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Apex lovers?? Is this the end??

Patience 2018 is the year. All new all from Japan. It will happen. With the R1 Crossplane 4 banger. It's coming. You heard it here first.
 

trailhed1 said:
Patience 2018 is the year. All new all from Japan. It will happen. With the R1 Crossplane 4 banger. It's coming. You heard it here first.
Click to expand...
God I hope so! It would be a sad day if Yamaha let's another manufacturer build there so called flagship sled. The way some of these guy's are all giddy and wet over the new ""CAT"", Oh' I mean Sidewinder. It's the only sled Yamaha needs. It's everything we've been asking for and it should apeel to ""EVERYONE""!! Just cause you put a Ferrari engine in a Kia doesn't mean you have a Ferrari !!!! Flame on! ;)!
 
Having said I'm not a fan of the hair drier I do like the looks of the 2017 ZR 9000. Only way it could be better is if it had the Apex engine and call it a 8,500! LOL!
 
Ferrari engine in a kia....good one...lol...although kias are a lot better these days...as are cats...and I'm a cat trasher from way back...like wankel days...taught my son his first important sentence back in the early 90's.... Ski doo best; arctic cat junk! Yamaha has raised their (arctic cats) bar...at least to Hyundai standards....
 
As a very happy owner of 2 Apex's, 08 LTX and a 09 LTXGT, one with over 10K and the other with over 9K. They are great turn key sleds. Basic maintenance and go ride. The new Sidewinder looks interesting and sounds good on the videos, but, the Apex is a proven premier sled. So today my dealer made me a deal I couldn't resist and I updated to a 16 XTX. Overall same basic sled but totally different. Can't wait to log some (s)miles on it.
 
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Love my Apex XTX. Would rather have a cosmetically updated Apex over a Sidewinder. Just sat on one at the show and nothing view impresses me about the sled. The engine on the other hand is true Yamaha quality. Unfortunately the sales volume of the Apex does not warrant updating and I think the end is very near. As stated on here by others we better get used to the joint venture sleds and the AC quality that comes with them cause its not going away. That is the new Yamaha. Unfortunately the joint venture and the new way to make money spells the end of the Apex. Sad but least I own a low milage classic!
 
Sasquatch said:
Having said I'm not a fan of the hair drier I do like the looks of the 2017 ZR 9000. Only way it could be better is if it had the Apex engine and call it a 8,500! LOL!
Click to expand...

I know you want an all Yamaha as do a lot of us, the fit and finish, the quality, no one can match.
But I have been part of this industry for a very long time and have seen a lot of innovation, especially in the suspension area come from the Cat engineering department, from slide rail suspension in about 1972 to trailing arm suspension in 1977 trail cat to AWS in 1983, the front suspension of choice by all manufactures now to WTF was Cat thinking in 2012 with the new wide A arm spacing, that made Doo Widen their A arm spacing in 2015? I think Cats engineering department is very good. Their problem has been assembly line quality control and a purchasing department that is always searching for the lost price supplier,
What they need is an engineering department that specs the quality they want and a purchasing and quality control department that follow those specs.
If Yamaha Quality control can fix the fit and finish and assembly line issues, WE the Arctic Cat and Yamaha owners will own and ride the best sleds in the business, and Cat and Yamahas sales numbers will continue to fall because WE will continue to ride our sleds for longer and longer because there is no reason to replace them.
The other guys will continue to increase sales because they continue to build what they build and sell replacements every two years for their quality products.
 
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Apex production will eventually cease, but mine isn't going anywhere!

Some day, my old 2012 Apex will be sitting right next to my older RX Warrior and much older Vmax 4.
 
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The cats with the Kawasaki engines and Rockwell Jlo's were cool...had a whine to them....back in the day....yes, quality control was my beef...great race sleds...and some great ideas, but you never knew if you were gonna get a good one. Firecats especially...some needed on board fire suppression!!!
But I have to say, after all these years, I love my apex best of any sled I've had...it's not perfect, and can be made much better by some aftermarket and tuning, but the thing has a SOUL...personality...seriously...manufacturers strive to make mechanical things with that intangible feature...the apex hit the mark for me.
 
