2024 Yamaha snowmobile releases, March 14, 2023

[Fast]

Well we paid more than that 2 years ago in Canada. I’m guessing $28k CAD before pdi/frt/taxes. So that $33,335 OTD

Thats crazy my 19 srx was $19,300 tax in

 

[kviper]

Rmax 1000 engine in a Catalyst chassis. 100+ hp, lighter, used across multiple lines (like the 998), could be a winner.

And a Turbo vrsion at 150/160 hp!!

 

[SumpBuster]

Nice color, Jaret, but looks just like my 2018 Im keeping...and what about the bank failures just beginning??? Maybe nothing will get built...strange times.

 

[VK540V]

I'll have to just agree to disagree. It totally was the 4 strokes that hurt them. I'll rephrase that. It wasn't the 4 strokes that hurt them, it was the fact the stopped offering 2 strokes. If they would have had 2 and 4 stroke engine options on a better in-house chassis (think Nytro handling fixed and lightened) they would still have much more marketshare. They are back to selling some 2 stroke sleds anyhow, but those are just rebadged Cats.

Maybe it's different in different areas, but everywhere I ride almost everyone still rides 2 strokes.

Totally agree! When they went all in on 4-strokes they alienated a bunch of buyers. They did get some new ones (like me) and I remember their market share actually increased in around ‘05. But then Yamaha did what Yamaha does so well, it quit innovating, it ignored well known problem issues (the Nytro handling was terrible, poor hot grips, exhaust icing and too small of a gas tank) among many others with their 4-strokes and kept producing the same sleds year after year with no meaningful updates. Only the diehards stuck with them as the sleds we’re still very reliable & Japanese quality. Aftermarket fixes were also available for many sleds in their lineup. The faithful kept waiting and waiting for Yamaha to release the next new thing.

Then in ‘14 they finally did. Started selling Cat’s with Yamaha motors. This alienated even more buyers, particularly their most brand loyal customers. Quality issues with the chaincase, poorly tuned EFI system, unreliable starting in cold weather, starters not disengaging and breaking the block. The Vipers were plagued with problems and Yamaha didn’t address them very quickly. This was when the ship began to capsize and now it’s just about sunk out of sight.

Maybe Yamaha will be back with EV type sleds within the next 5-10 years? Maybe that’ll be long enough for the stain of the Cat partnership to slip from most peoples mind and a new generation will embrace Yamaha as a progressive, innovative company breaking into the winter scene with no emissions type sleds?

 

[74Nitro]

I'll have to just agree to disagree. It totally was the 4 strokes that hurt them. I'll rephrase that. It wasn't the 4 strokes that hurt them, it was the fact the stopped offering 2 strokes. If they would have had 2 and 4 stroke engine options on a better in-house chassis (think Nytro handling fixed and lightened) they would still have much more marketshare. They are back to selling some 2 stroke sleds anyhow, but those are just rebadged Cats.

Maybe it's different in different areas, but everywhere I ride almost everyone still rides 2 strokes.

Well I mostly disagree.
In addition, this topic has been debated hundreds of times it seems on this site since 2014 and it isn't what the thread is about should I shouldn't have engaged in the off topic argument.

 

[yamajammer76]

Well I mostly disagree.
In addition, this topic has been debated hundreds of times it seems on this site since 2014 and it isn't what the thread is about should I shouldn't have engaged in the off topic argument.

No the thread is about the 2024 Yamahas which are just a re-hash of the same basic Procross products since 2014 and 2017. Actually the line-up has gotten worse with less models offered. I mean they have the 2 stroke rebadges, but what's the point?

Many are looking for something new. EPS only makes a sled "all new" a little while. Below the Sidewinder there isn't much anymore. As long as Cat keeps building a Procross you'll have Yamahas. After that is anyone's guess, but doubt the skeleton crew up in Canada are designing much of anything new. If you're pleased with the line-up that's great, but there are many of us that see the glaring holes in their offerings and see how re-hashed this is all becoming.

