Sodes said:
In 1980 I purchased a Yamaha SS440. In it's time it was cutting edge with innovations that made it unique and state-of-the art. Unfortunately, it was a first year model and plagued with nummerous suspension and clutching problems; being 20 I was sold by Yamaha as it being better than the enticers, exciters etc....it wasn't. The SS went on to be a transitional model for the SRV and Phazer. As I got older and hopefully wiser I have purchased countless cars, motorcycles, appliances and electronics reinforcing my earlier lesson to never buy the first year model. Last year I upgraded my sled from a V-Max 600 to the 05'Rx-1; what a quantum leap in technology and a wise move being a third model year for the RX. With the introduction of the 06's I realized that you need to spend a lot of cash to keep up with Jones in this sport.
Like the 1980 SS and subsequent first models.
I will be Looking at the 2010's in fall of 2009 which I hope will not be a 1st model year.
Sodes
SORRY.........BUT I SURE DON'T AGREE WITH U ON THIS 1
Lets Go Back Way Back............1969 2 b Exact
Yamaha Started Then .........By Which Today is MANY 1st or Standards 4 Todays Sleds.
#1969 SL 351 / 1st Manufacture & 1st Yamaha Sled with OIL INJECTION. SEEMS 2 B TODAYS STANDARD.
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........Small problem with the Belt Drive 4 the Oil Injection unit, Belt stretch......went 2 a gear drive. Other than that No Real Problems
#1970 SS 396 / 1st Yamaha Sled with a "Pluse Tuned Muffler" ....Twin Tuned Exhaust, also Twin Tuned Pipes were available. NO Real Problems
#1971 SW 396 & SW 433 / 1st Yamaha Sleds with Reverse Gear, NO Real Problems.
#1972 EW 643 & EW 433 / 1st Yamaha Sleds with Electric Start & Reverse, No Real Problems.
#1973 SR 433 / 1st Yamaha Production Racer, STOMPED The Compition which happened 2 be a lot of 650cc sleds. No Real Problems... A WINNER
#1973 SM 292 / 1st Yamaha Lightweight Sled, they took the SL 292 Motor and dropped it into an ALL NEW CHASSIS. No Real Problems...AWINNER
#1974 GPX 433 & 338 / 1st Yamaha Forced Air Sled, 1st Yamaha with Front Mounted Engine & 1st Yamaha with Slide Rail Susp. No Real Problems.........Dominated Trail & Track...A WINNER
#1976 SRX 440 & 340 / 1st Yamaha Liquid Cooled Sled, 1st Manufacture to use Radiator & Heat Exchanger Technology. Dominated the Trail & Track, No Real Problems...A WINNER
#1979 Excel V / 1st Yamaha Wide Track Sled 16.5", No Real Problems
#1980 SRV / 1st Yamaha With TSS Front Susp, No Real Problems
#1982 Bravo 250 / 1st Yamaha Super Lightweight Sled, set the Standard 4 todays lightweight sleds, 1 of Yamahas Longest Running Models. No Real Problems...A WINNER
#1983 SRV 540 / 1st Yamaha With Pro Action Rear Susp, set the mark 4 up comming Yamaha models. No Real Problems
#1984 Phazer / 1st Yamaha Sled with a Fairing, Lightweight Powerful Fan Cooled sled, Was the #1 SELLING SLED IN THE WORLD this Turned the Pages of History 4 Yamaha making them a leader in the Snowmobile Industry. No Real Problems...A WINNER
#1986 Inviter / 1st Yamaha with a Unique SIT IN RIDER POSITION, Yamaha was already thinking of better ways to be on a sled.
