skidoo vs yamaha SERVICE

[impalapower]

I've heard of very few problems getting Ski-Doo stuff covered. Yamaha seems a bit tougher, but also have fewer problems as well.

 

[BillyBoy]

I have had lots of Ski Dogs and the service was great, but I needed it frequently.

 

[nhrxrider]

And whats the difference with our sleds? O.K., the biggest problem I hear with Doos are ring problems. Whats that, a few hundred buck fix? I've been through extensive rear suspension breakage (trail riding, not jumping and abusing it), broken reverse lever, oil usage, Yamaha seat covers don't seem to be waterproof (or don't stay that way long), my seat foam rotted and came apart from the water, plastic falling off, broken exhaust heat shield, gauges fogging so bad I can't see them half the time, skis bent like crazy requiring new ones, and it blows oil like its going out of style. It would be one thing if I had a freak sled that was a lemon, but most of these are common problems among RX owners. Any sled can have problems...at least Doos get taken care of.

Jim

 

[az99]

The dealer can only do so much. Yamaha still must allow or deny the claim. The Customer Disservice dept. is a joke. When you call about a problem , you are always the only one to have it. Like hyfax wear, clutch rattle and track howl.
Here is the worst one. While in Canada riding I noticed chain case oil leaking. I went to a dealer who diagnosed it as a bad drive shaft seal. They did not have one nor did any area delers. Yamaha was on national backorder on the part. I had to pay for there labor time before they would release my sled. Yamaha would not pay for the time because no repair of the defect was made. So Yamaha also beats warranty claims by not stocking parts.
I agree that Doo needs a 4 stroke. I am ready to go back. I will not be treated like this and be dumb enough to keep buying there product. You also hear alot more about Doo because the sales are higher.

 

[vcrash]

As much as i likemy rx1 , i bought and rode a new machz this year and in 3400 miles had no issues whatsoever, i took back to dealer once for some updates which were free and added gas, The treatment i get from skidoo will keep me around until yamaha treats there customers better and at least provide people with sleds that theve put deposites on.

 

[Snorover]

I have had Yamaha's sence 1979 and I have had only TWO warrenty items. One was out of warrenty and one was all my fault, but still covered.

Guys complaine about such things like hyfax wear. I had 6600 miles on my 2003 RX-1 before I changed mine. They probably have there track too tight. Yamaha 's spec's are too tight, just tighten to allow the track to hang 3/4". Yes the 2003 does use some oil, but I never had to add oil between changes. My skid never had cracks nor broke and that also goes for my 2005 RX-1, which I now have 5320 miles on.

My only complant is that the jack shaft, drive shaft and idler wheel bearings require regreasing and always have throught the years, so I guess that it is normal??

The best dealers in the Northeast that I have run across is WOODY'S in Topsham,Me and Jackman Sports in Jackman,Me. They take care of customers even if you don't buy from them.

Thats just my 2 cents worth

 

[Tfin]

I have had Yamaha's sence 1979 and I have had only TWO warrenty items. One was out of warrenty and one was all my fault, but still covered.

Guys complaine about such things like hyfax wear. I had 6600 miles on my 2003 RX-1 before I changed mine. They probably have there track too tight. Yamaha 's spec's are too tight, just tighten to allow the track to hang 3/4". Yes the 2003 does use some oil, but I never had to add oil between changes. My skid never had cracks nor broke and that also goes for my 2005 RX-1, which I now have 5320 miles on.

My only complant is that the jack shaft, drive shaft and idler wheel bearings require regreasing and always have throught the years, so I guess that it is normal??

The best dealers in the Northeast that I have run across is WOODY'S in Topsham,Me and Jackman Sports in Jackman,Me. They take care of customers even if you don't buy from them.

Thats just my 2 cents worth

Excellent, and truthful post! Along with their tracks being to tight, I can almost guarantee that most are changing their hyfax out WAY before they need to be. Yes they ware fast, almost to the line.....but then they hold up. Theres no need to change them at that point.

The clutch rattle on the RS sleds was a result of a first year sled.....and its only an ANOYANCE, not a mechanical problem. The shim kit thats now out solves it. The 06 don't even have this issue any more. Track howl.....I still don't have it.

The problems that are being raised are probably 95% dealer related.....not Yamaha as a whole.

I'm sorry, but loosing compresion due to flaking rings FOR 3 YEARS IN A ROW, crumpling tunnels, and A arms, are more of an issue IMO! Not all REVs are suffering from these, but as others have said......spend some time on Doo talk and you'll see that they have WAY more serious issues, more often, then most of the people here.

