2020 Release

[03RX1-ER-LE]

I think there is more going on than we know.
Lets consider a few things: the economy is slowing down, the R word is being thrown around, the markets are now lower than what they started at this year (take a look at your 401 naysayers) and you can walk in any dealer here in the US and buy a non current sled from the big 4.
I think big changes are coming next year in this country if things don't change soon.
You take a huge profitable company like Yamaha as a whole, because sleds is not their only business, and you more then likely have been spending money on R&D for the last couple years on that very small segment, and then start all over with a bunch of unsold sleds and maybe not because they did or did not build what we want, if the economy is in the $hiter sleds is the last place the money is spent.
You can only do that a few times without having shareholders up you butt.
Here we are in another late start to winter with poor conditions in UP due to lack of snow, and no major snow coming for the holidays.
I feel real bad for the business in the UP because the x-mas break is huge $$$$$$ for them.
Please lets pray for snow, world peace and a stronger economy, and some new 2020 Yamaha sleds to spring order for next season.

 

[biffdotorg]

I think if Yamaha doesn't show us something new they are going to loose a lot of people. Its time for a game changer and no, adding a turbo to a sled is not a game changer. Adding electric adjustable shocks to a sled is not a game changer. They need to bring something big to the table. People are getting tired of waiting around. I know I am.

This statement is interesting when you look at it from two points of view.

You have the TY site full of owners. Many have owned 6-7 sleds like myself, spring ordered one and the rest used or demo units. Many have bought new sleds, and even a few go out of their way to buy a new sled annually or every couple years. But fair to say, many will run the same machine year over year as they just last. So in this PoV, Yamaha is losing a faithful following that may or may not buy a new sled next year, or the year after.

The other point of view is from Yamaha. They have the smallest market share and it is dwindling each and every year. You are struggling to get net new buyers over to yamaha or new to the sport. And you are having difficulty getting the faithful to give up a previous model year that is working quite well and has little difference from the current offering. So what is Yamaha actually losing? Or what will they lose if they come out with BNG in March/April and change nothing. In the grand business scheme, they lose nothing, other than possibly their dealer network.

 

[Deeppow16]

This statement is interesting when you look at it from two points of view.

You have the TY site full of owners. Many have owned 6-7 sleds like myself, spring ordered one and the rest used or demo units. Many have bought new sleds, and even a few go out of their way to buy a new sled annually or every couple years. But fair to say, many will run the same machine year over year as they just last. So in this PoV, Yamaha is losing a faithful following that may or may not buy a new sled next year, or the year after.

The other point of view is from Yamaha. They have the smallest market share and it is dwindling each and every year. You are struggling to get net new buyers over to yamaha or new to the sport. And you are having difficulty getting the faithful to give up a previous model year that is working quite well and has little difference from the current offering. So what is Yamaha actually losing? Or what will they lose if they come out with BNG in March/April and change nothing. In the grand business scheme, they lose nothing, other than possibly their dealer network.

This is why Yamaha needs to start coming out with new cool stuff every other year like the other manufactures. Polaris and Ski-doo always have new tech coming out why cant Yamaha do that? They have been coasting for a long time. Its time for them to step up their game and show us what they can do.

 

[Snorunner]

So I worked with a Japanese Oem Automotive engineer today. Doing cold weather testing. I have all ways been impressed with their products. I can't say who. But I have always been impressed with the Quality of their products. I used to repair them in the field. I was only disappointed with the quality of their steel. Rust! But I have to say that after buying the first new sleds in my life I am very impressed with the Quality of these machines I hope Yamaha will step back in. Other than the slingshot shock I am very impressed!

 

[darv]

well i went to my dealer today and we where talking and he feels that Yamaha is not doing well they are moving out of CAIL. and then they laid off a crap load of DSM and put there work load on the service rep. so know he is doing the work of of 3 people and no raise. i know a couple of the DSM's the from MN & WS they have been with Yamaha a long time and and very smart guys. so things are not good boys.

 

[HMTurbo]

This statement is interesting when you look at it from two points of view.

You have the TY site full of owners. Many have owned 6-7 sleds like myself, spring ordered one and the rest used or demo units. Many have bought new sleds, and even a few go out of their way to buy a new sled annually or every couple years. But fair to say, many will run the same machine year over year as they just last. So in this PoV, Yamaha is losing a faithful following that may or may not buy a new sled next year, or the year after.

The other point of view is from Yamaha. They have the smallest market share and it is dwindling each and every year. You are struggling to get net new buyers over to yamaha or new to the sport. And you are having difficulty getting the faithful to give up a previous model year that is working quite well and has little difference from the current offering. So what is Yamaha actually losing? Or what will they lose if they come out with BNG in March/April and change nothing. In the grand business scheme, they lose nothing, other than possibly their dealer network.

Dealer network near me in east central Iowa is already gone for both Yamaha and Polaris. Only dealers left around for 19's is Doo. I think dealer consolidation will hurt the sport if OEM's don't stop forcing smaller dealers into taking so many sleds when we've had so many poor snow years. How many dealers is Country Cat taking sleds from? Problem there (not saying them) is the ability to get service done. I don't like where the sport in general is going much less my fear Yammie is done. My prediction for 2020 is the only thing new snowmobile related Yammie is doing is providing cat the 998 turbo. Sadly I think they are done.

