Yamaha RE-tooling for 2020

[yammitrip1]

I don't think that there will be yammie cats any more. Maybe to clear some stock out or do something with cats 600 cc but idk. Will see.

 

[cannondale27]

I hope what ever they do it’s a “one chassis fits all engines” approach again instead of building a chassis around the engine. 3 engine lineup, 998t and 998/1049 along with a twin could all work in one chassis.

V4 would probably fit in a chassis made narrow enough for a twin. But it has to be narrow.

 

[Redbeard]

I still think an all new Vmax 4 with a high revving 4-banger, 4-stroke would be great! Before you guys chastise me, please understand it's JUST wishful thinking on my part. Yes, the triples make more torque, I get it, but I love the thought of the 4 cyl 998 living on in SOMETHING.

 

[whitedust1]

A minimal dealer approach won’t work imo unless a sled design comes along that does not need hyfax, grease jobs , long life oil and filter change , auto adjust tracks and chains. Not to mention in general stuff breaks when used on trail or in the deep. No dealers where you ride is a terrible idea and would be enough to make me stay away. This doesn’t make a bit of marketing sense to me at all and not what sledders want. Stuff breaks and we all need dealer parts availability and service totally bad idea to not the have a dealer network if not impossible to sell to the public.

 

[74Nitro]

A minimal dealer approach won’t work imo unless a sled design comes along that does not need hyfax, grease jobs , long life oil and filter change , auto adjust tracks and chains. Not to mention in general stuff breaks when used on trail or in the deep. No dealers where you ride is a terrible idea and would be enough to make me stay away. This doesn’t make a bit of marketing sense to me at all and not what sledders want. Stuff breaks and we all need dealer parts availability and service totally bad idea to not the have a dealer network if not impossible to sell to the public.

You are forgetting that when Cat and Yamaha teamed up, they actually increased their dealer network substantially.
For example, my Yamaha dealer is 25 minutes away, but I have found myself going to the local Cat dealer which is 3 minutes away, where I can get many parts that fit my Winder.

 

[74Nitro]

I still think an all new Vmax 4 with a high revving 4-banger, 4-stroke would be great! Before you guys chastise me, please understand it's JUST wishful thinking on my part. Yes, the triples make more torque, I get it, but I love the thought of the 4 cyl 998 living on in SOMETHING.

I think the four cylinder could live on, but Yamaha needs to update and it needs to have 170hp minimum out of the box in a great handling light chassis.

 

[whitedust1]

You are forgetting that when Cat and Yamaha teamed up, they actually increased their dealer network substantially.
For example, my Yamaha dealer is 25 minutes away, but I have found myself going to the local Cat dealer which is 3 minutes away, where I can get many parts that fit my Winder.

Yep that is exactly my point to the OP how would it work when you have a brand new pure Yamaha sled with dealers 100 miles apart or more with many miles between the customer,the riding location and approved service providers and parts? OP point was minimal dealers for the new line up which would have minimal models. I’m ok with a reduced line up but not a sparse dealer network. The new 2020 product line as proposed has nothing to do with AC or current Yamaha dealers as proposed by OP. He said his current dealer dropped sleds as he didn’t expect to be included in the future and currently is having product shoved up his butt so quit selling sleds. My whole point is sparse dealer network would not work for me and I don’t think the consumers will embrace minimal support. You favor a dealer 5 minutes away so how would that work for you when the closest dealer is 2 hours away from home and many hours from where you ride??

 

[74Nitro]

Yep that is exactly my point to the OP how would it work when you have a brand new pure Yamaha sled with dealers 100 miles apart or more with many miles between the customer,the riding location and approved service providers and parts? OP point was minimal dealers for the new line up which would have minimal models. I’m ok with a reduced line up but not a sparse dealer network. The new 2020 product line as proposed has nothing to do with AC or current Yamaha dealers as proposed by OP. He said his current dealer dropped sleds as he didn’t expect to be included in the future and currently is having product shoved up his butt so quit selling sleds. My whole point is sparse dealer network would not work for me and I don’t think the consumers will embrace minimal support. You favor a dealer 5 minutes away so how would that work for you when the closest dealer is 2 hours away from home and many hours from where you ride??

