2012 Yamaha Venture Mp
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Discussion Starter · #1 ·
These 2 sleds look pretty close on paper
pros for the Yamaha in my mind are;
144" track vs 137"
33% more power
a bit better equipped stock.
much more likely to find a used one for sale.
Pros for the Skidoo would be;
more factory add-ons
better aftermarket support
$700 cheaper MSRP. I'm not sure about real world prices.
lighter weight
a bit more MPG
Any input?
At this point the added HP and track of the Yamaha look worth the $700 price premium and a couple MPG.
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And don't forget the Grand Touring ACE isn't butt ugly like the Venture! Blech. To me, there is no comparison. The Grand touring has lots of accessories, isn't tippy like the Yammy, has similar power.
Better resale on the Grand Touring too as I don't think anyone likes the look of the Yammy Venture.
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I test drove the venture lite (yamaha demo rides), and it was pretty cool. Unfortunately, a quick check of TY shows the phazer platform has a lot of issues.
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If the Doo track is 16 wide like the gades, it has the same footprint as the Yamaha 144, so really there should be no difference there.
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Oh dear Lord, that Yamaha platform is sooo rotten, tippy, loose, dangerous, non-stop wear items, don't handle, handle bar heaters are junk,etc, etc. Flashbacks of my Phazer! NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!
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I put 13,551 miles on a Venture (3 cylinder). Strong motor, the only thing I did to the engine in those miles was to change the oil (30wt motor oil) and one set of plugs. I did have to rebuild the skid about every 4K. Wheel bearings would be dry.
Not sure about the Venture light. I rode a new phazer and didn't think that much of it. The engine was not as smooth as the 3 cylinder.
Never tried the Ace.
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I used to own a 2009 Venture Multipurpose, and I can offer a couple of observations on that machine ( the Venture light is the same motor, chassis, etc with wider skis, track and lower gearing). The two biggest reasons why I no longer own the Yamaha are:
1 - The exhaust in the tunnel - horrible design. After every time you ride you have to knock the slush out of the tunnel so that it doesn't become an ice grenade waiting to shake loose and wreck your heat exchanger or maybe just jam the track, if you are lucky. If you buy the Venture, be sure to buy a rubber mallet as well.
2 - The machine is just plain heavy. I always felt that I was driving it, not riding. I am not a big guy, but I definitely didn't have a lot of confidence that I could hold the machine on any kind of sidehill. The slush/ice build-up in the tunnel only makes this worse.
I currently run the Expedition Sport ACE, and I love it. There is no comparison for the type of riding I do. The Yamaha never gave me any problems (other than as described above), was very comfortable to ride, and had plenty of zip (the ACE is quite a solid little performer also, quieter for sure, probably a bit less top end speed if that is a deciding factor), but I would never go back. If you get a chance, test ride them both. The rest should take care of itself. Good Luck!
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I looked at a used venture light awhile back, one thing I noticed is the chain-case and frame are cast as one, If you ever blew a bearing, chain, sprocket etc and damaged the inner part of the case, it could be a nightmare to repair/ replace it.
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I used to own a 2009 Venture Multipurpose, and I can offer a couple of observations on that machine ( the Venture light is the same motor, chassis, etc with wider skis, track and lower gearing). The two biggest reasons why I no longer own the Yamaha are:
1 - The exhaust in the tunnel - horrible design. After every time you ride you have to knock the slush out of the tunnel so that it doesn't become an ice grenade waiting to shake loose and wreck your heat exchanger or maybe just jam the track, if you are lucky. If you buy the Venture, be sure to buy a rubber mallet as well.
2 - The machine is just plain heavy. I always felt that I was driving it, not riding. I am not a big guy, but I definitely didn't have a lot of confidence that I could hold the machine on any kind of sidehill. The slush/ice build-up in the tunnel only makes this worse.
