what I think should be in the 2014 apex

[wedge]

No offense, but right now the Nytro handles like crap compared to the current Apex when riding groomed trails. I would go back to Polaris before riding a Nytro.

Most Apex riders are riding them because they are a smooth running trail machine that has a steady consistent power all the way through. They are comfortable to ride and the motor is the most reliable one on the trails.

You start throwing 180hp on that Nytro motor and with its current chassis and your going to see more issues. That motor is being setup in that sled for a boondocker type setup, not hard trail riding. Throw reliability out the window if your expecting that setup to end up on a trail machine.

Why is price a massive factor? Really? At the end of the day, if your into snowmobiling, IT IS EXPENSIVE!!!!! No matter what brand you ride, what model, or where you ride. IT AINT CHEAP. If your trying to do it cheap, your going to end up on the wrong side of a tow strap too many times and your buddies wont invite you out to ride any more.

How is the Yamaha Apex priced compared to the Arctic Cat 1100 turbo or the Skidoo 1200? Retail they are within about $1000 of each other. And neither of the other two brands holds their value like the Apex does. Hell, the 800 Polaris Assault sled is over $12000 retail too. For all of the people complaining about weight, tell me how a 435lb Assault costs the same to build as a 650lb Apex? lol The 220lbs of extra weight in the Apex doesnt cost Yamaha anything? Per lb, we are getting the best deal on the snow!!!! hahaha

I am glad that Yamaha doesnt have 12 different Fan 500's and 600's and a bunch of other garbage out there. The market for those sleds is all based on quantity, not quality. I would rather see yamaha focus on putting quality products out that are reliable.

 

[devinzz1]

the apex is $16000msrp---polaris rush 800 is $12600msrp ( short tracks ) apex xtx is $16600msrp---- assault 800 is $13200msrp.

your paying more for more weight and a less refined chassis. The assault is also in a way different category of riding style then the apex..... On another note i think the nytro/ phazer could be a bit more aggressive. possibly come up with a race type sled with a low center of gravity that can compete with the iq, sno pro, and mxzx. "I" am looking forward to more ditchbanging oriented sleds in 2014. Fast, light, durable, and affordable is what im wanting from yamaha. Note that its what "I" want. Of course i have to respect what others want but ive had enough of these 700lb snow couches coming from yamaha.

 

[Terminator]

1) The Apex needs to lose some weight, 50 - 100 lbs, but I'll settle for 40.

2) Put a turbo on it and blow the competition away!

3) New suspension thats able to be cranked up hard like the Polaris pro-r.

 

[wedge]

the apex is $16000msrp---polaris rush 800 is $12600msrp ( short tracks ) apex xtx is $16600msrp---- assault 800 is $13200msrp.

Your pricing is a bit off for the US. The Apex here is $13,999, the Arctic Cat F1100 Turbo is $13,949, the Skidoo 1200 GSX is $12,249 and the Polaris switchback assault starts at $12,122. I just pulled these from the manufacturers website. The differences in your pricing is WAY out of the park. My point was that if you wanted the Arctic Cat F1100 turbo, would the $1500 extra that it costs compared to the SkiDoo keep you from purchasing the sled you want?

your paying more for more weight and a less refined chassis. The assault is also in a way different category of riding style then the apex......

The weight thing was A JOKE!!!!!! read the rest of the thread lol. I know the Assault is in a different category, I actually reference this in an earlier post as well. Since Polaris really does not make a comparable trail machine to an Apex or the Arctic Cat 1100 turbo, I was merely pointing out their most expensive sled is still in that high dollar range. You missed the point of my post. If you look at the US pricing on those sleds, how can you say Yamaha is that much more expensive?

 

[stevewithOCD]

Wedge, your posts are spot on. People who complain about weight ride off trail & should buy something else. You don't ride a Ferrari at the "baja" nor do you take your baja truck on the highway. YES, i would love to see some weight dropped, but 80% of us ride groomed trails where Apex rules. All my Doo & Poo friends now openly admit my sled is far superior in EVERY facet of our ride. I also hated the Nytro ride, so more power there would be scary. YES, prices are high, but about $1000 difference around here on comparable sleds. I've spent that on 1 weekend. Considering I have 8500 miles on my sled & it's the best in my group; i'm way ahead of the scale. YES, i've got aftermarket ski's & upgraded the shocks, my XP friend {after riding my sled} just spent $1200 on shocks & is adding foam to seat. My Rush & XP friends are getting tired of the engine lights that always come on. MY 800 e-tec friend can't figure out why i spank him when he was told Yammis are HEAVY. ALL IN ALL, i'm happy.....for now...

