Relax! Yamaha is not lying Down.

[SumpBuster]

IS THAT A CHILTON TRAILER?

No, an old Karavan. The shell was aluminum so gave that to a friend who mounted it on his flat sled trailer. Frame is pretty rusted out.

 

[Wannaviper]

It is an expensive sport. If you want to use your sled in my area and ride on Good trails, you better have a trailer and a vehicle to pull it with. The same can be said for Side by Sides, but that sport has gone crazy, taking over for what and where a lot of x snowmobilers are going. They accommodate 2 - 4 people per, so families can communicate while enjoying the outdoors in warmer weather. I never got that itch, much prefer snow dust to dirt dust, but to each their own, just getting out and enjoying while leaving the digital world behind for a while, is very good medicine for the mind and spirit.

Side by Sides, seem to have caught on, at least in the part of Maine where I ride. For a long time, snowmobiling has been the bread and butter for local restaurants and motels/cabins, etc., but anecdotally it seems like there is a burgeoning local economy based upon the ATV's. The local snowmobile dealer seems just as busy in June as he does in December; I think he must sell more sleds, but he sells a pile of ATV's and Side by Sides. Having a camp up there, the Side by Sides were a natural extension of snowmobiling for us, and an excuse to go to camp during the warmer weather months. "ATV'ing" is fun, and it gives the dealers a product to sell and service year round, but it does not begin to compare with "sledding." Like you said, I prefer snow dust; take off the goggles and the dirt dust makes everyone look like the negative image of a racoon!

 

[Tarzan]

It was more the chassis and suspension, than the engine.

Yes ,i would like to se them make a lightweght 4 stroke turbo sled. And a chassi that fits the 3 and 4 sylinder motor. If the weight comes down to a 2 stroke sled then Yamaha will be back on the top

 

[Motorhead]

Side by Sides, seem to have caught on, at least in the part of Maine where I ride. For a long time, snowmobiling has been the bread and butter for local restaurants and motels/cabins, etc., but anecdotally it seems like there is a burgeoning local economy based upon the ATV's. The local snowmobile dealer seems just as busy in June as he does in December; I think he must sell more sleds, but he sells a pile of ATV's and Side by Sides. Having a camp up there, the Side by Sides were a natural extension of snowmobiling for us, and an excuse to go to camp during the warmer weather months. "ATV'ing" is fun, and it gives the dealers a product to sell and service year round, but it does not begin to compare with "sledding." Like you said, I prefer snow dust; take off the goggles and the dirt dust makes everyone look like the negative image of a racoon!

 

[Motorhead]

Side by Sides, seem to have caught on, at least in the part of Maine where I ride. For a long time, snowmobiling has been the bread and butter for local restaurants and motels/cabins, etc., but anecdotally it seems like there is a burgeoning local economy based upon the ATV's. The local snowmobile dealer seems just as busy in June as he does in December; I think he must sell more sleds, but he sells a pile of ATV's and Side by Sides. Having a camp up there, the Side by Sides were a natural extension of snowmobiling for us, and an excuse to go to camp during the warmer weather months. "ATV'ing" is fun, and it gives the dealers a product to sell and service year round, but it does not begin to compare with "sledding." Like you said, I prefer snow dust; take off the goggles and the dirt dust makes everyone look like the negative image of a racoon!

One of my last jobs prior to retirement was data collection for Arc Flash studies. It took me to many Maine hydros which are located on dirt roads which are both snowmobile an ATV trail/roads. I was in awe when I saw the amount of Campers set up all over the wilderness. Side roads, gravel pits, open fields, etc. and most of them are set up really nice, with generators, campfires, music playing, fishing, kids running around just enjoying life and of course Riding ATVs.
Free rustic spots to set up all over!!

Just good family experiences in the great outdoors.

Then I did the same in NH that last year (prior to retirement) during what was an ATV spectacular at what is called Jericho park. The NH towns of Gotham and Berlin were expecting 10,000 people from all around I was told. Last time they hosted one of these they got 4,000... It was sponsored by Polaris that year, with well known concert bands and many other events!

I was warned that there would be no motels for that week and I saw why as I was leaving that Friday afternoon. Downtown roads are open to ATVs for gas and other purposes so there were more ATVs downtown then vehicles.

