2015 Yamaha Viper Weight, Horsepower and First Ride Report
2015 Yamaha Viper Weight, Horsepower and First Ride Report: 2015 Yamaha SR Viper M-TX SE/LE and SR Viper X-TX LE
Riding the new 2015 Yamaha mountain sleds near West Yellowstone, Montana, we now see Yamaha’s renewed commitment to mountain riders. All 7 Viper variations were equipped with the Mountain Performance (MPI) turbo set at 6 pounds of boost. At that level we get 180 horsepower, a little more than a M1100 Turbo. The Arctic Cat is running about 14 pounds of boost and gets 175 horsepower.
Yamaha staff at the ride only had preliminary numbers for weight and power. Calibrations for clutching, suspension and turbo mapping have not been finalized. These were all prototypes that will never be sold to the public.
Weight
We expect a 2015 Yamaha SR Viper M-TX 162” to be about 600 pounds wet weight. This would make it about 35 pounds lighter than a 2014 Arctic Cat M9000 162” and about 25 pounds heavier than a 2014 Arctic Cat M8000 162” with a turbo and electric start. 25 pounds heavier than the M8. Take a 2014 Polaris Pro RMK 800 163” with a turbo and electric start (the lightest sled on the market with those specs), and your only about 60 pounds difference.
We all know dry weight is bogus. I don’t know anyone that rides a sled dry. The best comparison for weight will be weights of production sleds, wet with 3 gallons of fuel in every and two quarts of oil in the oil tanks of the 2 strokes. Sledrumors plans to weight each of the sleds this way after they are delivered in the Fall. What do you think about these weight claims/estimates? Give us your comments below.
Horsepower
I don’t know if anyone will buy a 2015 Yamaha SR Viper M-TX SE/LE or a SR Viper X-TX LE without a turbo, but for mountain riding, boost makes all the difference on this sled. Yamaha is offering a MPI Turbo with airbox instead of intercooler and will be set for 6-7 pounds of boost at 180 HP. All this for $2,000 more on the Powersurge Program making it a no-brainer to drop $500 in the Spring to reserve one.
From there, we have two options, 1) ride the sled under factory warranty with a Yamaha dealer installed turbo or 2) work with a dealer that will exchange the airbox and standard wastegate for the upgraded MPI intercooler and better components. Use race gas and turn boost to 12-15 lbs to get up to 230 horsepower.
Viper Losses
After riding each of the models, banging on hills and riding through the trees, there are some obvious opportunities to improve the Viper. In the deep powder, the skis feel too narrow, and they are. They ought to work a deal with SLP and bolt on the new Mohawk or something a little wider. The bumpers are still weak and Speedwerx has some good options. The Fox Evol shocks were setup too stiff, but Yamaha explained that they were still working on calibration settings. It was what wasn’t disappointing that was shocking.
Viper Wins
The sleds were all light and nimble, especially the 2015 SR Viper X-TX 141 with the 2.25 track. (this one is only available with that track on Powersurge orders) The Fox Float 3 shock were almost perfect on the LE models. The clutch engagement is low, the power comes on early and builds quickly when you want it, a torque monster with plenty of punch to pack the ski’s if you want it. Sidehilling was easy, tight turns on and off power in the trees was unlike any other 4-stroke sleds we’ve ridden.
Differences between Yamaha and Arctic Cat versions
Yamaha has their own clutching calibrations, a partnership with MPI for boost and suspension settings. In addition, the rails and front torque arm are new from Yamaha. The windshield makes it look more Yamaha, but it’s weird. Yamaha also made the vertical steering post stiffer and more durable, and we could feel it on the ride. Overall, Yamaha was very involved in pre-production quality control to meet or exceed the Yamaha durability, fit and finish standards. 
Sled Rumors 
Wet weight should be a standard in the buissnes. You don’t want to know what your sled weights when your in the mountains and have cooked the engine and run out of both gas and oil 😉
I always thougt that it was weight with full of gas and oil but thats true it more comparable with the same amount of fluids /Glenn
Agreed on the wet weight – show us what they weight when I’m about to take it out. How misleading to project dry weights as more than simply what the machine weights to ship it from the factory.
Instead of 3 gallons, I’d rather see them weighed with all tanks full. The article states “I don’t know anybody that rides a sled dry” Good point, but I don’t know anybody that leaves the trailer with only 3 gallons of fuel in the tank. They leave the trailer with a full tank with hopes that they still don’t run out. I realize there are variations in tank sizes, but we still leave the trailer with a full tank. Do these weights include things like factory tool pouches, etc?
I think all magazines should publish wet weight and ride weight on all manufactures IE: weigh them all ready to ride filled with fluids and again with snow packed on Tunnel & Skid after a day of riding in deep powder to get a true weight comparison…
And they should also run all manufactures units on a dyno at altitude (9-10,000 ft) to get a true idea of horsepower where they are ridden instead of marketing #s from a sea level climate controlled dyno room… Then we’ll know how they all really work in real life situations.
60 lbs. heavier Polaris Pro RMK 800 163” with a turbo and electric start……. lol..no thanks.
in the end they’re still in the same weight if not the polarisen weigh more when it is out in the snow. to polaris does not reach the snow cover to reduce weight but then gathers it on more snow in the bogie and forward vangn Ann arctic cat and yamaha.
Weight has always included the BS factor. When you leave to go sledding, regardless if on the prairies on in the mountains one thing you always make sure is that all your fluids are topped up. This means, antifreeze, oil tank and fuel tank are full. The only time I can see this as not true is when your grass or ice dragging, but then spare gas and oil are only a 1/4 mile away at worst. Sleds have many different tank sizes I am sure, but still, when you ride you fill them up, period. The big four need to give their heads a shake, facts are facts, if you have a heavy sled, either change it or be honest with the consumer. Throughout your ride you will accumulate or loose snow inside the skid, I say load all liquids to the max limit and weigh it before you get into the snow. I applaud you efforts to get accurate weights to the sledders, very nice.
i currently own a 2015 yamaha viper xtx le 2.25 track absolutly awsom sled power suspension handling. after riding 360miles it definatly leaves my old sled behind in every catagory ols sled was 2010 polaris 800 dragon rmk 155 track poor engine not reliable.