Yamaha's new sled requirements for the "POWER MONGERS&a

[ahicks]

<<<If Yamaha is so poor and every other sled is that much better why aren't you on another brand?>>>

Glad you asked.
The truth is I bought into their B.S. advertising suggesting this sled/suspension is capable of rough trail use (RTX).... a skid that was so poorly designed it's now hanging on the wall having been completely replaced by something that works... I now enjoy the sled big time thank you very much!

My eggs are not all in one basket though. I AM on another brand, as well as the Yammi. One that's at or near the top of IT'S class. A 600 HO Poo...

As far as not having to walk home, I can count on one hand the number of times I have been on the receiving end of a piece of rope, including after having run out of gas, in over 20 years on Polaris. Yammi is NOT the only sled with that reputation....that's NOT why I bought a Yammi.

Getting back on point, I agree with many others who have written above and in many other stings regarding this, that while Yammi was the "tits" with the only viable 4 stroke plan in town for a while, they need to move forward - or be run over by the competition. The ONLY way they'll be able to do that is to IMPROVE on state of the art, and the only way that's going to happen is to admit they are not state of the art. FWIW

 

[stevewithOCD]

I didn't think jds100 or ahicks were knocking Yamaha; just saying it's time to upgrade. In '06 & '07 I thought my '06 Apex was the best sled out there. Now the 2010 is almost exactly the same. I don't want a miracle , just do what we all know Yamaha is EASILY capable of doing. I didn't mind buying after-market ski's, re-calibrating shocks, adding 13mm stabilizer, after-market hand warmer gadget, new suspensions parts, & COUNTLESS hours on TTY trying to figure out how to make this thing work. Then i drove a 600 Cat & the headlights were perfect! Like KNAPP said from the beginning, " JUST DO SOMETHING" to keep me here. Yellow doesn't match my outfit or my blue Duramax, but they also make them in black!!!

 

[yamadoo]

My 'handle' on this site is Yamadoo, for a reason. I had been on Doo before my first Yamaha, before that I grew up Artic Cat. In the beginning and again recently I had a Poo's.

Why?

I like to pick the sled and the dealor who can meet my wants-performance, reliability, warranty, comfort ETC.........- and of course if all is close to equal the best bang for the buck.

In the 70's there really was HUGE differences in performance and reliabilty. Now some difference but much more subtle. Lets keep this as an informative construtive post and SITE so we can all learn and have fun.

I think my next sled will be a Yamaha, but the Doo's are really getting my attention. For now I have an APEX with a MOTOR that can make me smile anytime I even think of it. So I will stay with it, cause the rest (wt, ride, ski's etc) is all good - if not the best. But to date no sled has turned my head like the Apex line. My goal is 10 then 20 k miles OR a sled I actually want more than my Apex. I don't think I will buy new just for the Change.


MY 2 cents

 

[ahicks]

Yamadoo, well said, I couldn't agree more. Everything but the pre conceived notion my next sled wil be a Yammi. That piece of the decision will fall squarely where it may when, kinda as you say, I find the sled that I like so well I'm willing to part with the one I have - which I enjoy pretty much exactly as you do yours.

And I can't afford to change just to change! I really do have to make it justifiable...
FWIW

 

[kinger]

Just when your on the brink of getting a new sled, just add BOOST to your apex and voila new sled, and a ENTIRE new rhelm of riding!

After you do that and reliably put on 1000's of miles you'll think the shock work, suspension swaps, etc are fun because it just keeps transforming the sled.

I remember the viper I had I was stuck, the suspension sucked, the engine was good but I was limited to 150hp with triple pipes, iffy reliability and gas mpg like the tank had a hole in it.

With a 4 stroke it seems you can just keep customizing it and it gets better and better and better.

Yamaha 4 strokes aren't perfect for everyone but if you like power and perma grin from stabbing the throttle I have never seen a sled like a boosted yamaha.

 

[snowbeast]

Ya the doo is ok in handling at best compared to my 07 apex gt,but it is so much lighter that it causes it to move around when running lakes at top speed,something the yammis dont do,and as long as you like blowing belts try a doo,now i dont know how much improved the 1200 4 smoke is compared to the 08 800 xpx i had,but it would have to be lots better to get me back aboard a doo!!

