For 2016, the Viper stays with its basic components and doesn’t add the new SingleShot skid to any of its models.
There is, however, some suspension shuffling with the 137 and 141 Viper skids and even a new cross-country model with a 146-inch skidframe (not Singleshot).
The Viper S-TX series loses its 141-inch uncoupled, air suspended skid and goes with a fully coupled 137 this year. We think this makes way more sense for a sled targeted primarily at long distance trail riding with the occasional off-trail adventure thrown in.
The coupled sliding front arm suspension will offer much better ride results and the slightly shorter track will help with handling. Any loss in deep snow performance will be long forgotten because the sled comes with a 1.6-inch deep track.
The S-TX 137 DX uses gas shocks front and rear, has a nice windshield and comes with some awesome touring bags. The rears are hardshell flexi-bags that will stretch to hold a lot of gear and there’s a standard goggle pack, heated seat and a lot more built-in performance sizzle than last year’s 141.
Just to amp up the category, there’s a new S-TX 146 DX that uses an Arctic Cat-derived 146-inch skidframe and an auxiliary 4-gallon gas tank in a pickup-truck-like cargo box at the rear.
We think this is a great idea for one-up riders who want maximum ride comfort and incredible range between gas stops. This is a cool-looking snowmobile with a high, warm windshield, 1.25-inch RipSaw and coilover gas shocks front and rear. The 146-inch skidframe is a very plush dual shock unit.
The Viper 129-inch R-TX SE series moves away from air shocks up front to a nice set of Fox PB coilover 3-position damping adjustable piggyback gassers.
The same shock is used on the skid’s rear arm and it’s great to see this kind of adjustability on the Viper SE. Unfortunately, you’ll have to pay for a decent windshield for this sled if you intend to ride it in the winter. A pair of sunglasses will provide more protection than the SE’s stocker.
The Power Surge Viper R-TX LE comes with fully adjustable shocks, too but these are upgraded to Fox Float 3 EVOL RC (compression and rebound adjustable) up front and 2-inch diameter Fox PB Zero-X units on the rear arm.
Early-order LE versions of the Viper not only get the shock upgrade but come with a Performance Dampener and a heated seat.
Visit yamaha-snowmobiles.com for more!
