Im going to be looking to trade up to something newer in the near future.
Im leaning towards something in the 500cc class.
Id like to be able to find an '01 500 SXr. I dont ride the lakes much, so a triple really isnt worth it for me. Was the 500 SXr a pretty good sled? How does the fuel milage compare to the 600 and 700 SXr's?
If a 500 SXr proves to be too difficlt to find, or turns out to be not that good of a sled, Id also be open to a 500 XC. However, a Yamaha is going to be my first choice.
Before all you A/C people chime in saying I should get an F5, stop, dont bother. An Arctic Cat isnt even an option. Untill A/C proves that they can build reliable sleds, they dont even exist as far as I am concerned.
Hebi

How about you take that little quote from your "signature" down.

Or better yet.... Move to Japan. And stay there. :wut60:

The 500 SXR is a very good trail sled. I own a 500 Venture and ride with several guys who own 500 V-Max XTC's (about the same as the SXR). I must say that they are pretty quick and very dependable. If your trails are generally well kept, the slightly out dated suspension should work just fine. The 1997 600 (last of the twin 600s) V-Max XTC would be another good chioce for the money and still give you good mileage while allowing you to keep up with most newer sleds in the trails.

I also ride a Cat to save my back in the bumps :div20:

Hello Dumby! Arctic Cat uses Suzuki engines, made in JAPAN!! :frech32:

I am aware of that. However its not the engine Im worried about, its the rest of the sled. You know, like the clutches that need to be rebuilt every 1,000 miles.
Suzuki makes some sweet bikes and quads, no doubt about that. After all, they are the company that brought us the Hayabusa, arguably one of the most insane sportbikes ever made (2nd to the Y2K, IMHO).
And Scooter, how do know that Im not in Japan? My signature is a mostly true statement. The best cars, best bikes, and best electronics are made in Japan. I could go into furthur detail, but you sound pretty closed-minded and ignorant, so I wont waste my time...
Hebi

I love the sxr 500. Very quick sled. Had 106 on speedo and Im not lying. They get good fuel mileage and there good trail sleds.

My wife rides a SXR 700. Why not go for the triple?? Ultra smooth and reliable, and not that much heavier. She's 112 lbs (Sorry Honey) and she can throw that thing around pretty good. The SXR has a ton of suspension as well. At 3,800 miles we still have 135 lbs of compression in each jug. I agree with you about A/C, I owned a 96 zrt 600 and a 01 zrt 800. Both JUNK. At the dealer for recalls, and stupid problems. You see all of the F-Cat recalls!! Not to mention the ZR900 crank problems. Hey, Cat may be faster, but speed does you no good when your 200 miles from home, broke. Good Luck

I had thought about an SX 700R, but I wanted to avoid it for insurance reasons.
Almost every dealer I went to had at least 1 700 SRX on hand, but that would have been even more expensive for insurance.
As you can see by my profile, Ive got an '01 600 EDGE X. Wasnt my first choice but I got it at such a great price it was very hard to turn down. Oh well, I figure I can ride this sled for 5-10 years and then probably go get a 1-year-old of new sled. Most likely a 4-stroke (prolly RS Vector if they still make it at that time).
I hear you about Arctic Cat. I personally have nothing aganst anyone who rides an A/C, but it gets old when I constantly hear how Firecats are so superior to any other sled. Im not an A/C owner and untill they can surpass the reputation that Yamaha has for building dependable, high-quality sleds, I wont be buying one. I believe you said it best, fast doesnt mean a thing when you are broke down in the middle of nowhere.
Hebi

I'm not trying to hijack your thread or anything, but why did yamaha quit making a 500cc sled? They still make the Venom 600 triple.
If they still made the sxr500 i would buy one right now and I wouldn't be looking all over the place for a new, reliable sled.

I share your remarks on japan.

I have an 01 SXR500 I picked up last year. It is as close to showroom condition as you can get used. I picked it up to get back into the sport after a couple years out. Only put a few hundred miles on it last year and it's still under 2000 miles. It seems very reliable and if that is all you are after it is a safe bet. Contrary to what most folks say I found that the rear suspension went over bumps well, the front suspension was not as good.
it also darts around a lot, going to see if I can find double carbides for it this year.

Where I found the difference was when I got on a Polaris 6, and 700 last year when riding with a large group. I found each of the Polaris handled much better than my Yamaha, it left me a little dissapointed. On the Polaris they seemd wider, more stable, and definately did not dart like mine. As you can imagine the 6, and 700's where a bit faster, but that is not apples to apples. The yamaha 500 I have has OK bottom end,
(not going to beat anyone off the line) Top end actually surprised me a little, it's pretty fast on top. I hear you on the CAT macines, every single person I know who has a newer one has had some sort of problem(s). Lot's of clutches being rebuilt on or before 1000 miles, I have gotten thousands of miles out of my Polaris, and Ski-doo clutches in the mid to late 90's vintage. Arctice cat has a nice front suspension, and some really cool sleds, however they are notorious for problems.

Having said that I would probably buy a Cat F6 or 7 for the right price. Call me crazy..

Darting is pretty common problem. Put your reading glasses on and check out this link http://www.totallyamaha.com/snowmobiles/aa...Index/SKIS.html I did the ski shim mod and it made a big difference. :div20: