Hardcore Sledder banner

New 2018 Sidewinder STX DX 146 Hate It!

26K views 57 replies 21 participants last post by  eastmark 
#1 ·
Every time I take this thing out, I get towed home, or limp home. 2nd ride (ever) end of Dec this season up in Cochrane, first day up, it quit on trail. Got towed back to hotel. Got in touch w dealer via text...suggested frozen relay. Tried that, seemed to work, till 30 k out on day 2. Limped back to town, sled quit, walked back to hotel. Had to pick up w trailer, end trip early and go home.

Faulty voltage regulator. Second time out, sled dies while doing 120kph w no notice. Tow it home. Back on trailer. Back to dealer. Blown relay.

Today, 30k from home, terrible ratcheting from track with any throttle push or at 50kph or above. Limped home. Will load up and go back to the dealer after the long weekend.

Bottom line, I upgraded to this $20k sled that I can’t ride, and now don’t trust, from a perfectly good zr7000ltd, which I should have kept. What do I do now?
 
#3 ·
well since its got papwerwork saying it has issue's

maybe , it might "Accidentally" catch on fire, (preferably only a short ways away from truck and trailer and where NOTHING else can get damaged LOL)

and just keep a few receipts ready to show the extras on it at the time it melted down to nothing(nationwide will cover 3k in add one's with a basic policy)
and ins. will cover the price tag for you and move on LOL


but MAN I know it must suck to have anything new that is a problem child and no trust in it, sucks
owned a few things like it, and frustration levels can rise real fast when your hard earned money got you JUNK!

sadly about all you can do is keep going back to dealer, and while there see if they maybe will work with you to get out of it and into something else

sadly lemon's like this make it out the door of every factory and on every model
you just happened to be the unlucky guy this time that got one!
 
#9 ·
Thanks for the replies all. Oh, it’s real alright. The dealer has been good so far. No problem there. It’s an hour away, so it’s not too bad.

It’s just a pain b/c my family doesn’t ride without me so in essence “we’re” not riding so far this winter.

When the dealership opens again Monday or Tuesday, I’ll ask about options, as my faith is shot in this sled.
 
#11 ·
That sucks. My Vector seemed alright last year, but it only got 12 miles put on it. This year, first ride, it started puking coolant, but I was lucky. After pulling it apart, I had a hell of a time getting the radiator cap off. It was because it was cross-threaded. Took it in anyway for a once-over by dealer, who couldn't find any issue after filling it back up and correctly replacing the cap. Now, I've got nearly 200 trouble-free miles on it and love it. But I remember the feeling of having less than 30 miles on it and having issues already. Hopefully your dealer will make it right for you. That's a beautiful sled, and the model I would get, if I ever upgraded, only in 137.
 
#12 ·
Track issue sounds like a matter of just being snugged up so that is no biggie which any sled owner should be able to do themselves which would have saved a trip to the dealer and ultimately saved a ride. But the bigger issue is the electrical stuff. How has it ran since they fixed that ? If it hasn't had issues since sounds like you should be good to go, no? I know it's frustrating, I'm just trying to help you look at the "up side" before you throw in the towel on a good sled. I have a 2017 zr9k and love this 998t engine. Have had 3500 trouble free miles other than it seems to like to drink gas like it's going out of style.
 
#14 ·
Hate reading posts like this. Sucks especially when you chase snow. When its time to ride, it's time to ride. I just bought a brand new one as well, and I can tell you its an awesome machine all the way around, so keep at it man!!


One thing about the track ratcheting. Mine was banjo tight from the factory, and not aligned properly. That said, it was so far out of spec, I would say it could also be equally far out in the other direction. Set the track tension and alignment exactly how the manual tells you to do it. If it's truly the driver ratcheting, that'll fix that issue.


Jim
 
#35 ·
Just heard back from the dealer...the window that lets you check chaincase fluid had fallen out. Chaincase went dry, chain was seizing.

Parts are ordered and will be replaced under warranty. No doubt, they’ve been great.

Another 2 weeks of no riding however.
These type of small problems (although I understand this problem led to a much bigger one...) are something Cat's have always been known for...My F7 some small issues but never left me stranded...
 
#23 ·
Thanks for asking. Sled is at dealer and they’re waiting on parts. I’m waiting to hear back on an ETA.
I’ve asked my sales guy about a next step and he said the GM is reaching out to Yamaha to see what can be done.

Earlier post asked about location and dealer...I’d sooner not say, as I don’t want
to give the dealership a bad name...they’re doing all they can for me, and I appreciate it.
 
#29 ·
Picked it up Thursday afternoon. Many thanks to the crew at the dealership who worked w Yamaha to get in parts early to get me on the trail 3 weeks earlier than they first thought.

Got a 60km ride in yesterday. All seemed good.

Leave today with family for a 3 day sled trip to Sudbury area w 2 other families, so, here’s hoping!!
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top