whats ur opinion

[Arnold08]

well what do u think im reading these posts about the 08s and how bad they handle andd i just bought a brand new 08 left over from last year should i see if the dealler will work a deal with me on the 09 or is the handlin issues sort of blown out of proportion

 

[LazyBastard]

From what I've read, its not that they handle badly, its that they handle *too well*. The front end geometry is intended for aggressive/competitive racing, i.e. snowcross, the 09 is more for recreational riding. The issues to worry about are the weak subframe and ball joints.

 

[BLUEBALLER]

From what I've read, its not that they handle badly, its that they handle *too well*. The front end geometry is intended for aggressive/competitive racing, i.e. snowcross, the 09 is more for recreational riding. The issues to worry about are the weak subframe and ball joints.

I couldn't disagree more - I'm a fairly aggressive rider and this thing can be a handful at times - and that's being kind.

Yamaha's own marketing experts claim that the changes made at the sno-x track are making their way to the production units as quickly as possible.

I know they use the sno-x sleds for production R&D, but the handling issue should have been identified in year 1, not year 2 of sno-x.

I've spent many moons & mucho dinero to figure this sled out - the handling on his 08 nytro is gonna suck balls outta the crate. I will challenge any person on this board regarding this!!

Progress has been made, but this front end definately has some quirks to it.

The following helped my cause, but there is still room left for improvement.

2.5 mm upper balljoint mod
widen ski stance
revalve shocks
replaced skis
get updated lower balljoint
replace a-arm bushing with oilites

its really up to you - if you're a patient person and like to tinker, give it a shot. If you just want to get on and ride and not worry about setup as much, get an 09 while you still can. my 0.02

I've got 5600 kms on my 08.
good luck!

 

[SISCAKIDD]

skis and the correct set up are the most important things to work on.do a search you will find plenty of info,keep your ball joints greased

 

[Yamahnator]

skis and the correct set up are the most important things to work on.do a search you will find plenty of info,keep your ball joints greased

Exactly. Most people believe it or not just ride their sleds like they came from the factory. If the suspension is soft from the factory they complain that "the sled always bottoms out," if it's hard they say "that sled rode like a lumber wagon." Most don't take the time or don't have the knowledge to set them up right. What LB said is also true.

 

[BLUEBALLER]

 

[clicker_clit]

First of all I wouldn't do any machining off of the upper balljoints. Sometimes these people do so much tedious work to these snowmobiles that they generally end up worse than when they picked them up. You will need to run dual carbides or switch to a different ski. The ski's on the yamaha have always been narrow and have darting issues. I have used dual carbides and now I use a pair of C&A ski's and both of them control the darting great but the C&A's are wider and work better in deep snow. I would set the floats to 75 pounds. This will allow you to ride in the rough and easily go back to the trail and not feel a thing. The shocks on the yamaha even if you don't have the floats are some of the best shocks in the industry so you shouldn't need to re-valve them unless you have unlimited time and are looking to tinker around. As far as cornering I think it handles well. People complain about the cornering but this is your typical rider foward design that many of them aren't use to. The nytro does hold the corners alot better than my previous Ski-doo Rev's. As far as the subframe and balljoints I can't tell you how serious of an issue it is. My buddy bent his subframe and destroyed his balljoints last year but the skies caught a piece of angle iron on a bridge deck at 40mphs and stop him dead. I think a majority of people are hitting things to bend the subframes. The balljoints I think may be faulty.

 

[LazyBastard]

 

[lucky_7]

I would set the floats to 75 pounds. This will allow you to ride in the rough and easily go back to the trail and not feel a thing. .

I think you are a bit off your rocker there! The valving that came stock on the Nytro floats sucks for anything besides a snocross track. I switched floats with LJ 452's from his apex and it was a crazy difference.

 

[clicker_clit]

I set the floats on this the same way I had it on my 06 nytro. I like it that way. Set them up however you want.

 

[unpride]

its 10% sled 90% rider to make the 08 work right.

 

[BLUEBALLER]

Now history has shown one constant since the beginning of time; people will buy the thing that they *like*, and not necessarily the thing that they *need*. If you buy a sled that is designed for one thing and use it for something DIFFERENT (like sunday afternoon trail rides), then there is no wonder that it won't work the way you want it to. The reason why 75% (I would really like you to present your research to back that value up...) have a hard time setting it up they way they like it is that 75% BOUGHT THE WRONG SLED FOR THEIR RIDING STYLE!

