Looking at Yamaha Exiting The Snowmobile Industry
ฝัง
- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 14 มิ.ย. 2024
- Yamaha Motor Corporation Japan and its affiliates Yamaha Motor Canada (YMCA) and Yamaha Motor Corporation USA Jointly announced their intention to exit the snowmobile business.
While the 2024 model year will be the final available production in Europe, North America’s final production year will be the 2025 model year.
This news comes as a substantial shock and disappointment to the entire snowmobile market. Yamaha has been manufacturing snowmobiles since 1968 with its introduction of the SL350.
While sales in North America remained relatively healthy, global influences as result of Europe withdrawing and sanctions limiting the product supply to Russia weighed heavily into the overall global business outlook.
It is not yet known what the long-term impact of this move will be on Arctic Cat Inc. in Thief River Falls, Minnesota. Arctic Cat has been the snowmobile chassis supplier to Yamaha since MY 2012.
Yamaha supplies a significant number of engines to Arctic Cat for use in both their own and Arctic Cat snowmobiles, all of which are built in Thief River Falls, Minnesota.
Initial reports are that Yamaha is committed to fulfilling the contractual obligations as the engine supplier for 4-Stoke equipped Arctic Cat snowmobiles.
In the short term it is business as usual for Yamaha snowmobile dealers with production of MY 2024 models in full force. Included with this release is Yamaha’s release to consumers and the industry, as well as answers to a number of FAQs. - ยานยนต์และพาหนะ
Sad day. Regardless on what you ride… it’s a sad day.
I am a poo guy and yes this is very sad
It’s gonna be wierd in a couple years when everybody’s saying “the big three” when referring to sleds
It is sad and I ride Arctic Cat. Also sad how I'm in my 30's and I'm still a young snowmobiler.
Yes it is:(
Very sad...wish it was brp garbage instead
RIP Yamaha; 1st sled I ever rode (at age 5) was my Dad's '79 Enticer 250, fond memories of that machine. 😢
Snowmobile sales in general have become a fraction of the sales for many of these companies compared to UTVs and other power sports. With the extremely high cost of a snowmobile it’s very hard to justify spending that much money and hoping you actually get to use it as opposed to spending that same amount of money on a UTV and using it every day of the year if you want to. I live in northern Wisconsin, and so many people I know have gone away from snowmobiling and into UTVs because of that. I still love to snowmobile but having one good year and two bad years for riding can’t justify the money-spent on a new sled anymore.
100% agree. The snowmobile market is getting smaller and smaller. I think people forget Yamaha is a giant corporation. For comparison it’s about 8 times the size of BRP. They have divisions that make more money that BRP as a company. Even if Yamaha held market share for snowmobiles it would still probably be their least profitable division.
100% agree on this one. Could have not said its better.
Lol Yamaha isn’t even close to 8 times the size of Bombardier. Yamaha Corporation’s revenue was $2.76 billion USD.
Bombardier was $6.9 billion USD. So unless your comparing Yamaha Corporation to just BRP recreational then maybe it’s “ 8 times larger “. But that’s not a apples to apples comparison…
@@jesusislord6773according to Forbes Yamaha has a net worth of approximately 16 billion USD. Apparently, more than one company has the the initials of BRP. After looking up Bombardier Recreational Products specifically it appears their net worth is 5.9 billion USD. My bad… You appear to be comparing Yamaha’s yearly profit revenue to BRP’s net worth, which are completely different things.
You're so right about the inconsistency with the winters! We don't get many good winters out in SE South Dakota up until last year.
My 2011 Apex has 20K miles on it, and my 2023 Sidewinder has 1K miles on it ! I'm going to be 69 next riding season, so I'm good for life! I also have a 1990 Yamaha VMax 1200 Motorcycle and it still runs great! Besides I'm a retired mechanic, and Yamaha's keep on running! Some have gone over 100 K Miles!
In the 1980's Yamaha with the Enticers, Exciters, and Phazers they were the market share leader. The build quality, fit & finish and reliability is top notch on Yamaha snowmobiles.
that is what you lose with arctic cat, polaris and even skidoo. fit and finish is gone, reliability is gone... skidoo might have me with the 900ace
I remember my buddy had an enticer.i had a 440 el tigre.had lots of fun.
I agree. My dad had a 340 Enticer and I bought a used 300 Enticer. Both had reliable motors, easy to fix/replace parts. The Ovation that came along later was a different story..
