2015 YAMAHA SNOWMOBILES

[scott32]

You come into the world in diapers and you go out in diapers.

Yamaha arrived as a motor supplier in the snowmobile industry and is on their way out as a motor supplier.

Tricks played to not lose marketshare from the Yamaha faithful has cracked glass stability. Look through the cracks to find the truth. eg; Is it a procross chassis or is it an SR Chassis. Niether company wants to lose anything to Poo or Doo. So to smoothen (not sure if thats a word) the transition Yamaha fills you with BS. People are so naive. Last march my dealer had the 2014 unit in for a display day, and BS coming out of his mouth just made me laugh out loud over and over. His face was turning red. One innocent customer even said," I can't belive how much it looks like a cat." "REALLY? You don't know do you?", I say. Dealer says," Well its based on an arctic cat." THe big dealer meeting, last year, came with a take home CD of how to properly BS and keep your loyal customers from running out the door. You are the R&D for this supply agreement. Cat doesn't want to also purchase Yammi cluthes and take advise from them, so what better way then to have two versions of the same sled, of cousrse with a belt blowing history you all chose Viper. Looking through the lines of Chris Reids' Yama Blog is no longer needed. All the clues on the future are front and center. Knowing most would not accept such imediate change, a five year transition, to maintain market stability and fleeing customers and shareholders. I once though that the shareholder was more important than the customer, but they are going to great lengths to transition the customer as well as protect the shareholders investment. I to am greatly angered by the soon to be absent Yamaha, but who accepts a cheating wife after 30 years.

Yamahas bean counters are pleased with sales numbers, so the agreement is a sucess. All anybody can really say about a Yamaha is, "I love my Yamaha motor". They let every model run its profitable course and when each and every model gets old and tired, they have no imagination to develop anything new. They really never ever have. Everything has been borrowed or purchased from another inventor. I could take you for a trip down history lane but I do not have that much time, research it yourself.
The next five years will be very interesting on the direction this goes. They (Yamaha and Cat) can call this a supplier agreement or whatever they wish, but the truth will hold true in the end, one will go. The current market share for Yamaha and the lack of inovation, year after year, strongly supports Yamaha as a motor supplier only. If a Yamaha motor falls into a cat atv/utv, then the last nail is in the coffin. Who's not wanting a Wildcat SxS w/ Yamaha motor.

If you still have a true Yamaha heart. Pull the plug and get them off the life support, cause they are not gonna wake up!!! Buy Arctic Cat and end this misery. You will still get your Yamaha motor.

Who will you support, the innovative company,Arctic Cat!! Or forever falling asleep at the wheel,Yamaha

The scorpion will rise from the sand!!! Cheers, Scott

 

[dudester4]

well put, couldnt agree more

 

[Sasquatch]

All anybody can really say about a Yamaha is, "I love my Yamaha motor".

If you still have a true Yamaha heart. Pull the plug and get them off the life support, cause they are not gonna wake up!!! Buy Arctic Cat and end this misery. You will still get your Yamaha motor.

Who will you support, the innovative company,Arctic Cat!! Or forever falling asleep at the wheel,Yamaha

I love my Yamaha! The Skid is exellent! The front end works great and has no slop in 4,000 miles! The power steering is awesome! The handling is great! The heaters are hot! Everything just works! Best trail sled ever and with the 144 it will float off trail as a bonus!

I would buy a Doo over a Cat if Yami ever closes shop. I do not see a Catamaha in my future but an Apex powered Cat would be interesting if they can make it breath.

Sure am glad I bought my XTX its everything I want in a sled!

 

[Yammerhead]

All anybody can really say about a Yamaha is, "I love my Yamaha motor".

If you still have a true Yamaha heart. Pull the plug and get them off the life support, cause they are not gonna wake up!!! Buy Arctic Cat and end this misery. You will still get your Yamaha motor.

