I've heard good things about late 90's Yamaha V-Max sleds as well as the old 700 triple that it came with but can't find many reviews or threads on these. I'm looking at one with low miles in great shape. I want a reliable sled but cannot fork up the dough for the new 4-strokes, not this year at least. Is this a good option? NADA shows an avg retail for this sled of about $2950 which is right about what I can get it for.

I have seen some threads stating that the V-Max and SRX of the late nineties could you an aftermarket clutch spring kit and I've hear that the V-Max used to come with metal skis, at least up until 1998 but maybe longer. What would be a good plastic replacement ski for this sled?

Any thoughts/info would be greatly appreciated.

I am assuming you're talking about the XT - XTC - SX - SXR family of sleds. They are all pretty similar, same mill under the hood (if you're talking about the 700) and same chassis. The difference is the suspension, options and colour schemes. But, all in all, they're pretty much the same.

The engine is a bulletproof and smooth triple. Single pipe makes for a nice smooth torque curve and good throttle response. The engine is excellent. Not the quickest in stock form for a 700, but definitely one of the smoothest.

The chassis is out-of-date by today's standards, but far from ancient. Suspension is decent, handling is good and very predictable.

The build quality is typical Yamaha, and I'd have to say that the reliability will be above average. Overall, a good package for someone who doesn't need to have the biggest or the best, but definitely something decent and reliable.

I loved the ride of the 99 Vmax 700 I rode back in 2000 though I only rode it for 45 minutes

Flat cornering and fair top end saw 170kmph on the speedo when on the lake


There are a couple of Yamaha specific sites that have clutch set ups that will improve the sled