2020 Release

[soldi]

Well I just got an older Pro RMK instead of the alpha so I could have options open come Mars...

 

[STAIN]

I have a Sidewinder. Best Yamaha I have ever owned. Period.

 

[trailhed1]

To add to the speculation....just figured, i would pass it along.
Now this comes from my Yamaha dealer here in Quebec. He tells me that information he was given is, yes, you will see new sleds this year.(new models), however the only sled to be built in Japan, will continue to be the VK.

 

[Sasquatch]

Then who builds Yamaha sleds nowadays?

Arctic Cat builds them for Yamaha. I`m puzzled by the question a bit.

 

[Sasquatch]

I have a Sidewinder. Best Yamaha I have ever owned. Period.

Yes Cat did build a nice Yamaha.

 

[Sasquatch]

I have lost faith in Yamaha,and i dont think they will come with something new. I think they will still be i buisnes with shitty Cat and offering poor designed snowmobiles with Cat dna

Cat DNA will be around for a long time I would say.

 

[stevewithOCD]

Cat DNA will be around for a long time I would say.

This whole subject has me very torn!

For those that don't own a Yamacat, you don't realize how well they perform.
The problem is the smalls & the assembly.
IF Cat & Yamaha got together to design this next chassis that fits their motors & IF Yamaha put some more QC in the shop, this will be one of the BEST sleds ever made!!!!!!! So i will be happy riding a Catamaha/Yamacat.

Now i know "IF" is the largest meaning word in the dictionary, but there it is.
IF they do nothing, well there it is.

P.S: I just learned to use italicized letters so watch boys. Now i can be more emphatic with my statements & opinions!!!!!!!!!

 

[ClutchMaster]

Now i know "IF" is the largest meaning word in the dictionary, but there it is.
IF they do nothing, well there it is!!!

I thought it was the word “FU€k”?

Can be used as a noun, pronoun, verb, and adverb.


I have a very nice example but I just got back from a long furlow so I’ll refrain.

 

[Mototown]

I have a Sidewinder. Best Yamaha I have ever owned. Period.

Yes the sidewinder has the best motor combination ( stock or mod ). But u are still riding a cat , the rest of the sled new works good , but will u say that in 5 years with plus 10 k . I just sold my 08 Apex , and there was better condition ( parts not rusted or oxidized) on my 10 year old sled than my 2018 YamaKitty . The Japanese engineers have been in Minnesota for the last 5-6 years , so the next sled will be night and day difference. There probably wouldn't have been any new Arctic Cat chassis ( 2020) if Yamaha wasn't involved with them now ... the kitty people should count there blessings...

 

[STAIN]

I have a 2014 Viper with 8600 miles that has needed FAR less maintenance than my previous Apex, Rage, Nytro and Phazer.
It has held up very well, no rust.
I want Yamaha to succeed also but to pretend these Yamcats are junk is craziness. They are actually better in quite few areas

 

[TPAY243]

STAIN I totally agree with what you say. I don't know why some people think that Yamaha snowmobile div. is able to build a new chassis and suspension that will compete with the others. They have been out to lunch for the past 15 years. You should be careful on what you wish for ya might be back on a junk box oh wait i mean delta box chassie. Does it really matter if Cat is building these sleds for Yamaha. I will say this much i have owned Yamaha my whole life and the Viper and Sidewinder have a better chassis and suspension then any other Yamaha snowmobile to date. So if you guys want to go backwards in that department keep wishing for a all Yamaha snowmobile in the future.

 

[Mototown]

STAIN I totally agree with what you say. I don't know why some people think that Yamaha snowmobile div. is able to build a new chassis and suspension that will compete with the others. They have been out to lunch for the past 15 years. You should be careful on what you wish for ya might be back on a junk box oh wait i mean delta box chassie. Does it really matter if Cat is building these sleds for Yamaha. I will say this much i have owned Yamaha my whole life and the Viper and Sidewinder have a better chassis and suspension then any other Yamaha snowmobile to date. So if you guys want to go backwards in that department keep wishing for a all Yamaha snowmobile in the future.

Just wait until this time next year , and see where cats fit and finish is compared to these sleds .
Do u think Yamaha would use self taping screws to hold on panels ? Lol

 

[TPAY243]

There fit and finish is getting better and so will other things in the future but there are some out there that seem to think that the sleds that where and are still built in Japan never had any problems and that is far from the truth. They all have there problems and if you don't like the direction Yamaha is headed maybe look else where. I have a 14 Viper with 5000 miles on it, has it been perfect ? No way but neither have the 20 other ones I have owned. I drove a 18 Viper last season and it has a bunch of small things changed or improved over the 14 and to me it was a much better machine so things are improving. It just rubs me the wrong way when guys complaint about the partnership and sleds there building when there still riding the old delta box stuff and won't buy a new one no matter what they come out with.

 

[ClutchMaster]

There fit and finish is getting better and so will other things in the future but there are some out there that seem to think that the sleds that where and are still built in Japan never had any problems and that is far from the truth. They all have there problems and if you don't like the direction Yamaha is headed maybe look else where. I have a 14 Viper with 5000 miles on it, has it been perfect ? No way but neither have the 20 other ones I have owned. I drove a 18 Viper last season and it has a bunch of small things changed or improved over the 14 and to me it was a much better machine so things are improving. It just rubs me the wrong way when guys complaint about the partnership and sleds there building when there still riding the old delta box stuff and won't buy a new one no matter what they come out with.

Please don’t take offense but can you elaborate on the previous 20 sleds and issues you had?
I’ve owned a few Yamaha’s over the years and my 2015 viper has had many major issues. I rip my sleds totally apart almost every year. From the Chinese bearings to the poor Chaincase design, starter failures, and broken suspension shafts. One thing I can tell you is the reliability has most definitely dropped. This is why your hearing people complain.
There really is no doubt this platform has had a lot more issues than previous platforms. Maybe your sled in particular hasn’t had issues but as a whole the reliability isn’t as good.
So humor us less fortunate owners, that way you won’t Jinx yourself!
LOL

 

[Yamajon1]

I've been on nothing but Yamaha since 1984 and my current Viper is the best riding and handeling one to date. Is it perfect? Hell no, none of them have been. But that doesn't mean it's not a great sled. There are many things I believe would be better on a Yamaha built sled engineering and quality wise but I also don't think it would be head and shoulders above what we have now. In the past I always dismissed Arctic Cat as the sled I was least likely to own. They always seamed to be the most likely to be seen on the trail side or broken down in our group. But looking back a lot of he problems were engine or drive line not so much the chassis. If you've driven one you know they work very well and with the Yamaha engine they seem to be quite reliable. A little improvement in the drive line and some descent skis and there wont be much to complain about. While I believe Yamaha can engineer and build a better sled I don't know that with the state of the industry it is in their best interest to do so. All of the brands have there good and bad points it's mostly finding what fits your needs for where and how you ride. You can call them relabeled Cats if you want but if that's what's keeping you from trying one your missing out on a great sled. I also see it as having a much larger dealer network since I can now get most parts at Cat and Yamaha dealers. I think Yamaha has been more involved in the development of these sleds then some people think. I would like to see them have exclusive models but not sure there is enough of a market for that kind of investment at this time. I think we will see a continued partnership for the foreseeable future and I would rather see that then have them leave the industry.