Looks like Chris Reid.....

[ROCKERDAN]

 

[sgauthier]

noticed him on that video a while back

 

[MrSled]

I would be in that video too if I was tossed a few bucks

 

[ROCKERDAN]

So is Chris still in the YAMAHA loop in Ontario? I know he retired(officially) a few seasons back but his mug seems to show up in their videos still to this day. He is missed!

Dan

 

[MrSled]

So is Chris still in the YAMAHA loop in Ontario? I know he retired(officially) a few seasons back but his mug seems to show up in their videos still to this day. He is missed!

Dan

Im sure its contract work as needed.

 

[ROCKERDAN]

Im sure its contract work as needed.

Tom, any insight on 2021 and where Yam and Cat are heading? My dealer dropped Cat finally as they were pushing too much product on him and it left him being owed lots, he is not happy.

I still feel like YAM will buy the "sled division" from textron.

Any thing you know that you can say?

Dan

 

[MrSled]

Tom, any insight on 2021 and where Yam and Cat are heading? My dealer dropped Cat finally as they were pushing too much product on him and it left him being owed lots, he is not happy.

I still feel like YAM will buy the "sled division" from textron.

Any thing you know that you can say?

Dan

I am the last to know.. I wish I had some insight it would help me better plan the future of Totallyamaha.

 

[Dano]

Noticed Chris is wearing a plane FXR jacket and not Yamaha branded. Kind of indirectly says he's retired and just happy to be a snowmobiler. I've met him and rode with him a few times and was always a pleasure to be around. Very few people like him around today that has good in-site on how things evolve and change in the industry.

Dan

 

[VX1R]

Tom, any insight on 2021 and where Yam and Cat are heading? My dealer dropped Cat finally as they were pushing too much product on him and it left him being owed lots, he is not happy.

I still feel like YAM will buy the "sled division" from textron.

Any thing you know that you can say?

Dan

Hey Dan....I know that you directed your question to Tom, but I'd like to share a little bit of info that I recently obtained:

I talked with someone "in the know" from Yamaha last month at Hay Days about the future of their sled division. He knew me as a life long Yamaha owner and I asked him straight out if I'm still going to be on a Yamaha in the future.

He told me no worries, that they are committed to being a 4 season recreational company and that new models are in the pipeline. He also mentioned that the 2021 model line up is completed and that the 2022's are just about finished up.

I was also told that they're happy with the AC designed platforms and it sounds like they'll be continuing with their relationship with AC with the majority of sleds being built here in North America, so I don't see them buying the sled division from Textron.

Model year 2021 could be an interesting year now that Cat has moved forwards by releasing most of their '21 line up with more to come. It sounds like they're committed to shaking things up in the industry with their new business model and I think some pretty cool stuff is coming our way from both Cat and Yamaha as they seem to be working well together in refining what they've got along with introducing some new stuff.

Getting back to Chris Reid....I sure wish that someone from Yamaha would resurrect the Yamablog that Chris started. I really miss the insight that Chris had along with his stories of the history of many of the sleds of the past. That was good stuff.

 

[ROCKERDAN]

Great post brother....I think just refining these turbo models(cat and yam) is all we need. Fix the few issues we all ran into and we will be happy. These sleds when working well, are incredible!

Dan

 

[vodoo child]

Hey Dan....I know that you directed your question to Tom, but I'd like to share a little bit of info that I recently obtained:

I talked with someone "in the know" from Yamaha last month at Hay Days about the future of their sled division. He knew me as a life long Yamaha owner and I asked him straight out if I'm still going to be on a Yamaha in the future.

He told me no worries, that they are committed to being a 4 season recreational company and that new models are in the pipeline. He also mentioned that the 2021 model line up is completed and that the 2022's are just about finished up.

I was also told that they're happy with the AC designed platforms and it sounds like they'll be continuing with their relationship with AC with the majority of sleds being built here in North America, so I don't see them buying the sled division from Textron.

Model year 2021 could be an interesting year now that Cat has moved forwards by releasing most of their '21 line up with more to come. It sounds like they're committed to shaking things up in the industry with their new business model and I think some pretty cool stuff is coming our way from both Cat and Yamaha as they seem to be working well together in refining what they've got along with introducing some new stuff.

Getting back to Chris Reid....I sure wish that someone from Yamaha would resurrect the Yamablog that Chris started. I really miss the insight that Chris had along with his stories of the history of many of the sleds of the past. That was good stuff.

Great post VX1R, so basically ""STAY THE COURSE"" with Cat. Can't blame them for not wanting to invest millions in a new sled and chassis design with only 4%/5% market share!

 

[BOUNTYHUNTER]

Getting back to Chris Reid....I sure wish that someone from Yamaha would resurrect the Yamablog that Chris started. I really miss the insight that Chris had along with his stories of the history of many of the sleds of the past. That was good stuff.

Hell Yhea.......

 

[JMS@Yamaha]

Hey all,

CR is still around and doing well. We usually drag him out of retirement each season to throw some snow at our Photo-Shoot. You will see many photos in the brochure and online with CR behind the bars, he rode the GT mainly throughout the shoot. He is a wealth of snowmobile knowledge and we value his feedback on the new stuff!

JMS

 

[biffdotorg]

My dealer dropped Cat finally as they were pushing too much product on him and it left him being owed lots, he is not happy.

Dan

This is not the first time I have heard a dealer explain it this way. I have also heard the flip side of this coin that Textron pulled the AC dealership from those dealers that could not handle the volume they needed them to sell to maintain the dealership agreement.

Of course, both explain the same result, they no longer sell cat because they can't sell enough in their market or dealership. But it's all in who dropped who. It really doesn't matter either way.

Long story short, the other general sled forums online are talking about textron pulling dealerships. (Not closing, as some stated) but just pulling their right to sell AC due to low performance. You will see AC catering to the dealers that can sell volume, as they have to. This is very near fire-sale tactics to save the company as a whole. And if it involves moving dirt products out of Tracker/Cabelas/Bass Pro, and snow products out of larger volume dealers, than so be it.

But the amount of money spent by AC to pull back inventory and then dump 2-3 and 4 YEAR OLD NEW STOCK at a volume dealer is bad business. Have you checked out the semi loads of new machines being delivered to Country Cat in Sauk Centre Minnesota on a regular basis. It's crazy!

I'm guessing one of the biggest reasons that they announced 2021 models (which I personally think is stupid, since many have not even taken delivery of 2020 models) Is to show that AC has a long term plan, and it involves the snow division for the next couple years. As a Yamaha owner, it may settle some souls to see those 4-stroke models still in there as well.

That's not telling us what is under the hood yet. And that AC ad with the teaser photo of what looks to be either a beginner sled blown up, or an SX model Race sled should get folks excited too. AC's race division needs to be revived to give the ditch pickle lovers something to cheer about. Hell, they may have to pull tucker out of retirement. (better be a green/black sled for him)