2015 YAMAHA SNOWMOBILES

[2008 Nytro RTX]

I rode a skidoo when I had my Yamaha nytro and after setting up the Yamaha it handled just as good road just as good and was quicker than it now the Viper is head and shoulders above the Nytro and the Nytro was every bit as good as the 1200 you do the math. Plus you have the best shock package imo ever offered on a stock sled with the RTX LE

 

[HartleRacing]

I rode a skidoo when I had my Yamaha nytro and after setting up the Yamaha it handled just as good road just as good and was quicker than it now the Viper is head and shoulders above the Nytro and the Nytro was every bit as good as the 1200 you do the math. Plus you have the best shock package imo ever offered on a stock sled with the RTX LE

i agree. i see you snowchecked one of the two sleds im interested in.. ill be test riding them in Old Forge next month. ill make up my mind on which viper model i want once that time comes

 

[ccrider]

I'll tell you what....I really feel bad for the Yamaha NA sled team. I can't imagine how they must feel when year after year the Yamaha corporation gives them NOTHING to work with or invest with. It must break their heart to see the brand they have sweat and toiled over for years go to hell with us. Reading these boards you can see just how pissed us Yamaha sled heads are at them. I am one of them and I have voiced it. And Yamaha deserves every rip they have gotten. But the Yamaha sled team probably deserves some credit for making the most out of a horrible situation that they are put in from the company. They have worked with every single aftermarket and partner company to provide as broad of a range of sleds as possible without getting jack #*$&@ from the company.

I will still NOT be buying this mutt and I am still disappointed in Yamaha...but I know what it's like to be part of a division that a bigger corporation is soaking for every last drop of opportunistic profit and not investing a dime in for the future. Considering all this....the Yamaha NA sled crew really deserves a pat on the back.

Don't know why...but I felt the need to say that. Its not that I feel sorry for them...but I understand the situation and feel it had to be said.

 

[Rockstar]

I'll tell you what....I really feel bad for the Yamaha NA sled team. I can't imagine how they must feel when year after year the Yamaha corporation gives them NOTHING to work with or invest with. It must break their heart to see the brand they have sweat and toiled over for years go to hell with us. Reading these boards you can see just how pissed us Yamaha sled heads are at them. I am one of them and I have voiced it. And Yamaha deserves every rip they have gotten. But the Yamaha sled team probably deserves some credit for making the most out of a horrible situation that they are put in from the company. They have worked with every single aftermarket and partner company to provide as broad of a range of sleds as possible without getting jack poop from the company.

I will still NOT be buying this mutt and I am still disappointed in Yamaha...but I know what it's like to be part of a division that a bigger corporation is soaking for every last drop of opportunistic profit and not investing a dime in for the future. Considering all this....the Yamaha NA sled crew really deserves a pat on the back.

Don't know why...but I felt the need to say that. Its not that I feel sorry for them...but I understand the situation and feel it had to be said.

yes I agree. I'm pretty sure I'm not the only guy out there that's crushed by all of this. And I do try to take into consideration how bad the snowmobile market really is. Yamaha gets to sell a new model and they don't have all of the new start up costs. However I still can't figure out why they didn't retool year to year updating things like front suspension geometry. Really refine what they have. How would the current Apex be with doo, cat or poo style front end???? Not to mention the Nytro and phazer. It's not like they had to reinvent the wheel. Honestly what does the Cat have other than the front end geometry?? It's still a bulk head, tunnel, 2 skis and a track...

 

[horkn]

Vote with your dollar...don't buy a Yamaha. Then Yamaha might do something, or just get out of the sledding business.

According to ISMA, they only have 5% of the market, so now they are losing the true die hard Yamaha enthusiasts and it will be difficult to entice buyers back.

Actually Arctic Cat's 17% marketshare is almost more troubling since the ProCross introduction has done little to improve share even with all their product investment. Figure in the fact that Arctic Cat has to rely quite heavily on the sled market to remain solvent it becomes a pretty scary business proposition. All of the companies have had up's and down's, but since 1995 Cat has really been on a downward trend.

When you see where Arctic Cat and Yamaha are in relation to the Big 2 it is easy to see why they have formed a partnership. BRP and Polaris literally have a monopoly on the snowmobile market.

Are You serious? What is a scary business proposition? How's Yamaha done since 95? My God...

It's scary that they only have 17% of the snowmobile marketshare, however sleds account for 40% of their total corporate revenue. That is a scary business proposition for investors. Yamaha hasn't done well either, but sleds are such a tiny fraction of their revenue it won't make or break them. Cat is always a couple of bad luck events away from bankruptcy because they are so small. Believe me when I say Cat needs Yamaha as a partner as development costs continue to rise without increased marketshare.

