2020 Release

[Deeppow16]

I’d like to see an all Yamaha sled as long as it has good suspension like cats.
Maybe a few different engine options. 1 two stroke engine, (which may never happen again) and a few 4 stroke engine options.

To be honest, I’m not sure sleds will get much better in the way of suspensions, ergonomics, styles etc. What would the next level of snowmobiles look like? And how much money would be spent on the next level? Do we really need it?

I'm right there with you. I cant really see trail sleds getting any better. The handling is the best its ever been and they soak up bumps like they aren't even there. Now for the off trail/mountain sleds I think there is still some room to make changes but even those sleds have come a long ways in the last 10 years.

 

[T-Bone]

Why dont you all see it,. Yamaha is done with sleds,they just deliver motors to Cat.And i dont think they are making the cluthces by them self eighter. As long as them making money in selling motors and printing some Yamaha stickers they are fine with that. They dont spend money.

Statements like Yhis have always baffled me. Yes, Yamaha is selling engines to AC, but they are buying a complete chassis and having AC assemble the sleds. AC is not doing that for free. I would bet that Yamaha is writing checks to AC. What is the cost of a 998T engine in a sled they list for almost $17k? Maybe $5k?

 

[T-Bone]

As a business owner myself, I can see where they might be “just fine” with that.
Their other recreation divisions bring in a LOT of money compared to snowmobiling, like boats, wave runners, quads, sport bikes etc. Especially the sport bikes, that’s what lots of the R&D goes into. If they feel like the market isn’t good enough to be dumping a piss wack of money into it in order to see a return, they probably won’t. I know I wouldn’t, it’s just business. Yamaha has very deep pockets and for anyone who thinks otherwise is completely wrong.

Those deep pockets came from the other businesses inside Yamaha. They make more money selling swimming pools than they do sleds. Whay is the market good enough for AC, Pol, and SD to dump a money into? AC does not have very deep pockets and they come out with new engines and suspensions front and rear.

 

[03RX1-ER-LE]

I will say this past weekend riding 255 miles in my area (Oscoda) of the maybe 100 sleds I passed on the trails, or at the restaurants all weekend, more then half were Winders, Vipers and Apex's and AC, Poo and Doo made up the other half.
There are still a lot of brand loyal people out there, just not purchasing sleds as much since the keep going and going.......

 

[CooperT]

I will say this past weekend riding 255 miles in my area (Oscoda) of the maybe 100 sleds I passed on the trails, or at the restaurants all weekend, more then half were Winders, Vipers and Apex's and AC, Poo and Doo made up the other half.
There are still a lot of brand loyal people out there, just not purchasing sleds as much since the keep going and going.......

I just wish the squeak would go away on my front end! Lol

 

[03RX1-ER-LE]

I just wish the squeak would go away on my front end! Lol

Steering column bushings or suspension bushings? My 09 steering column does it once in awhile, just hit them with WD40 and it goes away.

 

[CooperT]

It’s the front suspension, wd-40 only lasts so long...but I’ll give it another spray lol

 

[rtx moose]

broke a plastic o-ring on one of my transfer rods,did not know it was possible!!

 

[03RX1-ER-LE]

It’s the front suspension, wd-40 only lasts so long...but I’ll give it another spray lol

It is temporary, mine lasts the season so once a season a little spray will do ya!

 

[1CoolZ71]

Yamaha will have no 2 strokes because that's most of what Cat is selling--- SPRING ONLY.
Yamaha will have all 4-strokes in Sidewinder and Viper models

Cat has no 7000 that's why Yammie will have the Vipers
Cat has only the Thundercat Turbo, so Yammie will have several models of the Sidewinder including the Riot version

They both got smarter and reduced the number of doubled up sled models

 

[03RX1-ER-LE]

So just seen another new 2020 post started on the General Yamaha Discussion forum......really....

 

[1CoolZ71]

Interesting that Cat only has to buy motors from Yamaha for the ThunderCat this year.
So this year Yamaha is paying Cat quite a bit of cash to build all their sleds.

 

[SqueezeER]

I’d like to see an all Yamaha sled as long as it has good suspension like cats.
Maybe a few different engine options. 1 two stroke engine, (which may never happen again) and a few 4 stroke engine options.

To be honest, I’m not sure sleds will get much better in the way of suspensions, ergonomics, styles etc. What would the next level of snowmobiles look like? And how much money would be spent on the next level? Do we really need it?

Well, when it comes to, do we need to go faster? I don't think we do. But it doesn't matter how powerful of a motor they can make, someone will make it faster (aka sidewinder guys). For some people, they need to be the ones to say I have the "fastest sled" or the "best handling" or whatever. But as my boy Jack Nicholson says in the Departed, "In this country, carrying automatic weapons don't add inches to your dick, you get a life sentence for it."

 

[rtx moose]

2021 is the year for all japan models!!!

 

[SqueezeER]

I will say this past weekend riding 255 miles in my area (Oscoda) of the maybe 100 sleds I passed on the trails, or at the restaurants all weekend, more then half were Winders, Vipers and Apex's and AC, Poo and Doo made up the other half.
There are still a lot of brand loyal people out there, just not purchasing sleds as much since the keep going and going.......

I ride Northern Ontario. I have 1000miles so far this season, and I have yet to see a sidewinder. I have seen a few other vipers, and 7000s, but not many.