“Where are the rest of the Yamaha snowmobiles?” and speculating about our future.

[STAIN]

Will Yamaha sell to Textron..Hmm. well one thing for sure Yamaha is going to sell engines to Textron for now, we have to stand back and really take a look at the direction Yamaha is going, yes.. as true blue riders we are not happy with what is happening with Yamaha seems to be direction, but lets just step outside the box and see if we can understand what Yamaha is trying to accomplish here, my thoughts on this are maybe Yamaha is breaking away from the Cat agreement, they have to clean up their inventory to save their dealer network, nobody is going to buy a new sidewinder for $20,000 plus taxes when you can get a year 17 sidewinder sitting in a crate at a dealership for $15000 for basically the same machine, that dealer was selling that machine for $17500 a year and abit ago, the dealer is taking a huge loss, this is happening across Yamaha's dealer network, Yamaha's consignment agreement is putting dealers at the point of closing shop, this I think is why we are paying such a high price for a new sidewinder to recover losses, Yamaha has realized that this model is not working for them where they have a lower market share in the snowmobile world, so they have realigned and come up with a new model to cater to the market share that the have and hope to gain in the future, first, they have lifted some restrictions on the consignment agreement, so dealers do not get backed up with left overs by not ordering the amount of sleds they are required according to the old agreement, I believe you will see one maybe two sleds in their dealer ships on display for sale, the rest will have to be ordered, also I think Yamaha after a lot of the leftovers get bought up and the Cat agreement dissolved you will see a new Japan built sled 2020-2021, Yamaha will continue selling Cat built sleds but only the models that are big sellers for now, once Yamaha gets realigned and away from the Cat agreement a all new Yamaha built will be in their sled line up,... its built.. and already being tested, I think Yamaha sleds are far from over,... on a funnier note when Yamaha releases their all new Yamaha sled line up, all will be forgotten and Yamaha has completely redeemed itself. see what happens

This seems to be the most thoughtful thing written on this site about this subject. At least there is some like me who is NOT screaming " the sky is falling"

 

[STAIN]

Will Yamaha sell to Textron..Hmm. well one thing for sure Yamaha is going to sell engines to Textron for now, we have to stand back and really take a look at the direction Yamaha is going, yes.. as true blue riders we are not happy with what is happening with Yamaha seems to be direction, but lets just step outside the box and see if we can understand what Yamaha is trying to accomplish here, my thoughts on this are maybe Yamaha is breaking away from the Cat agreement, they have to clean up their inventory to save their dealer network, nobody is going to buy a new sidewinder for $20,000 plus taxes when you can get a year 17 sidewinder sitting in a crate at a dealership for $15000 for basically the same machine, that dealer was selling that machine for $17500 a year and abit ago, the dealer is taking a huge loss, this is happening across Yamaha's dealer network, Yamaha's consignment agreement is putting dealers at the point of closing shop, this I think is why we are paying such a high price for a new sidewinder to recover losses, Yamaha has realized that this model is not working for them where they have a lower market share in the snowmobile world, so they have realigned and come up with a new model to cater to the market share that the have and hope to gain in the future, first, they have lifted some restrictions on the consignment agreement, so dealers do not get backed up with left overs by not ordering the amount of sleds they are required according to the old agreement, I believe you will see one maybe two sleds in their dealer ships on display for sale, the rest will have to be ordered, also I think Yamaha after a lot of the leftovers get bought up and the Cat agreement dissolved you will see a new Japan built sled 2020-2021, Yamaha will continue selling Cat built sleds but only the models that are big sellers for now, once Yamaha gets realigned and away from the Cat agreement a all new Yamaha built will be in their sled line up,... its built.. and already being tested, I think Yamaha sleds are far from over,... on a funnier note when Yamaha releases their all new Yamaha sled line up, all will be forgotten and Yamaha has completely redeemed itself. see what happens

This seems to be the most thoughtful thing written on this site about this subject. At least there is some like me who is NOT screaming " the sky is falling"

 

[CooperT]

Yamaha is not going anywhere! they make a great product and always have. I personally think theyre getting ready to release something very very kewl! I think they dumped the apex at the 50th yr mark for guys to buy and be able to say they got the last of the apex. whos gona want a 51st apex? 50th anniversary sounds better to me. I think last year they knew they were going to be dumping their entire lineup this year to get ready and ramp up production for whats to come....an all Yamaha lineup!

