Yamaha, customers are talking to you...read!

[chrishall]

172 hp would be great!
GPS would be great!

A new exhaust system that robs 2 hp, but puts out 1/2 the noise! Priceless!

 

[craze1cars]

172 A new exhaust system that robs 2 hp, but puts out 1/2 the noise! Priceless!

Another oversight on my part...count me in as another vote for QUIETER exhaust. Of course others like the sound so that won't please everyone. Maybe another OPTION for us to choose? Even if it's a dealer-only option. Or how about just a muffler for sale in the accessory catalog that advertises a 2 hp loss and a 10dB reduction in noise. I'd buy that accessory in a heartbeat.

 

[Superstroker1]

The drive system...why would you change the drive system?? Even cars are now going to CVT...AND what the heck would we do for fun if we has a set gear set in a transmition lol. I still believe that the CVT is the way to go on a sled. It's light, efficient, cheap, durable, and easy to fix/mod.

I never said Yamaha should go away from CVT drive.

 

[Superstroker1]

This is excellent...

I can't believe there is so little emphasis on durability.

How many of you got razzed by your 2-stroke Skidoo and Polaris buddies when on your first ride your idler wheels fell to pieces. To make matters worse the failed idler wheels continued all season (until you installed accessory or aftermarket wheels or worse - Skidoo or Polaris wheels!!).

How many of you got razzed by your 2-stroke Skidoo and Polaris buddies when you stopped to warm up your frozen hands (and next time you kept riding until you fingers were so stiff from the cold you could hardly pull the brake lever).

How many of you got razzed and towed home by your 2-stroke buddies when your chaincase lost all of it's oil and the chain let go.

How many of you have been hearing all summer about how their Skidoo's didn't have a single suspension problem in 2 high mileage years (~10,000 miles) yet your Yamaha needed idler wheels, rear shocks, new tunnels, new slide rails, new front pivot arms, etc. They point out over and over how they rode the same trails and same conditions and even claim to ride harder than you (and they do).

Even if you didn't personally have these issues we all bought Yamaha's at least partially for the reputation for extreme durability and we count on it. We want the confidence that our sleds won't break down. Before Yamaha adds any new features I for one would like to see these relatively easy to fix (through minor design changes) problems go away. I want to be able to ride a high mileage season and see my 2-stroke riding buddies with more break downs than me and my buddies riding on Apex's do.

Everyone talks about 2-strokes blowing up, but last season (yes it was rare) there was not one 2-stroke engine failure in the main group I ride with. The only engine failure was my 05 RX-1 and I doubt I will ever hear the end of it (I'm considered Mr. anal when it comes to sled maintenance and no one expected my stock engine to go).

Maybe Yamaha has everything sorted out on the 07 sleds and I for one hope they do (I bought an 07 RTX after spending lots of time considering purchasing from the competition).

Except for me, not one single new Yamaha was purchased for this season by anyone I ride with and two sold their Yamaha's and bought Skidoo's and Cat's. The reason wasn't performance or weight or fuel economy or lack of features or handling - the reason was durability, out of stock parts (back orders), lack of accessory availability (back orders) and customer service.

We all agree these sleds are great riding, smooth running, great handling, good on fuel, easy to start, comfortable, etc. Fix the bugs and at least in my neck of the woods there will be a lot more sales.

This is exactly why I posted this! This guy is obviously an honest gentleman and a Yamaha loyalist...after having this many problems, he bought a 2007!

Yamaha, please listen to this person and address these issues.

Thanks.

 

[Bad Attitude]

Is they listening

Not sure how horsepower really fits into this. Most trails we ride here in the east and most I have been on these 170 to 200 horsepower are not really needed. How fast can you honestly go? Or need to go. Most are posted 55 mph. My stock 06 Attak has got plenty. What are you really looking for? If your day of riding is nothing more than going in a straight line up and down a lake guess you modifiy. Where does this addiction to horsepower figures end. I just want a good dependable ride I can start, runs gets me there and home. If I am going racing I will buy a racer. And go racing in sanctioned events. I bought the four-stroke for two things. I wanted better gas mileage and no more two stroke smell. Has there been issues with the new sled. Yep. Are they listening Yep. As for your buddies harassment. Ask him how those rotax pistons and rings are doing.

