OEM Agreement Between Yamaha & Textron

[whitedust1]

The orginal OEM Agreement was between Yamaha & AC to use Yamaha engines in cat sleds and for Yamaha sleds to be assembled in TRFs.....is this correct? Does anyone know the OEM Agreement end date?

At shows I have heard Yamaha Reps say 5 years and done but nothing about what is next? Is what is next date coming soon?

 

[Teamblue4]

I don't know, but I sure hope it is soon!

 

[4strokeluvr111]

It's possible that Textron bought out the agreement. Or found a way to get out of it. Only the corporate bigwigs know what the future brings and they sure won't tell us anything.
If you're a Textron investor you stand a much better chance at finding out what their future plans are.

 

[Farmer 73]

I just want Yamaha to tell us if they are in the snowmobile business for the long hall or not! For the Yamaha faith full they can at least give us some reassurance any way! When Brad Darling left Cat, it should have given us some indication that Cat's future with different management/ownership could be in the works! I still believe Yamaha got caught with its pants down on the Cat buy out!

 

[benjamingvsu]

I'm not so sure they had their pants down. Maybe they wouldn't reach in the pants pocket deep enough?

 

[Farmer 73]

I'm not so sure they had their pants down. Maybe they wouldn't reach in the pants pocket deep enough?

What I mean by being caught with their pants down is that I don't think they thought somebody would step in an buy it like Textron did! They might have been playing hard ball with Cat to try and get it cheaper or playing them along to keep the partnership going. Got to love the corporate world....NOT!

 

[whitedust1]

The stock market knew Cat was ripe for sale so did Yamaha. Nothing to buy from AC that Yamaha didn't already have except USA sled assembly location. Yamaha may have been surprised by the timing of the sale but not the fact that Cat was for sale. What happens next with the Textron /Yamaha OEM Agreement is a BIG question that needs answers ASAP. The lack of public disclosure between the 2 is very curious indeed!!

 

[murdered141]

Who knows if Textron will build ac and Yamaha snowmobiles, maybe they will sell the AC sled division to Yamaha, was 5 year's enough for Yamaha to design and produce their own sled, sure but there's no word of any new North American manufacturing facility, so if we don't get a pure Japan built sled for 2019, then that will probably be it for Yamaha sleds.

 

[2lapsdown]

Other than tha

The stock market knew Cat was ripe for sale so did Yamaha. Nothing to buy from AC that Yamaha didn't already have except USA sled assembly location. Yamaha may have been surprised by the timing of the sale but not the fact that Cat was for sale. What happens next with the Textron /Yamaha OEM Agreement is a BIG question that needs answers ASAP. The lack of public disclosure between the 2 is very curious indeed!!

Other than the ability to design and manufacture a modern snowmobile. And compliant 2 stroke motors...10 years is a long time....

 

[done dooin'_winder up]

Found an interesting piece on the future. I think I am ok posting this link to a magazine blog referencing this sale. I tried to google just the headline so I could reference that for a search and too many items came up instead of this specific article.
http://www.snowmobile.com/blog/2017/02/what-happens-after-textrons-purchase-of-arctic-cat.html

 

[whitedust1]

Found an interesting piece on the future. I think I am ok posting this link to a magazine blog referencing this sale. I tried to google just the headline so I could reference that for a search and too many items came up instead of this specific article.
http://www.snowmobile.com/blog/2017/02/what-happens-after-textrons-purchase-of-arctic-cat.html

Nothing new here just a summary of current events.

 

[Farmer 73]

Nothing new here just a summary of current events.

I know it is nothing new, but that article is what really has me worried! If the Cat sled business doesn't show enough of a profit, why would Textron keep it going? They are a big corporation, they have a lot of bean counters that make the decisions. Profit before loyalty! I think we were lucky at Yamaha and had a few loyal top brass that liked sleds. Which in turn kept the sled division going through the years before the Cat partnership. With Yamaha building the engines and the Cat partnership they could justify staying in the sled business! If Textron pulls the plug on sleds and the partnership ends, what then?

 

[Farmer 73]

I could be wrong but how I understand it, Yamaha and Cat have 2 deals in place, 1st an engine supply agreement and 2nd a sled building partnership agreement. The bean counters at Yamaha, being a motor builder first, would love the engine supply agreement way before the partnership agreement. The future of sleds at Yamaha will be interesting and scary!

 

[Muffin]

Does Textron build/own Ezgo golf carts? I see some advertising for Ezgo from Country Cat. Maybe Textron wants the dealer nextwork? Yamaha makes golf carts and golf cart motors as well. Food for thought.

 

[Mills]

I am betting the Yamaha loves the Textron deal. Think about it, Yamaha is first and foremost an engine design and build company. Now that they have a tie to Textron through Cat look at all the Textron owned "toys" and airplanes that Yamaha could potentially supply engines for!!! They have their foot in the door and am betting Yamaha is smart enough to know how to kick it open.