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I think at the end of the day it’s pretty simple- Yamaha executives have figured out they can make more money as an engine supplier with a faster payback vs. investing and developing their own in-house snowmobiles. If you want a YamCat, go for it. It’s a nice machine, but not their best...

Hi, I was following your post on eventual upgrade path from Apex. I have same sled you have, and same dilemma- Did you move on to 900t or SideWinder? Thanks!!

Actually I’m not kidding. No one wants to see cheap finishing and parts for that price. And for the number of sleds in circulation and the age, the rate of mechanical issues is higher than previous Japan sleds (according to my dealer). And SW is way overpriced. No doubt it’s good, but...

I agree. There's a few simple things that can be done, in addition to the common issues to the SW. I told CR this a few yrs ago: -Improve the injection molding process on the panels...So on a $18k machine badged as a Yamaha we don't have to look at parting line flash like a cereal box toy...

Couldn’t agree more!!!

Using the 998t in the Procross and calling it a Yamaha was barely acceptable. But a pure Cat chassis with C-Tecs under the hood being branded Yamaha is completely insane!!! They are either using this to stabilize the business unit and build purebreds in a few years- Or they will just continue...

I couldn’t agree more. It’s not the 998t that bothers me, it’s everything else. The build quality is not near Yamaha standards. Look at the molding and finishing of the panels. Look at the handlebars and switch gear. Look at the god awful cheap digital display. Look at the riveting. Look at...

Yep. What is the point? They should just bag it. Hard to believe they can build an R1 and not a new sled. And the prices of these Cats... Absurd.

Yamaha is the new Suzuki...Only now you can buy a few sleds with the engine builder stickers. Not sure I see the point.

Time for Yamaha to pack it in. Why bother with sleds? They don't seem interested, and it can't be that profitable to supply engines to Cat. If they wanted to build a new Japanese machine I'm sure they could have figured it out already. Really sad!!

Lord help us all if we ever see a Yamaha branded machine with a Cat engine. From a company that calls itself an engine builder. I don’t even want a new Yamaha 2-stroke. Why? To save a few pounds and have inferior power, smoothness, reliability and sound to a Sidewinder/Apex? I’ll take the 998t...

My all stock '11 XTX hit 109 on the GPS after about 1/2 mile. As others have said it takes almost bare ice, and a lot of room. The Apexes will keep pulling- I think mine had some more to go- but it takes a mile or so to get max speed. Friction (conditions, wheels, etc.) and aerodynamic drag...

Please these magazines are a joke. The issue I have is the lack of quantified testing and the subjective opinions. My simple question to them has been: What is the best trail sled? i.e. A comparative test of each manufacturers flagship trail sled. Breaking up manufacturers flagship sleds...

Your buddy- like the ski doo guys I ride with- is out of his mind. Top speed is simply power vs the aerodynamic drag. And power required increases with the cube of speed (this is why it takes a lot to go a little faster). Assuming roughly equal aerodynamics, clutching and drivetrain loss &...

Nope. I'll be keeping my '11 XTX. And the reason is very simple- Final Assembly in Japan. There's no doubting the engine on the Sidewinder, but I'll let this Yamaha/Cat agreement mature a little while longer. The Apex is simply the best all around sled ever constructed. Factoring speed &...

Agreed. Has anyone been reading about the Sidewinder powerplant?? It has a constant pressure management system so no lag- it feels like a S/C or a larger N/A motor. And sounds good too. A state of the art Yamaha engine. A 2-stroke 850 is not in the same universe.

Your gut feel on the 850 2-stroke is correct. They are continuing to stretch the same rubber band with that engine. Ski doo dealer said "they really can't get more power." Compared to the 800 it has a longer stroke for another 50cc. Cheaper to do, but a bad idea. It's amazing that people still...

IMO all the magazines are a joke. Brand bias- we know whoo- poorly written articles and general subjective feedback. And silly, too short drag races. I want to see comparison/shootout articles with specifically defined tests and criteria. Including rolling start races and 1/2 mile or mile...

Sadly, I think it may be. But then why did Yamaha update it last year with the Singleshot skid? And YCCT on the Vector? :dunno:

Thanks for the info. Your observation about the cockpit is exactly what I feared. It's a very nice machine, with an engine that sounds like it was very well done. But they couldn't put Apex gauges and controls on it?? Come on!!