When it comes to quality Cat gets blamed many times for using poor suppliers or cutting corners. They have to because they can't live on a slim profit margin. They have to squeeze the most profit out of each unit just to survive. This doesn't mean they build poor quality sleds, it just means that they have to be very smart sourcing components and getting the low bid at all times.

As a corporate buyer in manufacturing, I fully understand the logic. However, cat usually allows lower quality, and lower cost. They don't get the same quality for a lower cost because they don't have the buying power that a larger OEM will. Case in point, cheap quality bearings in cats compared to all other brands. There's a reason cat original bearings need to be replaced way before any of the other brands of sled with the same miles, ridden on the same trails at the same time.

 

[Fourcam281]

Can you get the orange and blue in a short track small lug? Looking for a new wi trail sled.

 

[horkn]

 

[sheetwright]

Can't believe first time I have seen on ebay 2015 Viper's already selling for a spring presale, and for cheap. $10,499.99 for a an XTX SE model. They must be trying to get aggressive. you can get a 2015 for cheaper then a 2014 at those prices

 

[ZAKSTANG]

First off let me preface this post by saying that I have owned nothing but yamaha motorsports products since I was 15yrs old. Im now 42. I have had 87waverunner when yami was one of the first, if not the first, to make a sit down machine. I owned a 93 wave blaster. (best machine ever for lake and big wave use)....I had a moto4 200cc atv... I had two blaster ATVs (still have one for the kids). also had a GPR1200 waverunner..and various motorcycles (fzr600 and R6)...none of these machines ever left me stranded...

5yrs ago if you told me that I would ever own anything other than a yamaha I woulda laughed in your face and said NO WAY! So when I got into snowmobiling more serious in 2007 (after having a cheepo xc700 since I didnt have $$ to spend on something I only rode 500miles a yr if I was lucky and having young kids to feed) and seeing yamaha finally come out with a kick #*$&@ ground breaking sled like the phazer I bought one. OMG!!!!! what a pain in the #*$&@ snowmobile that was!!! while it was fun to ride and after NEVER EVER having issues with any other yamaha I have ever owned, I WAS TOTALLY TAKEN ABACK by the issues with that sled!! you all know the issues that sled had...I couldn't believe i was riding a yamaha!!!! Totally not what I expected from a company that I had never had issues with before....fast forward a couple years and due to some personal issues I had to sell it....couple years later I bought an Apex MTN and AGAIN I have had nothing but issues with it....between frozen relays, loose as hell steering, crappy bushings, a bad throttle position sensor, crappy jack/drive shaft bearings and not to mention the weight I have to say that while the motor is absolutely INCREDIBLE the rest of the sled is junk....all these issues on a machine with just under 4000miles on it....I am now hoping to unload it for next to nothing...Ill never own another yamaha sled unless its a 450lb apex powered 155x2 machine...if that comes out ill bite the bullet and come back but I aint holding my breath...

I now own a polaris RZR 570 since yamaha doesn't make a sport side by side....and my next sled will be a polaris RMK....

Is anyone at yamaha paying attn????????? Seadoo just came out with a $5000 sitdown machine that is almost a copy of the waveblaster and Im guessing they are going to sell the S*&t out of them! what does yamaha have except HUGE and VERY expensive waverunners...who the hell needs to go 80mph on a jetski??? ya its fun but ill have WAY more fun with two Sea doo sparks and an extra 2K in my pocket than I ever will on a huge yamaha machine... http://www.personalwatercraft.com/manuf ... -1209.html

Yamaha is missing the boat here and I really dont know what happened...but it is very disheartening....its been 8 yrs now since ANYTHING ground breaking from yamaha sled division (2007 phazer)...since then there has been nothing exciting....yamacat isnt new or groundbreaking....its a half assed effort from a company that could buy arctic cat if it wanted to...sad deal...

anyway, basically all I am saying to yamaha corporate is this, you lost me and the rest of my family...our next purchases in the snowmobile, utv, and watercraft market will be polaris and sea doo...but we will be watching and hoping to someday get back on some yamaha sleds and watercraft...at least I still have my kids blaster to drive and I guess I can have some yamaha stickers made for the RZR!!

there is nothing here for me in the new sled line up....same old same old...
sorry for the long rant but Im hoping yamaha is reading....


PS- Im still gonna stick by yamaha motorcycles though...FZ-09 here I come!

 

[sx7001]

Well, I just got back from running 200kms of awesome lake and pipeline and all I can say is.........

THANK YOU YAMAHA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


I LOVE MY APEX!!!!!!!!!!

