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Getting tons of questions on the Viper, so here you go.. a first ride report:
Stock Viper MTX 153 (turbo coming soon!)
We went out on Saturday expecting a road ride, just go put miles on. A few miles up the road I started seeing enough snow off the side of everyone's trail to get a few little carves in here and there. Now mind you, there is very little snow so you would think very difficult to carve right? Well, first crack of the throttle and shift of my weight and I’m up on one ski doing a 90* turn before I know it. Insert grinning, giggling little girl photo here.. because that is exactly what happened! A light bulb came on… after a fall of being beat up by all the nay sayers about how heavy this sled is compared to the PRO it left a girl a bit gun shy (as much as I hate to admit that, human after all I guess?) After that first carve… all doubt began to fade away. We finally reach an open field that looked safe enough with only MAYBE 2' of snow in it to go test a few full on powder curls. After a few minutes of nonstop carving I cut too tight and flopped over. This was my first lesson in the 4 stroke world… they don’t like this. The oil pump then has to be primed by cycling the key. This was my first phone call to Outlaw Motorsports with a problem, luckily in the immediate future it was an easy fix. In the long term, we’ll be installing a roll over valve and a tether.
Further up the trail I get to put it to the first test of a downhill to uphill carve, throttle side (which is most people’s more difficult side to maneauver) and I go to wrong foot forward (funny part of the story is my right foot is now on Linda’s hood as I had parked next to her) and immediately the sled rolls over in response. I so wish you could video the inside of this girls brain because at that moment when I successfully completed the maneauver back up hill I was full on goosebumps and doing a happy dance.
This sled is very responsive to rider input. I quickly found that if I adjusted my feet position it made a difference. I’m used to being all the way up forward but this sled responds easier/ faster with the feet a little ways back on the boards. It feels nicely balanced and carving back and forth is pretty effortless. Got to play in some trees and creek beds for a bit, feels pretty stinking nimble in these tight quarters.
Throttle response is instant both on and off the throttle. I found out very quickly that grabbing a handful of throttle and instantly letting off results in a mountain bar to the ovaries. Don’t do that. I’ll obviously need to adjust the use of my throttle upon installation of the turbo.
The power feels good. However to just point straight up and go (in it’s stock form) I didn’t feel as comfortable with pushing my limits, but give me some wiggle room to zig and zag and I should be able to get there!
Sidehills are smooth, you can hold a line nicely, no porpoise’n.
Fuel economy… well, not sure what to think here. It seemed a bit thirsty… maybe that changes after break in? Like trucks?
So, that is it for the first ride... can't wait for more!
Stock Viper MTX 153 (turbo coming soon!)
We went out on Saturday expecting a road ride, just go put miles on. A few miles up the road I started seeing enough snow off the side of everyone's trail to get a few little carves in here and there. Now mind you, there is very little snow so you would think very difficult to carve right? Well, first crack of the throttle and shift of my weight and I’m up on one ski doing a 90* turn before I know it. Insert grinning, giggling little girl photo here.. because that is exactly what happened! A light bulb came on… after a fall of being beat up by all the nay sayers about how heavy this sled is compared to the PRO it left a girl a bit gun shy (as much as I hate to admit that, human after all I guess?) After that first carve… all doubt began to fade away. We finally reach an open field that looked safe enough with only MAYBE 2' of snow in it to go test a few full on powder curls. After a few minutes of nonstop carving I cut too tight and flopped over. This was my first lesson in the 4 stroke world… they don’t like this. The oil pump then has to be primed by cycling the key. This was my first phone call to Outlaw Motorsports with a problem, luckily in the immediate future it was an easy fix. In the long term, we’ll be installing a roll over valve and a tether.
Further up the trail I get to put it to the first test of a downhill to uphill carve, throttle side (which is most people’s more difficult side to maneauver) and I go to wrong foot forward (funny part of the story is my right foot is now on Linda’s hood as I had parked next to her) and immediately the sled rolls over in response. I so wish you could video the inside of this girls brain because at that moment when I successfully completed the maneauver back up hill I was full on goosebumps and doing a happy dance.
This sled is very responsive to rider input. I quickly found that if I adjusted my feet position it made a difference. I’m used to being all the way up forward but this sled responds easier/ faster with the feet a little ways back on the boards. It feels nicely balanced and carving back and forth is pretty effortless. Got to play in some trees and creek beds for a bit, feels pretty stinking nimble in these tight quarters.
Throttle response is instant both on and off the throttle. I found out very quickly that grabbing a handful of throttle and instantly letting off results in a mountain bar to the ovaries. Don’t do that. I’ll obviously need to adjust the use of my throttle upon installation of the turbo.
The power feels good. However to just point straight up and go (in it’s stock form) I didn’t feel as comfortable with pushing my limits, but give me some wiggle room to zig and zag and I should be able to get there!
Sidehills are smooth, you can hold a line nicely, no porpoise’n.
Fuel economy… well, not sure what to think here. It seemed a bit thirsty… maybe that changes after break in? Like trucks?
So, that is it for the first ride... can't wait for more!
The upside it that I'm only paying for pump fuel while they are paying for race fuel!
