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A new High Performance Trail 2-Stroke YamaCat in the works for next season?

In the 2000's the government (and other countries) were demanding EACH vehicle is able to hit a certain emission standard by 2010 & stricter every couple years.
The "Fleet Credit" program was being abolished. That's where a company could take an average of all their products' emissions output.
So some were super clean & others were dirty.
Yamaha knew that NO 2-stroke could meet those standards, and they still can't to this day.

SO the big Y gambled & got rid of 2-smokers.
THEN the big companies fought back, greasing palms & schmoozing the politicians until the emissions numbers were decreased.
Yamaha got caught with no 2-stroke to compete where 2-strokes are heavily demanded.

We must remember that the 2-stroke emission numbers you see were at idle.
The new standards are measured throughout the powerband and THAT is why the boat Etecs are gone!
Evinrude (Etec) was #2 in the world. There is NO EFFIN way it wasn't profitable!
They could NOT make the standards.

Unfortunately for Yamaha the Off-Trail & Rough Trail snowmobile market took off.
Yamaha got caught with their pants down & suffered trying to do the right thing.

P.S: Yamaha still makes money so don't feel bad for them
P.S2: I believe Polaris' LACK of a 4-stroke hurts them immensely
Spot on!!
 

Agree....going from a 130HP Viper to a 180HP+ Winder is a huge leap. They are missing a big sector of snowmobile sales not having one in between the two. The 400cc sled was needed and just might be the best seller in years to come for Yamaha and Cat.
Yamaha 2 strokes, back in the day, were feared by all with the speed and durability. What a dream a Yamaha built two stroke engine would be under the hood of a fine tuned chassis.

I bought a 1979 John Deere Trail Fire 340 (Kawi twin fan cooled engine) and got my arse handed to me by a Yamaha 250 single in a race. It was embarrassing how much faster the 250 single was from start to finish. Yamaha had something no one else had with regards to engine technology.
So sad they let it go
Enticer 250's were very quick! Just send it!
 
They sure were fast. Light and nimble. The 340 Enticer was a beast also
 
When I built my SLP RZ550 Cat. Took 7 years to tune it right. No support offered by SLP. But knew that up up front. I was trying to get max rpm”s. When I finally got there. I hit 97.6 mph in 8 inches of snow on my lake. With a 550. Pulling a 136 Ripsaw. Needed the snow depth. Due to lack of studs. But what I was really after was torque. Did not care so much about speed. Got it close to 120 hp. But with the Suzuki RM250 reed cage system and trail porting the torque was amazing. Now I have a 2016 Vector. Run it in touring mode. And when I get pissed and nail it from a dead stop. Do not ask me why. It is scary torque! Google an SLP RZ 707 Polaris Triple. Won King of the Hill at Jackson Hole. And watch the vidieo. Torque is king of the hill! However. I do love to have a lightweight sled and throw it around. Reminds me of my youthful dirt bike days. Lol! I love triples Yamha,Arctic Cat & Polaris. They have tremendous midrange power! And nothing sounds better! Except a Kawasaki Triple 2 stroke street bike! Or a Yamaha Rd or RZ 2 stroke. Street Bike. Such a refined 2 stroke sound. Hopefully Yamaha can satisfy us all. But right now I just want parts availability. Just in case? I need them.
 
I would buy a 2-Smoke again ! , fun back up sled ! Need to be on par with the other 2 brands for power or more ,lightweight with top suspension! Shoot I would get the new Taiga Electric! Big power , range not too bad, but it’s the recharge that sucks … Maybe Yamaha next E.
 
I don't think I could ever go back to a 2-stroke, the stench ruins it for me. If they could develop one that uses a supercharger for scavenging the cylinders instead of the crankcase, that would eliminate the need for the current total loss lubrication system.
 
where I ride it's tight and twisty, there are a ton of Ski Doo 600 e-tec's...If Yamaha could produce an engine to surpass it then Yamaha might start getting market share increase. My buddy who has only owned Yami's just got a 600 e-tec Backcounty...excellent on fuel and light to throw around. My other buddy has always had Cats...he's looking for a used 600 e-tec and he rides in Millinockett..If Yamaha doesn't get stronger in this market with an innovative new sled then it's going to be a slow death because I'm sure someday Ski Doo is going to produce a high HP product that will surpass the only plus Yami has...the 998 turbo. It kills me to see my buddies switch and anyone who's read any of my comments knows I'm a hard core Yami guy...Joe
 
We are hoping for the least, a Blue 600/800 with Yamaha clutches on them. That seems to be the most POSSIBLE option out there.