I see why the local dealer has a yard full of new SbSIDES, THEY sell way more then sleds. I picked my sled up at the dealer last fall and it was not quite ready so I hung around for a couple of hours. In that short time I watched 3 SbS being loaded on all separate trailers, brand new, just bought.

Last snowmobile trip in St Raymond Canada many years ago, we had a spectacular week with the best of trails. It was April and they had an ATV parade that night in town. Was told that they do it every spring and that even in Canada sleds are second to ATVs now!

My point being, some can afford both sleds and ATVs, but many have chosen the Side By Side thing, and I do see why.

We ride road bikes off season, I may sell our his and her Harley’s and buy a SBS to.

 

[20/80]

With the lack of snow in some different parts of the country now where once snow was in abundance people have leaned more towards ATV'S or Side by Side's to get out and enjoy the great out doors in the wintertime, with ATV'S now you can go year round in this part of the country, a lot more miles are put on wheelers than Snowmobiles in the winter time in my area , I would not know what I would do without my ATV, I would go crazy waiting for enough snow for snowmobiling, last year I had about a week and a half window for putting miles on my Apex and it was all over, my work schedule just won't justify me trailering my sled for 2-3 day adventure where there's a lot of snow, so in saying that I just fill in the winter gap by Atving, but I will say I love snowmobiling way better than Atving . ps... please snow god let it snow here this winter.

 

[Wannaviper]

One of my last jobs prior to retirement was data collection for Arc Flash studies. It took me to many Maine hydros which are located on dirt roads which are both snowmobile an ATV trail/roads. I was in awe when I saw the amount of Campers set up all over the wilderness. Side roads, gravel pits, open fields, etc. and most of them are set up really nice, with generators, campfires, music playing, fishing, kids running around just enjoying life and of course Riding ATVs.
Free rustic spots to set up all over!!

Just good family experiences in the great outdoors.

Then I did the same in NH that last year (prior to retirement) during what was an ATV spectacular at what is called Jericho park. The NH towns of Gotham and Berlin were expecting 10,000 people from all around I was told. Last time they hosted one of these they got 4,000... It was sponsored by Polaris that year, with well known concert bands and many other events!

I was warned that there would be no motels for that week and I saw why as I was leaving that Friday afternoon. Downtown roads are open to ATVs for gas and other purposes so there were more ATVs downtown then vehicles.

I see why the local dealer has a yard full of new SbSIDES, THEY sell way more then sleds. I picked my sled up at the dealer last fall and it was not quite ready so I hung around for a couple of hours. In that short time I watched 3 SbS being loaded on all separate trailers, brand new, just bought.

Last snowmobile trip in St Raymond Canada many years ago, we had a spectacular week with the best of trails. It was April and they had an ATV parade that night in town. Was told that they do it every spring and that even in Canada sleds are second to ATVs now!

My point being, some can afford both sleds and ATVs, but many have chosen the Side By Side thing, and I do see why.

We ride road bikes off season, I may sell our his and her Harley’s and buy a SBS to.

We sold our road bikes a couple of years ago after a family member nearly died in a motorcycle accident that was not his fault. We bought a pair of side by sides. I miss my bike, but I enjoy the ATV trails that run all through the Maine woods, and since I sled the same area, I have much better knowledge of the area come winter. I have to admit that running the trails all summer, my mind often wanders and envisions the trail covered with snow.

I don't have any numbers on ATV and S by S sales, but I think that it has been a growing market, and I really don't see Yamaha, Cat, or any of the other manufacturers giving up on snowmobiles because the two markets really compliment each other. I bought RZR's rather than Yamahas, but in general, I think that brand loyalty (and good dealers to back them up) are a factor in sales. If Yamaha wants to keep its dealer network that is selling its motorcycles, PWC's, and ATV's in the warmer months, then having a snowmobile line is a necessity.

 

[whitedust1]

Well Kennedy VP of AC poured water on anyone acquiring AC especially Yamaha. Kennedy held a press conference at Haydays to try and settle the rumor mill. Both Snowest and AM Snowmobiler published articles on the interview. Imo the Snowest article was better written more slanted towards AC standing on their own going forward. The AM snowmobiler article was loaded with BS like promise of new sleds which could mean whatever you want it to mean to you. Lol. The biggest fact or lack of facts is Kennedy said nothing about continuing the OEM agreement with Yamaha. Kennedy did admit Textron/ AC has done a horrible job communicating with the media and the public regarding the future plans of AC and promised that would improve. So what and where is Yamaha in the near future? Let the speculation begin.