 

[pat the rat]

First off let me preface this post by saying that I have owned nothing but yamaha motorsports products since I was 15yrs old. Im now 42. I have had 87waverunner when yami was one of the first, if not the first, to make a sit down machine. I owned a 93 wave blaster. (best machine ever for lake and big wave use)....I had a moto4 200cc atv... I had two blaster ATVs (still have one for the kids). also had a GPR1200 waverunner..and various motorcycles (fzr600 and R6)...none of these machines ever left me stranded...

5yrs ago if you told me that I would ever own anything other than a yamaha I woulda laughed in your face and said NO WAY! So when I got into snowmobiling more serious in 2007 (after having a cheepo xc700 since I didnt have $$ to spend on something I only rode 500miles a yr if I was lucky and having young kids to feed) and seeing yamaha finally come out with a kick #*$&@ ground breaking sled like the phazer I bought one. OMG!!!!! what a pain in the #*$&@ snowmobile that was!!! while it was fun to ride and after NEVER EVER having issues with any other yamaha I have ever owned, I WAS TOTALLY TAKEN ABACK by the issues with that sled!! you all know the issues that sled had...I couldn't believe i was riding a yamaha!!!! Totally not what I expected from a company that I had never had issues with before....fast forward a couple years and due to some personal issues I had to sell it....couple years later I bought an Apex MTN and AGAIN I have had nothing but issues with it....between frozen relays, loose as hell steering, crappy bushings, a bad throttle position sensor, crappy jack/drive shaft bearings and not to mention the weight I have to say that while the motor is absolutely INCREDIBLE the rest of the sled is junk....all these issues on a machine with just under 4000miles on it....I am now hoping to unload it for next to nothing...Ill never own another yamaha sled unless its a 450lb apex powered 155x2 machine...if that comes out ill bite the bullet and come back but I aint holding my breath...

I now own a polaris RZR 570 since yamaha doesn't make a sport side by side....and my next sled will be a polaris RMK....

Is anyone at yamaha paying attn????????? Seadoo just came out with a $5000 sitdown machine that is almost a copy of the waveblaster and Im guessing they are going to sell the S*&t out of them! what does yamaha have except HUGE and VERY expensive waverunners...who the hell needs to go 80mph on a jetski??? ya its fun but ill have WAY more fun with two Sea doo sparks and an extra 2K in my pocket than I ever will on a huge yamaha machine... http://www.personalwatercraft.com/manuf ... -1209.html

Yamaha is missing the boat here and I really dont know what happened...but it is very disheartening....its been 8 yrs now since ANYTHING ground breaking from yamaha sled division (2007 phazer)...since then there has been nothing exciting....yamacat isnt new or groundbreaking....its a half assed effort from a company that could buy arctic cat if it wanted to...sad deal...

anyway, basically all I am saying to yamaha corporate is this, you lost me and the rest of my family...our next purchases in the snowmobile, utv, and watercraft market will be polaris and sea doo...but we will be watching and hoping to someday get back on some yamaha sleds and watercraft...at least I still have my kids blaster to drive and I guess I can have some yamaha stickers made for the RZR!!

there is nothing here for me in the new sled line up....same old same old...
sorry for the long rant but Im hoping yamaha is reading....


PS- Im still gonna stick by yamaha motorcycles though...FZ-09 here I come!

the issues you mentioned are minimal compared to other brands,i always regrease my bearings,jackshaft,speedo,frozen relays is a common thing with all efi sleds,all brands,yes the phazer had issues,but i still managed 30000 km on mine and it never let me down not once,i think preventive maintenance is key with these new sleds,we are leaving this morning for a trip,one doo rider had to cancel cuz is 1200 is in the shop for a bad radiator,leaking chaincase and it barely starts when its a little cold,saying that all brands have issues,my uncles cat needed a valve adjustment at 4000 miles

 

[pat the rat]

Well, I just got back from running 200kms of awesome lake and pipeline and all I can say is.........

THANK YOU YAMAHA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


I LOVE MY APEX!!!!!!!!!!

 

[couch]

First off let me preface this post by saying that I have owned nothing but yamaha motorsports products since I was 15yrs old. Im now 42. I have had 87waverunner when yami was one of the first, if not the first, to make a sit down machine. I owned a 93 wave blaster. (best machine ever for lake and big wave use)....I had a moto4 200cc atv... I had two blaster ATVs (still have one for the kids). also had a GPR1200 waverunner..and various motorcycles (fzr600 and R6)...none of these machines ever left me stranded...