 

[KnappAttack]

In 2014 Arctic Cat was still a small independent company that needed the infusion of cash and additional manufacturing volume that the SRViper/7000 offered. It was a life-line that kept them going for a bit longer. The Sidewinder/9000 was also developed and had one season of production before the Textron acquisition in January 2017. Yamaha still had snowmobile engineering based out of Pleasant Prairie, WI and even test areas near there while those models were being developed. It was well documented at the time that Yamaha engineers spent time in Thief River Falls as well. That’s how a joint venture is supposed to work. Now it’s just a simple supply agreement of sleds that have long been developed. Yamaha phones in new colors and decals and when they want a new sled they just rebadge an M8000 or Blast and ask for a production slot to build a few sleds.

Textron is a Fortune 500 conglomerate that makes most of their profits in the defense industry. Arctic Cat was purchased mainly to beef up their distribution of all terrain vehicles. Some people from TRF must have lobbied hard to get Textron to fund development of the Catalyst and good for them. These days I’m guessing Jared Smith spends most of his time begging Textron execs for a few manufacturing slots on the calendar. Well that and overseeing a few marketing folks and graphics designers. lol

Anyhow back to the exciting release of the 2024 models. Good sleds if you want to update from something like a Nytro, RX-1 or early Apex/Vector, but offer nothing to people already on Yamacats.

I'm on a YamaCat 998 since 2017, and the new EPS sled offers a lot for me. Not only is the 17 Winder awesome, the new EPS is even better. Nothing out there compares or is up to the task like them. There's not a Doo or Polaris that compares to the Winder right now for a trail sled. The Doo's and Poo's still don't compare to the 17 yet let alone the better riding and easier steering EPS version of the Winder. There is still no competition for the ProCross at a Cross Country race event other than the new Catalyst from Cat. The new EPS sleds fells 150 lbs lighter than the non EPS sleds on the trail. I had a 2012 version of the turbo Cat and would have never thought I would be saying I'd own 2 more after how much I HATED the 2012, but here I am, In love with the ProCross now.

 

[VK540V]

Well I mostly disagree.
In addition, this topic has been debated hundreds of times it seems on this site since 2014 and it isn't what the thread is about should I shouldn't have engaged in the off topic argument.

What is there to disagree about? They went in all 4-stroke, emissions didn’t get stricter like they thought and they then lost a ton of market share. They weren‘t manufacturing the sleds that most people wanted. That’s a fact.

Here we are around 15 years after the fateful 4-stroke only decision and looking at the most dismal spring unveiling in memory. If partnering with your competitor to make sleds was a good idea we’d not be having this conversation.

But back to the thread… do you think they will be using Alfa Slab One font on the ‘24 stickers or stay with the ‘23 font? I’d like to see them go wild with some retro 90’s motocross graphics just to spice things up. The comic book inspired lettering on the ‘95 YZ250 looked amazing! A Sidewinder with those graphics would set the sled industry on edge.

 

[74Nitro]

I'm on a YamaCat 998 since 2017, and the new EPS sled offers a lot for me. Not only is the 17 Winder awesome, the new EPS is even better. Nothing out there compares or is up to the task like them. There's not a Doo or Polaris that compares to the Winder right now for a trail sled. The Doo's and Poo's still don't compare to the 17 yet let alone the better riding and easier steering EPS version of the Winder. There is still no competition for the ProCross at a Cross Country race event other than the new Catalyst from Cat. The new EPS sleds fells 150 lbs lighter than the non EPS sleds on the trail. I had a 2012 version of the turbo Cat and would have never thought I would be saying I'd own 2 more after how much I HATED the 2012, but here I am, In love with the ProCross now.

Don't waste your breathe. You just can't win over some people, they can't see the forest for the trees.
In addition, you must be smoking some real-good stuff to think that the antique procross chassis is still formidable against the competition today...(one of my eyes is winking).

