OEM Agreement Between Yamaha & Textron

[sk-rx1]

Yamaha has done this before. They were at the top in the mid to late 80's, then they stopped development for the 90's until a complete new lineup was released in 97.

 

[HighSpeedLowDrag]

Except the 1997 lineup was a 1983 Indy 600 copy with improved parts.

 

[fxnytrortxkid]

Other than the fact it utilized a trailing arm front suspension there were no similaritys. And like all companies at that point they were all waiting till cats patent ran out on a-arm front suspensions. Cast parts making the delta box chassis compared to some random stamped steal. The rear suspension totally different layout. Trailing arms 50% longer. Ski stance 5-10" wider. Yea identical

 

[gytr done]

http://www.atvmag.com/article.asp?nid=3561

 

[JestersYamacat]

Yamaha is not getting out of sleds because they need something to supply dealers for winter in many parts of the US, Canada and overseas. What i think you will see is some new investment by Textron into R&D for Cat that may mean chassis changes with exotic materials from the flight division, injection system changes for the 2 smoker from the division that Textron has with the Auto companies and new engine design from Weber. Weber has some great engines but they do not have bullet bike experience and that level fits Yamaha to a T. Yamaha could just run off of two lines that are mirrored with Cat like now and take care of their northern dealers. Cat has great engines on the 4 smoker side and they could focus on the 2 stroke side and touring 4 stroke etc. Allows them to keep the plant ramped up and R&D at a proper level. The point here is that Textron with its many divisions has the engineers to rock the snowmo world to its core if they want to. Just look at the planes, helos and military equipment. They are hardcore and durable as well. The only question is will they!!

Jester

 

[whitedust1]

Yamaha is not getting out of sleds because they need something to supply dealers for winter in many parts of the US, Canada and overseas. What i think you will see is some new investment by Textron into R&D for Cat that may mean chassis changes with exotic materials from the flight division, injection system changes for the 2 smoker from the division that Textron has with the Auto companies and new engine design from Weber. Weber has some great engines but they do not have bullet bike experience and that level fits Yamaha to a T. Yamaha could just run off of two lines that are mirrored with Cat like now and take care of their northern dealers. Cat has great engines on the 4 smoker side and they could focus on the 2 stroke side and touring 4 stroke etc. Allows them to keep the plant ramped up and R&D at a proper level. The point here is that Textron with its many divisions has the engineers to rock the snowmo world to its core if they want to. Just look at the planes, helos and military equipment. They are hardcore and durable as well. The only question is will they!!

Jester

Doubt that Yamaha cares about sleddin revenue for the Corp just not big enough and the dealers do ok with the Yamacat stuff but not making big bucks either. Textron may invest in Cat R&D but that will not be passed thru to Yamaha just does not work that way to give away your latest and greatest to OEM solutions. To me Textron will Cash Cow AC and Yamaha not invests no ROI for that. If Yam and AC separate Textron may ask Weber to develop a sleddin engine but their Polaris 4s engine was terrible no informed consumer wants that thing in their sled. Real bad rep to overcome not worth it.

 

[Farmer 73]

Doubt that Yamaha cares about sleddin revenue for the Corp just not big enough and the dealers do ok with the Yamacat stuff but not making big bucks either. Textron may invest in Cat R&D but that will not be passed thru to Yamaha just does not work that way to give away your latest and greatest to OEM solutions. To me Textron will Cash Cow AC and Yamaha not invests no ROI for that. If Yam and AC separate Textron may ask Weber to develop a sleddin engine but their Polaris 4s engine was terrible no informed consumer wants that thing in their sled. Real bad rep to overcome not worth it.

I hate to say it but I have a bad feeling that 2019 will be the last year for the sled divisions for Cat and Yamaha!

 

[STAIN]

I have to strongly disagree with the last statement........

 

[Sasquatch]

I have two Yamaha sleds in my garage, I will keep them and remember Yamaha for what it was and hope that they will be again. Either way I win! The Apex will run like new for the next 10,000 plus miles and stay together while doing it! Textron can do what they will with Catamaha I would not miss a rebadged Cat! I have no more then a curiosity of the cat brand and see no real reason to switch to it! When Yamaha comes out of LA LA Land and builds something matching their former quality, and ingenuity I'll take notice! When it takes them 5 years to build a skid and an engine I'll be out of sledding long before they ever build a sled again. Thankfully the Apex was built to last, so this fat old man can keep riding till he drops! Long live Yamaha!

 

[Farmer 73]

I have to strongly disagree with the last statement........

Like I said I hope I'm wrong! I have been on Yamaha sleds since 1982. They are now playing in the big corporate world. I can not see Textron continuing to build sleds if they don't make money at it! If they stop what will Yamaha do?

 

[yamadoo]

I think Yamaha is a HUGE motor company for TOYOTA and other OEMs as well as a Music instrument Company who also makes Motor Cycles and engines for many applications. Snowmobiles area small slice and an after thought for them, not significant for there business either way. I believe they do it just to keep their dealers doors open in the cold weather states during the non motorcycle riding months. I have loved Yamahas sleds for 18 years but do not hold my breath that they will stay with it. I hope they do.

I have the Yamacat you guys beat up as well, rides great 3k miles of no ISSUES not even slides.

I will consider Yamaha sleds and likely buy in the future if they are present. If not I would miss this site more than the brand.

