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The Apex is a great sled, no doubts about that, but when it comes to riding in the mountain I don’t think it’s the best choice you can make. It’s not that it doesn’t have the power to climb the hills, it does, but being so heavy makes it struggle at some point. I really can’t think of another 2007 mountain model with a weight like the Apex Mountain. Yes, it’s a 4-stroke and that adds up a lot, but still. It’s comfortable though, and quiet. It makes a good trail sled, but for the mountains there are much better choices out there. Still, see the characteristics:

MODEL    Apex Mountain SE
M.S.R.P. *    $11,299.00
ENGINE    4-stroke, 4-cylinder, 3-valves, liquid-cooled
DISPLACEMENT    998 cc
BORE X STROKE    74 x 58 mm
CARBURETION    39 mm Mikuni, fuel injection
IGNITION    Digital T.C.I. with throttle position sensor
CLUTCH    YVXC
TRANSMISSION    Variable ratio
SUSPENSION    Front: Independent, double wishbone; Fox FLOAT, air shock, aluminum shocks; 7 in. travel
Rear: ProMountain™ 162 in. with dual angle; gas cell hydraulic shocks; 14 in. travel
BRAKES    Disc; 4-piston hydraulic with lightweight rotor
EXHAUST    Rear
SKIS    Wide saddleless plastic mountain ski
LENGTH    131.1 in.
WIDTH    46 in.
HEIGHT    46.7 in.
TRACK LXWXH    162 x 16 x 2.25 in., 3 in. pitch, Camoplast Maverick
SKI STANCE    37.6-39.6 in., adjustable
DRY WEIGHT    593 lbs.
OIL CAPACITY    3 qt., dry sump
FUEL CAPACITY    10 gal.

Actually the only way for the Apex Mountain to outrun anything out there in the big hills is by adding a 7 thousand dollar turbo. Way too big of an upgrade considering the price you’re paying for the stock sled. Weight is also a reason for the machine to be hard to handle. And I don’t even want to mention the struggle you’ll be put through if it happens that you get stuck somewhere. It’s an easy choice – if you’re an exclusive mountain rider you should look for some different sled to get. If you want a good trail sled you may consider getting the Apex Mountain, even though you can save some money and get yourself the 07 Apex ER or the 07 Apex RTX…they’re just as good, if not better.

If you’re determined to get an Yamaha sled and you want one of the best there is you should certainly learn some more about the 2007 Attak GT. This thing is not only powerful and comfortable, but it goes beyond. You won’t believe the smoothness of the motor – it’s incredible. It’s one very easy to maintain sled and its gas mileage is great. The power is what makes it so perfect. It has plenty of it and it’s for sure you won’t have any problems not just keeping up, but getting ahead of most of the sleds on the market right now. Great, great sled is all I can say about it. See the specifications:

MODEL    Attak GT
M.S.R.P. *    $11,499.00
ENGINE    4-stroke, 4-cylinder, 3-valves, liquid-cooled
DISPLACEMENT    998 cc
BORE X STROKE    74 x 58 mm
CARBURETION    39 mm Mikuni, fuel injection
IGNITION    Digital T.C.I. with throttle position sensor
CLUTCH    YVXC
TRANSMISSION    Variable ratio, reverse
SUSPENSION    Front: Independent, double wishbone; 40 mm HPG, piggyback clicker, compression and rebound shocks; 9 in. travel
Rear: Öhlins® Mono Shock™ EC; 46 mm Öhlins® electronic, compression shocks; 11.5 in. travel
BRAKES    Disc; 4-piston hydraulic with lightweight rotor
EXHAUST    Rear
SKIS    Lightweight plastic, saddleless design
LENGTH    118.1 in.
WIDTH    48 in.
HEIGHT    45.7 in.
TRACK LXWXH    136 x 15 x 1.25 in. Camoplast Rip Saw™
SKI STANCE    42 in.
DRY WEIGHT    577 lbs.
OIL CAPACITY    3 qt., dry sump
FUEL CAPACITY    10 gal.