 

[jds1000]

Ya the doo is ok in handling at best compared to my 07 apex gt,but it is so much lighter that it causes it to move around when running lakes at top speed,something the yammis dont do,and as long as you like blowing belts try a doo,now i dont know how much improved the 1200 4 smoke is compared to the 08 800 xpx i had,but it would have to be lots better to get me back aboard a doo!!

What did you expect? You went from probably one of the best most reliable engines ever made to a POS 2 stroke vibrator with carbs and a choke. Ski Doo 2 stroke engines were the no 1 reason I went to a 4 stroke Yamaha. I would never ever buy another 2 stroke after owning a 4 stroke. With the EPA regulations the 2 strokes get less and less reliable and more and more difficult to calibrate. As far as belt life goes all the big bore twin cylinder 2 strokes like to eat belts. I got over 5 thousand miles on my Apex belt and it still looked good. My 1200 has 3 thousand on it and the belt looks new. I think its because of how smooth the 4 strokes are and how huge the power band is that there is a lot less stress on the belts and clutching compared to inferior 2 stroke engines.

 

[KnappAttack]

A Ski-Doo two stroke wouldn't even make my radar anymore after owning a four-stroke machine. The four-stroke 1200 Doo is heads and shoulders better than their own 800 two-stroke in customer satisfaction. You can't compare an XP with the XR model. Everyone who has purchased a 1200 has been much happier with it after getting rid of the XP two-stroke.


All I'm asking from Yamaha is ride, handling, power, ergonomics and quietness that is on par with, or better than the Arctic Cat Turbo Z1 and Ski-Doo. This will not cost $20,000 or more. This is not to much to ask from a company that COULD blow them out of the water if they wanted to. All they have to do is take off the grannie panties and get a little bit aggressive. Make the engineers, bean counters, and product development people do their jobs or get fired for not getting it right. It's time to get aggressive and lead the pack. If they build the best, it is that much easier for marketing to sell them. It's high time they start riding the competition and acknowledging the areas Yamaha's falling short in. Even something as small as dimmer switch placement, come on Yamaha, bring it. I for one, want it all, and I want it now.

 

[Dano]

 

[KnappAttack]

I'm not wanting to throw boost on anything anymore. I want a factory hod rod with a warranty.


I don't see any machine out there thats perfect. That is why I'm asking Yamaha to build one.

The Cat is close but is a little heavy and can't transmit all the power the engine has. The problem lies in the diamond drive and it's inefficient clutches because of the diamond drive design element.

The Ski-Doo is very close but lacking the power.

The Yamaha is close but is lacking ride, handling, and ergonomics compared to Cat and Ski-Doo.

Then there is Polaris, well there not even in the ballpark with a decent four-stroke.

 

[stevewithOCD]

jds1000: Do you own a 1200 'Doo? If so what's your opinion of it? I don't trust my die hard friends' yellow blooded opinion...

 

[yamadoo]

Knapp again I agree - why they don't angle the dimmer switch toward the thumb so we can easily hit it. Seems so awkward every time I have to think about it rather than it just being easy. that is such a small thing butt it would be improvement.

Like guys have said I love the sled, that does not make it perfect.


Yamado

 

[Banks93]

He's right, 1200 weighed less than doo claimed by about 8 lbs if I remember correctly. The Yamaha's all weighed around 35-40 lbs. more than claimed. right out of one of the mags, don't ask me which one though. I like jds1000 input. He is honest and calls it like it is. If we could ever get Benji back here he'd tell you how much he likes his Doo also. Same as Ted Jannetty will tell you, the Doo is the finest machine he's ever ridden. Yamaha had best notice these things and start putting the miles on the Yellow equipment and taking notes if they want to stay completive. We need some different equipment fast! Bountyhunter, I'm a bit biased towards blue too, I just don't like to rule out any of the others.

Even you came back from Cat to Yamaha pretty quick. Every sled has its good and bads and like others have said in previous posts. I will take the needing new skies and making adjustments to small things then worrying about my engine.

 

[Banks93]

When I buy a Yamaha product. I am buying a reliable product that I know is going to last. When I buy one of the other brands I don't have that reliability.

Yamaha motorcycles, boats, jet skies, 4 wheelers, dirt bikes all have one thing in common and that is the reliability factor when you buy it.


How about the 1600cc SHO jet ski motor in the snowmobile?

 

[leepster]

a 144" track apex would be awesome