though to have characteristics that will allow you to tackle the mountains properly. When the trail is straighter, it’s very enjoyable to drive.

One thing is sure, however, the 2017 Yamaha Sidewinder B-TX SE 153 is more at ease on trails than most mountain snowmobiles on the market. On that point, Yamaha really reached its goal. If you do less than 30% of trails and you are off trail most of the time, I think the 2017 Yamaha Sidewinder B-TX SE 153 should be at the top of your list. However, if you do more trails, I think you’ll feel more comfortable on a 141” or 146” model.

As for the off-trail part, as mentioned above, I am more of a trail pilot. But despite that fact, I was still very pleased with its performance in deep snow. Some of the other test pilots from the magazine also tried out the snowmobile and had a lot of fun. It’s definitely heavier than some competitor models though, but its unparalleled power compensates for this in several situations.

Talking about power, the 2017 Yamaha Sidewinder B-TX SE 153 does not disappoint. As mentioned above, the 2017 Yamaha Sidewinder B-TX SE 153 possesses the new Yamaha Genesis 998 cc triple turbo engine. It’s normal in the motorized sports industry for a turbo to be added to an existing engine to increase its power. For this engine, Yamaha used another approach. As a matter of fact, they designed this new engine taking into consideration right from the start that it would be turbocompressed. Everything was considered with this in mind, giving an awe-inspiring result. Yamaha proves once again its motorist qualities and redefines yet again new performance standards. 

First of all, when we turn the key, the sound of the engine is delightful. It’s not offensive at all and is even softer than what we would have expected given all those HP. When we press the accelerator, you can quickly feel the power without it being too harsh. Even though the acceleration is strong and constant, we can feel that we are the ones in control. We’re well aware that it’s a turbo engine as the word Turbo is written on the sides of the snowmobile. The absence of a delay in the acceleration gives the impression of a conventional engine that possesses incredible torque delivered in a very linear way. That energy is available throughout the power curve, both at low speeds and recovery. It’s very impressive and most of all enjoyable.

It’s great having all that power under the hood, but it still has to be transferred efficiently to the tracks. As mentioned in our pre-ride analysis, Yamaha says, “the new YSRC primary clutch is designed for high-power engines.” It shows great strength, unequaled efficiency and unmatched cooling ability. As for the YSRC roller secondary clutch, the new reverse cam secondary clutch features roller cam followers to reduce friction and special high efficiency casting designs to improve aerodynamic power loss and reduce the temperature. Sheave casting strength is improved to handle the higher horsepower.”

We covered almost 5000 kilometers with the 2017 Yamaha Sidewinder B-TX SE 153, and I can say that the Yamaha clutch system is very efficient and reliable. We conducted the test with the same belt, and it was still in excellent condition. The snowmobile is equipped with the Hayes brake system. We were able to verify its efficiency that combines a large 20 cm rotor mounted low on the drive shaft with a 153” track. Combined with the 1.75” tracks, braking is very effective.

As mentioned previously, the 2017 Yamaha Sidewinder B-TX SE 153 has some characteristics that distinguish it from the other Sidewinder hybrids. It has the SVR-M chassis that equips Yamaha mountain snowmobiles range. According to Yamaha, 60% of the weight is in the triangulated structure. As a result, it offers excellent mass centralization.

The SRV-M mid-stance adjustable front suspension allows a ski stance easily adjustable to the pilot’s preferences, mountain or trail. This suspension is equipped with FOX Float 3 lightweight and progressive shocks. These air sprung shocks offer a wide range of settings to choose from depending on the type of trail, simply by adjusting the air pressure. We have improved the snowmobiles trail behaviour by adjusting it according to the conditions encountered.

The snowmobile is equipped with the SRV-M rear suspension. This pneumatic uncoupled suspension with two Dual Shock SR 153 shocks is calibrated to offer excellent power transfer and deep snow flotation.  It takes advantage of the FOX Float 3 shocks.

We were pleasantly surprised by the rear suspension that is very efficient on bumpy trails.

The Sidewinder B-TX SE 153 is equipped with new Yamaha mountain skis. The skis are designed for optimal efficiency in deep snow.

All this comes with a Camoplast BackCountry X track of 153’’ x 15’’ x 1.75’’ that provides an excellent off-trail flotation and excellent performance on trail, as much for acceleration as for breaking. This is the longest track on the market in the hybrid category.

We have the same digital gauge than the SRViper lineup. Fully equipped and easy to read, the digital indicator screen displays at a glance all data required by the pilot. Controls on the handlebar also remain similar to the SRViper controls. They are practical and well located. 

We would have appreciated a hand-warmer control with varying intensity levels instead of the disappointing usual Hi-Low control that goes from too warm to too cold.

The mountain seat is tall and narrow, which improves the pilot’s mobility.

As for the fuel tank, we had come across contradictory measurements that sometimes mentioned 37 liters versus 33 liters. After verification, we can confirm that it’s 33 liters.

An important innovation on all the Sidewinder models is the new LED headlight with accent lighting. This very white lighting is highly efficient for evening rides, and it makes us more visible in the daytime.

We also tested some Yamaha accessories such a jerry can rack, the basic modular system, a windshield bag and storage bag that can be quickly mounted on the tunnel with the included hardware.

Finally, regarding style, the Yamaha Sidewinder B-TX SE 153 2017 doesn’t go unnoticed. At the start of the season, at every one of our stops, be it at a stop or an intersection, people were drawn to the B-TX like a magnet. The colors chosen by the Yamaha designers make heads turns. The balance between the orange, black and grey is well done and appreciated by all.

Finally, as you can see, our analysis of the 2017 Yamaha Sidewinder B-TX SE 153 is very positive. The people at Yamaha targeted this market segment very well which was being unwell or even little served by the constructor’s offer. If you’re looking for a high-performance hybrid snowmobile and that you do more off trail than on trail, but you sometimes go out with your friends on trail, the B-TX is made for you.

We would like to take this opportunity to thank our partner Yamaha Canada and the Yamaha Platinum dealer associated with this trial, P. Labonté & Fils in Mont-Joli www.plabonte.com for their excellent service.