Adding that plastic to the front is a GREAT idea!

Wow what I difference with this new track , this is what Yamaha should have built

Birchcreekkid,
I was considering ski skins on my bravo but a friend recommended I not. As mentioned above, he said it causes the track to sink down and is easier to get stuck. What is your experience with them? How wide are yours?
Also considering the belly plate, how far down does it go? is it bolted underneath?

The question was not aimed at me, but I just put ten inch skandic skins on my sled. Makes it a lot less tippy in deep stuff.

Just sayin.

Been running these for almost 10 years now. 16" - no diving, drive real slow in deep snow in thick trees or brush, stop and start easy in deep snow, no snow coming over cowling all the time. Don't even want to drive a snow machine in the back country anymore without them. Here's more pictures if interested:
https://ty4stroke.com/threads/custom-wide-ski-install-and-pictures.134766/

Those are boats!

What do you think of the VK540? I have the 4 stroke Viking, it's great when it starts. I'm still getting used to driving it, don't get as many hours as I want on it living in the City with a regular job.

Along with all the modifications mentioned above I would also consider changing the gearing to as low as gearing I could get.

Hey Stan when you get the VK I got one in October. Hate it I already wrecked one cylinder head from changing the spark plugs so often. It always runs in one at cold start up and if I leave it idelling in the cold it kills the plugs and is hard to start.

Dang, that's sad to hear.

Also how you put your screen over your cold air return. Is tha Gorilla Tape. Looks way better than how I did mine.

A lot of my problems may come from the terrible dealer we have up hear. They seem to have forgotten to fill my transmission and the running on one problem may be from one of the heaters on the carbarator not working. I have an appointment on Tuesday to get it checked.

muskrat is yours still on warranty ? I thought they only had one heater on the carb so thats good to know. Hope you get it sorted out.

I like that ‘91 sport gt. My grandpa has one like that and it’s still dependable as ever. Used to be a Cadillac for caribou hunting back in the day when I was following first with an elan then a 83 I think enticer 250.

Yeah until 2020!so me and that dealer are going to be big enemies for a long time if they don't figure it out.

I have an ancient VK540 with the leaf springs and low rear end. Reminded be of a huge Bravo. The new 540 suspension is way better but engine and tranny etc. is pretty much the same. I bought it cause it was the machine that was the easiest to work on in the field. Before this one came back into the US market I was going to make the 550 Polaris wide track my next machine but this one is even simpler. Bunch of years back I decided to go 4 stroke for the gas millage and long engine life and eventually bought a new Yamaha Venture MP small engine 4 stroke. Liked it but in the real cold all the plastic panel catches would be a pain to put back on and can't imagine trying to get at the plugs out in the field at 30-50 below. As it got older and things started acting up the ability of diagnosing the fuel problems and electric reverse problem etc. without access to the dealer diagnostic equipment started to get out of hand. Would have figured it all out and lived with it but someone stole the machine and bent the frame bad so traded it in for the VK540. Ain't nothing in the machine that if needed to fix or replace that I can't get to real easy and the hood is one piece and opens easy. Some of that isn't a priority to many but to me it is. Plenty of power and haul full sled loads of wood in high gear.

Most snowmobiles I have owned I immediately change the chain case gears to get more low end power. The 540 has high, low and reverse transmission so gear changes not needed. Low is plenty slow. Most non tranny machines nowadays can't really go slow enough in almost bare tussocks and rough ground for my liking without being constantly on the verge of clutch disengagement.

First I put the vent screen on the inside but that just formed a "cup" for twigs to accumulate in. Went to the screen being flush with the cowling top and that works better. Dealer said a lot of 540's were breaking fan fins from stuff going down into engine and I can see why. Gorilla tape put on with a heat gun is how I put it on and found some plastic screening laying around. Imagine some day Yamaha will have it put on at the factory. Real good cooling system otherwise.

That doesn't sound good and should be under warranty. Mine just went through the 50 below we had and did need to start with a hair dryer but once going was getting used all over town through that cold spell. Hated to run it then but it was that or nothing as the truck would not start. Sorry that happened but that is not normal from my use of my old VK or this new one.

I think I will do that to then. Went through the bush today and I had the screen on the inside and it got full of sticks. -29C today and it started but still ran on one for a while. Really can climb steep banks with deep snow and rip through the overflow. The drifts on my line are all tone one side from the mountains so I have to get off and walk them down so I don't flip over. Need a mountain strap.

Back in High school I had a 72 340 tnt skidoo.It would run on one cylinder when it was cold.Changed out the plugs and put one hot plug on the fan side and a cold plug on the other.Ran good after that.