#1988 Sno Scoot / 1 Yamaha Manufactor to run a Full Production of Concept Sleds, Yamaha was trying to Attract New Riders To the Industry. No Real Problems. Even though they were around only 80cc, Ride 1 and you won't want to GET OFF....2 MUCH FUN
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...A WINNER
#1988 VK 540 / 1st Yamaha Wide Track...20.0" & A 156" Long Track, 1st Yamaha with a HIGH / LOW Gear Selection. #1 selling Utility Sled...STILL MAKING THEM TODAY. No Real Problems...A WINNER
#1991 Exciter II / 1st Yamaha With Plated Cyclinders & Digital CDI. nO Real Problems
#1992 VMAX 4 750 / 1st Manufacture to Run Full Production 4 Cyclinder, 1st Yamaha production 4 Cyclinder. Yamaha WON Lots of Awards 4 this Baby. Dominated the Trails & Track, The Benning of A LEGEND. No Real Problems...A WINNER
#1995 VMAX 4 800 / 1st Manufactor to Run Full Production 4 Cyclinder 800cc Sled , 1st Yamaha 800cc 4 Cyclinder. No Real Problems...A WINNER
#1997 SX 700 / 1st Yamaha Trailing Arm Sled, 1st Yamaha 3 Cyclinder, Yamaha Set A NEW BENCH MARK, Dominating The Trails Again. No Real Problems...A WINNER
#1998 SRX 700 / 1st Manufacture to have Self Cleaning Power Valves on the Exhaust, 1 st Yamaha to have S.C.P.V.'s. No Real Problems...A WINNER
#2000 Mountain Max 700 / 1st Yamaha Deep Powder Sled. No Real Problems.
#2000 SXR 700 / Yamahas Best Handling Trail Sled Ever
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. No Real Problems. A WINNER
#2001 SX Viper / #1 Selling Sled Ever By Any Manufacture
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This Yamaha Had It All. No Real Problems. A WINNER
#2002 SRX 700 / 1st Yamaha With DCS, By Far 1 OF THE FASTEST RIGHT OUT OF THE BOX SLEDS EVER MADE PERIOD. No Real Problems.A WINNER
#2003 RX1 1000 / 1st Manufacture HIGH PERFORMANCE 4Cyclinder 4 Stroke, 1st Yamaha 4 Cyclinder 4 Stroke, Lots of Issues with this sled as to refinement. Still.......A WINNER
#2004 RX & RX Warrior 1000 / Over a Hundred Changes To This Sled & Miles apart in Refinement. Yamahas Not Quite There Yet. Still...A WINNER
#2005 RX & RX Warrior 1000 / More Changes & Again a Better Sled, Yamahas Refinement is good.....BUT..Not Quite There Yet. Still A WINNER
#2006 Apex & Attak 1000 / 1st Yamaha Sleds With EFI, 1st Yamaha Sleds With Rider Forward Positioning. So Far ...........LOOKS AWESUME
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More Refinement From Yamaha As We now go TOO THE SECOND GENERATION OF THE RX SERIES.
Too sum all of this up, There were Years that YAMAHA Had some Big Issues 1981 SRX 440's, the Late 80's V MAX's up to 1991 Had No Refinement or GROWTH. Yamaha HAS BEEN A LEADER in So Many Categories I've lost count. They have never been afraid to go where NO ONE ELSE WILL GO. They bar none ARE A LEADER IN TECHNOLOGY, and ALWAYS will be. No ones Perfect and they STILL have more Refinement to go, But ..........THEY ARE YEARS AHEAD of the COMPETITION right now.
As much as we all would love too see a PERFECT SLED, I'm really not sure if there is just a beast..............I Can Only Wish. It could be hard to stand up for a company who continues to stay stagnant and has no growth or runs or hides from their problems or issues. There are no Perfect Anythings In This World we live in........Just Look Around You.
But it is very easy for Me to Stand Up For Yamaha, as we have been Together from the start. I have Watched them Grow like my own children and shared in the good times as well as the not. Yamahas Blood; Black, Red, White & Blue flows through my veins and will continue to do so. Yamaha has never had to Run or to Hide, as they continue to grow and look too the future. I as well look forward to what Yamaha has and will bring forward for all of to share in.
For those that share this common bond
For those that Don't..........JUST BRING IT
............Larry D Lagergren
............BOUNTYHUNTER
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