My guess is that Yamaha will build sleds with Cat, so i stand by my last comment in that there is actually more dealers in total when you include Cat dealers, not less.

 

[yammitrip1]

It

Yep that is exactly my point to the OP how would it work when you have a brand new pure Yamaha sled with dealers 100 miles apart or more with many miles between the customer,the riding location and approved service providers and parts? OP point was minimal dealers for the new line up which would have minimal models. I’m ok with a reduced line up but not a sparse dealer network. The new 2020 product line as proposed has nothing to do with AC or current Yamaha dealers as proposed by OP. He said his current dealer dropped sleds as he didn’t expect to be included in the future and currently is having product shoved up his butt so quit selling sleds. My whole point is sparse dealer network would not work for me and I don’t think the consumers will embrace minimal support. You favor a dealer 5 minutes away so how would that work for you when the closest dealer is 2 hours away from home and many hours from where you ride??

The market is changing man. Put this in the easiest terms I can...... Look at ktm stuff sold in the states. Top of the line dirtbikes and people love them. There dealer networks are pretty low.... Well around are area they are, but they are state of the art compared to other dirtbikes. Enthusiasts who buy them buy into them and do alot of there own maintenance. Aftermarket support is through the roof on bikes as it is on sleds too, and I think there direction is going to work. It will work for some people and not others.

 

[whitedust1]

My guess is that Yamaha will build sleds with Cat, so i stand by my last comment in that there is actually more dealers in total when you include Cat dealers, not less.

Ok ....but you should have said that way off topic from post 1 information which was a new approach to 2020 snowmobile sales, marketing and dealer network. All you are saying is same old same old status-quo to the current OEM Agreement which has a minimal chance of renewal.

 

[whitedust1]

It



The market is changing man. Put this in the easiest terms I can...... Look at ktm stuff sold in the states. Top of the line dirtbikes and people love them. There dealer networks are pretty low.... Well around are area they are, but they are state of the art compared to other dirtbikes. Enthusiasts who buy them buy into them and do alot of there own maintenance. Aftermarket support is through the roof on bikes as it is on sleds too, and I think there direction is going to work. It will work for some people and not others.

Yep doesn’t work for me or my buds we need dealer service and support. Lots of yammie riders don’t have time to wrench on sleds want the best tech out there turn the key gas and go. Park and do again next time without getting our hands dirty and willing to pay for expert service providers.

 

[WillowAce]

Hmm.. the dealers I know in my area are all up in arms because they can't get sleds. 5 dealers that I've talked to have about a dozen left overs, and those are mostly Vectors, Sno Scoots, or long tracks that just don't sell here. Maybe the only real issue is that Yamaha seriously overestimated sales in just a few areas and are trying to dump those on dealers that don't want them.

 

[cannondale27]

Hmm.. the dealers I know in my area are all up in arms because they can't get sleds. 5 dealers that I've talked to have about a dozen left overs, and those are mostly Vectors, Sno Scoots, or long tracks that just don't sell here. Maybe the only real issue is that Yamaha seriously overestimated sales in just a few areas and are trying to dump those on dealers that don't want them.

Same here. About only thing my dealer could get out of the auctions was a MP!

 

[WillowAce]

Same here. About only thing my dealer could get out of the auctions was a MP!

Yup, there was a short spurt of sleds on the market right after the auction and now zelch. If I want to ride a Yamaha next year I either keep what I have, buy a Sidewinder, or buy a "basic as they come" Viper.

 

[74Nitro]

Yep doesn’t work for me or my buds we need dealer service and support. Lots of yammie riders don’t have time to wrench on sleds want the best tech out there turn the key gas and go. Park and do again next time without getting our hands dirty and willing to pay for expert service providers.

Well that's not happening and Yamaha isn't about to reverse course. They can't have a dealer less than 1/2 hour from everyone, it's just not possible. I remember Ford and GM doing this many years ago, reducing the amount of dealers, now I have to drive further, oh well, life goes on. I've learned to deal with it.