We purchased a Venom for the missus this past season. We have had to make some upgrades suspension wise and obviously customize it to make it hers- but it’s been a great machine. She has mentioned she doesn’t care for the fact it’s “only a 400”- but she’s been able to build confidence on that sled that she NEVER got on bigger sleds, and says it’s light years ahead of her Phazer in the handling department. She kept up all season and then some with that sled- and even my 6’1 215lb arse has a great ride on it.

She does want a little more power so a 600/800 would be fantastic in that sense to get the gaps bridged in the lineup. It’s only a matter of time before the laurels Yamaha rests on with the sidewinder get smashed by the competition.

As far as the purebred Yamaha component, I don’t miss the constantly busted suspension parts, oil lite bushings, rear skid tortilla chip bushings, worn out exhaust gaskets, cracked oil tanks, and need to add 4 more wheels just to get hyfax to last a season. It’s 6 in one, half dozen in the other with these sleds as far as my experience has been, and that Phazer we had sucked more money out of my wallet than both my hybrid sleds ever did. It was a mega fun sled- but the gremlins that sucker had and lackluster handling left something to be desired.

Maybe I should do what my Doo buddies all do and just get a new sled every 3k and tell everyone that “Never had a problem ever with my Doo.”
 
We are hoping for the least, a Blue 600/800 with Yamaha clutches on them. That seems to be the most POSSIBLE option out there.

We purchased a Venom for the missus this past season. We have had to make some upgrades suspension wise and obviously customize it to make it hers- but it’s been a great machine. She has mentioned she doesn’t care for the fact it’s “only a 400”- but she’s been able to build confidence on that sled that she NEVER got on bigger sleds, and says it’s light years ahead of her Phazer in the handling department. She kept up all season and then some with that sled- and even my 6’1 215lb arse has a great ride on it.

She does want a little more power so a 600/800 would be fantastic in that sense to get the gaps bridged in the lineup. It’s only a matter of time before the laurels Yamaha rests on with the sidewinder get smashed by the competition.

As far as the purebred Yamaha component, I don’t miss the constantly busted suspension parts, oil lite bushings, rear skid tortilla chip bushings, worn out exhaust gaskets, cracked oil tanks, and need to add 4 more wheels just to get hyfax to last a season. It’s 6 in one, half dozen in the other with these sleds as far as my experience has been, and that Phazer we had sucked more money out of my wallet than both my hybrid sleds ever did. It was a mega fun sled- but the gremlins that sucker had and lackluster handling left something to be desired.

Maybe I should do what my Doo buddies all do and just get a new sled every 3k and tell everyone that “Never had a problem ever with my Doo.”
I would look at Skidoo's new 600 EFI. About 85hp. That in a MKZ or Renagade would probably but tons of fun for your wife.

My Nytro has been awesome. I've only replaced the hyfax once. All the bogey wheel bearings have been replaced and I had to upgrade to new Yamaha wheels but thats it....
 
We are hoping for the least, a Blue 600/800 with Yamaha clutches on them. That seems to be the most POSSIBLE option out there.

We purchased a Venom for the missus this past season. We have had to make some upgrades suspension wise and obviously customize it to make it hers- but it’s been a great machine. She has mentioned she doesn’t care for the fact it’s “only a 400”- but she’s been able to build confidence on that sled that she NEVER got on bigger sleds, and says it’s light years ahead of her Phazer in the handling department. She kept up all season and then some with that sled- and even my 6’1 215lb arse has a great ride on it.

She does want a little more power so a 600/800 would be fantastic in that sense to get the gaps bridged in the lineup. It’s only a matter of time before the laurels Yamaha rests on with the sidewinder get smashed by the competition.

As far as the purebred Yamaha component, I don’t miss the constantly busted suspension parts, oil lite bushings, rear skid tortilla chip bushings, worn out exhaust gaskets, cracked oil tanks, and need to add 4 more wheels just to get hyfax to last a season. It’s 6 in one, half dozen in the other with these sleds as far as my experience has been, and that Phazer we had sucked more money out of my wallet than both my hybrid sleds ever did. It was a mega fun sled- but the gremlins that sucker had and lackluster handling left something to be desired.

Maybe I should do what my Doo buddies all do and just get a new sled every 3k and tell everyone that “Never had a problem ever with my Doo.”
funny...yes tons of used ones for sale before they blow up.
 


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