Vintage SRX sled pics and a nice original ATC-R.

[PLJ.]

I stated earlier that I would try to scan a few pics of my "late" SRX440RX and post them. I just mastered the scanner!! Finally. This sled was a 1976 factory race sled. Factory turned down bar, ski-spreaders, aluminum ski's, skid, slide lubers, etc. It was never circled, only dragged in a straight line sponsored by a large Chevy dealership here in Michigan. I sold the thing way to cheap about 7 years ago. I just saw one like it on ebay that went for $4,400.00!!! If you know SRX's, this is a 76 with a 78 paint job on the hood. Competition for the Arctic Z's, Merc Twister's, Rupp Nitro's, Skidoo Blizzards and RV's. The only one rarer than this in the famed Yamaha 1978 SSR, factory race sled.
This ATC pic is of my loved 85 250R. It was puchased new in 85 at Honda Tour and Trail, Lincoln Park, Michigan. I have all the original documents, manuals, warranty papers, jet kit, tool kit and even the price tag that hung on the bars. $2,199.00 I found this trike in a local paper. Thanks.

[PowerTrike]

Very nice! Yeah those old SRX's are awsome old sleds. My dad used to race blizzards cross country (sold his last one way too cheap also :? ). He claimed that the Merc Snow Twisters owned the circle track. Had no idea their value was that high!

[YAMAHA_Jim]

Nice sled PLJ, I used to have a 1980 srx440 l/c and a 1980 SS440.

[HemiChallenger71]

Very nice sled! A local guy a couple of years ago had a Yamaha 440, and it was apparentley the fastest in the state as claimed by him and several other people, but this was a little newer sled, 80's or 90's. The vintage sleds are awesome, especially the race sleds. It's funny to see an old air cooled sled kick a new 800's ass because it's so light and sits so low to the ground. I guess newer sleds are designed to be ridden a little diferent, where comfort and suspension travel is an issue.

I saw a red f-5 Firecat today, sharp sled. He pulled up to the gas station, fueled up, and scooted out. It must be nice to ride a machine like that.

[PLJ.]

Don't be fooled by the year. This 1976 sled is a pure waterpumping, liquid cooled motor. Complete with stock powerjet carbs and rubber "O" ring gaskets in the motor. Very advanced for the time. Yamaha's air cooled version, 74 and 75 was called the GPX433. This was a pure free air sled with a slightly older style chassis. The 77 SRX was vastly different from the 76 also!! New style cylinders, pipes, rear suspension, etc. It is said that the 77 had the most HP of any SRX. The 78 was also white in color, but slightly detuned and more trail friendly than the pure race 77. The 79 got a black paint job, cushy rear suspension and a more detuned motor, this was the last SRX to come premix with Mikuni VM carbs. The 80 was the trail sled. Gold/Black with oil injection, butterfly carbs, heavy, heavy, heavy. The 81 was a complete reworking. Independant front suspension, V-Max style motor, total different chassis. But the thing was never a race sled, and did not hold up on the trail either. This ended the line of the SRX, until 98 with the Blue SRX700. The one to find, is the SSR440. This 78 sled was Yamaha's last true race effort. I have never seen one in person, white, red and black. Let me know if you ever find one. I love all the old race sleds Twisters, Z's, Tigre's, RV's, Nitro's, TNT's, Jet's, Magnums, Boa's, GP's and of course the SRX's. I sincerely apologize and am Sorry for the long winded history of sleds on a great three wheeler site. Thanks for the interest.

[PLJ.]

One last note Old drag racers claim that they could strip and run 76-77 SRX's down the track at a total weight of less than 250 lbs!! Remember, these sleds had partial aluminum frames, aluminum chassis, aluminum rear suspension frames, aluminum skis, etc. A midly hopped up SRX on pump gas can peg the dyno at between 105-115 H.P. Run this power to weight ratio with your calculator and you can see why they still dominate even the newest iron. A custom ATC500R or KXT500 on alcohol has a hard time meeting this power to weight ratio.

[Dan Tenn]

great stuff PLJ.

I got my first taste of wrenching when I was fourteen, and my dad fired up his 1970 ski-doo 440 TNT. Very fun, and I have the scars to prove it too. Sadly though, I had her wide open on the main road by my house and one of the pistons siezed. pulled on the starter and all you could here were metal chunks rolling around. Now it is fill under my relatives new barn.

[freaksfix]

I too am a fan of vintage sleds.. I have a 75 Merc Trail Twister, i am doing a slight resto on it...

[HemiChallenger71]

I just picked up a 1981 Arctic Cat El Tigre' for free!!! 440 liquid cooled in very good shape. It is clutched, has pipes and 42mm mikunki race carbs on it. I hear they're pretty fast as well. I need to tear the motor apart, I have 0 compression in one cylinder. Lets hope it's not to expensive to fix.

[PLJ.]

Yes, Hemi that Cat is a pretty hot machine. When Yamaha, Mecury, Skidoo, Rupp and the others stopped making competitive machines, Arctic Cat and Polaris still offered production sleds that could be made to run in circles such as the I-500. That is until Cat went out of business for a few years in the early 80's. Following is a pic of the 76 SRX motor.

[honda200]

man, i am down with vintage sledding, the sled i got now is a 1989 yamaha exciter 570 liquid, not really vintage, but the one i am getting to fix up, is, brace yourself, 1978 MOTO SKI capri 440, haha, he is mechanicly un inclined, he got it for 150, he will let it go for 100, and i might sell the exciter if the moto ski is any good, i only ride around my back feild and in my woods, but i can fix anything now, my dad gave me an old Automotive text book that he had, and i have almost read the entire thing, very very interesting stuff in there.

Whats a good way to sand a hood that the owner before him painted bluish grey? then i would use the Krylon plastic paint stuff to repaint it

Curtis

[Andrew]

the hoods fiberglass,isnt it?

[Chrisbroeders]

my dad has a merc twister with a high rev clutch... its a mean machine