 

[craze1cars]

The drive system...why would you change the drive system??......I never said Yamaha should go away from CVT drive.[/b][/size]

Here's a direct quote from your opening post: "Yamaha is missing some significant opportunity to re-engineer its driveline on the Four Stroke platform."

I guess maybe I misinterpreted what you wrote, but it sounded to me like you're asking for a change to the drive system...I expanded with MY thoughts and opinions, did not intend to present them as being yours in any way.

And you're absolutely correct, you did NOT ever say they should get away from a CVT drive. Frankly neither did I...but I suggested it as a possibility. And I was apparently a bit unclear in what I wrote so please let me clarify my thinking:

The CURRENT CVT system in use by most ALL snowmobiles is where a massive amount of horsepower is lost in the transition from engine to ground. The belt slips, heat is generated, belts blow, they have to be adjusted perfectly, etc. I fully agree that a CVT system is an EXCELLENT way to transfer power and keep an engine in its proper powerband....and I greatly support Nissan and others who are doing a good job of putting CVTs in cars today.

I was just tossing out wild ideas, and they may not be useful or any good. But I do feel that the CVT system that Yamaha and the other mfrs use now is extremely wasteful, inefficient, and fully obsolete. But it is cheap and effective, and very tunable. So they all use it and we're all used to it.

I guess my real thinking is this: The first snowmobile manufacturer that can completely reengineer a drive system that doesn't lose such a massive amount of engine HP as the current systems do, is going to radically change the industry again. As an example: Whoever wins that particular technology race will be able to make a 100 hp engine put the same amount of power to the GROUND as a current 150 hp sled does. This cuts gas usage, emmissions, and weight.

All the mfrs have fallen in the same trap...Yamis clutch system is as old as the hills, Doo's been using the same basic TRA since the mid 80's, Polaris clutches have been largely the same for almost 2 decades, and ALL of them have been using the basic primary/secondar/rubber belt system for 40 years! It's time to put some more R & D into this area and devise something better....whatever that something might be.

 

[craze1cars]

One more brainstorm to help Yamaha gain some market share:

Assign a person or two to represent Yamaha Corp to THIS WEBSITE, and make that person a daily active participant. Then we wouldn't have to sort between all the guesses, conflicting stories from dealers, rumors, and second-hand information on some issues all the time. Sure it'd probably be a full time job, and the moderators here would probably have their hands full dealing with the occasional morons who wanted to do nothing but unconstructively vent against "the machine," but such a presence would help TREMENDOUSLY in making a big, impersonal corporation look like they truly care about what their customers think.

It's no secret that the entire business world is going more and more to the web, and relying on physical retail locations and a dealer network to handle all issues is becoming an obsolete way of handling most any business.

So if you don't make a presence on this site, then consider creating a monitored and interactive question/answer area on your own website. A place where people can post questions, get accurate answers FROM YAMAHA, browse around at other people's questions/answers, etc. WITHOUT having to call or contact a dealer.

While we're at it, let's get even more radical...mail-order snowmobiles. Click to buy a brand new sled right there on your website, paid for with on-line Yamaha financing, and shipped directly to your door by your nearest local dealer. That way your dealers don't get alienated, and they have an opportunity to meet and earn the business of a lifetime customer.

This is EXACTLY how I bought my last new car, by the way. I never once set foot in that car dealer to buy that thing. Yet that dealer did get the sale, and all my future service/warranty work. The experience was so cool I will do it again when I buy my next car. I don't need to visit a showroom to know exactly what I want to buy.

You have a nice website that presents the features of your products. This is nothing new, unique, or progressive...EVERY company has that. But I promise you...if you transform it into a site that offers true on-line interaction with your customers, you will gain market share. ESPECIALLY from the younger and more computer savvy snowmobilers.

 

[Superstroker1]

Agreed!