Light weight?? Is any one else getting sick of hearing this?

[Skydog]

You say that but there is what, 35lbs difference, same deltabox chassis. I don't think anyones #*$&@ can tell 35lbs apart I'm still betting its in the set up.

Thus my RX will get a Apex front suspension, GYTR clickers, apex seat, and possibly a monoshock in the rear. Can you say $5000 apex with carbs

rx1 & apex don't even compare. sell the rx & buy a used apex. don't put a bunch of money trying make it an apex.

Yea they are so so far apart, i spent big money on my RX1 to make it a good trail sled. I thought it was good until i drove my new 07 RTX WOW!! My Rx1 is a dump TRUCK!!!!

Skydog

 

[AKrider]

I hope the new Doos are as light as they are claiming. However, I've watched light weight numbers change by the time the production sleds come out. This happened with the Phazer & Firecat. I suspect the production Doos will end up being 30 lbs lighter, not 50 like they say right now.

I woldn't mind if my Vector was lighter. The Deltabox bulkhead looks like it will last as long as the motor however so I don't mind that as I'll be keeping this sled for a very long time.

 

[silversurfer]

I have gone back and forth between light and heavier sleds for years now, buying a lightweight one year only to go to a bigger one next and then back again . I really believe it depends on where you ride. If you ride rough trails and ride them hard, get the lightweight snocross sled. If you ride mostly groomed high speed trails, get the bigger sled.
I owned a firecat, and on high speed trails that thing would wear you out over the course of a day. Being light it reacted to EVERYTHING in the trail, every little bump, ski track and dip. You were always chasing that thing, and yes I tuned on the suspension for two years trying to get right. f thier "lightweight"
sled.
It comes down to this, what would rather ride 200 miles down the interstate in, a turbo charged Honda Accord or an Impala SS?

Exactly! This is why I don't think the Doo is the end of the world quite just yet.

 

[number1kyster]

There is a point were sleds get too light. My friend is a cat mechanic and i was telling him about the new rev's. He said that is going to be the 03 firecat all over again. Sometimes light isnt always good. The only time I hate the weight of my vector is in the garage when i need to move it around. My sled feels solid and it is very durable. My friend's Gade has a very weak front end, I cant even imagine the new one which is like 7 lbs lighter up front! My friend always agrue's that skidoo DI 2 strokes make 4 stroke extinct. Yeah right, what would happen if someone came out with a DI 4 stroke?

 

[Superman]

Times change. And with chassis designs like Delta, pyramid and so on We have evolved past the 03 Firecat.(infact the 1st gen. firecat was never a rigid chassis) I doubt Cat can design anything as good as Yamaha or BRP anyway. 5 years have past and maybe ski-doo has something here. By this time next year We should know if their new sled is a quality product. that's the only way to know for sure, the mags can give us the highlights but the proof is with the real world buyers.

 

[Bakemono]

I personally think that weight is overrated. I dont know about the rest of you, but I dont ride on a snocross track, so having the lightest possible sled isnt a big issue to me.
I would MUCH rathar have a heavier sled that holds up than to have a superlight sled that breaks all the time.
I personally wouldnt want a sled that was under 470 pounds because once you go lighter than that there isnt enough weight for you to get good traction. Ive owned a few sleds that were really light: '99 Polaris Sport, '99 Polaris SuperSport 55, '90 Polaris Indy 400 and '90 Yamaha Phazer II and all of those sleds were so light that they didnt have enough downforce for good traction. They pushed going into the corners, slide the backend coming out of the corners and unless you were really gentle with the brake they would lock the track up on braking. I have never experience any of that with the sleds Ive owned that were over 480 pounds.
Light may be right, but only to a point.

 

[pro116]

octane there some of that don't snowcross but we boon dock 4+ft of snow and mtn ride so light weight is where it's at.75% of yamaha rx1 and apex mtn's people have lightened them and stuck thousands into them.

 

[yammiman]

The bottom line is personal choice and riding style - we recently returned from a trip to Montana riding in the mountains and we rode stock Apex mountain sleds the whole time - the weight of the sled was never an issue - however, if we were more aggressive riders and were trying to ride some of the unbelievable places that some guys ride out there, then I would have wanted a lighter sled - same holds true for trail riding - if I wanted to be the first one through the trails, I would want a lighter sled, but that is not my desire so weight is not an issue - the guys that want and buy these type of sleds obviously don't care about reliability - that has been proven - to me it is a major concern - to each their own!!