Who will you support, the innovative company,Arctic Cat!! Or forever falling asleep at the wheel,Yamaha

I love my Yamaha! The Skid is exellent! The front end works great and has no slop in 4,000 miles! The power steering is awesome! The handling is great! The heaters are hot! Everything just works! Best trail sled ever and with the 144 it will float off trail as a bonus!

I would buy a Doo over a Cat if Yami ever closes shop. I do not see a Catamaha in my future but an Apex powered Cat would be interesting if they can make it breath.

Sure am glad I bought my XTX its everything I want in a sled!

They make the best sled for you, which equates to 5% of the market and that's the market share they command. For the rest of us who don't want a big high power luxo cruiser trail sled, we are out of luck.

 

[2lapsdown]

You come into the world in diapers and you go out in diapers.

Yamaha arrived as a motor supplier in the snowmobile industry and is on their way out as a motor supplier.

Tricks played to not lose marketshare from the Yamaha faithful has cracked glass stability. Look through the cracks to find the truth. eg; Is it a procross chassis or is it an SR Chassis. Niether company wants to lose anything to Poo or Doo. So to smoothen (not sure if thats a word) the transition Yamaha fills you with BS. People are so naive. Last march my dealer had the 2014 unit in for a display day, and BS coming out of his mouth just made me laugh out loud over and over. His face was turning red. One innocent customer even said," I can't belive how much it looks like a cat." "REALLY? You don't know do you?", I say. Dealer says," Well its based on an arctic cat." THe big dealer meeting, last year, came with a take home CD of how to properly BS and keep your loyal customers from running out the door. You are the R&D for this supply agreement. Cat doesn't want to also purchase Yammi cluthes and take advise from them, so what better way then to have two versions of the same sled, of cousrse with a belt blowing history you all chose Viper. Looking through the lines of Chris Reids' Yama Blog is no longer needed. All the clues on the future are front and center. Knowing most would not accept such imediate change, a five year transition, to maintain market stability and fleeing customers and shareholders. I once though that the shareholder was more important than the customer, but they are going to great lengths to transition the customer as well as protect the shareholders investment. I to am greatly angered by the soon to be absent Yamaha, but who accepts a cheating wife after 30 years.

Yamahas bean counters are pleased with sales numbers, so the agreement is a sucess. All anybody can really say about a Yamaha is, "I love my Yamaha motor". They let every model run its profitable course and when each and every model gets old and tired, they have no imagination to develop anything new. They really never ever have. Everything has been borrowed or purchased from another inventor. I could take you for a trip down history lane but I do not have that much time, research it yourself.
The next five years will be very interesting on the direction this goes. They (Yamaha and Cat) can call this a supplier agreement or whatever they wish, but the truth will hold true in the end, one will go. The current market share for Yamaha and the lack of inovation, year after year, strongly supports Yamaha as a motor supplier only. If a Yamaha motor falls into a cat atv/utv, then the last nail is in the coffin. Who's not wanting a Wildcat SxS w/ Yamaha motor.

If you still have a true Yamaha heart. Pull the plug and get them off the life support, cause they are not gonna wake up!!! Buy Arctic Cat and end this misery. You will still get your Yamaha motor.

Who will you support, the innovative company,Arctic Cat!! Or forever falling asleep at the wheel,Yamaha

The scorpion will rise from the sand!!! Cheers, Scott

100% accurate.

 

[darv]

I agree with Scott.

 

[TJRTX]

Im not sure the market can even handle another carbon copy pro-cross, doo, poo chassis, which most likely would be yamahas new chassis be based off. I wouldnt think it would be worth it to them. You have to remember also that it takes tipically 4 or 5 years of developement for a whole new platform. So do you think yamaha has been developing something new since say 2010, i doubt it. The past few years would have been a good time to release something since there was a little lull in development from the other manufacturers. Yamaha needs to be more inclined to make changes to excisting models. Look at ski-doo, their number one in market share with good handling great riding sleds and instead of sitting on their hands they replace a perfectly good suspension with the r motion and completely blow everyone out of the water.Does yamaha realize if they did that to the apex (new skid in old model) they would make a completely changed sled without the cost of a total retool. And it would keep a quite a few current yamaha owner content, and not wanting to jump ship.I hope they come out with a new chassis as much as the next guy, but in todays slimming market i doubt it.