 

[rtx moose]

hhmm.someone give me a fact about the other three bringing something new to the table other than engines..shocks dont count!!!???Nobody has patience these days

 

[HMTurbo]

hhmm.someone give me a fact about the other three bringing something new to the table other than engines..shocks dont count!!!???Nobody has patience these days

Yamaha's current chassis isn't even theirs. I love Yammie and I'm not bashing them but compared to at least Poo and Doo they are way behind the game regarding new things released.

 

[Deeppow16]

hhmm.someone give me a fact about the other three bringing something new to the table other than engines..shocks dont count!!!???Nobody has patience these days

Ski-doo's
New Chassis every few years
Shot starter system
Quick adjustable ski stance
Lynx attachments
Quick removable snow flap

Polaris
Many chassis upgrades almost every year
Belt drive
Digital gauge screen with GPS


What has Yamaha gave us in the last five years? New engine... That's about it.

 

[biffdotorg]

hhmm.someone give me a fact about the other three bringing something new to the table other than engines..shocks dont count!!!???Nobody has patience these days

Is that what it's called? Others call it blind loyalty. I know it all too well. I have owned two Buell Motorcycles if that tells you anything. They have been killed and revived a couple times. So many loyal Buell followers up until their dying breath.

The most popular meme in the Buell forums is the recent photos of workers parting out EBR (erik buell racing) bikes and people captioning them as workers assembling the new 2020 model/prototype.

I think of that often as the new model year apex hits the showroom with the same color A-arms as a few years ago. That's where the line above about cleaning out the parts counter hits home. They literally can put out a new model year based on the color of the part they have most of in stock. My guess is the RTX yellow is due for a comeback in 2020. (smile)

 

[Sasquatch]

Push the reply at the bottom right of who you are talking to

Yamaha didn't stop designing new sleds after the nitro, they fine tuned the cat chassis to fit the vector & turbo motors. I'm willing to bet what ever is coming in February is going to be good ... it's been waiting for a long time . & it will be mostly Yamaha design because Arctic cat money troubles won't have enough funding for them to have something new.

Really? They put a mount in the chassis to raise the motor up because the two cylinder that it replaced sat lower and its why the two cylinder has a lower center of gravity. The chassis is the same chassis as before.

 

[Sasquatch]

I thought this is what was going to happen when both companies came together 5 years ago. Instead its been 75% Cats and 25% Yamaha. I also think they could come out with something amazing but they both need to have input on design and tech. That could lead to good things or bad things.

I thought so as well but what we have wound up with is a Cat built and designed chassis with a Yamaha engine. No different then the Suzuki engine in the Cat chassis other then this time they put on Yamaha Stickers for the ones Yamaha orders. I had expected a Yamaha chassis with Cat suspension and a Cat with Yamaha engine, boy was I surprised. What we get is a Cat chassis with all its faults and Cat shares all sleds types. So also no identity. I keep hearing Yamaha DNA but I can say yep the motor and clutches. Other then that some tabs and plastic but that is shared as well. Still put together by the same people on the same line. Where is all this DNA? I know the Apex is a hated sled now but it was all Yamaha DNA all it needed was a better suspension.

 

[Sasquatch]

I was just calling dealers in ny looking for a 18 ltx le and got talking to the owner of dealership about the spring only sleds and how he has no inventory and he wants more sleds. We got talking about where we think they are heading and he said that his rep told him to stock up on 2 stroke oil. And there was talk about a more powerful sled than the sidewinder. But now the bad, he said 2 years away. Don’t kill the messenger just what I was told so take it with a grain of salt

If I had a dollar for every rumor that was I heard from a guy who heard it from a guy who heard it from the guy. Id be riding a new sled now! There are more powerful sleds then the stock Sidewinder, its called crank up the boost.

 

[Sasquatch]

2011 Apex was a refresh with bolt on improvements. Not a new sled in my opinion. If a new Yamaha chassis has been around since 2012, it is already outdated. Yeah its only 2 months till 2020 are out, but i don't think we will get any insight into Yamahas future and the direction they are going in. We will only know what they released in 2020. Again, its just an opinion.

Yep 2011 was a refinement but the difference was night and day. Most accept the Apex as a new sled over the RX1 while some argue no. So for Cat or Yamaha no major refinements since about the same time. As Yamaha stopped building sleds where does it go now? I myself feel that it will be more Cat sleds same as 2019 and this will continue into the future with Cat supplying two strokes to Yamaha.

 

[Tarzan]

I think there is more going on than we know.
Lets consider a few things: the economy is slowing down, the R word is being thrown around, the markets are now lower than what they started at this year (take a look at your 401 naysayers) and you can walk in any dealer here in the US and buy a non current sled from the big 4.
I think big changes are coming next year in this country if things don't change soon.
You take a huge profitable company like Yamaha as a whole, because sleds is not their only business, and you more then likely have been spending money on R&D for the last couple years on that very small segment, and then start all over with a bunch of unsold sleds and maybe not because they did or did not build what we want, if the economy is in the $hiter sleds is the last place the money is spent.
You can only do that a few times without having shareholders up you butt.
Here we are in another late start to winter with poor conditions in UP due to lack of snow, and no major snow coming for the holidays.
I feel real bad for the business in the UP because the x-mas break is huge $$$$$$ for them.
Please lets pray for snow, world peace and a stronger economy, and some new 2020 Yamaha sleds to spring order for next season.

Your not alone in the world to buy sleds,there are other countrys that have lots of snow and selling lots of snowmobiles.