I currently run the Expedition Sport ACE, and I love it. There is no comparison for the type of riding I do. The Yamaha never gave me any problems (other than as described above), was very comfortable to ride, and had plenty of zip (the ACE is quite a solid little performer also, quieter for sure, probably a bit less top end speed if that is a deciding factor), but I would never go back. If you get a chance, test ride them both. The rest should take care of itself. Good Luck!
Thanks for the input. I am a bit surprised to find someone who has owned very similar sleds to both this quick.
I haven't researched too greatly, but I sort of remember the ice buildup as being one of the major issues that was fixed in the Phazer line; or maybe it is one of those things that they keep trying to fix but never quite get it right.
I'm not too worried about weight. I am a real big guy and throw my old outdated always breaking triple triple around pretty easy. Its mainly cost reasons why I am not thinking more about a Expedition 1200. I know I'll never find something like that used in these parts.
A super quiet 2 up might be just the ticket to get the folks riding.
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Go with the GT 600 ACE, you won't regret it. I have put some miles on both sleds and the GT ACE is a much better machine all around.
If you were thinking of an Expedition 1200 why don't you look at the Expedition 600 ACE? Gives you the bigger track that you want.
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Discussion Starter · #11 ·
Go with the GT 600 ACE, you won't regret it. I have put some miles on both sleds and the GT ACE is a much better machine all around.
If you were thinking of an Expedition 1200 why don't you look at the Expedition 600 ACE? Gives you the bigger track that you want.
It looks like quite a jump in price (more than $1000) over the GT for as far as I could tell was pretty much just a longer track, but loses some passenger comforts, mirrors, and lower electrical output. I could probably do rail extensions and a new track for that price and keep all the other thing. Is there more to it than that?
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What are you going to use the sled for? If just trail riding, it was my experience that the 144x1.25 track on the VL was too much track. It made for poor handling i.e. pushing, heavy stearing effort etc. For trail riding the GT ACE is the way to go.
If you ride a lot off trail, then I still recommend the GT ACE for it's lighter weight. Talk to a dealer about exchanging the 1" track for a 1.25x16. The price might not be too bad.
Last year I did quite a bit of research with these sleds trying to figure out what my next sled would be. The GT ACE always came out on top.
The VL isn't a bad sled, I just think the GT ACE is better.
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Discussion Starter · #13 ·
Thanks for all the input. I guess it comes down to "what feels better to you", like usual. So far I've only sat on these machines at snowmobile shows. They both felt pretty good stationary, but of course riding them can be an entirely different animal. I am pretty sure I will favor the dynamics of the XP chassis, based on the short ride I took on my friend's attack. I just question If I'd favor the rather significant power jump of the VL more. The real answer is to probably find a used 1200, or give up on my desire to go 4 stroke and get a used etec.
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Thanks for the input. I am a bit surprised to find someone who has owned very similar sleds to both this quick.
I haven't researched too greatly, but I sort of remember the ice buildup as being one of the major issues that was fixed in the Phazer line; or maybe it is one of those things that they keep trying to fix but never quite get it right.
I'm not too worried about weight. I am a real big guy and throw my old outdated always breaking triple triple around pretty easy. Its mainly cost reasons why I am not thinking more about a Expedition 1200. I know I'll never find something like that used in these parts.A super quiet 2 up might be just the ticket to get the folks riding.
To clarify, I am 5'9", 150 lbs, not a big guy.
I think that the phazer icing issue that you refer to was the hole in the tunnel in the 07's that caused a build-up on the outside of the tunnel. The build-up that I had issue with was inside the tunnel, around the exhaust.
It would be interesting to see the responses that you might get on the TY forums, it isn't too surprising to find a decided preference for BRP products here.
Good luck with your search, I believe they are both good machines, but definitely not the same. You just need to decide which compromises you are willing to make, and which ones you won't...
Source: https://www.dootalk.com/threads/grand-touring-ace-vs-venture-lite.490418/
