Yamaha Cutting Production for 2019

[Mike Elijah]

The funny thing is Yamaha spent the money on a new 65 cc 2-stroke high performance Motocross engine... Wanna talk small market???
..And not making 2 strokes??...A new YZ 65......Not a VK540...Or WTF they call that thing.
.This is actually new to Yamaha...Just sayin...

 

[alswagg2]

Well, as for 2 strokes and Yamaha. If you travel out North America, Yamaha builds and sell so many different 2 stroke motorcycles. While at Yamaha Service school we observed a 899cc Twin PWC motor with HPDI fuel injection. These are making their way to the racing stand up PWC This motor would be an easy fit to a sled. As for the Big Block 4 stroke, how about the 1800 cc supercharged motor? This has been in many machines for several years. Upwards of 300hp. Don’t ever give up on Yamaha.

 

[journeyman]

The funny thing is Yamaha spent the money on a new 65 cc 2-stroke high performance Motocross engine... Wanna talk small market???
..And not making 2 strokes??...A new YZ 65......Not a VK540...Or WTF they call that thing.
.This is actually new to Yamaha...Just sayin...

Completely different market. Kawasaki and KTM are the only two making the small 2 strokes in the moto world these days, at least the full lineups but that is where the young racers start. Apparently a bigger market though. I can’t argue Yamaha could steal some marketshare when you look at all the 800 class sleds sold including mountain versions.

 

[Bbyamaha]

The sno scoot 200 tells me yamaha wants to invest in the next generation of riders. The snoscoots certainly are not the big money making sleds, so if Yamaha did not have a long term plan to stay in the industry there's no sense in building such a sled.

Good point!

 

[stevewithOCD]

Can't recall but wasn't some of the talk revolving around the rpm the CP makes it's power at and if it was even possible to gear reduce it for the clutches?

Yes, i think that was some of the talk. If they put in gear reduction to get clutches to reasonable rpm's, it changed the whole dynamics & benefits of the motor.
We were clambering for the extra HP, but after tons of $ and R&D, we would have had about 10 HP then all new clutching issues. Wasn't worth it to Yamaha...

 

[vodoo child]

Can't recall but wasn't some of the talk revolving around the rpm the CP makes it's power at and if it was even possible to gear reduce it for the clutches?

4yrs ago at the Big East Show in Syracuse NY. that is ""EXACTLY"" what I was told by the Yamaha Reps. as to why the Cross Plane 4 would ""NOT"" be used in a sled. They told me a 3cyl. turbo would be more realistic! Kinda blew the last comment off, cause we all know! Yamaha would ""NEVER"" put out a factory turbo sled!!!

 

[super1c]

The funny thing is Yamaha spent the money on a new 65 cc 2-stroke high performance Motocross engine... Wanna talk small market???
..And not making 2 strokes??...A new YZ 65......Not a VK540...Or WTF they call that thing.
.This is actually new to Yamaha...Just sayin...

I have to disagree with you on the 65. The dirtbike market is huge with kids and is virtually a 4 season sport. As above KTM has corned the market and Yamaha wants a share. I would buy on for a beginner in a heartbeat. Heard about this from local dealer about Yamaha working on gaining shares in the dirtbike market!

 

[Mike Elijah]

Mini Bike motocross is huge??...Really...4 season...where the hell do you live...I am an ex-Yamaha mechanic from MN, mini mx bikes are a super small segment,...huge with one in 10,000 or more kids that live in the southwest of the U.S.A. The rest of the country...not much market even for big MX bikes...It's much like sleds...you're not going to ride it to work and make money...honestly 2-stroke MX bikes are a waaaaaaaaaaay smaller market then sleds...both weather dependent....but mx bikes are suuuuuch a small segment but decent advertising ......my point being...Yamaha still is willing to invest Multi Millions into a new 2-Stroke motor...and bike just for advertising and competition against KTM, Probably more money into R&D then they ever will get back cuz KTM is the funder for the 2018 SX junior races...but they still are making new 2-strokes to beat the best out there...doesn't mean in the back room at Yamaha in Japan they don't have something....

 

[super1c]

Well I live in Michigan. I rode my dirtbike last year from April to late November. I would have rode in March but was hoping for snow . And we only quit riding in November to respect the hunters. It’s feb now and I’ve rode my sled 3 times. Yamahas number one dirt bike seller is the 450WRF and number 3 was the PW50 followed by the TTR 50. Don’t remember number 2 but half your sales of dirt bikes are kids bike. Hmmm. And kids MX is big around here in my world. I wasn’t arguing the fact about Yamaha sleds and 2 strokes just the thought that Yamaha investing in kids mx 2 strokes was dumb.