 

[sheetwright]

All anybody can really say about a Yamaha is, "I love my Yamaha motor".

If you still have a true Yamaha heart. Pull the plug and get them off the life support, cause they are not gonna wake up!!! Buy Arctic Cat and end this misery. You will still get your Yamaha motor.

Who will you support, the innovative company,Arctic Cat!! Or forever falling asleep at the wheel,Yamaha

I love my Yamaha! The Skid is exellent! The front end works great and has no slop in 4,000 miles! The power steering is awesome! The handling is great! The heaters are hot! Everything just works! Best trail sled ever and with the 144 it will float off trail as a bonus!

I would buy a Doo over a Cat if Yami ever closes shop. I do not see a Catamaha in my future but an Apex powered Cat would be interesting if they can make it breath.

Sure am glad I bought my XTX its everything I want in a sled!

They make the best sled for you, which equates to 5% of the market and that's the market share they command. For the rest of us who don't want a big high power luxo cruiser trail sled, we are out of luck.

Reminds me of a lot of Cat guys I know who miss, and wish they still made the old F7 chasis. Complaining that the new sno pro style doesn't squat, or corner like the old sleds where you could just sit back and ride. The one thing is they are forgetting about kidney belts, and spine busters on those late afternoon, and evening trails on those old rides,. All where the new suspensions shine

 

[timebomb]

Im not sure the market can even handle another carbon copy pro-cross, doo, poo chassis, which most likely would be yamahas new chassis be based off. I wouldnt think it would be worth it to them. You have to remember also that it takes tipically 4 or 5 years of developement for a whole new platform. So do you think yamaha has been developing something new since say 2010, i doubt it. The past few years would have been a good time to release something since there was a little lull in development from the other manufacturers. Yamaha needs to be more inclined to make changes to excisting models. Look at ski-doo, their number one in market share with good handling great riding sleds and instead of sitting on their hands they replace a perfectly good suspension with the r motion and completely blow everyone out of the water.Does yamaha realize if they did that to the apex (new skid in old model) they would make a completely changed sled without the cost of a total retool. And it would keep a quite a few current yamaha owner content, and not wanting to jump ship.I hope they come out with a new chassis as much as the next guy, but in todays slimming market i doubt it.

They did that in 05 when they put the mono shock in the rx1 and completely changed that sled. Night and day difference between an 03/04 rx1 and an 05 rx1. 05 is much better

 

[yamajammer76]

With all the talk I hear about the possibility of Yamaha exiting the snowmobile market after the 5 year Cat contact is up I'm starting to wonder if the 7000 series Cats might be a safer long term purchase right now. It sort of stinks to lose dealer support and re-sale will suffer if Yamaha leaves the market.

I wish I could be more optimistic, but true Yamahas like the Nytro have been discontinued instead of re-designed, the Deltabox II sleds on life-support and the Phazer left to rot on the vine you have to wonder if the end is near. The Viper is fine, but it's not going to work as a long term solution unless Yamaha plans on buying up Cat. Many automakers have an agreement on a model or two, but your whole line can't be re-badges.

I figure the future will become very clear in the next year or two. If the Apex, Vector, and Venture exit stage left without a Yamaha built replacement it's over.

 

[Irv]

With all the talk I hear about the possibility of Yamaha exiting the snowmobile market after the 5 year Cat contact is up I'm starting to wonder if the 7000 series Cats might be a safer long term purchase right now. It sort of stinks to lose dealer support and re-sale will suffer if Yamaha leaves the market.

I wish I could be more optimistic, but true Yamahas like the Nytro have been discontinued instead of re-designed, the Deltabox II sleds on life-support and the Phazer left to rot on the vine you have to wonder if the end is near. The Viper is fine, but it's not going to work as a long term solution unless Yamaha plans on buying up Cat. Many automakers have an agreement on a model or two, but your whole line can't be re-badges.