 

[Farmer 73]

Well Kennedy VP of AC poured water on anyone acquiring AC especially Yamaha. Kennedy held a press conference at Haydays to try and settle the rumor mill. Both Snowest and AM Snowmobiler published articles on the interview. Imo the Snowest article was better written more slanted towards AC standing on their own going forward. The AM snowmobiler article was loaded with BS like promise of new sleds which could mean whatever you want it to mean to you. Lol. The biggest fact or lack of facts is Kennedy said nothing about continuing the OEM agreement with Yamaha. Kennedy did admit Textron/ AC has done a horrible job communicating with the media and the public regarding the future plans of AC and promised that would improve. So what and where is Yamaha in the near future? Let the speculation begin.

I believe Kennedy is telling the truth about Cat. In my opinion what he isn't telling us is that I would bet that Textron has set a deadline for Cat to show a profit! The quickest way for any company to do that is cut expenses. Which obviously Cat is doing and has done. So if they don't meet the deadline, Textron might just close the doors on Cat and use it as a write off like most BIG corporations would. Putting to rest any rumors of selling. Hasn't Textron done this before? What I think Textron wanted out of the Cat acquisition all along was their factory's to build their side by sides for Bass Pro! So like Whitedust has said, " So what and where is Yamaha in the NEAR future?

 

[STAIN]

Textron/ AC has done a horrible job communicating with the media and the public regarding the future plans of AC

I believe that this is what Textron has been the worst at. They deserve criticism for it.
Some people cry about the way they are going about the rest of their business . Guess what? They bought a FAILING company!!!! To do business the same way would be asinine. They have to clean up the mess and do it differently. I am not smart enough to know what that way is, but I am willing to wait and see. It seems as though their spring program was a success.
How does Yamaha come out of this? Who knows. Maybe it gets them off their #*$&@ and forces them to build the sled we all know they can.
I will say this, if Yamaha didn't get the Pro-Cross chassis and they where still building Delta box sleds, I would have been on a CAT in 2014 when I bought my Viper

 

[Farmer 73]

I believe that this is what Textron has been the worst at. They deserve criticism for it.
Some people cry about the way they are going about the rest of their business . Guess what? They bought a FAILING company!!!! To do business the same way would be asinine. They have to clean up the mess and do it differently. I am not smart enough to know what that way is, but I am willing to wait and see. It seems as though their spring program was a success.
How does Yamaha come out of this? Who knows. Maybe it gets them off their #*$&@ and forces them to build the sled we all know they can.
I will say this, if Yamaha didn't get the Pro-Cross chassis and they where still building Delta box sleds, I would have been on a CAT in 2014 when I bought my Viper

I would like to know the real reason and goal Textron intensions were when they bought Cat! Like I said I believe it was Cat's factory's! What did Textron pay for it? $250 million plus assuming all their debt? If they can squeeze all they can out of the Cat company and can make enough to reimburse themselves for the debt they assumed, the $250 million was probably a good deal for the factories and engineering patents that they acquired! Just my opinion.

 

[STAIN]

I think they bought it for the dealer network also......

 

[Tarzan]

I believe that this is what Textron has been the worst at. They deserve criticism for it.
Some people cry about the way they are going about the rest of their business . Guess what? They bought a FAILING company!!!! To do business the same way would be asinine. They have to clean up the mess and do it differently. I am not smart enough to know what that way is, but I am willing to wait and see. It seems as though their spring program was a success.
How does Yamaha come out of this? Who knows. Maybe it gets them off their #*$&@ and forces them to build the sled we all know they can.
I will say this, if Yamaha didn't get the Pro-Cross chassis and they where still building Delta box sleds, I would have been on a CAT in 2014 when I bought my Viper

I give a dam about Texron and Cat i want to know what the plans are for Yamaha!
I must say that Yamaha is probably much as bad as Texron when it comes to commonucating and info what the plans are for the future of snowmobiles they deliver.

 

[Tarzan]

Why th efuck are they so tight lipped about the future Yamaha.!! They are digging they own grave right now!

 

[Farmer 73]

I think they bought it for the dealer network also......

You would have thought that but from what I hear they closed down half the dealer network! Again cutting costs!