 

[Sidewindo]

This Earth Power Products wanting to buy or arrange a deal with parts of Yamaha motors could be a step in the right direction and put more energy back into the sno mo biz. If Yamaha is spreding there proven tech around to other company's one could only hope for an all Japan model again. Even if it is electrified. I am still impressed by the ride and superior power of my winder.

 

[yamajammer76]

Don't waste your breathe. You just can't win over some people, they can't see the forest for the trees.

Yamaha offers Sidewinders and one trail Viper. That's it. Not everyone wants a 200+ HP $20k+ sled. Plus new decals only work for so many years. The EPS was the last edition to the sled and it only happened because Cat decided to engineer it for their 9000 series. Yamaha no longer has snowmobile engineering or manufacturing. It's just a decal design and marketing company at this point.

I'm not saying the Sidewinder is a bad sled. It's a good sled with tons of power and I'm sure the 2024 will be just as enjoyable as the 2022 and the 2023. If you don't like the decals on the 2024 wait for the 2025.

 

[yamajammer76]

Don't waste your breathe. You just can't win over some people, they can't see the forest for the trees.

Double post on accident.

If we actually see a full line for 2025 including some variations of a 130 HP model along with a Sidewinder in a modified Catalyst platform I'll eat my words, but I just don't see any of that happening. If there is a 2025 it'll be more BNG and probably even less models selection. You can't offer new things when you don't even have your own R&D anymore.

 

[74Nitro]

Yamaha offers Sidewinders and one trail Viper. That's it. Not everyone wants a 200+ HP $20k+ sled. Plus new decals only work for so many years. The EPS was the last edition to the sled and it only happened because Cat decided to engineer it for their 9000 series. Yamaha no longer has snowmobile engineering or manufacturing. It's just a decal design and marketing company at this point.

I'm not saying the Sidewinder is a bad sled. It's a good sled with tons of power and I'm sure the 2024 will be just as enjoyable as the 2022 and the 2023. If you don't like the decals on the 2024 wait for the 2025.

So what do you want? I just re-read all your posts on this thread, and all you offered was analysis of how we got here and other criticisms.
You don't want a Viper or a Winder but you want something new from Yamaha? Am I to understand that is correct?

 

[yamajammer76]

So what do you want? I just re-read all your posts on this thread, and all you offered was analysis of how we got here and other criticisms.
You don't want a Viper or a Winder but you want something new from Yamaha? Am I to understand that is correct?

I currently own a 2016 Viper MTX 141" 2.25" with a 40" mountain front. It's basically a 50-50 crossover model. It's a great sled for where I ride. I'll keep it going, but at some point I'll have to replace. They no longer offer any crossovers in the 130 HP class. The Viper is just a trail sled now and I'm not interested in a Sidewinder. They have offered one 146" Sidewinder XTX with a 2.0" track and a 40" mountain front in the past, but that's it. It's all trail sleds. I wouldn't be surprised if 2024 is 100% trail sleds. The 50-50 market is big these days and Yamaha offers little to nothing. I'm pretty sure I'll have to move to a Catalyst Riot 600 146" 1.75"+ at some point, but I will miss the Yamaha 4 stroke engine. I guess only trail riders want 4 strokes.

I know the majority of people here are flat land, trail only people, but the line-up has become depressingly limited. You can't count the rebadged MM800 or SXVenom because those are Cats with Yamaha stickers.

The Procross is a 12 model year old chassis. Yes it's time to drop something new.

 

[rbig18]

Well just took a look at the 2024 release. Didn't see anything but BNG. No PS Viper, no catalyst (figured). I think the swan song has begun. You would think Yamaha would have enough pride to just shut it down and just supply motors at this point. Time fly's...with today's release it has been a decade of using Cat's chassis. No dealers left in my area anyway so I think the inevitable is staring me the face.