 

[vodoo child]

Yamaha is not going anywhere! they make a great product and always have. I personally think theyre getting ready to release something very very kewl! I think they dumped the apex at the 50th yr mark for guys to buy and be able to say they got the last of the apex. whos gona want a 51st apex? 50th anniversary sounds better to me. I think last year they knew they were going to be dumping their entire lineup this year to get ready and ramp up production for whats to come....an all Yamaha lineup!

I wish I had your enthusiasm CooperT, I really do. But in this business environment I believe the bean counters are just waiting too pull the plug!

 

[CooperT]

All this talk about how yamaha is giving up and throwing in the towel has been going on for years now on this site...the past few years anyways. It’s the same every year, yamaha IS listening and has been for a while now, that’s why I believe they’ve dumped that old lineup that everybody seems to hate and will be bringing out something new for us....but I can almost guarantee you’ll still get people complaining it’s not what they wanted, that it’s not good enough, and that they’re switching to doo or poo...seems to me like it’s always been that way and that will never change...just my observation

 

[20/80]

Wow, lay off the weed bro!!!

LOL, never touch the stuff, but if Yamaha sled division folds I might start!!!

 

[DennyTuna]

LOL, never touch the stuff, but if Yamaha sled division folds I might start!!!

Now that is funny!

 

[vodoo child]

You're probably right and we are all just wishful thinking to ease the pain a bit when you know an old friend is going to die. I think they will wait to make the announcement about the discontinuation of snowmobiles until February-March 2019 to help sell all the inventory they can until then. It's coming. We all know it, but don't want to admit it.

That was very poignant yamajammer! It is like the death of a friend. Some may say, who cares it's only a snowmobile! But to me it's more. I think of all the great times I've had with friends and family, past and present, places I've seen, and trips I've been on from Pa, to NY, Maine, Michigan and Canada. All from the seat of either a Arctic Cat or Yamaha snowmobile. To contemplate on loosing one if not two is truly sad. Years back during the RX1 days I asked a well established Yamaha dealer why they were in snowmobileing with there small market share? He told me one of the VP's of Yamaha Japan was a snowmobile nut, and that as long he was on the board Yamaha would always manufacture snowmobile's! We can only hope there is still someone at Yamaha with that passion left!

 

[Sevey]

This seems to be the most thoughtful thing written on this site about this subject. At least there is some like me who is NOT screaming " the sky is falling"

It doesn't make sense that they would shut down virtually all of the mfg and assembly out of Japan just to re tool and spool up for 2022. I think the entire Japan mfg is over. I was told by a dealer, with the Yen bouncing up and down it was difficult financially to continue manufacturing in Japan. I also think this agreement is as good for Cat as it is for Yamaha. Cat sees Yamaha as another client procuring X number of units out of TRF. As long as it keeps the assembly plant filled with orders, why should they care- blue or green.
I cant see things changing.
MS

 

[yamahinn03]

If Yamaha was going to call it quits I don't believe they would be making the VK and the Ventures on their turf. Like someone else said and hope it is true, they are trying to limit production to retool for 2020. My dream so I can make it as big as I want.....

 

[journeyman]

All this talk about how yamaha is giving up and throwing in the towel has been going on for years now on this site...the past few years anyways. It’s the same every year, yamaha IS listening and has been for a while now, that’s why I believe they’ve dumped that old lineup that everybody seems to hate and will be bringing out something new for us....but I can almost guarantee you’ll still get people complaining it’s not what they wanted, that it’s not good enough, and that they’re switching to doo or poo...seems to me like it’s always been that way and that will never change...just my observation

I remember when Polaris was the clear market leader and it was the preview of the 1996 season. Yamaha sleds were the bang board of the industry getting years of slamming about the Pogo Stick front end. The Polaris owners were all mouth then similar to the current Doo riders. Everyone was saying Yamaha is done, they are getting out of it, their last big bang was the VMAX4. Then in 1997 they switched to the Polaris style front end and came out with their first liquid cooled triple 2s. Suddenly there was new life in the Yamaha camp. Those machines they previewed for 1997 actually were already a done deal in the 1995 season as pro-types. Also going into 1991 there were negative rumblings being Yamaha was dead last in the HP wars, 1992 we saw the unveiling of the 750cc VMAX 4. So all this hoopla is nothing new for me.

