2020 Release

[Snomanco]

And how does someones annual disappointment in Yamahas lineup ruin your endless happiness? Just go be happy, which by the way you don't sound too happy complaining about people on this site. Who are you to tell the others how to feel? I'm glad you're happy but when a manufacture tells you they are committed to the snowmobile business and year after year they do very little to prove it, people have a right to be frustrated. I guess I was expecting more than new color schemes and names for Arctic Cat's innovations.

Hey T-Bone... the annual disappointment...that's a good one. I'm happy, but disappointed...bummed out would be a better description. I was just hoping for a new Yamaha to slap in the face of the Poo and Doo riders. Come on Yamaha...you have had over 5 years to work on a new sled.

I've sent them many Ideas...with no reply at all, so I have no way of knowing if anyone has even seen them. I pinged them for years about adjustable windshields (or quick change windshields), tilt handlebars, heated seats way before the Cat chassis and now to put it on more sleds (hell, I had heated seats on my motorcycle nearly 20 years ago) power steering on more sleds. How about built in GPS/NAV, (look at the Star Venture motorcycle) how about a better reverse, better saddlebags, more storage, auxiliary fuel tank on more sleds, or even a 3 passenger touring sled.
How about more sleds with built in mirrors that are not on the windshield as they wiggle and vibrate too much. (I gave them an idea similar to car mirrors that fold back. Mount a mirror on the side of the sled, below the handlebar so your elbow is not in the view. But have that mirror fold in flat against the fairing when not needed, or when you put a cover on the sled.
How about a driver/passenger communication system and a better way to talk with other riders in your group.
How about a quick change modular 2-up/1-up seat.
How about a LinQ type system like Poo has.
How about a Retro looking sled…that would be cool.
And Man do we need a new kids (3/4 size sled) 300 or 400 cc 4-stroke.
and I have more...sorry for the rant.

I know we all have ideas...hell I even had an idea for a Yamaha sled that looked like the Manta/Trail Romer.

Also, I'm on every email list for Yamaha and all I ever get in return is their stupid watercraft survey and questionnaire (probably 8 or 10 times).

Does anyone else get those?

I have never once (in over 15 years) received a snowmobile survey or questionnaire regarding a new product line ideas. Isn't that ridiculous.

Has anyone?

Their product development and marketing group is clueless...or really really slow.

 

[Wannaviper]

From a recent SEC filing:

Textron is in the third month of its restructuring plan that resulted in
product rationalization and the elimination of approximately 400 positions of Textron Specialized Vehicles’ /Arctic Cats' workforce, the closure of several factory-direct branch locations and a manufacturing facility. The restructuring actions also included the re-branding of some vehicles in the ATV line up back to Arctic Cat. However this plan has not produced the results that were expected in the operating results for these businesses. With that said we are looking at all of our options including the sale of the snowmobile segment.

There you have it. Look at the Cat and Yamaha 2020 line-ups and see the how they are pretty much making AC the 2 Stroke brand and Yamaha the 4 Stroke brand. Now I have no idea what will happen, but if Textron does sell the snowmobile segment who do you think would purchase it? I believe that it would create a great opportunity for Yamaha if they plan to stay in the snowmobile business like they have promised. Textron is certainly not making that promise!

Is that for real; has anyone seen an actual document signed by someone at Textron? If Textron has made a public statement that suggests they are looking at the sale of the AC snowmobile segment, then maybe there is real hope for Yamaha in the future. Yamaha may not have had any interest in buying AC in the past, but if it comes up for sale, Yamaha will be faced with either buying it, or giving up on snowmobiles altogether. As you suggest, the separation of AC and Yamaha models by 2-stroke and 4-stroke power is a logical step if an actual merger/sale is in the cards for the future.

 

[Snomanco]

I was really hoping something completely new would have been released but I still have a little bit of hope one day it will be made but I’m not gonna give up on Yamaha and after going to my dealer yesterday ( both Cat and Yamaha ) I was really thinking hard about it last night and went back this afternoon and bought a 2018 Vector they had left over couldn’t pass up the price, it’s still new, I’ve always liked the looks of the Delta box body style and it’s a true Yamaha picking it up right away when they open

Hey DA177... Hope you are not buying the one I was looking at? I was holding off on buying a sled for my wife...waiting to see the 2020's so I could get her a new one with power steering, but sadly, no choices...so now I'm looking at leftovers...slim pickings.

 

[mikextx]

I have no first hand knowledge of sidewinders. But the couple i know of are broke alot. If someone gave me a brand new SW, i would sell it and look for a leftover 18 apex.