Still is. Sad they left
I should have added that I was out of snowmobiling for 20+ years and back in 2015 a friend of mine talked me into getting back into it. So I bought a 1997 Yami Vmax 700 triple and although the suspension darn near killed my back I fell in love with sledding again. The triple was, even today, the sweetest sounding sled I have owned. I am now a Cat owner and look forward to the new Catalyst but my heart will always be with Yami for bringing back to the sport
Those red headed Tripple's always had a distinct sound, especially when piped! My 96 800 V-max4 sounded great through a set of Bender pipe's!..from Wyoming USA 🇺🇸 👋🤠
I just bought my first snowmobile, a 2008 Yamaha venture mp. It has 12000kms and runs great. 15 years old and still has many years remaining. I bought it because I've had Yamaha everything else and wanted a small four stroke.
My first sled was a 12 Elan, second an 82 Bravo 250, third an 81 ET340, forth an 87 Exciter 570, fifth an 93 Exciter II 570 SX, sixth an 97 V-Max 4 800 MountainMax, seventh an 09 FxNytro and got the 24 SRX on order. Plus an 16 SRX 120 and an 19 Snoscoot for my Granddaughter, an 81 ET300 and an 00 VT600 for my daughter. Loved that Bravo, had lots of fun and never looked at anything other than a Yamaha since. Still have the V-Max and Nytro, won't be selling these anytime soon.
This is indeed a sad moment. We were better with them than without them. Their innovation and quality leaves an indelible mark on all of us, along with the industry.
It smarts a little bit too much right now considering that this represents not only my favorite powersport, but to me, it’s so much more than just that.
As the old saying goes, “When one door closes, another opens.”
I want to look at the future with hope and inspiration for what can be.
It’s true that there’s great hope! The technology and innovation that has grown by so many leaps and bounds over time through the industry is truly inspiring for all to witness. We all will forever remember that Yamaha is a big reason why we are blessed with such gifts and developments in our sport today…
If the aftermarket would make cheaper engines for the 2 stroke. You are head and bottom end every 5000 miles!!!
The top end and pistons are $3000 and so is the bottom
$6000; these engines should be $1000
@bunsdad
They are pricing consumers out.
@@douglasborgaro6801 maybe but if something lasts three times longer it ends up being cheaper.
@bunsdad
That’s truth.
Remember the Phazer……one of the best sleds ever made
What's amazing to me is that the Fit and finish of the late 80s and 90s snowmobiles still hasn't been equalled! Ski doo is close but the paint and engineering of those older Yammies were incredible....
What's crazy is when Yamaha was dominating in these departments as you say, their prices were still comparable to the competition. The last 10 years they are more comparable to a mid-sized sedan than any other snowmobile.
@shperax not really, every brand has lost their minds at the top end. You can price out all 3 major brands to be the same price as the SRX for instance and yet still do not deliver the performance.
@@canucktheory3271 have you looked at the prices? Yamaha doesn't carry any adult snowmobile under 21k and their top ones are 27k. No one else is remotely close to those prices.
My 2024 Assault Boost was $23k with options. I’m fortunate to not worry about putting a price on fun but man sleds are expensive. It never was an inexpensive sport but new sleds are getting crazy. Won’t be long till we’re over $30k
Leolist gatineau
82 et 250 my grandfather gave me his ride and bought a new one for himself. 7 yrs old,was awesome. Owned many other Yamahas. 4 zinger,rt100, banshee,600sx,bigbear 350, thank you Yamaha!!!
Our Families first sleds were ‘77 Yamaha Enticers (one red with a 250 and one white with a twin 300. Bought brand new). Back then we looked to Yamaha for innovation in the industry. Somewhere along the line (maybe around 2000) they lost that and other brands took over innovating chassis, design and features. Sad day for sure.
I just bought a 2011 Yamaha. My first. I absolutely love that sled I've been driving dues the whole time
Unfortunately Yamaha shot themselves in the foot years ago when they decided to build only 4 Strokes. I was a snowmobiler for 28 years, and always rode Polaris, but I always wanted a Yamaha sled but never did because of the weight of the 4 stroke. I have switched from Snowmobiling to Personal Watercraft, and now ride a 2023 Yamaha Waverunner which I love!! Yamaha is an Amazing Company and I think we will see some exciting things to come in there other markets!!
Switching to a Waverunner is rough on the icy lakes here in Wisconsin.
My first sled was a 1972 Yamaha GP 292 that could hang with many 340s and 400s of the time.
My first sled was a Yamaha Bravo. Beat that thing to death and it still started up every day.
The love of vintage Yamaha's runs deep. I revive them on my TH-cam channel. I can't stop buying them!
Putting the Yamaha name on Arctic Cat sleds was the end. No surprise there.