 

[Red2003]

Hyfax is cheap, and sure the other manufacturers have problems, but we bought Yamaha to get a sled we could just ride and not work on all the time. Crumbling rear suspensions that ride like a lumber wagon and engine oil consumption is unacceptable in a performance 4 stroke sled that Yamaha sold to us on "reliability" as setting it apart from the other sleds. I don't blame these guys for being pissed. We're already giving up more weight and poor handling on these sleds, at least we should get a trouble free ride.

 

[ejcamaro]

Re: My first reply

I have been a yamaha owner for about 2 months now and have been watching the posts on here for about 3 months. I havent chimed in yet as I am still the new guy but this post really gets me. I dont know where everyone having these problems with customer service are from, but I can tell you this....in NY, Bombardier IS BAR NONE THE WORST COMPANY TO DEAL WITH. I bought a yamaha without even sitting on one. I have an 04 600hoX Rev in the garage....Junk. These sleds have chronic problems across the boards and Doo will not acknowledge a single problem. If your dealer stinks (and there are a ton of them out there) The customer service WILL NOT STAND BEHIND YOU. A good friend has a 2003 SRX. This sled has had a few problems and the YES waranty has stood behind him 100% with no questions asked. This is why I own a Yamaha now. If you think the grass is greener at the other side, go spend a few hrs on dootalk. There are thousands of posts with every problem in the book, and 95% of these people are screwed with backordered parts, long waits, and ruined seasons with brand new sleds that are in the shop with catrastrophic failures. A brand new sled with 1500 miles needing a rebuild....that is common. Who spends around 10g on a sled and wants to put up with that. I will say this....all makers have their problems, but at least Yamaha (and cat) own up and take care of them. Buy yourself a doo and see what problems you have. Trust someone who has been there, my 2005 rx1 is 10 times the sled my rev was.

Yamaha didn't make an SRX in 2003. Ski Doo has fixed their ring problem as of this year (new material, yes it took too long). Ski Doo sells 3 times the sleds as Yamaha, of coarse they're going to have 3 times as many problems. Sleds live a hard life, all of them WILL have problems, we just hope that by owning a Yamaha we will have less. I will be happy if Yamaha does the right thing and fixes the skid in my 05' RX-1. Whats worse? Breaking down 3 times a year and having your sled in the shop a week each time, or breaking down once and having your sled sit for a month waiting for suspension parts?

 

[az99]

Tfin - How can you sit at your computer and say 95 % are dealer issues? My sliders were wore paper thin in 300 miles and again to 1/16 " thick in another 180. Is that to early to change ? If you don't have track howl you should be da-n glad. How can you say that is a dealer problem ? Mine has been to 3 dealers. Did you see how tight the tracks were on the guys with worn sliders ?

The problems ARE Yamaha related and by them not owning up and fixing them makes it even worse. Who trains Yamaha dealers ?

Take off your blue sunglasses pal, your getting a distorted narrow view

 

[Tfin]

Tfin - How can you sit at your computer and say 95 % are dealer issues? My sliders were wore paper thin in 300 miles and again to 1/16 " thick in another 180. Is that to early to change ? If you don't have track howl you should be da-n glad. How can you say that is a dealer problem ? Mine has been to 3 dealers. Did you see how tight the tracks were on the guys with worn sliders ?

The problems ARE Yamaha related and by them not owning up and fixing them makes it even worse. Who trains Yamaha dealers ?

Take off your blue sunglasses pal, your getting a distorted narrow view

Hey, calm down pal! So I have a narrow view because I don't agree with your asessment hu. Good gawd, look at you getting all bent out of shape. I'll answer your questions, but I'll do without the childish temper tantrum replies thank you.

First off, no I haven't gone out and polled every.......single.......05 Yamaha owner to see if they have truely experienced premeture hyfax ware. Have you? We obviously know the answer to that question. But I'd be willing to bet that if you did (and not just on this forum) you'd find that an overwhelming majority of them have not. Yes the hyfax wares quickly at first, but as so many others have stated, holds up within spec for thousands of miles......in most cases.

I'm not saying you (specifically) don't have a problem. I haven't seen your sled, nor its setup. However I am saying that I wouldn't be one bit surprised that a lot guys are seeing how quickly their slides initially wore, got paranoid, and changed them out. Lo and behold, in another couple 100 miles they were right back in the same condition. Again, not all, but most.

I don't care how good a dealer is.....when I get a new sled home, I go over it as best I can. To just assume that a dealer is going set a sled up perfectly is simply being naive (hint: track tension).