5yrs ago if you told me that I would ever own anything other than a yamaha I woulda laughed in your face and said NO WAY! So when I got into snowmobiling more serious in 2007 (after having a cheepo xc700 since I didnt have $$ to spend on something I only rode 500miles a yr if I was lucky and having young kids to feed) and seeing yamaha finally come out with a kick #*$&@ ground breaking sled like the phazer I bought one. OMG!!!!! what a pain in the #*$&@ snowmobile that was!!! while it was fun to ride and after NEVER EVER having issues with any other yamaha I have ever owned, I WAS TOTALLY TAKEN ABACK by the issues with that sled!! you all know the issues that sled had...I couldn't believe i was riding a yamaha!!!! Totally not what I expected from a company that I had never had issues with before....fast forward a couple years and due to some personal issues I had to sell it....couple years later I bought an Apex MTN and AGAIN I have had nothing but issues with it....between frozen relays, loose as hell steering, crappy bushings, a bad throttle position sensor, crappy jack/drive shaft bearings and not to mention the weight I have to say that while the motor is absolutely INCREDIBLE the rest of the sled is junk....all these issues on a machine with just under 4000miles on it....I am now hoping to unload it for next to nothing...Ill never own another yamaha sled unless its a 450lb apex powered 155x2 machine...if that comes out ill bite the bullet and come back but I aint holding my breath...

I now own a polaris RZR 570 since yamaha doesn't make a sport side by side....and my next sled will be a polaris RMK....

Is anyone at yamaha paying attn????????? Seadoo just came out with a $5000 sitdown machine that is almost a copy of the waveblaster and Im guessing they are going to sell the S*&t out of them! what does yamaha have except HUGE and VERY expensive waverunners...who the hell needs to go 80mph on a jetski??? ya its fun but ill have WAY more fun with two Sea doo sparks and an extra 2K in my pocket than I ever will on a huge yamaha machine... http://www.personalwatercraft.com/manuf ... -1209.html

Yamaha is missing the boat here and I really dont know what happened...but it is very disheartening....its been 8 yrs now since ANYTHING ground breaking from yamaha sled division (2007 phazer)...since then there has been nothing exciting....yamacat isnt new or groundbreaking....its a half assed effort from a company that could buy arctic cat if it wanted to...sad deal...

anyway, basically all I am saying to yamaha corporate is this, you lost me and the rest of my family...our next purchases in the snowmobile, utv, and watercraft market will be polaris and sea doo...but we will be watching and hoping to someday get back on some yamaha sleds and watercraft...at least I still have my kids blaster to drive and I guess I can have some yamaha stickers made for the RZR!!

there is nothing here for me in the new sled line up....same old same old...
sorry for the long rant but Im hoping yamaha is reading....


PS- Im still gonna stick by yamaha motorcycles though...FZ-09 here I come!

the issues you mentioned are minimal compared to other brands,i always regrease my bearings,jackshaft,speedo,frozen relays is a common thing with all efi sleds,all brands,yes the phazer had issues,but i still managed 30000 km on mine and it never let me down not once,i think preventive maintenance is key with these new sleds,we are leaving this morning for a trip,one doo rider had to cancel cuz is 1200 is in the shop for a bad radiator,leaking chaincase and it barely starts when its a little cold,saying that all brands have issues,my uncles cat needed a valve adjustment at 4000 miles

How are those issues minimal? Just because its Yamaha are we supposed to overlook all of the problems and shortcomings? Yes ALL SLEDS HAVE ISSUES and that of course includes Yamaha /Yamacat. Other than strictly trail sleds, all things being equal, Yamaha has not advanced as much as the other three OEM's. 2014/15 sleds still using same engine tech from 7 or 8 years and no real advancement in chassis development. Yamaha lost our purchase of two new sleds for this season because they appear to have decided to forgo any and all emphasis on weight loss! Undoubtedly handling on the Viper is better than the Nytro (stock versus stock) there was still no weight loss! Couple of friends have the 1100 cat and both complain about the weight - the Yamaha mill is approximately the same weight so does the same sled now weigh less because of the tuning fork stickers? Not likely. If Yamaha had really stepped up and offer the Viper in 2014/15 with a 50 + lbs drop then I would have taken a second look.

 

[T-Bone]

I wonder what Yamaha was thinking when they decided to stop R&D money flowing to the sled division. They didn't seem to have had anything (pure Yamaha) ready for release, makes me wonder when they stopped the flow of money. It seems the only option they had was the AC deal. if that had not come about, what where they going to release for 2014 and 2015? I think things at Yamaha sled division where much worse than they let on. If they didn't have the Viper for the last two releases, we would be looking at BNG for quite some time.

 

[Irv]

Was really hoping that something new/fresh/updated was coming with the Vector's and Apex's, but I am quickly learning, since owning my first Yamaha sled that I bought in 2010, not to hold my breath.

I guess one can surmise now, that what we are/were use to, is a thing of the past?

Personally, from this point forward, I see only Yamaha motors in Cat chassis as the future and slowly but surely, the Apex and Vector's as we know them, will be a thing of the past.