gelf
09-11-2004, 07:24 PM
When I was 16 or so I had saved all summer to finally buy a snowmobile "newer" than me. (had a collection of early 70's polaris's).
Anyway, after a summer with the bee-guy I had enough of a bank roll to pick up a 1987 Yamaha Exciter LC. Basically a stock unit except for the sound. In fact, it was the meanest sounding sled in the county. I'm not sure why, but the previous owner had purchased a PSI pipe and cut it near the back taper where it would typically drop down into the underlying can. To this contraption he had welded a stinger. Sounded a bit like a crotch-rocket.... a bit more (tin-canny).
Anyway, It was the most dependable sled I've ever owned, 2 pulls and always a start. Not to mention fast..... no problem taking the needle to 110Mph. (how accurate are sled speedo's anyway)
It had a hard life, the tunnel was cracked just before the rear suspension bolts. (had it welded, but started to re-crack) Also, I had met up with a large washout in too little snow. That turned into a tweaked left strut.... bent frame.
Any sled would be deemed "dead" at that point, but I loved this one too much. I continued to drive it...... tunnel starting to crack again, hood not quite fitting right due to the tweaked TSS.
It finally met it's end in a field at 80Mph..... blew the belt BAD. All that was left of the belt was the outside cord. The cord had proceeded to wrap itself up between the clutches so tight that it tore the motor mounts?!?! The clutches were only about 2 inches apart and the motor was deffinatly at an odd angle. Bad enough? Well in going from 80Mph to 0Mph in the matter of one second, the chain had also came through the chain case. Bad enough??? Well, my buddy trailing on his Artic Cat EXT came flying over the hill in the dark missing me by a matter of three feet. Ok, so it could have been alot worse. Just thinking about him rear-ending me at 80Mph makes me shudder.
That was nearly 7 years ago. My Exciter has been sitting inside ever since. Every once in awhile I go pull the rope, listen to it purr, and reminise. I see this year the Farmers Almanac predicts a heavy snowfall.........
If you've read this far, you're probably wondering "WTF" is this guy's problem??
Well I DO have some questions!!! Sorry for the delay!
I had often made the comment as a joke of course "it's mint, cept the tunnels cracked and the frames bent" I know these are grounds to junk out a sled but as you've probably gathered, I'm attached to this one.
So, do I need a tunnel and frame from an 87 Exciter LC? Can I mod a Phazer to take my engine and liquid cooling? I know Phazers/Exciters looked the same from roughly 84-93, but how diffrent are they really?
I mean it'd be great to find a 87 Exciter LC with a busted hood, torn seat, rotton track, and seized engine for $100. I havn't found one though. Can I expand my search to include more years and the Phazer model?
Thanks guys! Sorry for the book!
Nolan
Anyway, after a summer with the bee-guy I had enough of a bank roll to pick up a 1987 Yamaha Exciter LC. Basically a stock unit except for the sound. In fact, it was the meanest sounding sled in the county. I'm not sure why, but the previous owner had purchased a PSI pipe and cut it near the back taper where it would typically drop down into the underlying can. To this contraption he had welded a stinger. Sounded a bit like a crotch-rocket.... a bit more (tin-canny).
Anyway, It was the most dependable sled I've ever owned, 2 pulls and always a start. Not to mention fast..... no problem taking the needle to 110Mph. (how accurate are sled speedo's anyway)
It had a hard life, the tunnel was cracked just before the rear suspension bolts. (had it welded, but started to re-crack) Also, I had met up with a large washout in too little snow. That turned into a tweaked left strut.... bent frame.
Any sled would be deemed "dead" at that point, but I loved this one too much. I continued to drive it...... tunnel starting to crack again, hood not quite fitting right due to the tweaked TSS.
It finally met it's end in a field at 80Mph..... blew the belt BAD. All that was left of the belt was the outside cord. The cord had proceeded to wrap itself up between the clutches so tight that it tore the motor mounts?!?! The clutches were only about 2 inches apart and the motor was deffinatly at an odd angle. Bad enough? Well in going from 80Mph to 0Mph in the matter of one second, the chain had also came through the chain case. Bad enough??? Well, my buddy trailing on his Artic Cat EXT came flying over the hill in the dark missing me by a matter of three feet. Ok, so it could have been alot worse. Just thinking about him rear-ending me at 80Mph makes me shudder.
That was nearly 7 years ago. My Exciter has been sitting inside ever since. Every once in awhile I go pull the rope, listen to it purr, and reminise. I see this year the Farmers Almanac predicts a heavy snowfall.........
If you've read this far, you're probably wondering "WTF" is this guy's problem??
Well I DO have some questions!!! Sorry for the delay!
I had often made the comment as a joke of course "it's mint, cept the tunnels cracked and the frames bent" I know these are grounds to junk out a sled but as you've probably gathered, I'm attached to this one.
So, do I need a tunnel and frame from an 87 Exciter LC? Can I mod a Phazer to take my engine and liquid cooling? I know Phazers/Exciters looked the same from roughly 84-93, but how diffrent are they really?
I mean it'd be great to find a 87 Exciter LC with a busted hood, torn seat, rotton track, and seized engine for $100. I havn't found one though. Can I expand my search to include more years and the Phazer model?
Thanks guys! Sorry for the book!
Nolan