I figure the future will become very clear in the next year or two. If the Apex, Vector, and Venture exit stage left without a Yamaha built replacement it's over.

Seen a pic on another forum where the Cat signs had been removed from the TRF plant.

Not sure exactly what that means, if anything, but I found it interesting.

Anyone else on here who can confirm that?

 

[yamajammer76]

With all the talk I hear about the possibility of Yamaha exiting the snowmobile market after the 5 year Cat contact is up I'm starting to wonder if the 7000 series Cats might be a safer long term purchase right now. It sort of stinks to lose dealer support and re-sale will suffer if Yamaha leaves the market.

I wish I could be more optimistic, but true Yamahas like the Nytro have been discontinued instead of re-designed, the Deltabox II sleds on life-support and the Phazer left to rot on the vine you have to wonder if the end is near. The Viper is fine, but it's not going to work as a long term solution unless Yamaha plans on buying up Cat. Many automakers have an agreement on a model or two, but your whole line can't be re-badges.

I figure the future will become very clear in the next year or two. If the Apex, Vector, and Venture exit stage left without a Yamaha built replacement it's over.

Seen a pic on another forum where the Cat signs had been removed from the TRF plant.

Not sure exactly what that means, if anything, but I found it interesting.

Anyone else on here who can confirm that?

Well if Yamaha Motor USA really wanted to grow in the US purchasing Cat would be a great way to add another US assembly line and an additional brand. Cat loyalists are hardcore enough that even under Yamaha ownership they would stick around for the most part and once assembly procedures and products became world class marketshare would increase for both brands. Purchasing Cat is the cheapest way for Yamaha to shift production to the US for sleds and expand ATV, motorcycle, watercraft, etc. production.

Now I still feel the only way Cat will sell is if they have to, but at some point Arctic Cat is going to need someone behind them if they honestly want to compete against the big dogs in the power sports industry. They just don't have the capital to compete and it gets tougher every year. Cat is forced to source the lowest quality parts and has to cut corners on every product they build just to maintain a big enough profit margin to keep going. They truly are the "American Motors" of the power sports industry. I like Cat and think they have good engineers that do the best they can on limited capital. Imagine what they could do with deep pockets like the big companies?

 

[HartleRacing]

it kind of makes me wonder now that you mention that, because ive seen over the last 10 years alot of yamaha or cat dealers becomming a combination of the two, even before we had the viper/XF7000 hit the snow. D&D Racing is one of them that i can mention. maybe just coincidence, but they picked up yamaha quite a few years back. they are arguably one of the largest cat performance shops in the country, and it seems they fell into a gold mine having yamaha around already when the "merger" of the sleds came to be.

 

[2lapsdown]

Most powersports dealers have become multi-brand..doesn't matter the manufactuer.....

 

[Nytro40th]

With all the talk I hear about the possibility of Yamaha exiting the snowmobile market after the 5 year Cat contact is up I'm starting to wonder if the 7000 series Cats might be a safer long term purchase right now. It sort of stinks to lose dealer support and re-sale will suffer if Yamaha leaves the market.

I wish I could be more optimistic, but true Yamahas like the Nytro have been discontinued instead of re-designed, the Deltabox II sleds on life-support and the Phazer left to rot on the vine you have to wonder if the end is near. The Viper is fine, but it's not going to work as a long term solution unless Yamaha plans on buying up Cat. Many automakers have an agreement on a model or two, but your whole line can't be re-badges.

I figure the future will become very clear in the next year or two. If the Apex, Vector, and Venture exit stage left without a Yamaha built replacement it's over.

Seen a pic on another forum where the Cat signs had been removed from the TRF plant.

Not sure exactly what that means, if anything, but I found it interesting.

Anyone else on here who can confirm that?

Ah must be something new I was there in October and the sign was there and that was when the vipers were on the line.