 

[stevewithOCD]

WEDGE, can you put more info in your profile so we can figure out more about you. Your posts are well thought out for a "newbie".

 

[sheetwright]

Don't get me wrong I agree with Wedge on almost all of his points on the Apex but weight. The Apex is 98% better then all other brands in fit, finish, motor, trail cruise ride,reliablity, and overall speed. The sled is also quicker in the straights then 97% of stock sleds. It just can't keep up in the twist and turns when you want to ride crazy with those light doo's. My point is that if rumors are true, which have been talked about in the general TY section, and the Nytro section for the new models that may come out in 2014, what will happen to the Apex line? Rumors are there will be a sled (name unknown) with a cross country style front end to lower, lengthen and stabalize the front end quirkiness of the nytro rider forward style. So you know the front end the team uses is also supposed to be 22lbs lighter then the regular nytro front ends. If they pass us half of that weight saving for mass production I will take it. The sled will also have more horsepower then the Apex from what people are saying. Also If the rumors are true about a new lighter rear suspension also That would make for a short sled that rides like asmooth 136" with more power then possibly the Apex. So if they go this route will they keep the Apex? Being they will be replacing the phazer class with a new toy, and possibly be replacing the Nytro with the above description everyone is talking about, and keeping a more refined vector? Keep in mind Chevy even got rid of the Camaro back in the day for a bit, which had a following against the mustang. Like Yami does with the apex vs the 800.

All in all if all of these rumors are wrong, and they just keep fine tuning the existing model I would like to see a better bump handeling, lighter rear suspension, a 1"-1-1/2" taller foam seat more like the boss or etec seat, and a crom moly lighter front end to start with.

In an ideal world I would like a Nytro at 150 hp boosted with the cross country front end, a diet, and a 128" track. Then the Apex motor setup with 4-5lbs (190+) of boost in a lighter setup like the the Cat, and a new aggressive look to spark sales for a slumping Yamaha. The great thing we love about Yamaha is their longevity, and reliablity. Being that said if they do not do major changes to their line how will they ever boost sales with sleds that last forever and a company that only does minor chnages each year. For us to spend 12k plus each year to gain things like new ski's, new track's, and eps. You are better off fine tuning the platform you have now with aftermarket items to save money. Since they last forever as we know and love.

 

[sleddog66]

One thing that I have noticed over the years is that a sled can almost get too light on the trails. They can bang and bounce all over the place on a choppy trail at some upper speeds, while a heavy type sled may stay more planted and more in control. Of coarse the suspension has a lot to do with this also. I know that a light gas powered pick-up truck will bounce and jiggle around in the rough roads on a windy day more than a big 1 ton diesel hog of a truck.....just saying. I am sure that where you ride has everything to do with it. Wisconsin riders in the twisty would prefer a light agile sled, while I ride in the u.p. at 100 mph through the wide sweepers. The apex is very nice for that.

 

[devinzz1]

the apex is $16000msrp---polaris rush 800 is $12600msrp ( short tracks ) apex xtx is $16600msrp---- assault 800 is $13200msrp.

Your pricing is a bit off for the US. The Apex here is $13,999, the Arctic Cat F1100 Turbo is $13,949, the Skidoo 1200 GSX is $12,249 and the Polaris switchback assault starts at $12,122. I just pulled these from the manufacturers website. The differences in your pricing is WAY out of the park. My point was that if you wanted the Arctic Cat F1100 turbo, would the $1500 extra that it costs compared to the SkiDoo keep you from purchasing the sled you want?

your paying more for more weight and a less refined chassis. The assault is also in a way different category of riding style then the apex......

The weight thing was A JOKE!!!!!! read the rest of the thread lol. I know the Assault is in a different category, I actually reference this in an earlier post as well. Since Polaris really does not make a comparable trail machine to an Apex or the Arctic Cat 1100 turbo, I was merely pointing out their most expensive sled is still in that high dollar range. You missed the point of my post. If you look at the US pricing on those sleds, how can you say Yamaha is that much more expensive?

that is canadian dollars. even though i think our dollar is worth more than the us dollar which is why price is a bigger deal for me in particular.

