Team Yamaha Hillclimber for a Day

Story by Matt Allred Photos by Yamaha Sep. 19, 2014

Yamaha invited. We accepted. And survived.

When I wore a younger snowmobiler’s clothes, before a forest of candles topped my birthday cake, and before multiple sclerosis came into my world to make me a better man, I spent three years in the mid-1990s racing as a factory-independent sponsored racer for Arctic Cat; the first year as an ice-oval racer, with the next two years as a hillclimber in the Rocky Mountain Snowmobile Hillclimb Association (RMSHA) circuit. And thanks to the snow gods (Klim, HMK and MotorFist), who rescued me from wearing snowmobile outerwear with those awful turquoise blue and green colors, highlighted with fuchsia. I’m gonna puke.

Now, many years later, I continue riding in the mountains evaluating, testing, photographing and writing about the “Best of the West.” Very little of what I learned on ice ovals and on the hillclimb circuit back then translates to how I ride today, except for two ingredients: throttle and brake.

Yamaha’s RS Viper Chassis is a great leap forward for Yamaha’s hillclimb program. These hillclimbers are fast, light and are much better hillclimber than the rider you see pictured here – me, Matt Allred.

Riding styles have changed – much.

Mountain snowmobiles have changed – much. Thanks OEMs.

My body has changed – much. See above.

My passion has not changed – at all.

I’m too damned young to feel this damned old. See previous.

What are we writing about here? Oh, ya. Yamaha. And its hillclimb team.

With arms stretched and stiffened like a tree branch (not good), I bust up over a small tabletop and begin a descent to Earth. Call it fun.

Yamaha, you are cool. Why “cool?” Because of Yamaha honchos Rob Powers, Wade West, Troy Johnson and Yamaha’s professional hillclimb team.

On April 28, Yamaha invited a crop of western snowmobile journalists to join its hillclimb team at Targhee Ski Resort in Alta, Wyo. to shred a RMSHA course on some boom MTXs. Here, we “snowmo-journos” were pitted against each other and against Team Yamaha’s hillclimbers. Timing lights were set for us “racers-for-the-day” to test skill, knowledge, desire and age.

2015 Yamaha RS Viper M-TX Turbo Review + Video

Yamaha provided full-mod stretched 2014 XTXs that received Lincoln County Custom (LCC) designed lightweight products, an LCC custom-designed Garrett turbo with a Tial housing – the intake and compressor altered to quickly spool up. Turbo boost was at approximately 12 PSI. The stretched XTX chassis set on 154-inch or 162 K-Mod rear suspensions. The turbo sleds spun a Camoplast Peak 2.5-inch paddle track.

With stretched out rear suspensions, the RS Viper XTXs (forerunner to the new RS Viper MTX) with Lincoln County Custom modifications, cutting around the gates were simple and fast.

Four-stroke boosted power never felt so light and so much like two-stroke power. With that said, Yamaha’s 1049cc three-cylinder four-stroke motor with turbo was long on legs and lungs; more motor and power than mountain. (Read about these in an earlier Snowmobile.com feature.)

With that tech background, let me quickly describe my first practice run. I board the boost-happy full mod stretched RS Viper XTX. I ask about the course – moguls, turns, table tops etc. – and receive words of wisdom from Cari and Troy Johnson. Said they with a smirkish grin: “Just have fun.” Troy works as the Team Yamaha Hillclimb captain and sled boss where gravity, to him, was dealt a deathblow via turbo-built horsepower.

“Just have fun,” they say. What I don’t hear is, “Hey Matt, if it seems ol’ Mother Earth fell out from underneath you, as you bust up over tabletop #2, don’t worry, she’ll swing by and pick you up…. sometime.”

The K-Mod rear suspension and deep lugged tracked made being a HIllclimber for the Day a fast forward affair.

Now I know Targhee. And I know RMSHA and I do know the Johnsons. Something was up. With throttle slammed, I break left, zip up over the first tabletop, life is good, down the opposite side face, turn right, tabletop #2 approaches, turbo humming, pipe singing, clutches spinning, snow spitting and… and… holy cow, where the heck is the third rock from the sun? The drop was, well, bottomless. But gravity, snow and Earth did converge. What the hey? I’m gonna have a word with one Mr. Johnson. But, I don’t. Who complains about a racecourse, especially to the dynamic duo, Cari and Troy? Read: No one complains to Troy Johnson. “Man up,” I can hear him holler, “and go faster.”

As I put my spleen and kidneys back into my body, the next peak appeared, a mini Grand Teton. I throttle down, let the track grip the snow, up, over and down with the throttle squeezed hard against the handlebar end. Breathe.

Meet Yamaha Hill Climb Guru Troy Johnson

Left hand turn coming up, then a narrow S-curve; need speed. “What the heck is that photographer doing in my line?” Boost, boosting. Speed, speeding. Mind blowing. Final gate coming and gone. That was fast. Sort of.

Coming out the starting gate, your humble correspondent looks forward for a fast line. I relived my years on the RMSHA hillclimb circuit, though many years have passed. But, looking for that line is a habit that does not die.

Others were quicker, faster, brighter, smarter.

Course repeat on Team Yamaha’s 153er, an improved stock stretched XTX. Nice looking. Aggressive. Firm. Stout.

“I ain’t going to hit the second table top like I did the last.” I tell myself.

With a lesson learned stitched into my backside. Off I went into all the winter seasons known to fly into and out of Targhee: snow, rain, sun, blizzards, calm blue skies and wind.

Mod ride repeat.

Improved stock ride repeat.

All times two.

Caption – The course Yamaha set up for us "Racers for the Day" was the JV course, it still provided challenges, at least for me, but did not challenge the high-tech Yamaha hillclimbers built by Troy Johnson.

I loved it.

I loved feeling young.

Beyond that.

I loved being with Yamaha.

Beyond that, still.

I loved being a Yamaha Hillclimber for a Day.

Still beyond that.

You, the Yamaha Hillclimb Team. Go get ‘em.

Oh, and Cari and Troy, sorry, but I’m busy writing for Snowmobile.com this winter; I can’t join your Team this season. And one more thing, gravity is alive and doing very well…. just saying.