It all depends on where you ride and how you ride and when you ride 2017 I had a sidewinder and a new 850 18 I boosted up The sidewinder then I sold it in 2019 I still have 850s and get new ones every year the decision is yours if you get a sidewinder I hope your mechanically inclined they tend to require a lot of maintenance daily

 

I have a boosted SW and a 2019 900T. The doo is a better built sled that is much easier to work on.

If you ride big open trails the SW is awesome. Just plan on opening up the chaincase and looking everything over each fall.

I'm at 5,000 miles on mine and it has been good to me.

 

I was recently considering a Sidewinder and everybody said that a Barn Of Parts Driveshaft Saver is a must.

 

It saves it for so long. My bro in laws turbo dynamics boosted 2017 had the bearing spin and slop on the axle. Had to replace the axle.

 

I wouldn’t buy another sidewinder had one sold it for a new 900R power wise every bit as strong as my sidewinder and way more fun to ride. Sidewinder was a very boring chassis to ride flat and nose heavy

 

I have a buddy with a 2015 Viper. The motor is bullet proof! The rest of the machine, not so much. Definitely not the same quality as a real Yamaha.

 

I’ve owned both but I did the opposite, 2018 boosted Sidewinder and now a 850 Backcountry. Entirely depends on the type of riding you like doing. If you’re love running big miles in Northern Ontario or Quebec and want all the power in the world once you get onto a lake or field the Sidewinder wins hands down. As mentioned the Sidewinder is more of a pain to work on and weights ALOT more.

But if you like tight twisty trails or just want something lighter and more playful the 850 is a clear winner. It will never in 1000 years ever beat a sidewinder in a race (maybe against a stock sidewinder and if the 850 was done up a bit, but at that point the 850 is more of a time bomb)

I’m very happy with my Backcountry, much more fun sled to ride for the type of riding I like to do. Do I miss my Sidewinder? Not really

 

My Yamaha hit a 5 inch tall fire ring at 10-15 mph. Totaled the sled and I damn near ripped my nuts off going over the handle bars. The suspension on the Yamaha is safe on trail only in my opinion. The lower control arms are mounted way too low on the tunnel to give you any real clearance. My buddy was on his SkiDoo in front of me and I was in his tracks. He felt nothing and I got totaled. The Yamaha is heavy too. 10 mph and the whole tunnel kinked when the right front suspension ripped off. I went with the 600 EFI Expedition Sport and I love it. I can't see paying the big money for a muscle sled when my sled does everything really well, not the best in each category, but I do not think there is a sled made that does as much well for anything close to the money. Hell, at any price.

 

My Yamaha hit a 5 inch tall fire ring at 10-15 mph. Totaled the sled and I damn near ripped my nuts off going over the handle bars. The suspension on the Yamaha is safe on trail only in my opinion. The lower control arms are mounted way too low on the tunnel to give you any real clearance. My buddy was on his SkiDoo in front of me and I was in his tracks. He felt nothing and I got totaled. The Yamaha is heavy too. 10 mph and the whole tunnel kinked when the right front suspension ripped off. I went with the 600 EFI Expedition Sport and I love it. I can't see paying the big money for a muscle sled when my sled does everything really well, not the best in each category, but I do not think there is a sled made that does as much well for anything close to the money. Hell, at any price.

I call bs on this. Over the handlebars at only 10 mph? The procross chassis is a heavy tank and the front end is much stronger than a ski doo. I've seen a procross stopped dead at atleast 20 mph hitting a lip of a culvert and it only bent an arm. No other damage. I've also seen a 2008 skidoo 500ss with less than 100 miles totaled by clipping a 3" sapling and bending bulkhead and tunnel at less than 20 mph.



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I have both. Both 2021. Everyone in my household fights to ride the skidoo. Much better ride. Easier on the arms. Steering is much better. 850 is better on fuel. Handwarmers on skidoo are better. But the sidewider runs away on the lake.

 

I worry a bit about the 850 engine long term comapred to the yamaha.

 

thats the name of the game when you buy a 2 stroke,over 8k miles, you're pretty much rolling the dice, and if you buy them from someone that flips their sled yearly and just kicks the crap out of it, you're looking for a grenade. but atleast theyre fun

 

129" winder transfers way better than a 137 so start with that.
Put slp slt skies on it, boost it and a xs belt and you start to have something.
After that pony up and buy some good shocks to finish the package, at that point it's on.
Now the 850 needs a ton of work also as most know. It's an ok sled to start with, but to make it a great sled... pull out another 3 to 4k.
After that, it's still slow but extremely fun sled to ride.
Good luck.