There is one very important thing that you said, and it couldn't be more true or more important;

everyone has their own opinion on how a sled should handle

-- based on that I would have to conclude that you are agreeing with me, and in this matter, YOUR opinion on how it should handle does not agree with the designers' opinions. That doesn't mean that its broken.

Okay- you're right, I pulled the 75% right outta my azz, it's probably higher. lol

Go back to December of 07 and start reading - it's all here. You just have to look.

The nytro does many things very well, that a "traditional" read "sit down" type of sled could only dream of doing.

Personally - I bought the standard nytro because while I like to hit a few jumps, & bang away in the twisties - I also like to pack on the miles and hit the wide open trails & lakes once in awhile.

Can this sled do it? YES. Can it do it all well? That's what I'M trying to accomplish. I know I'll have to sacrifice something to gain somewhere else, but dammit, at least I'm trying.

The designers of the sled were trying to market a sno-x sled as a trail machine. PERIOD. Guess what - sno-x wannabees(myself included) buy these sleds, not actual sno-x racers. We ride on trails, we ride the ditches, we ride the powder, and we ride the lakes. We DON'T ride on sno-x tracks.

If they built it for racers, then it shouldn't be sold to people that will never use it for its intended purpose. But that's marketing at its finest.

I'm not here to fight (ya right). I'm only trying to offer my personal experience with this sled. Pros & cons. Take it for what it's worth - which by the way, isn't too much - this is the internet ya know!!

If the 08 works for you, GREAT. If it doesn't, then try to make it work and b!tch along the way. It's way more entertaining!

LB - I don't have the energy to debate this. I concur - I bought the wrong sled for my riding style.

 

[arteeex]

First, you must realize that asking for an "opinion" here opens the floodgates. Secondly, I've got to agree with the 10/90 split. I think it is important to set the sled up to give yourself a comfortable base, but then you've got to learn how to make the most of it. From this perspective, I don’t think it matters if you’re on a ‘08 or ‘09.

I like that the Nytro keeps my attention on the trail. I like the feedback and intensity of the ride as this lets me know it's responding to the conditions. My REV seems benign in comparison.

If you were expecting the Nytro RTX to be a trail cruiser, then you’re on the wrong sled. If you think the groomers suck the fun out of the trail, then you’ll like the Nytro.

 

[LazyBastard]

Okay- you're right, I pulled the 75% right outta my azz, it's probably higher. lol

Don't be deceived by the ravings of the forum crowd. The forum has the tendency to blow things way out of proportion. The reason is that people don't come to complain when they don't have anything to complain about. Because of that, I would suggest that the "don't like it" rate for this characteristic will actually be *MUCH LOWER* than what you think.

That being said, it is still there.
Yes, they have changed the geometry for 09. You would probably like it more than 08. In 08 they learned *who really* buys and uses this sled, and how they use it. This information is something that even the greatest market research can never pin down perfectly before a product's launch. But does that means that it was broken before? Certainly not. There are *definitely* (many) people who would *PREFER* the 08 to the 09.

To get back to the topic, the purpose of this thread is to inform the author about the 08 front geometry and not to debate which you prefer. Fact is that it all comes down to personal preference. There is nothing wrong with the 08 geometry - it works exactly the way it was intended to work. If he likes to ride aggressively and have very precise steering, then the 08 just might be MORE SUITABLE.

 

[TurboJamie]

I know most of the mags I have been reading though this fall are still commenting on the 09's front end as twitchy, darting, and uneasy. These words are also what I would use to describe the front end of the 08.

Stuff I tried to save you some time and $ if you plan to buy parts.

2mm off balljoints
Simmons Flex skis
Ski Doo Pilot skis
USI Tripple threat skis
These goofy double runners with big flat bar out front from quebec, I liked these best on stock skis.

Thicker rear couple block to stop wheelie

Changed floats to doo Kayaba front shocks with 150kg springs and valving from my mach Z (this helped some) but still didn't stop the nervous twitch.

Messed with limiters up and down with little luck.

That was about it for me, good luck with the new sled.