Area51 Project - French's Sleds!!!

Current Machine Specs:

2009 Yamaha FX Nytro X-TX

Billet Aluminum Idler Wheels

Extra Forward Idler Wheels

4th Rear Wheel Kit

Studded Track

Yamaha Removable Saddle Bags

Turned Exhaust Tip

"Tour Buddy" auxiliary fuel tank kit

Yamaha Tunnel Strengthening Bars

2" Riser Block

There are two things that everyone knows about French, he loves snowmobiling and he loves his Yamaha sleds!!! I say sleds because French is now on his fourth new snowmobile and loves each new one frightenly more then the last!

Mr. French's first sled was a 2004 Yamaha Venture 700 triple, as like many of the crew at the time, he thought that being able to carry 2 people and have a rack for gear would be convenient. It turned out that he did not need to carry 2 people and gear could be carried other ways. The following winter lured by the new 4-stroke sleds on the market, French traded his Venture on a 2005 Yamaha RX-Warrior, which is a 136" track version of the popular RX1 1000cc 4 cylinder 4 stroke sled.

French rode this sled for a few seasons making a few modifications along the way including installing mountain bars, riser and installation bits & pieces from a Yamaha mountain sled, tunnel strengtheners, and some heavier springs in the rear skid.

In the fall of 2007 French traded the RX-Warrior for a powder hound machine, a new 2008 anniversary edition Yamaha FX Nytro MTX with a 153" track. This sled was like a tractor in loose snow and went anywhere you pointed the skis! Some modifications included the installation of a turned exhaust tip which exited the exhaust sideways instead of rearward making the rear tunnel more useable for luggage. He installed a runnel rack for holding a knapsack and/or extra gas. He also carefully hand cut the stock paddle track from 2" to 1-5/8" for more use ability and reliability here on the east coast.

The fall of 2009 arrived and another sled enticed the brain of Mr. French and the long track Nytro was soon traded on a new 2009 FX Nytro X-TX which is a similar machine but with a 1.25x15x144" track. For 2009 Yamaha made some significant front suspension improvements, a better shock selection, and this particular model has "tipped up rails". These rear suspension rails turn up 6 degrees where a 121" machine's track would end, meaning that on hard pack this long track has the same contact patch as a short track sled, and therefore has similar handling. In deep snow you still have the benefit from the flotation of the 144" footprint.

Since purchasing this sled, French has installed a turned exhaust tip, a "Tour Buddy" auxiliary fuel tank kit, fancy machined aluminum idler wheels, extra idler wheels on the front of the skid, a 4th wheel kit in the rear of the skid, removable Yamaha saddle bags, studs in the track, and a 4" riser block.

March 2011- After much research and reading French ordered and installed a pair of Curve XS skis to provide better deep snow steering, less push on trails, and less darting. These skis have a nice keel, protected by a 6.9 Carbide and the optional carbide leading edge, which is a part designed to grove the snow and provide direction for the carbide on a deeply rutted trail.