 

[whitedust1]

So with the sunshine pump in hand the thinking is that Yamaha will retool an entire new line up in Japan and no one will know?.....Yeah right... not possible even for Yamaha to keep that under wraps...lol.. Yamaha is not saying anything about the future because there is none. Never mind the costs of retooling for a new line up. Where is that money coming from with nothing to sell? Yes this is all very upsetting even worse for the dealers and TY but it is happening and it is real. I know I feel like I have been kicked in the balls but nothing I can do but grin and bear it and try and move on. First time I will spend all my time in the doo area at Sneak Peek nothing to see or discuss with Yamaha or AC....very sad week for me.

 

[20/80]

Yamaha is not shutting down anything other than dissolving the Cat agreement, they are not buying Cat or they would have before Textron, The CEO'S of Yamaha Japan has made a commitment to the sled division "publicly" in North America, now that might not mean anything to a CEO of a company in North America but when it comes out of Japan THEY MEAN IT! I have dealt with Japanese company's in the past and found them to be very honorable, proud, mean what they say and very very "PATIENT " make no mistake, Yamaha knows exactly what they are doing right from day one with the Cat agreement, and knew about the Textron take over when Yamaha signed the agreement, the Ceo for Yamaha here in Canada cannot say one thing to the media or public unless it is approved by Japan period! Yamaha has met there commitment to the true blue's and have brought cutting edge design to us sense the agreement with Cat, the Viper, Sidewinder and that engine, no one has seen nothing but tail lights from this sled, and with all their different combinations, some new tech for the Vector engine basically all new, and we have not seen the last of this new engine, updates for the apex in suspension back and front and bringing back the VK 540 t stroke and the snow scoot, when the Ceo of Yamaha Canada say's what is on the showroom floors is nothing compared to what's coming in the future for the sled division it was approved by Yamaha Japan and they mean it.

 

[earthling]

Yamaha is not shutting down anything other than dissolving the Cat agreement, they are not buying Cat or they would have before Textron, The CEO'S of Yamaha Japan has made a commitment to the sled division "publicly" in North America, now that might not mean anything to a CEO of a company in North America but when it comes out of Japan THEY MEAN IT! I have dealt with Japanese company's in the past and found them to be very honorable, proud, mean what they say and very very "PATIENT " make no mistake, Yamaha knows exactly what they are doing right from day one with the Cat agreement, and knew about the Textron take over when Yamaha signed the agreement, the Ceo for Yamaha here in Canada cannot say one thing to the media or public unless it is approved by Japan period! Yamaha has met there commitment to the true blue's and have brought cutting edge design to us sense the agreement with Cat, the Viper, Sidewinder and that engine, no one has seen nothing but tail lights from this sled, and with all their different combinations, some new tech for the Vector engine basically all new, and we have not seen the last of this new engine, updates for the apex in suspension back and front and bringing back the VK 540 t stroke and the snow scoot, when the Ceo of Yamaha Canada say's what is on the showroom floors is nothing compared to what's coming in the future for the sled division it was approved by Yamaha Japan and they mean it.

I agree, I don't know Yamaha very well, but my experience with Japanese companies (Sony, Panasonic/Matsushita, Nintendo, Hitachi, and others) plus living there for awhile all point to the same thing. They are insanely stubborn, have incredible patience, and when they go after something, it is big effort then 10% improvement at a time, and designed to win. It is very rare for a Japanese company to say one thing and do another, they are much more likely to say nothing at all. They are also far more clever than they will ever let on. Do they make mistakes.. you bet but generally they recover fairly quickly. One can hope.

 

[yamabob]

im not shure if you guys remember when Yamaha called back all 1981 srx 500 models and pulled back all dealer inventory of 1982 srx and disposed of them somewhere then what you got was the 1983 VMAX 540 after that Yamaha thought of pulling the plug on sleds back 1991 then what you got was VMAX4 so its hard to tell but did you know TEXTRON at one time back in the 70s had stake in Polaris I was looking at old you tube promos for Polaris and all the others and there it was plain as day polaris is a TEXTRON ezgo company ?? but at one time skidoo was skidoo now they changed the ATV to CANAM and arcticat did too with TEXTRON