New 2017 Yamaha Sleds...

[Trucker]

Well if I'm going to "guess". It's not going to be a bike. This has been in development for at least 5 years. All hints and clues has been put out there to find. but like pieces to a puzzle they all need to come together and fit. I'd say it's going to be called the Sidewinder. Due to the fact this thing can turn like no other Will leave tracks in the snow like a snake. Low center of gravity with a new design engine and front suspension and skid. Will ride like a bike as in you can lean to make it really turn. Thus stop the complaining of too top heavy and tippy feeling of the phazer. I would go as far as saying it might have a new revolutionary design for sleds but an old design if you asked me. Yamaha just found a way to make it work in snowmobiles. I'd even go as far a calling it a cantalever type front suspension. Been around for years in racing. Very tuneable and compact never seen on sleds. The skid will be able too rotate or roll a few degrees to either side to allow for sharp turning and "railing" corners. That everyone is so obsesed with. So when you ride it the frame will roll over like a bike a few degrees while the track and ski's stay flat to grip and bite. Also allowing weight transfer to happen where it's benifecial. To maximize handling through the coners. The power plant I'm guessing will be a 3 cyl compact design with around 100hp. but it's all a "guess" like everyone else. I guess we all will find out in March.

 

[gytr done]

Yamaha will never great rid of there flagship motor and that is the 4cyl, unless the rules for production racing change this will never happen. Now putting that sweet cross plane motor in a sled would be real sweet!

 

[Sasquatch]

Yamaha will never great rid of there flagship motor and that is the 4cyl, unless the rules for production racing change this will never happen. Now putting that sweet cross plane motor in a sled would be real sweet!

See no benefit to the crossplane in a snowmobile but if change needs to happen so people think its new so therefore better then I would say that change is more acceptable then a Three hole Apex. We can start over again refining an engine to replace the current Apex engine. I think that the current Apex engine is perfect and well refined as a sled engine as is but some seem to think the crossplane is a better engine because it has smoother engine pulses down low. In a bike it works to keep the back wheel from spinning coming out of a corner but in a sled it makes no difference. Chris has said this.

 

[Grimm]

Thankfully Chris Reid has quelled the rumors of a snow bike coming out from Yamaha...whew!

 

[superfan75]

I seriously doubt that Yamaha would ever put anything besides their own motors in anything. Chassis yes. Motors NO...

I wouldn't put it past them to use an AC 2 stroke. Yamaha doesn't want to develop a 2 stroke, but the two companies are working very close and it would benefit both companies. I think its plausible, but who knows. I think it would be weird to see Cat engine in a Yamaha, but I never thought I'd see them working together period. They seem like total opposites as far as what they make. I think in the long run though if the two companies put both of their strengths into one sled it could be a sweet ride. It may even make Yamaha's prices more competitive since it will be most likely built in TRF. Just like Yamaha ATV's are built in the US now. Even though I'm not in the new sled market, I'm real interested to see what they've come up with. I hope its worth all of our interest here at TY and not a big disappointment.

 

[gytr done]

See no benefit to the crossplane in a snowmobile but if change needs to happen so people think its new so therefore better then I would say that change is more acceptable then a Three hole Apex. We can start over again refining an engine to replace the current Apex engine. I think that the current Apex engine is perfect and well refined as a sled engine as is but some seem to think the crossplane is a better engine because it has smoother engine pulses down low. In a bike it works to keep the back wheel from spinning coming out of a corner but in a sled it makes no difference. Chris has said this.

The wheel spin theory is null and void now that motorcycles have traction control, and the only way that CR would know if there is a difference is if yamaha actually built it. Another hint from CR disguised as a no way answer.

 

[NBSledHead]

Thankfully Chris Reid has quelled the rumors of a snow bike coming out from Yamaha...whew!

So no snow bike then eh?

 

[gytr done]

Thankfully Chris Reid has quelled the rumors of a snow bike coming out from Yamaha...whew!

