altaredneck
Active VIP Member
Just wondering opinions on the phazer 500 with 144 track for younger riders. Hear story's they are tippy and no good but the look like they should be a decent machine and not to powerful for the youngers. Thanks
2007 phazer for kids
- Thread starter altaredneck
- Start date
They have a motor cross bike feel to them as opposed to tippy.
They aren't a lake racer by any means, a billy goat and powder machine yes.
Good starter sled for kids, yes.
Good wife's sled yes, if she's not into keeping up with the guys / gals in the performance area.
Rotax_Kid
Active VIP Member
We had one and they were fun. As said above, they really teach you to use body English to maneuver. It was a fan machine and actually went through snow a lot better than I expected it to. If I had the choice, I'd find a 08 or newer. The 07's needed a few upgrades. 08's and newer had those upgrades. On any used Phazer I'd carefully check the upper and lower ball joints. They all seem to go at around 2000-2500 miles. They are expensive to replace ($130-150 per ball joint). Take goo look at the track as well - the Phazer uses a 14in wide track and is the only machine to use that track. Used replacements are hard to find.
AltaRN, we had a Phazer which I bought for my son to join me in the mountains while my buddy bought one too for his wife so she could come along. If you are just going to be riding in the flats then its a fine sled for beginners, provided they don't tip it over! The oil drains out of the fourstroke quickly and it was always a chore to have to desperately race back to ensure it was turned off and flipped back over. In the mountains they were fun to bomb around meadows but BRUTAL for anything else but trails. Way too underpowered to climb anything and keep up in deep snow. We got rid of them after only two trips to the mountains. Suggest a 600 two-stroke instead. Just wanting to help you save your money...
goodngrubby
Active VIP Member
I have my 11 year old daughter on an '08 Phazer GT. It's only a 121" track, but has the wider front end. As long as there's a track in the snow, she does great. But as soon as she gets out into the deep fresh, she's done. With a little more experience, she'd do a lot better, but for playing around the fields and trails, it's a great little machine. The 144" MTX has a narrower front end than the GT, so it's going to be tippy. If you can find a GT that's been stretched to a 144", or an MTX with a GT front end, it would be a decent sled for a younger rider.
PM ShawnMc on here, he has one. It's his "wife's" sled that he rides from time to time when he breaks his... LOL I've seen his in some pretty hairy places later in the year once the snow is set up. You need to be pretty aggressive with the throttle if you want to run in deep powder, and simply put, do not expect this machine to keep up with an 800 163", it has less than 1/2 the power and more weight. For most other snow conditions etc, they generally work pretty good. The track limits them for sure, if you can find a better track, then it will make a big difference in the softer stuff.
They are tippy yes, but this gets better the more you use the throttle IMO. I would get the roll over kit for it, that way the motor will shut off if it dumps, and always keep a quart of oil in the back. They are kinda like riding a dirt bike as other people have said, and you can't be afraid to use the throttle. Another lady we rode with had one and I actually climbed a pretty steep hill at 8,000 ft with it, thought it would power out on me but just kept going and going (was late april on well set up snow) until I realized how far up the mountain I was and turned around because it wasn't mine. As Dale said, they are a little billy goat. In all honesty, they go pretty good for a little machine but they are only so capable, so keep the expectations in check. Try and get a test ride on one if you can. They are turn key and damn near bulletproof, good yammy quality.
They are tippy yes, but this gets better the more you use the throttle IMO. I would get the roll over kit for it, that way the motor will shut off if it dumps, and always keep a quart of oil in the back. They are kinda like riding a dirt bike as other people have said, and you can't be afraid to use the throttle. Another lady we rode with had one and I actually climbed a pretty steep hill at 8,000 ft with it, thought it would power out on me but just kept going and going (was late april on well set up snow) until I realized how far up the mountain I was and turned around because it wasn't mine. As Dale said, they are a little billy goat. In all honesty, they go pretty good for a little machine but they are only so capable, so keep the expectations in check. Try and get a test ride on one if you can. They are turn key and damn near bulletproof, good yammy quality.