The only thing to complain about is the price. It’s not a cheap sled, but if you really want the best you have to pay the price for it. If you can afford it and are in a search for a great all around sled, this is exactly the one for you. You can trust it all the way and you can be sure it won’t disappoint you. It’s basically everything a rider can expect from a snowmobile and is absolutely worthy.

The Phazer Mountain Lite is a cute looking sled once you get used to it. It is pretty good on handling and comfort. Its track is well suited and the skis and suspension are great. Being light is mainly the thing that makes it a great mountain sled although sometimes it just lacks the power to get you to the top. It has its 80hp, but somehow they’re not enough. It’s a cute machine and at a nice price, but there are others that will perform much better than it. Still, check out its characteristics:

MODEL    Phazer Mountain Lite
M.S.R.P. *    $7,199.00
ENGINE    4-stroke, 2-cylinder, 3-valves, liquid-cooled
DISPLACEMENT    499 cc
BORE X STROKE    77 x 53.6 mm
CARBURETION    43 mm Keihin, fuel injection
IGNITION    Digital T.C.I. with throttle position sensor
CLUTCH    YPZ
TRANSMISSION    Variable ratio, electronic shift
SUSPENSION    Front: Independent, double wishbone; gas cell hydraulic shocks; 8.5 in. travel
Rear: ProMountain™ dual angle; gas cell hydraulic shocks; 15.5 in. travel
BRAKES    Disc; 2-piston hydraulic with lightweight rotor
EXHAUST    Rear
SKIS    Lightweight plastic, saddleless design
LENGTH    125.8 in.
WIDTH    46 in.
HEIGHT    46.9 in.
TRACK LXWXH    144 x 14 x 2 in. Camoplast Maverick
SKI STANCE    37.6-39.6 in.
DRY WEIGHT    489 lbs.
FUEL CAPACITY    8.1 gal.

What people are mainly complaining about is overheating. If you get it you should be careful not to push it too far. It’s just not the sled that’s gonna last you for a long time. Very soon you’ll be looking for something else to trade it for. It works as a beginners sled and if that’s the case I say go for it, but if not just look for something more reliable. There’s plenty of choice before you. Just try and avoid any Phazer variation possible.

So let’s see how Yamaha did with bettering the RS Venture and is it really worthy if you have a 05 model to upgrade to an 07 one (I think “upgrading” from 05 to 06 model is not even worth mentioning). So the RS Venture hasn’t changed that much judging from the given specifications. But what’s changed is making a whole lot of difference. Remember how the suspension of the 05 Venture was good, but the sled was still tippy – well that’s all in the past now. Yamaha did some tweaking and now the thing is as stable as it should be…especially considering its weight did not change. The comfort level is still the same – perfect. And you still get great amount of power from this machine. Gas mileage stays the same – 15 mpg (amazing if you ask me considering the weight again) and the sled got even more reliable than it used to be. So here are its specifications so you don’t have to take my word on it:

MODEL    RS Venture GT
M.S.R.P. *    $9,599.00
ENGINE    4-stroke, 3-cylinder, 2-valves, liquid-cooled
DISPLACEMENT    973 cc
BORE X STROKE    79 x 66.2 mm
CARBURETION    40 mm Keihin
IGNITION    Digital T.C.I. with throttle position sensor
CLUTCH    YVXC
TRANSMISSION    Variable ratio, reverse
SUSPENSION    Front: Independent, double wishbone; 40 mm HPG, piggyback clicker compression and rebound shocks; 9 in. travel
Rear: ProComfort; 36 HPG, aluminum shocks; 12.5 in. travel
BRAKES    Disc; 2-piston hydraulic with ventilated disc
EXHAUST    Rear
SKIS    Plastic, saddle-type
LENGTH    123.4 in.
WIDTH    48 in.
HEIGHT    52.4 in.
TRACK LXWXH    144 x 15 x 1.25 in. Camoplast Rip Saw™
SKI STANCE    42 in.
DRY WEIGHT    625 lbs.
OIL CAPACITY    3 qt., dry sump
FUEL CAPACITY    10 gal.