DIwarrior said:
As a very happy owner of 2 Apex's, 08 LTX and a 09 LTXGT, one with over 10K and the other with over 9K. They are great turn key sleds. Basic maintenance and go ride. The new Sidewinder looks interesting and sounds good on the videos, but, the Apex is a proven premier sled. So today my dealer made me a deal I couldn't resist and I updated to a 16 XTX. Overall same basic sled but totally different. Can't wait to log some (s)miles on it.
Click to expand...

going from a pre 11Apex to a 16 , should be a shock , with all the upgrades , ONCE you get the suspension dialed in ,
I had an even greater shock because I went from a 06 GT 121 to the 2015 XTX .
Its the same ,BUT not the same , I agree.
 
Nytros rule said:
I know you want an all Yamaha as do a lot of us, the fit and finish, the quality, no one can match.
But I have been part of this industry for a very long time and have seen a lot of innovation, especially in the suspension area come from the Cat engineering department, from slide rail suspension in about 1972 to trailing arm suspension in 1977 trail cat to AWS in 1983, the front suspension of choice by all manufactures now to WTF was Cat thinking in 2012 with the new wide A arm spacing, that made Doo Widen their A arm spacing in 2015? I think Cats engineering department is very good. Their problem has been assembly line quality control and a purchasing department that is always searching for the lost price supplier,
What they need is an engineering department that specs the quality they want and a purchasing and quality control department that follow those specs.
If Yamaha Quality control can fix the fit and finish and assembly line issues, WE the Arctic Cat and Yamaha owners will own and ride the best sleds in the business, and Cat and Yamahas sales numbers will continue to fall because WE will continue to ride our sleds for longer and longer because there is no reason to replace them.
The other guys will continue to increase sales because they continue to build what they build and sell replacements every two years for their quality products.
Click to expand...

I too have been riding since the early 60s and could not agree more!
I have always said that Arctic Cat looses it from the original engineering to the finished product.
I found it interesting that Yamaha released their 2017s and the industry high profile Sidewinder first...may be some insight into who is really running the show?
Like the Sidewinder or not the industry and riders of all brands are well aware of its release!
JM.02c
 
sideshowBob said:
I too have been riding since the early 60s and could not agree more!
I have always said that Arctic Cat looses it from the original engineering to the finished product.
I found it interesting that Yamaha released their 2017s and the industry high profile Sidewinder first...may be some insight into who is really running the show?
Like the Sidewinder or not the industry and riders of all brands are well aware of its release!
JM.02c
Click to expand...
I started sledding on a 1969 Panther , it was the most classy and comfortable sled with the slide suspension .
I switched to Yamaha when Cat went out of business , and have never looked back .
SRV , Exciter , SX700 , RX-1 , Apex Gt ,Apex XTX , S........
One mans loss is anothers gain.
That's life !
This Cat Yammie relationship, will either be a 5 year side note in snowmobiling history , OR the biggest game changing revolution to ever happen to the structure of this industry !
Time will tell .
 
Love my 2011. It works well with C&A skis and D&D upgrades. Bigblue II will stay with me as long as I keep riding. Has anyone given thought to this engine in a slightly updated delta box chassis. With EPS, single shot, a higher seat and a recalibrated front end it could be winner. Lighter sled and not much investment needed to do that either. Magazines raved about he Vector for years. Just sayin.
 
LOVE LOVE my apex like most on here. However I cant WAIT to see what the tuners do to the sidewinder once its released and on the dynos. I think 300hp with a tune won't be out of the question. That motor is so much more robust then my apex motor and that thing boosted is the king of reliability. So while I wont be going anywhere for awhile, I'm finally excited to see a yammie that could replace my apex and not leave me feeling blue (pun intended LOL) I just revised my insurance on my apex to match the retail of the sidewinder LOL. This was a smart move on Yammies part, the cat chassis is awesome and they needed a powerhouse motor like that to get the attention of poo/doos. Although I am a 4cyl freak, I think that motor could actually replace it. Can't wait to hear one run, and drive one! Till then I will enjoy my Ferrari on snow, the sound...ohh the sound...
 
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