 

[rtx moose]

looking for a mpi supercharger stage 1 kit,time to step it up!!!

 

[biffdotorg]

Has anyone thought about buying a cat for a lot less money and then just buying a complete Yamaha decal kit?

Totally considered this. A 9000 Cross Country with 1.6" track would fit the bill here in MN quite well. Then just wrap it in my favorite Yamaha Blue. My buddy flipped from his Viper to a that very sled. Did all the go fast mods etc and this year put it up for sale, and dropped to a ZR6000.

He said, it's just too much sled on our tight trails. And I know that will trigger a bunch of you. And many will come back with a flaming " I can throw my winder around like a 600, or I can throw my Apex around like a 600" And maybe you can. But he said a 600 is more than enough in our tight trails, and he was less tired at the end of the day.

That is after he would spend weeks last season out on Lake Gogebic running down anything and everything on the flat ice, as he had his tuned to kill. He got over it and went back to the twisties after one season.

 

[mikextx]

looking for a mpi supercharger stage 1 kit,time to step it up!!!

There is one on ebay, its for a Nytro tho

 

[biffdotorg]

A Viper a turd? I'll put my Viper up against any sled in the 600 class it is in and not have an ounce of doubt regarding the outcome. And before anything is said, yes I did mod it. Nothing crazy though, just intake, exhaust, and clutching. At the same time I also know that with the same level of mods I will come out ahead of othe 600s.

Before you go take photos of the toilet bowl and share them here, the quality of turd is relative to what you are comparing it to. As you stated "come out ahead of the 600's" I consider the viper in my garage to be one of the best setups without a turbo you can put together. But compare it to my Apex or a winder, and it's brown and floating in a toilet bowl. My buddies on 600 Etec's like the power.

 

[mikextx]

There is one on ebay, its for a Nytro tho

Nevermind, thought you meant for a viper. My mistake

 

[T-Bone]

Before you go take photos of the toilet bowl and share them here, the quality of turd is relative to what you are comparing it to. As you stated "come out ahead of the 600's" I consider the viper in my garage to be one of the best setups without a turbo you can put together. But compare it to my Apex or a winder, and it's brown and floating in a toilet bowl. My buddies on 600 Etec's like the power.

I only rode a 2014 viper for about 10 miles at a dealer open house when they were first introduced. I was underwhelmed and disappointed in the power. Seemed completely different than the power of the Nytro engine. It was not studded and I was riding s 2011 studded Apex X-TX. Couln’t bring myself to buy one. If Yamaha has improved the Viper engine, why not give some indication of the level of improvement. Yamaha wants me to trust them, well I’m done doing that post AC deal. Honesty is all what most people want. The Viper has the Nytro engine, but they didn’t tell us it was really down on power compared to the Nytro. We had to find out for ourselves.

 

[biffdotorg]

I only rode a 2014 viper for about 10 miles at a dealer open house when they were first introduced. I was underwhelmed and disappointed in the power. Seemed completely different than the power of the Nytro engine. It was not studded and I was riding s 2011 studded Apex X-TX. Couln’t bring myself to buy one. If Yamaha has improved the Viper engine, why not give some indication of the level of improvement. Yamaha wants me to trust them, well I’m done doing that post AC deal. Honesty is all what most people want. The Viper has the Nytro engine, but they didn’t tell us it was really down on power compared to the Nytro. We had to find out for ourselves.

And that's a good clarification too. The ride quality of my turd is amazing, and the power is only considered low when compared to a higher powered sled (obviously) SkiDoo is feeling this as well with the Ace 900 T. The only guys calling that one slow are the ones comparing it to a winder. Honestly, I would love to compare that 150ish hp sled to an Apex. My guess is the performance would feel very similar (engine wise) Ride quality, who knows.

 

[03RX1-ER-LE]

So to sum up the 2020 release I still am Yamaha loyal, I bleed blue, of course when it gets oxygen it turns red, but look at the veins under your skin, blue blood flowing in there!
I am So looking forward to my 5 day UP trip starting Saturday on my Apex!

 

[mikextx]

If i need to spank a viper, ill take my 18 year old 700. If i need to go fast, ill take my Apex

 

[03RX1-ER-LE]

If i need to spank a viper, ill take my 18 year old 700. If i need to go fast, ill take my Apex

The Apex will spank the Viper also, do it all the time when riding with my buddy who has a 2015 LTX DX

 

[mikextx]

Yes sir. Thats what i was saying. My 700 is plenty to beat one of those turds. My apex will annihilate one.