 

[tomanytoyz]

One thing that I have noticed over the years is that a sled can almost get too light on the trails. They can bang and bounce all over the place on a choppy trail at some upper speeds, while a heavy type sled may stay more planted and more in control. Of coarse the suspension has a lot to do with this also. I know that a light gas powered pick-up truck will bounce and jiggle around in the rough roads on a windy day more than a big 1 ton diesel hog of a truck.....just saying. I am sure that where you ride has everything to do with it. Wisconsin riders in the twisty would prefer a light agile sled, while I ride in the u.p. at 100 mph through the wide sweepers. The apex is very nice for that.

I totally agree with you sleddog66,the lighter sleds do bang and bounce all over! i like to feel planted to the trail.i love my Apex i dont care how heavy it is,even with all the ice build up that happens! 50+ lbs im sure and i have a great time riding it, not broke down like other sled brands...so when Yamaha comes out with a new Apex chassis (which is probably next) thats Totally new and weighs 30-lbs so what,ill still buy it.it will be better balanced this time around! :rules

 

[BADSLED]

One thing that I have noticed over the years is that a sled can almost get too light on the trails. They can bang and bounce all over the place on a choppy trail at some upper speeds, while a heavy type sled may stay more planted and more in control. Of coarse the suspension has a lot to do with this also. I know that a light gas powered pick-up truck will bounce and jiggle around in the rough roads on a windy day more than a big 1 ton diesel hog of a truck.....just saying. I am sure that where you ride has everything to do with it. Wisconsin riders in the twisty would prefer a light agile sled, while I ride in the u.p. at 100 mph through the wide sweepers. The apex is very nice for that.

I totally agree with you sleddog66,the lighter sleds do bang and bounce all over! i like to feel planted to the trail.i love my Apex i dont care how heavy it is,even with all the ice build up that happens! 50+ lbs im sure and i have a great time riding it, not broke down like other sled brands...so when Yamaha comes out with a new Apex chassis (which is probably next) thats Totally new and weighs 30-lbs so what,ill still buy it.it will be better balanced this time around! :rules

x3!! I have said the same about the Apex years ago...

 

[nate007]

One thing that I have noticed over the years is that a sled can almost get too light on the trails. They can bang and bounce all over the place on a choppy trail at some upper speeds, while a heavy type sled may stay more planted and more in control. Of coarse the suspension has a lot to do with this also. I know that a light gas powered pick-up truck will bounce and jiggle around in the rough roads on a windy day more than a big 1 ton diesel hog of a truck.....just saying. I am sure that where you ride has everything to do with it. Wisconsin riders in the twisty would prefer a light agile sled, while I ride in the u.p. at 100 mph through the wide sweepers. The apex is very nice for that.

I can agree with you 100% on this one! I don't hardly ever ride in Iowa, and 95% of my riding is in the U.P. as well. I usually play around off trail for a few days on my XTX, but after getting beat up on that thing for a couple days, I get my Apex out ride in comfort in the twisties! I don't get worn out riding the Apex, and I'd rather throw that sled around in the corners at higher speeds than the Nytro.
They're two dofferent animals, and as long as they make something that fits both siding styles, I'll be happy.

 

[wedge]

WEDGE, can you put more info in your profile so we can figure out more about you. Your posts are well thought out for a "newbie".

Hey Steve,

Sorry, I just updated some info on there. While I am a noob to this forum, I would consider myself an experienced rider. I ride with a group of guys all on a Yamaha Apex. We do most of our riding in the U.P. I have a house in Ironwood MI and we are up there every other weekend all winter!

I love riding the Apex and hope to just add quality conversation on here. Maybe give some advice and who knows, maybe even find some people to ride with us in the U.P.!!!!

 

[Murse]

Sorry to say but all you guys that complain about weight, especially loading them into trailer and such... need to go to a gym and work out. LOL IMO I did a lot of research before buying my sled weight and steering were the issues according to my research. Since riding one weight a non issue. Unless I'm in deep powder I have no issues loading/unloading, cornering, racing, or keeping up and passing my buddies with 2 strokes. Don't mean to bash anyone and yes less weight would be a great speed and handling advantage I'm not disagreeing with that but i love the Apex just the way it is EPS or not. I'd love to try the EXUP system. LOVE MY SLED that is all, turn key and ride.

 

[low slung]

One of the latest yamaha sled patents deals with a new ski/spindle design.In the patents it mentions a three cylinder,800cc engine.