You seem to be implying that since you, and several others can't keep hyfax on your rear skids for any more than 300 miles, and have howling tracks, then it MUST be Yamaha's fault. If these are Yamaha related problems, I have to wonder why the majority aren't experiencing them. Also, you state that you've brought your sled to THREE different dealers, and no one can help you out!?! I then have to wonder what type of attitude you're carring when you walk through the doors?

 

[nhrxrider]

So we are all supposed to go over our sleds with a magnifying glass after paying $10,000, because it should be expected that dealers are incompetent? When you buy a new car, do you pull off all the wheels and check the brakes, and crawl under it to make sure all nuts and bolts were put on tight, and everything installed properly? Some things should be able to be assumed, like that all sleds are greased, adjusted, and ready to ride when we buy them. As an example of this, my sled had the track so loose at delivery that my sled wouldn't even move under its own power. I brought it back for adjustment, then at 500 miles when I did a full greasing (a week after buying it), my friend and I found that NONE of the grease points had been touched! There wasn't a drop of grease in the sled.

Yes, this IS a Yamaha issue, because the dealers are Yamaha's contact with the public. When people have a bad experience with a dealer, Yamaha is affected.

By the way, my slides were still only half worn after 4500 miles when I finally installed a Cat skid...the slides outlasted a set of relay rods, a set of bearings, a W arm, and the track. I don't know why I had better luck than so many others.

Jim

 

[Tfin]

So we are all supposed to go over our sleds with a magnifying glass after paying $10,000, because it should be expected that dealers are incompetent?

Yes, that's EXACTLY what I meant...how perceptive of you. (I hope you appreciate good sarcasim as I do)

Some things should be able to be assumed, like that all sleds are greased, adjusted, and ready to ride when we buy them.

I won't argue this, but I'm sure you know the old saying about people who "assume" things.

As an example of this, my sled had the track so loose at delivery that my sled wouldn't even move under its own power. I brought it back for adjustment

While this is certainly unaceptable "prep" from the dealer.....I would of simply notified them of it, and turned the two adjusting nuts to tension the track myself, rather than carting it all the way back for them to do it. But that's me.

then at 500 miles when I did a full greasing (a week after buying it), my friend and I found that NONE of the grease points had been touched! There wasn't a drop of grease in the sled.

Again, unaceptable "prep" from the dealer......but again, its one of those simple things I check myself. I could see grease on the zerks of my sled, but I blasted them with fresh grease anyways. I'm not going to just assume the dealer did it for me. But again, I guess that's just me.

Yes, this IS a Yamaha issue, because the dealers are Yamaha's contact with the public. When people have a bad experience with a dealer, Yamaha is affected.

In these two instances.....yes, they ARE dealer issues. As I previously stated, I would of notified the dealer of them, but taken care of them myself. However, these are NOT the issues I'm speaking of. I'm speaking of the the hyfax ware, and track howl that some people state they're experiencing. I do NOT believe these specific cases are a Yamaha issue due to my belief that a significant majority are not experiencing them.

 

[nhrxrider]

While this is certainly unaceptable "prep" from the dealer.....I would of simply notified them of it, and turned the two adjusting nuts to tension the track myself, rather than carting it all the way back for them to do it. But that's me.

I would have LOVED to do that, as we were at the trailhead for my first ride, almost an hour from the dealer, and I wanted to ride. I called the dealer to let them know, and say that I was adjusting it...and they said THEY had to do it, otherwise the warranty would be void if I ever had a problem with the track or suspension. You and I know this is pure B.S., but as a new buyer, I brought the sled back instead of fighting it in order to stay in the good graces of the dealer. Of course the Doo and Cat riders had a very good time giving me crap about my new sled that wouldn't go.

Dealers vary so much, many of you guys on here don't know what some of us have to put up with. Then when one of us has a problem with our dealer, we are told to find another. Then when we can't find a good one after going through 3 places that can't get the work done right, we are told it must be our fault to go through so many dealers. In my part of the state, I have gone through the only dealers within 1 1/2 hours drive from me, and I hate to travel that far for simple parts. And I don't believe in buying parts from one dealer and getting service from another. Even if the dealer is an hour from me, if they treat me well they get ALL of my business. When I bought a motorcycle from Nault's in Manchester, NH, they were an hour from my house. They treated me so well, they got ALL of my business, no matter how small. It was worth the drive. When I buy another Honda, I'll shop around a little, and as long as they are somewhere in the ballpark, they will get my business, even though they are 3 hour's drive from where I live now.

Jim[/quote]

 

[az99]

Tfin-- You are absolutely right. Everything that anyone has a problem with a Yamaha sled is either their fault or their dealers.

All Yamaha sleds are perfect.