Teamblue4
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Yes!!
earthling
Lifetime Member
Its not small potatoes to Yamaha and their market oppty is large. They have a 4% market share which probably means its a $60-90M annual business for them. The large variation is due to the fact that I have no idea how to get at the PG&A (parts, goods, and accessories revenue) and their core business is probably in the $50M-ish range. With 4% Market share they have nowhere to go but up.
What I find far more interesting is whether the world needs snowmobiling.. turns out, probably yes.. due to the localization of the economic impact. IOW, for those snow belt economies, snowmobiling is probably very important.
http://www.snowmobile.org/snowmobiling-statistics-and-facts.html
www.snowmobile.org/docs/isma-snowmobiling-fact-book.pdf
At the scale that snowmobiling impacts specific local economies it should have bigger support from those economies in terms of tax breaks for manufactures and dealers and incentives for travel related business, maybe they do already, I have no idea.
What I find far more interesting is whether the world needs snowmobiling.. turns out, probably yes.. due to the localization of the economic impact. IOW, for those snow belt economies, snowmobiling is probably very important.
http://www.snowmobile.org/snowmobiling-statistics-and-facts.html
www.snowmobile.org/docs/isma-snowmobiling-fact-book.pdf
At the scale that snowmobiling impacts specific local economies it should have bigger support from those economies in terms of tax breaks for manufactures and dealers and incentives for travel related business, maybe they do already, I have no idea.
journeyman
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So is AG still around on Arctic Chat,we used to chat all the time on R.S.S. Along with the guy who started Hardcore but it had a different name then and he rode a Polaris! There was no TY AC Hardcore or Doo Talk way back in 98 either. Miss chatting with those guys!
I don't actually go on Arctic Chat very often, doesn't seem to have very much traffic. The guy that runs it lives in my town though and I run into him occasionally. He's all Arctic Cat and doesn't say much positive about the Yam/Cat coalition. Says stuff like...if it wasn't for Cat Yamaha would be done. They make a good motor but other than that......
74Nitro
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I was at a Cat dealer in Timmins last week, while the Cat in our group was getting repaired. I said to the boss "where do you see Cat and Yamaha going over the next few years"? He replies "I wish Yamaha would just f*** off"I don't actually go on Arctic Chat very often, doesn't seem to have very much traffic. The guy that runs it lives in my town though and I run into him occasionally. He's all Arctic Cat and doesn't say much positive about the Yam/Cat coalition. Says stuff like...if it wasn't for Cat Yamaha would be done. They make a good motor but other than that......
I said "why is that?"
He says "Yamahas sidewinder outsells our version 10-1"
I said "thats probably because Yamaha has done a better job with body panels and colour packages"
He says "no, its just because its a Yamaha"
74Nitro
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The truth is that Cat approached Yamaha for the use of the triple 1049 engine, then Yamaha asked to use the chassis. Also, Cat's market cap was very small, their financial health was poor, Yamaha was not in financial trouble.I don't actually go on Arctic Chat very often, doesn't seem to have very much traffic. The guy that runs it lives in my town though and I run into him occasionally. He's all Arctic Cat and doesn't say much positive about the Yam/Cat coalition. Says stuff like...if it wasn't for Cat Yamaha would be done. They make a good motor but other than that......
journeyman
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The truth is that Cat approached Yamaha for the use of the triple 1049 engine, then Yamaha asked to use the chassis. Also, Cat's market cap was very small, their financial health was poor, Yamaha was not in financial trouble.
Yes that part is true....the stuff I mentioned about the funeral in my other post was before that. That actually happened, the Yamaha guy involved in that casual exchange is now retired and lives up by the Yamaha R&D facility near Minoqua,Wi.
I find it kind of crazy how some of the diehard Cat folks are not happy about the Yam/Cat partnership. I think it was a hard pill for them to swallow using some Yamaha engines even though they were using Suzuki prior to that. Up until the recent St. Cloud engine plant they never have had their own motor.
ClutchMaster
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My experience with most (not all) Arctic Cat folks......words that describe are loud, Braggart, Egotistical, Bull$hiter, Exagerator, Ignorant, Hairy Ape Tough Guys. Usually when the travel in large groups. They wear the loudest clothing possible so everyone can see them coming a mile away.
The guys in small groups/solo seem to be pretty cool.
For instance we stopped to help a bunch of cat guys who had a broken down sled up by Boulder. The weights in the clutch had locked the primary closed on the belt and it died when the fellow stopped on the trail. When he would try to start the engine the sled would move, thus no start. They were lifting the track off the ground and trying to start, but to no avail.