 

My Sidewinder is a 129 and I agree with this statement.

The new XTX 146" transfers even better. That would be my choice if I bought a new 998T.

 

Another issue with Yami is the cold starting issues. Last year every trip I was on there were Yamis that would not start on the cold mornings. I can't count the number of times over the years I have seen cold Yamis not starting. Mostly frozen relays but also engine oil that is to thick and cold to allow the engine to turn over enough to start.

 

Yep, carry a pocket full of relays. Not hard to swap out, just another thing with them. No difference than the belt issue on the 850.

 

Sidewinder = Old school muscle car

850 = Modern sports car

Both have their pluses/minuses, really depends on what the rider prefers.

 

Probably the best description so far, because there are good and bad points about both. But, comparing the 850 versus the Sidewinder sounds little bit strange, because they are clearly meant for two completely different types of trail riders.

If you really like the cross country, twisty, bumpy type of trails you go for the big ass two cylinder two stroke vibrator. It's lighter. It handles better. It turns easier. It has better suspension. It has better ergo's. It's a breeze to ride through the bumpy sections. And it has enough power to not make you feel embarrassed across the lake...But - don't count on engine longevity...

If you are the smooth trail, dragracer or lakeracer kind of guy, there is really no comparison. The Sidewinder is the king, no matter what some butthurt people on here say. There is not many of them around where I live, but I think every single one is tuned to 270 hp or more...They know they are the king (at least until they line up against some old RX1), they have reached this power level cheaper than with anything else in the market and the engine longevity is still better than anything that says Rotax...But - instead, don't count on chaincase and driveshaft longevity...

 

I have never owned a side winder but from little swap ride I got, they are a very fun machine. I definitely understand the appeal. I can’t say anything bad about it. People pick on their cornering ability but it seemed on par with my four stroke gade🤷‍♂️. Get whatever interests you and enjoy the crap out of it.

 

Well - a perspective maybe not mentioned, but I have had two Yamaha sleds over the years. What is surprising / disappointing to me about owning one is the availability of parts / price of parts.

Bought a RX1new in 2005 in November - second ride of the year the nut on the top gear on the jackshaft had backed off, cracking the cover with 150 miles on the sled. Didn't have parts at the dealer until late February. Picked sled up and a week later got a letter saying it had been recalled due to suspension arm cracking issues. Didn't see those parts until the following season.

A few years ago when my wife and I moved to northern MN and got full bore back into sledding (we lived in Metro Twin Cities area prior) and I bought my Expedition & picked up a 4 stroke Phazer for her, thinking "its a solid little 4 stroke, what could go wrong?". That thing has been a money pit. Rock solid engine / clutches / transmission. Suspension parts are garbage, and VERY expensive to buy, and that is IF you can find some to buy. Tracks, shocks, rails, arms, etc..... are all impossible to find. A good condition USED track is $700-800USD.

Yes I am aware that they are assembled by Cat, but not everything is Cat sourced and Cat supported. And honestly Cat has one foot on a banana peel business wise (Cat and Polaris are actually customers of mine - get into the plants several times a year), you are literally buying a sled from a foreign company who sub-contract builds the machine that is on the verge of going out of business. To put it lightly -people in Minnesota are crazy about things made / from Minnesota. Cat has done such a horrible job - they only have two dealers left in Minnesota, and one sells sleds off of the semi on to his farm and out of his pole barn. Textron is screwing them up bad.

 

So let’s change direction here, is a 900r the answer for reliability and power, over the 850?

 

You only need to have a quick look around this forum to see there are barely any crank failure, sudden loss of compression and other funny threads regarding any of the 900 Turbo four strokers...Time will tell if they are as solid as the Yamaha four strokers, but to answer your question - yes, any 900 Turbo four stroker is definitely more reliable than any big two cylinder two stroker...They will add some weight and give up some agility and handling, but you don't have to feel scared the day warranty expires...

 

the r has a slightly bigger turbo than the old t
but the r has a locked ecu, where the 20 900t and be easily tuned to 20+ psi