Miles and Smiles on a Special Edition 2018 Yamaha
Miles and Smiles, think about it. Those words really mean something and instill the best of memories for most all snowmobilers. It’s the goal and the magic every time we ride.
Without exception, even with a very confusing and easily misunderstood XTX designation our 2018 SideWinder XTX 137 SE was really no surprise.
From our early winter beginning to our late season final rides; it was an entire season of SideWinder satisfaction.
Our 2017 SideWinder trial, positively and enthusiastically answered any questions that the snowmobiling community had about the potency and reliability of Yamaha’s then all-new Genesis 998cc Turbo power plant.
3,000+ Miles on the 2017 Yamaha SideWinder
For 2018 your fellow snowmobilers at SledMagazine.com admittedly stacked the deck with our requested Yamaha XTX 137 SE model. Why? In part because we already knew of the proven Turbo thrills that we would once again experience. And it was also our strong belief that the SE’s QS3 shock package would live up to their promise of always effective, nonfading, easily adjustable, ride quality across a wide range of both on and off trail conditions.
As we announced in our original introduction of our 2018 Yamaha Long-Term Trial, our model selection was all about the 137” length, the coupled dual shock SR 137 rear suspension and the 1.75” BackCountry X track. Our choice was specifically about how the specifications of this particular SideWinder model would relate to the highest level of total vehicle performance in the on and “easy” off trail conditions here in the Northeastern US and Canada.
Fox QS3 shock package
These Fox shocks did exactly what we had hoped and expected. Smooth, consistence dampening and rebound performance in all measures of bumps at any speed. The 3 easy adjustment levels are well calibrated to meet the challenge and desire of any condition. We do however think that the highest setting is stiffer and more rigid than most SideWinder riders would ever want or need.
Yamaha SR 137 Dual shock suspension
Correct! After thousands of miles of confirmation, this is the right suspension for a trail SideWinder. Without any doubt, the 137” length performs better than 129” length and far superior to the uncoupled 141” versions that were offered on RTX and XTX models in 2017 and 2018.
Camso 1.75” BackCountry X track
The stop and go traction of this increasingly popular Camso track in looser snow conditions was noted as being beyond impressive in our halfway article. The BackCountry X is only slightly taller than the equally popular 1.6 Cobra track, but the lugs are definitely stiffer. The increased stiffness of the X results in improved stop and go capabilities over the Cobra. It also exhibited slightly more pronounced track noise and rumble on hard packed conditions as well as lesser grip in icy trail conditions. For light to moderate off trail, the BackCountry X would certainly be an exceptional performance choice.
Halfway on our 2018 SideWinder Dream Meter
When selecting your next new ride, it is seldom the brand, chassis or which motor that are your biggest challenges. The real challenge is most always which specific model and specifications will best suit your personal riding style and environments.
The miles that we put on each year during our long-term trial snowmobiles are always a definite. The smiles are always optional. For 2018 we requested a Yamaha model that we estimated to have a high probability of providing the kind of performance smiles that make snowmobiling one of the most exhilarating experiences on this planet.
The 2018 SledMagazine.com Yamaha SideWinder XTX 137 SE did not disappoint.