He didn't quell anything with that post, just extended the possibility that a snowbike could be built.
He mentioned the growth of snow bikes and it being a niche market. As far as ever seeing one on the trail this is where the politics begin for the snowbike, they can if they wanted to skirt around this issue with a designation " snow only". But the market for a snow bike is the mountain where it can easily be ridden under the designation as "snow bike"

 

[gytr done]

Yamaha Canada makes no decisions on what's coming or being released, as CR stated in his post Yamaha Canada just plays the cards they've been dealt. No snow bike, he's hilarious like he would tell us if there was or wasn't.

 

[SumpBuster]

The new Firepex....twin 4 cylinders grafted together, twin 15" tracks, separate suspensions for each, with a cat suspension on the left and a monoshock on the right, and a central third ski to finally eliminate darting...headlights turn around corners like a lexus, quad exhaust...2 out the front and two out the back...memory foam seat, like the mattress, or a select number seat as an option, voice command activation, as in ' faster...much faster...turn right, no, left..too late... call insurance. '

 

[yama_rider]

Question is.... Will there still be an Apex if the new flagship will be a boosted triple?? Not saying that's what the new engine will be but very possible it might. It just wouldn't be an Apex without the screaming 4 banger! I sure hope it stays....

 

[whitedust1]

I wouldn't put it past them to use an AC 2 stroke. Yamaha doesn't want to develop a 2 stroke, but the two companies are working very close and it would benefit both companies. I think its plausible, but who knows. I think it would be weird to see Cat engine in a Yamaha, but I never thought I'd see them working together period. They seem like total opposites as far as what they make. I think in the long run though if the two companies put both of their strengths into one sled it could be a sweet ride. It may even make Yamaha's prices more competitive since it will be most likely built in TRF. Just like Yamaha ATV's are built in the US now. Even though I'm not in the new sled market, I'm real interested to see what they've come up with. I hope its worth all of our interest here at TY and not a big disappointment.

Let it go AC 2s engine will not go in a Yamaha sled. Chassis yes engines no. We know what we get from TRF collaboration & mfg & I don't think a new Apex coming from there. 5 year agreement coming to an end & have heard exactly that from several insiders. The agreement helped bridge the earthquake period + helped both compaines now Yamaha ready to rock on imo.

 

[super_rash]

Anyway, 54 pages of speculation, probably not more then 2 or 3 real infos... at least there is interest, and long overdue new stuff, in the high performance and chassis department...but man, March 1st is still in 2 weeks...hmmm..

 

[Robinmaine]

800 2-stroke from cat Viper
New Apex

 

[CooperT]

Well if I'm going to "guess". It's not going to be a bike. This has been in development for at least 5 years. All hints and clues has been put out there to find. but like pieces to a puzzle they all need to come together and fit. I'd say it's going to be called the Sidewinder. Due to the fact this thing can turn like no other Will leave tracks in the snow like a snake. Low center of gravity with a new design engine and front suspension and skid. Will ride like a bike as in you can lean to make it really turn. Thus stop the complaining of too top heavy and tippy feeling of the phazer. I would go as far as saying it might have a new revolutionary design for sleds but an old design if you asked me. Yamaha just found a way to make it work in snowmobiles. I'd even go as far a calling it a cantalever type front suspension. Been around for years in racing. Very tuneable and compact never seen on sleds. The skid will be able too rotate or roll a few degrees to either side to allow for sharp turning and "railing" corners. That everyone is so obsesed with. So when you ride it the frame will roll over like a bike a few degrees while the track and ski's stay flat to grip and bite. Also allowing weight transfer to happen where it's benifecial. To maximize handling through the coners. The power plant I'm guessing will be a 3 cyl compact design with around 100hp. but it's all a "guess" like everyone else. I guess we all will find out in March.

I'm guessing something like that would cost ALOT!!