 

[Pstn head]

I rode a 2-stroke today after many years, and no friggin thank you, I'll pass. No torque, lots of vibrations and that tin can sound.... Just not for me. And I had to hear everyday for four days straight (one mild day especially)" my temps are high and my light is close to coming on" plus "I can't hold it wide open for long I'm afraid of blowing the motor". If I have have to worry about that crap again I'm not sure what I'll have to ride.
A few pics of the trails we were riding, me full throttle and loving it, him... Whatever.
No 2-stroke for this guy... Sorry not interested one bit.

 

[Mike Elijah]

Well I live in Michigan. I rode my dirtbike last year from April to late November. I would have rode in March but was hoping for snow . And we only quit riding in November to respect the hunters. It’s feb now and I’ve rode my sled 3 times. Yamahas number one dirt bike seller is the 450WRF and number 3 was the PW50 followed by the TTR 50. Don’t remember number 2 but half your sales of dirt bikes are kids bike. Hmmm. And kids MX is big around here in my world. I wasn’t arguing the fact about Yamaha sleds and 2 strokes just the thought that Yamaha investing in kids mx 2 strokes was dumb.

II agree kids bikes are a big chunk of the Market...but the Machines you are talking about are trail friendly training bikes...the YZ65 is a race machine not allowed in a lot of riding areas...KTM sells about 180,000 units a year(total machines)...and they have about 30 different models...the 65 at best sells 5000 units...lets say 10,000....with a profit of at max of 2,000....that's only 2,000,000 profit, for Yamaha to tool up the casting and jigs...Blah Blah Blah...would cost easily that much for such a small Niche ...My point being is if they are willing to do that for honestly no return for a year or 2...what are they willing to doe as far as sleds....Honestly I think Pride is the only thing keeping them out of a 2 stroke sled...admitting they were wrong about the 2-strokes...cheers!!!

 

[super1c]

II agree kids bikes are a big chunk of the Market...but the Machines you are talking about are trail friendly training bikes...the YZ65 is a race machine not allowed in a lot of riding areas...KTM sells about 180,000 units a year(total machines)...and they have about 30 different models...the 65 at best sells 5000 units...lets say 10,000....with a profit of at max of 2,000....that's only 2,000,000 profit, for Yamaha to tool up the casting and jigs...Blah Blah Blah...would cost easily that much for such a small Niche ...My point being is if they are willing to do that for honestly no return for a year or 2...what are they willing to doe as far as sleds....Honestly I think Pride is the only thing keeping them out of a 2 stroke sled...admitting they were wrong about the 2-strokes...cheers!!!

But it gives them a platform for life now. 65 to 85 to 125 to 250. Only KTM has this. They are looking to the future. Hopefully they will do this with sleds but I think only 4 stroke is here to stay. Not everybody wants or drives a Cadillac! But they are introducing it to kids and up. I think we will see that “125” of dirt bikes in a sled this year.

 

[Mike Elijah]

But it gives them a platform for life now. 65 to 85 to 125 to 250. Only KTM has this. They are looking to the future. Hopefully they will do this with sleds but I think only 4 stroke is here to stay. Not everybody wants or drives a Cadillac! But they are introducing it to kids and up. I think we will see that “125” of dirt bikes in a sled this year.

Agreed...Hoping Yamaha buys Cat...Then tweaks The 2-stroke(quality and performance....)...

 

[InRBigness]

I did hear that Yamaha bought the rights to the chassis. But there's a lot more to consider. I wonder about the 1049 that was supposed to go into the AC SXS.

There is a CC limit in quads and side by sides by law. This is one of the reason the sidewinder motor is so attractive to both companies. It is under 1K and the best way to get more HP out is to turbo it. It is designed to go into SxS's, watercraft, sleds and maybe quads at some point. The real money is in Side by Sides though.

 

[cobrajet ltx dx]

As far as engines goes, it’s all about that 1000cc or under as I stated before. You don’t need a huge motor to produce torque and horsepower these days with technology at hand. Just look at the Auto industry and what they been doing with many small engine packages, eco boost just to name one.

As far as chassis, Yamaha needed a RIDE FORWARD design badly. So I think you’ll see a lot of cat influence in that department going forward with Yamaha using certain unique suspension setups that are there own.
Look at that spring check apex setup??.
You’ll never see a TRUE BLUE sled of old( that’s just my opinion). Just sitting on a apex/ vector is like me sitting on my old Polaris Indy, just doesn’t work anymore. I bought my Viper for 2 reasons, motor and rider position. If they just kept making outdated Rider position chassis’s then I wouldn’t have bought one, just that simple.