The only problems that remain are the lack of storage and the huge weight. But not because the weight slows the sled down, but because if it happens for you to get stuck somewhere you’re still gonna need that extra help to free the Venture. So I guess paying $600 for the 07 model is kinda worthy after all. You get stability and even better comfort level…add the speed and the reliability (that you always had with the RS Venture) and you’re looking at one amazing sled. Riding it will feel awesome and if you don’t trust me guess you have to find that out on your own.

If we were planning on telling you absolutely everything we know about snowmobiles this would’ve turned out to be a review so long, that we’re sure you wouldn’t have the nerve to read it entirely. That’s the reason why we’ve decided to only highlight the moments you need to know about those extreme machines. Some of the things mentioned below we’re sure you’re aware of, but there are those you don’t know, we’re asking to keep reading for.

The definition:
The original definition is that those are vehicles designed to be driven on snow or ice. They’re propelled by track, made of a Kevlar composite, at the rear and ski up front for steering. What powers them is a two-stroke gasoline/petrol internal combustion engine, but the latest and greatest are powered by a four-stroke engine.

History:
We know it can be boring, but you have to know where it all started and how much those things have changed over the years. At first the snowmobiles were nothing like those we know today. For the USA it all started way back in 1916 with the first patent for snow-vehicles issued to Ray H. Muscott of Waters, MI. What we’re speaking of here are only multi-passenger snow-vehicles that were very heavy. For the time, they were used mainly for mail delivery. Of course there was the idea for individual snowmobiles, but because of the heavy engines used back then it wasn’t till later when that was possible to achieve. There were some attempts at 1955-1956, but the machines were heavy (1000 lbs or 450 kg) and slow (20 mph or 30 km/h). Then came the 1959 when the engines became smaller and what we know as the modern snowmobile in its open-cockpit one- or two-person form was invented.  The design kept changing and improving and as time passed the snowmobiles became smaller, faster and economical.

Now:
The snowmobiles we know today are what we call high-performance ones.  Many of them can achieve speeds in excess of 120 mph (190 km/h) and racing snowmobiles reach speeds in excess of 180 mph (288 km/h). They can easily beat most stock or aftermarket cars and accelerate to 100mph+ in under six seconds (when set-up for ice-drags). Recently companies started working on the ecological side as well. Since 2002-2003 the engines used by most of the leading companies are four-stroke ones that are significantly less polluting. But even if companies are still using the two-stroke engines, they’re trying to make them cleaner. As an example - Bombardier’s Semi-Direct Injection (SDI) two stroke motors emit 60 percent less pollutants than previous carbureted 2-strokes. As to how far the customizing have gone, we can only say that you can now get your snowmobile modified with handle bar risers, hand guards, custom/lightweight hoods, windshields, and seats, running board supports, and numerous other modifications that increase power and maneuverability. Nevertheless snowmobiling is a dangerous sport.

Danger:
We’re not saying that this is the most dangerous sport ever, but just like any other involving high speeds accidents can happen. The most common accidents are caused by: speeding, loss of control, quick turning and unknown surrounding. Unfortunately the usual outcome is death. Yet again, just like with the every other sport involving high speeds, those accidents can be avoided, if only people weren’t trying to be daredevils. If you are, or you’re planning on practicing this sport don’t forget how dangerous it can be and be reasonable - it is indeed your life that is at stake. Note: the snow only looks fluffy and soft…in reality it hurts like hell if you fall down.

In conclusion:
From now on we’re gonna present you the biggest names in industry of snowmobiling and their latest products. We hope you’ll find the following reviews helpful as we’ll do our best to be as informative as possible, but also we’ll try not to bore you with unnecessary for you details. Ready?