 

[AKrider]

I wonder how much weight Yamaha will be able to shave using the FX chassis? My gut feeling is it won't be too significant. Maybe 20lbs? I hope it is super light but I don't see it happening.

 

[welterracer]

Here is the thing with weight... The lighter the sled, the better it will ride when the trails get rough.. I know this has been said before... Why does yamaha build one sled (the GT for instance) specifically made for groomed trails... WHen the trails never stay groomed... Sure they might be smooth in the morning, but by night fall they are like a snowcross track (expecially in the U.P.) This is where you notice the weight and where the suspension lacks..

 

[Ported Hornet]

2 trains of though from 2 very different companies. I believe when the dust settles Yamaha and Ski-Doo will own this industry.

Lets look at this from all 4 Majors

Polaris:

Its clean Polaris is now an ATV first company. This is evident in the sub par performing sleds they have released over the past few seasons. While the Dragon is a fantastic snowmobile, it just cant compete on the lakes with the Doos, Cats and Yammies. If you think for a minute that speed doesnt sell, your crazy. It is no fun being the "slow guy" of your group. I would not be surprised to see Polaris bow out over the next few years. Polaris does do well in the Snow-X arena and I feel its soley why polaris is still around.

Arctic Cat:

Had HUGE success with the Firecat Chassis. In 03, the F7 officialy dethroned the Mighty SRX as king of the 700 class. And for that matter, even the 800 class. Reliablity never seemed to be a concern for most "Cat Guys". As newer tech came from Yamaha, they still have had quite a loyal following. I really believe Cat has the most loyal riders. On to 07. F1000s problems right out of the gate, 4 stroke Jags that cant run with Yamahs 120 class, and a crowd beginning to wonder why I takes Y-Pipes, bullesyes and clutching on a F1000 to run with a Apex or Ski-Doo 800 and Mach Z. Cat has lost alot of riders over the past few seasons to both Doo and Yamaha. Cat has done a great job competing in Snowcross and straightline for quite awhile now, and have always been a force to be reconed with for all out speed. Efficient chassis and big HP is the attraction to Cat.

Ski-Doo

What can you say. No matter how you look at it, they did "REV"olutionize the way a sled is ridden back in 03. Talk about success. No new platform for 4 years and still had a sled that rode great, handled great and always ran hard. They have defientely had some motor issues including bad rings in 800s, ring gear problems, 1000 Mach zs (2005) that couldnt get out of there own way out of the box. Quality and reliability have improved each year for the REV. Now on to 08, talk about a knock out punch for the "two stroke" minded companies. How on earth will Poo and Cat compete with this new chassis. Ski-Doo has just looked them in the eye and delivered a right hook. If there claims are accurate about weights, how will any of the other 3 compete with the same HP at an over 100 lb disadvantage? The answer is quite simple, build a sled that is completely different and attracts a different rider. Enter YAMAHA

Yamaha

4 Stroke, 4 stroke and more 4 stroke. Its been clear since the introduction of the 03 RX-1 that Yamaha was committed to there 4 stroke program. I think its genious that Yamaha knew back then how this industry would look 5 years later. While Yamahas market share increase each of the past 5 seasons, the other companies sit back and develope more of the same. The technology, performance, quality, ergonomics, dependability and curb appeal are unmatched in the industry. Yamaha builds the best quality sled in the business which is really nothing new from Yamaha. They have always marched to the beat of there own drum and never been a follower. Kudos to Big Blue for providing us with the most technologically advanced sleds to date. And to do it in a fasion they are still price competetive. I find it amazing Yamaha can build what they do and sell it for what they do. I said it back in 03, if the future of the sport is ultimately 4 stroke, be relieved you are a Yamaha fan.

Summary:

It looks pretty clear to me that Ski-Doo and Yamaha have posisioned themselves to put a stranglehold on this industry. With the release of Yamahas mid HP level new chassis tomorrow, and there re-committment to Snow Cross, they mean business. And that can not sit will for the competetion. Yamaha has the technology and know how to be #1 in sales again and looks like there are quite serious about getting back the the worlds largest manufacturer. Ski-Doo will take some serious business away from the Poo and Cat unless they act, and act fast.

Just my humble opinion...BBY

Couldn't have said it better myself, that is spot on! Cat and Pol better get the stuff together or they will be companies of the past!