In the fall of 1999, when other more worldly people were worried about potential Y2K gremlins, the collapse of the Greek economy and a horrifically deadly cyclone in India that killed more than 10,000 people, we had a much larger concern on our mind: How soon would we get a chance to take our next ride on the model year 2000 Yamaha SRX 700?!

After test riding the cutting-edge pre-production machine the previous March in St. Donat, Quebec, we were impressed enough by the machine and its advancements to name it our 2000 Snow Goer Snowmobile Of The Year. We theorized that the onboard technology and the sled’s combination of punchy power and sharp handling could save the triple-piped triple market. As it turns out, history admittedly proved us wrong! But we’re still drawn to the sweet-sounding, sharp-looking, last-generation two-stroke SRXes whenever we see one to this very day.

Below is the 2000 Snowmobile of the Year writeup, torn from the pages of the November 1999 issue of Snow Goer magazine. Other Snowmobile Of The Year writeups are found here.

2000 Snowmobile Of The Year: Yamaha SRX 700

Jab, jab, duck, jab, POW!

If the SRX 700 from Yamaha was a boxer, it would be one of the greatest champions ever. Its light weight and great suspension systems make it handle like a welterweight. It can bob and weave, dodge and dart, and land a dozen quick jabs of acceleration when it’s being ridden down a tight trail. The rider always has control, sitting in a comfortable position virtually isolated from the bumps and moguls beneath the track.

    Then, when the trails open up onto a lake – POW! – the knockout punch is delivered with acceleration so hard it will roll up your sleeves and tear out your arm hair.

    The mere fact that the 2000 SRX 700 possesses this unique combination made this Yamaha an easy pick for our Top 10. But the technology that leads to these stunning results pushes the SRX over the edge and into the Snowmobile of the Year category.

Leading The Way

Other factories have made lighter sleds. And there are faster sleds on the market. But the amazing package delivered by the 2000 SRX is directly attributed to some first-class engineering that includes key cross-overs from the motorcycle industry.

    It started the year they were introduced. The 1998 Yamaha SRX 600 and 700 were the first sleds with programmable variable exhaust. Yes, Ski-Doo introduced variable exhaust to the sport, and Cat and Polaris followed with their own systems. But they were all mechanical in nature.

    Yamaha took it one important step further with its Power Valves, using technology found on Yamaha dirt bikes. The guillotine slides that control the size of the exhaust ports on the SRX are controlled by a servo moto, which gets information from a computer that monitors engine speed, throttle position and the changing rate of engine speeds/RPM. Other engine parts, from pistons to cylinder wall coatings, have also been influenced by Yamaha’s high-tech motorcycles.

    For 2000, Yamaha brings technology directly from its ultimate R1 motorcycle to the SRX with the new ignition system.

    The system was covered in depth in our August 1999 issue, so we won’t repeat all of the details here. We will note, however, that the use of “rare-earth” magnet material (which cuts rotating weight while increasing field strength), the 360-degree spark timing (which increases the energy on each fire of a cylinder) and overall magneto design (which delivers 300 Watts of electricity) are all industry exclusives – and new industry benchmarks.

    These features allow for a very noticeable increase in power (Yamaha says 6 HP, but it feels like more from the driver’s seat), increased fuel economy and the sport’s brightest headlight, all while reducing weight.

    Changes elsewhere, including new rear suspension geometry, CNC-machined ports, multi-rate springs, a higher-flow airbox and new clutch settings, may seem like piling on because they add to Yamaha’s leading ride quality, excellent ergos and major fun factor.

    The bottom line is this: The Yamaha SRX is a big-bore triple-triple that breaks all of the rules and could help make piped triples a viable market again in this era of power-to-weight ratios.

    Other factories came out with key gadgets for 2000 that are notable for their functions. But the technology Yamaha has repeatedly brought forward on the SRX is more important and help push our sport forward.