Attachments
Ryeser
Active VIP Member
- Joined
- Oct 20, 2007
- Messages
- 2,509
- Reaction score
- 955
They are a great trail starter for kids, horrible to side hill. Just sold my sons Phazer 500 MTX this summer.
Same sled - March of this year. There was a good grade going up this road (pic is taken kinda flat spot when we turned around) and he wasn't able to break trail going up this road with over the hood pow, but staying in a track he did fine and was able to pull off and play, just had to get back in a track to pick up some speed from time to time. This was about 120 kms this day and he only needed a little bit of fuel from a jerry can to get back to the truck, and that was after 3/4 of the day at full throttle.
Attachments
climbmax
Team Thunderstruck
I still have 2 of them with mild boost......amazing overall package IMO. Rear is too soft for a large "kid" like me so that takes some work with a custom shock. I improved the front end as well with some decent coilers and can honestly say it is a very cool chassis. This video defines 4 stroke torque. Like a Diesel hitting a hill versus a gasser.......I know what I want to drive. 
Cheers
RS
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6WzmtIFUrFA
Cheers
RS
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6WzmtIFUrFA
Just so happens I have the Wife's 2009 MTX Phazer up for sale.
Black and Orange
Jacobs Roll Over Valve with Tether Switch
Scratchers
Extra weights (flat land and high altitude)
Deluxe cover
Only 342 kms on it
No mods, no accidents
$6300.00
Sorry for high jacking your threat.
Black and Orange
Jacobs Roll Over Valve with Tether Switch
Scratchers
Extra weights (flat land and high altitude)
Deluxe cover
Only 342 kms on it
No mods, no accidents
$6300.00
Sorry for high jacking your threat.
If you did a poll with people that have owned them you will probably get 8 out of 10 that dislike them. Most adults expect to much out of them for 80hp when it comes to an adult riding them when in riding groups of 800's.
They buy them for their ladies thinking they are a starter machine. Just because of the low HP doesnt make them a starter machine, IMO that makes them a machine to challenge a rider as the sled has to be driven to near max all the time. ladies are not generally agressive enough to throw a machine around with bike like maneuverability, and when it doesnt have the power to climb the general trail hills without some full throttle or running the hill speed it gets intimidating when you expect to not make a climb.
Smaller kids with no height or weight to counter balance the sled will go where the sled takes them, again unless they are an experienced rider that will use that "throttle control" in conjunction with weight transfer and steering to control the sled. This is generally mid teen or older.
Where I live we are grid locked with fencing, so no matter where we go we need to take diches at some point in our travels, this is where they become difficult for a lot of riders. On a maintained trail system or across open fields ect they are a good reliable sled. Another thing to keep in mind is the stock skiis steer best, put simmons on and good luck steering that tractor, but the stock skiis dart! I have owned NA and turboed phazers, I love them, my wife disliked them so they were sold, my mother disliked hers and sold it, and a neighbor sold his as the rest of his family disliked it also.
I still have a turbo kit and one day will build another one.
Take the advise, wait till there is snow and try before you buy!
They buy them for their ladies thinking they are a starter machine. Just because of the low HP doesnt make them a starter machine, IMO that makes them a machine to challenge a rider as the sled has to be driven to near max all the time. ladies are not generally agressive enough to throw a machine around with bike like maneuverability, and when it doesnt have the power to climb the general trail hills without some full throttle or running the hill speed it gets intimidating when you expect to not make a climb.
Smaller kids with no height or weight to counter balance the sled will go where the sled takes them, again unless they are an experienced rider that will use that "throttle control" in conjunction with weight transfer and steering to control the sled. This is generally mid teen or older.
Where I live we are grid locked with fencing, so no matter where we go we need to take diches at some point in our travels, this is where they become difficult for a lot of riders. On a maintained trail system or across open fields ect they are a good reliable sled. Another thing to keep in mind is the stock skiis steer best, put simmons on and good luck steering that tractor, but the stock skiis dart! I have owned NA and turboed phazers, I love them, my wife disliked them so they were sold, my mother disliked hers and sold it, and a neighbor sold his as the rest of his family disliked it also.
I still have a turbo kit and one day will build another one.
Take the advise, wait till there is snow and try before you buy!
Similar threads