My girlfriend said “pop the hood” she then reached down and opened the secondary like she was changing the belt. This loosened the belt so it wasn’t trying to spin the track.
“Ok start it” she said, well it fired right up!
One of the guys asked “what did you do?” She explained and at the end said “yea I can’t believe you guys didn’t think of that” well that was about all their punny little brains could take being bested by a girl. Next thing I knew my girl was trading insults with some ape so we had to leave before it got ugly.
Nice way to treat a helping hand on the trail.
The guys in small groups/solo seem to be pretty cool.
For instance we stopped to help a bunch of cat guys who had a broken down sled up by Boulder. The weights in the clutch had locked the primary closed on the belt and it died when the fellow stopped on the trail. When he would try to start the engine the sled would move, thus no start. They were lifting the track off the ground and trying to start, but to no avail.
My girlfriend said “pop the hood” she then reached down and opened the secondary like she was changing the belt. This loosened the belt so it wasn’t trying to spin the track.
“Ok start it” she said, well it fired right up!
One of the guys asked “what did you do?” She explained and at the end said “yea I can’t believe you guys didn’t think of that” well that was about all their punny little brains could take being bested by a girl. Next thing I knew my girl was trading insults with some ape so we had to leave before it got ugly.
Nice way to treat a helping hand on the trail.
74Nitro
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Given that Textron put Yamaha's triple in the new Cat SxS, I for one don't think this relationship will end anytime soon, and in fact expect to see great things.Yes that part is true....the stuff I mentioned about the funeral in my other post was before that. That actually happened, the Yamaha guy involved in that casual exchange is now retired and lives up by the Yamaha R&D facility near Minoqua,Wi.
I find it kind of crazy how some of the diehard Cat folks are not happy about the Yam/Cat partnership. I think it was a hard pill for them to swallow using some Yamaha engines even though they were using Suzuki prior to that. Up until the recent St. Cloud engine plant they never have had their own motor.
ClutchMaster
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Wow what a professional response, typical of most Arctic Cat guys. He’s obviously not capable of an educated response.I was at a Cat dealer in Timmins last week, while the Cat in our group was getting repaired. I said to the boss "where do you see Cat and Yamaha going over the next few years"? He replies "I wish Yamaha would just f*** off"
Generally I feel Yamaha owners keep the best maintained machines and highest level of professionalism.
journeyman
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Given that Textron put Yamaha's triple in the new Cat SxS, I for one don't think this relationship will end anytime soon, and in fact expect to see great things.
I don't have any issue with the relationship. Most of the SW owners I know love them. I'd say the biggest gripe I hear is belt life, more so with tuned ones.
Maybe there is no real solution for that. A lot can be said for the gear reduction on the Apex design, less harmonics on the clutches.
74Nitro
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I would have to think that manufacturers are often looking at transmissions that don't require belts. I'm not sure what alternative would work, but surely this is being explored. I would think the last thing they would want to do is add weight, and a pair of clutches isn't heavy by any means. However, I also think that any alternative would eliminate the chaincase and jackshaft also.I don't have any issue with the relationship. Most of the SW owners I know love them. I'd say the biggest gripe I hear is belt life, more so with tuned ones.
Maybe there is no real solution for that. A lot can be said for the gear reduction on the Apex design, less harmonics on the clutches.
DGZRT
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I'm sure this is all just big Speculation I have done every search available and looked through all the ATV UTV and Motorcycle listings on Google search and Nothing Concrete . But logic tells me they have something coming. They are a very proud organization and power sports is part of it. They will not back out and become the laughing stock of the power sports world. And they would not have reorganized and moved the Snowmobile headquarters and hired more Engineering and hired the Karpik Brothers ! They will come with a new full frame sled with a lighter weight and hopefully better suspension ( not digging the single shot ) . If Cat brings the suspension components I'm all for it.
HMTurbo
Extreme
A side note. My son is a mechanical eng student and was trying to get into one of the sled mfg's for a summer internship. I think it was last summer that Yamaha was advertising for a new ME for their sled division. The job description specifically involved suspensions. Now this just could be calibration and what not to the current Cat suspensions but it was interesting none the less. Job was located in Minoqua.
rtx moose
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I think Martyf means that they had a hand in building it...
engineering it!!!not building it
WillowAce
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I am an accountant in Northern WI. A good snow year can shift gross revenue by 75% for the hospitality businesses here. Yes, snowmobiling has a significant impact.IOW, for those snow belt economies, snowmobiling is probably very important.
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