Maybe we could change the name to just "Totally"

 

[Sasquatch]

I think Yamaha is a HUGE motor company for TOYOTA and other OEMs as well as a Music instrument Company who also makes Motor Cycles and engines for many applications. Snowmobiles area small slice and an after thought for them, not significant for there business either way. I believe they do it just to keep their dealers doors open in the cold weather states during the non motorcycle riding months. I have loved Yamahas sleds for 18 years but do not hold my breath that they will stay with it. I hope they do.

I have the Yamacat you guys beat up as well, rides great 3k miles of no ISSUES not even slides.

I will consider Yamaha sleds and likely buy in the future if they are present. If not I would miss this site more than the brand.

Maybe we could change the name to just "Totally"

Not so much beating up the Catamaha, please don't call it a Yamacat they don't call a Dodge Ram with a Cummins engine a Cummins or a Ram with a Fiat engine a Fiat, a Ford with an International engine a International. Dropping your engine in someones Chassis and putting your sticker on it does not make it yours. Im more not in line with giving Cat all of Yamaha's thunder. When you can buy the exact same sled from Cat with the only difference being the clutches and then somehow that becomes the brand specific loyalty you can hang your hat on, makes me long for a sled built by Yamaha for Yamaha. That I can put brand identity on. I just don't see clutches as a defining point. If I buy a Cat and put Yamaha clutches on it does it make it a Yamaha?

So not beating up the Cat with the Yamaha engine at all, only the lack of brand identity and possible loss of one more sled company. At one time the big three auto makers made cars on the same platforms to appease the dealers. Pontiac, Buick, Chevy, Chrysler, Dodge, Plymouth, Ford, Mercury are examples of what happens when the only difference are stickers, trim and maybe a different bump in the body work. Those where the same companies who trimmed their lines and their dealers. Now we are talking of two companies who sell the same sleds, different stickers! The only one who benefits in this relationship is Cat (now Textron). While they do get an engine from Yamaha, its their chassis and brand that is getting put in front of the public not Yamaha's! Yamaha for some reason is fine with this!

No I'm not impressed with Yamaha and their seeming lack of pride in being a sled manufacture. Like Eddie Murphy said to Stevie Wonder when Stevie was bragging about how great he was "you want to impress me Stevie, here you drive". I'm waiting for Yamaha to drive, they may be blind in their direction and missed the market but while the humor of Eddie's comment to his friend Stevie was dry and even sarcastic, after watching a blind man skateboard on the Telly, Yamaha has no excuses. Eddie nailed it!

 

[STAIN]

I have two Yamacats in my garage and I love them!!! I was no longer able to ride the sit down chassis of the Apex or Vector, or deal with the small gas tanks of the Apex and Nytro. I love the Yamaha motor and I can ride this Yamacat all day long!!! And it handles well!!! As far as putting different motors in different chassis, manufactures of all vehicles have been been doing it forever. Ski-Doo===Rotax, Polaris===Fuji, Arctic Cat==Suzuki,Kawasaki etc.
Bottom line, Yamaha sells 10 times Yamacats to Apex.

I hope Yamaha continues to build sleds. I also hope they have learned from Artic Cat about chassis development. The procross chassis is light years ahead of the old Apex chassis, and no, I wont hear any arguments about it. You cant convince me otherwise. I have ridden tens of thousands of miles on those Yammi chassis and they don't hold a candle to the Procross. If you still like the old sit down style then you are in the very small, and disappearing minority.
Say what you want about Artic Cat, they have some of the most passionate snowmobile people in the world designing and building sleds. I want Yamaha to have the same passion.

 

[TrueBlue]

I have two Yamacats in my garage and I love them!!! I was no longer able to ride the sit down chassis of the Apex or Vector, or deal with the small gas tanks of the Apex and Nytro. I love the Yamaha motor and I can ride this Yamacat all day long!!! And it handles well!!! As far as putting different motors in different chassis, manufactures of all vehicles have been been doing it forever. Ski-Doo===Rotax, Polaris===Fuji, Arctic Cat==Suzuki,Kawasaki etc.
Bottom line, Yamaha sells 10 times Yamacats to Apex.

I hope Yamaha continues to build sleds. I also hope they have learned from Artic Cat about chassis development. The procross chassis is light years ahead of the old Apex chassis, and no, I wont hear any arguments about it. You cant convince me otherwise. I have ridden tens of thousands of miles on those Yammi chassis and they don't hold a candle to the Procross. If you still like the old sit down style then you are in the very small, and disappearing minority.
Say what you want about Artic Cat, they have some of the most passionate snowmobile people in the world designing and building sleds. I want Yamaha to have the same passion.

I got news for you, a lot of people can't drive the forward position machines because of their age & other problems. That is why they like the Vectors & Apex's & they are all true yamaha's and buy the way they get great gas mileage.

 

[stevewithOCD]

I don't give a rat's tushy if you put a Fiat engine in a Procross & badge it a Yamaha! If it handles well & the engine is dependable (and angry) i'd be happy. I LOVE Yamaha's & would like to see an ALL Yamaha made sled, but i ride what works. This Procross with this 998 works. How it holds up is yet to be seen, but i'm having fun in big bumps, stutter bumps, corners, jumps and oh yes....STRAIGHTAFREEKINWAYS...the sled division is not about making money, but keeping Yamaha guys...............Yamaha guys

I believe Yamaha will stay in the sled business one way or another