sno-lt1006-16-18 - American Snowmobiler Magazine

long-term test
by mark boncher
Amsnow says – Ride, then
decide because its tone and
comfort made the 2006 Apex
a Long-term Trail Favorite.
Yamaha Apex GT
Genesis engine plays sweet tune all season
A
fter months on trails, lakes,
fields and hills, our Yamaha
Apex GT still made our ears
tingle with excitement every
time we grabbed the gas. From preseason testing last year we knew this
sled was unlike any 4-stroke, but like
any first-year sled, we were curious
how it would hold up throughout an
entire season. Here’s what we learned.
It almost became too predictable
because each rider would get off the
machine after just a short ride and
say, “I can’t believe that’s a 4-stroke!”
The Genesis 150 fuel injected 4-cylinder 4-stroke has a smile-inducing strong
and smooth pull, and a sound that every
rider remarked on. The sound of the 4-
The engine
The pull and sound
of the Apex exceeded all expectations.
The powerplant shines on the
Apex. Yes, there are plenty of other
positives that we will get to, but time
and again, this is what anyone who
tested our demo sled commented on.
16
AMERICAN SNOWMOBILER • amsnow.com
TESTED
BE
ST
OF
ES
THE B
T
1-2 exhaust with titanium head pipes
were likened to a deeper sounding R1
cycle, and I even heard the Buell and
Ducati names thrown into the mix of
comparisons. One thing was level
across all the feedback we received,
the pull and sound of the Apex
exceeded expectations.
Unfortunately, at an average of
14.5 mpg in Real World testing we did
not see as much fuel savings as
expected, and actually got lower mpg
than our 2005 RX-1 which gave us
16.9 mpg. Comparing some notable
big 2-strokes, our Real World testing
of the Ski-Doo Mach Z netted us 11.7
mpg, and the Cat’s F7 got 10.2. At
"ECOMEAN
ONLINEPREMIUM
MEMBERAT !-3./7#/
Yamaha
Apex GT
Engine: 998cc Genesis 150
4-stroke
Exhaust: Dual rear 4-1-2
Clutch/Transmission: YVXC/
variable ratio
Front Suspension: Independent
double wishbone w/GYT clicker
shocks
Rear Suspension: Monoshock
w/Ohlins EC
Ski Stance: 42.7 in.
Track: 15x121x1.25 in.
Fuel Capacity: 10 gal.
MSRP: $11,199 US
Real World Stats
Top Speed: 104.70 mph
1/4-mile time: 13.13 sec.
MPG: 14.5
minimum, we were still saving $5 per
fill-up vs. our other big-bore sleds and
the Apex didn’t cost a dime in oil.
Suspension and handling
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Used by
Factory Polaris,
Factory Arctic Cat,
the last
three World
Champions and
too many
performance
shops to list.
THOUSANDS OF STOCK CYLINDERS
ON THE SHELF FOR EXCHANGE!
Millennium Technologies
1404 Pilgrim Road
Plymouth, WI 53073
Phone 920-893-5595
Fax 920-893-4830
Toll Free 1-888-779-6885
Millennium Cylinder Technologies Ltd.
Lot 2, Highway #7
Stony Mountain, MB R0C 3A0
Phone 204-344-6082
www.mt-llc.com
We are so confident about our product we offer a Lifetime Warranty.
On the groomed trail, the Apex GT
is the Mercedes of snowmobiling, but
would you take your Mercedes convertible to an off-road rally? Likewise,
you shouldn’t expect your Apex GT to
perform best on a snocross track.
Some have said that this suspension is
too soft, but this sled is designed for
groomed trails and the Ohlins electronic rear shock and GYT-R clickers
up front are a perfect combination for
any groomed trail system.
We set-up our test ride with 192
Woody’s studs and 10-inch carbides
up front and found this combination
to be best for corning, quick deceleration and mid-range hook-up. Some
riders commented on the tendency to
dart in firm snow conditions, but others thought the sled was simply more
responsive than what they were used
to. An aftermarket ski with a shallowOctober 2006 • 17
ss
st Gra
Large nd Water
a
Drags ssing in
o
Cr
SA!
the U
• SIDE-BY-SIDE DRAG RACING ON THE GRASS
• AMAZING WATER CROSS RACING
• ROCK MAPLE RACING ATV COMPETITION
• VINTAGE SNOWMOBILE DISPLAY • FLEA MARKET
• BEST PRICES ON CLOTHING AND ACCESSORIES
GREAT RACING • GREAT FOOD • GREAT FUN!
by
ored Inc.
s
n
o
p
S
es,
is Sal
Polar
PETERSON’S/BROOKVALE FARM
OCT. 6, 7, 8 • Fremont, NH
Adults $15 per person,
children 12 and under free,
’06 Big bore
power/weight
Yamaha Apex GT
Power (hp): 150
Dry Weight (lbs.): 554
Power/Weight: .27 hp/lb.
POLARIS FUSION 900
Power (hp): 146
Dry Weight (lbs.): 524
Power/Weight: .28 hp/lb.
(two day pass $25, three day pass $30)
VENDORS CONTACT: Enterprise Promotions, LLC.
Phone 603-479-3576
Email: [email protected]
NO PETS OR
GLASS ALLOWED
www.nhgrassdrags.com
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AMERICAN SNOWMOBILER • amsnow.com
ARCTIC CAT ZR900
Power (hp): 151
Dry Weight (lbs.): 516
Power/Weight: .29 hp/lb.
er keel may help here. Apex also is not
as flat in the corners as Ski-Doo’s
Mach Z RT chassis and the shorter ski
stance of the Apex lends the sled to
tip more in the corners. But Apex
wins the comfort award over the Z.
Our only wear problem with our
Apex was faulty rear wheels that were
traced to a small batch of poor supplier
pieces. Check part no. 8ES 47310 0000
with your local dealer for more information.
Ride it
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18
SKI-DOO MACH Z
Power (hp): 165
Dry Weight (lbs.): 529
Power/Weight: .31 hp/lb.
NEW AMATEUR PROGRAM ON SATURDAY,
check www.nhgrassdrags.com for updates.
FRIDAY NIGHT IS AMATEUR NIGHT!
FRI. 3PM-10PM • SAT. 10AM-6PM • SUN. 10AM-6PM
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LONG-TERM TEST
For those who still don’t believe that
this 4-stroke can hold its own, or top
many 2-strokes, our suggestion is simply to ride it. The Apex has converted
more riders to the blue team than any
sled in the last 5 years. I personally
watched two extremely avid and
aggressive riders dump their brand
new machines from two separate manufacturers halfway through the season
to buy new Apexes a day after riding
ours. That leads me to believe Yamaha
is on the right track.