1st sled…’82 Bravo. I was happy when on that thing.❤️
Your comment on the parts supply is incorrect. There is no 10 year law rule to supply parts. The manufacture only has to supply parts up until the warranty period runs out, this applies to the auto industry or any motorized industry to that fact. If Yamaha's extended warranty is for 3 years then that's as long as they have to supply parts for. Just a note, there are some private or aftermarket warranty companies offering 4 and 5 year extended warranties. So buyers should be ware and not get talked into those contracts.
It makes me sad to see such an amazing brand drop out of the sled market. I have always been a Yamaha fan and owner of multiple pieces of their equipment. They could've made the sled market into something much more than it was.
Agreed.
When they shoehorned their awesome Yamaha motor in a A cat chassis, it sealed the deal. Yamaha stopped innovating and I'm sure it helped do them in. I loved my Yamaha 4 stroke sleds, but switched to Ski Doo years ago, could see the writing on the wall. RIP Yamaha sleds. Sad for the industry for sure!
Had an Exciter for 9 years...no issues. Bought a 95' V-max and sold it in 2021....once again NO issues, never left me stranded, no parts needed and thousands of miles in the far north.
i will def buy the last year yamaha sled
Thanks for the report and insight.
Their 100% bet on 4 strokes years ago did them in
Sad day for the industry. I had an 80 sr-v for years that was super fun and reliable, was my first snowmobile. Afterwards I moved onto the Polaris XLT, and my friend had a VMAX 700 I always found that we were always swapping sleds as we preferred each other's. I then moved onto the 4 stroke with a 08 phaser mtx and turbo'd it. Still going strong after 15 years 30k km. Had the valve set at 25000 ish km but never left me stranded I don't think I would ever buy another sled. Unless it was an apex or nytro or sxviper
So glad that i bought my dream sled this spring, the Sidewinder Ltx Gt. These news made me sad, but i'm so happy i made the decision to go for the sled now that i can afford it.
I have my first snowmobile 2002 viper 700 triple, and pumped that i have a sidewinder on the way for the coming season! But super devastated being a diehard Yamaha guy
I think the sidewinder is the only sled in the business that’s not hated and universall loved
When BRP stopped making Evinrude they became worthless it’s hard to sell a boat with Evinrude on it now. I can’t see anyone purchasing a Yamaha now that the end is near.
Not surprising, unfortunately. In Western WA and BC where I ride, the only Yamahas I see are either vintage or highly modified four stroke turbos mountain sleds (and both of those types are rare). At any of the Yamaha dealers in my area you’ll rarely see a Yamaha snowmobile for sale and the last one I saw at the dealer I visit regularly was a VX540 which sat on the floor for almost a year. Yamaha just didn’t innovate and wasn’t positioned to competitive with its dated product range (when compared with the continuously improving offerings from SkiDoo and Polaris). Lynx’s entry into North America certainly couldn’t have helped. I suspect Arctic Cat cannibalized some Yamaha market share as well. Lastly, the global snowmobile market contracted by 4.5% in 2023 according to IMSA which is mostly attributable to a steep decline in Russia but almost all markets were either flat or dropped, too. In the US sales have largely flat since 2010 and have been flat over the same period in Canada. When a markets are is decline, the smallest competitor always feels the pain the worst. Yamaha’s exit is not good for the snowmobiling industry and a big bummer for Yamaha fans.
First sled as well. SL292 single cylinder. Put tons of miles going back and forth in our hay field. Sad day for Yamaha. I hope they can fulfill all the 2025 orders. There's going to be a lot of people wanting their last year production sleds.
Scorpion, Whip,Coleman, MotoSki, Rupp, Mercury, Snojet, hold your breath. Friend had a 433GPX so fun.
In 1985 my first ride was in 3 lakes Wisconsin on a Skidoo that introduced me to the sport. Fell in love and I bought a used 1985 Yamaha SRV then a 1987 (best year ever) Vmax then a 1988 Exciter deluxe. Then - married and 4 kids, I still have the 88 Exciter that looks great, but man I miss the Vmax. Anyway always been a Yamaha fan and it pains me to hear this. Polaris, Skidoo, Arctic Cat = all good but with Yamaha pushing innovation we are going to miss them big time. It's the FJB sign of the times.
I miss my 83 V-Max also, what a fast trail burner
I had SnoJet with a Yamaha engine and other Yamaha snowmobiles. They always run strong very dependable. I'm into motorcycles now. Had a Kawasaki, Victory and Harleys. I been riding a 2007 Road Star 1700 racking up dependable miles. I'll keep buying those good used Yamaha cruiser bikes you can't go wrong with them.
I do hope the collab between Arctic Cat and Yamaha continues. My first sled was a 74 Yamaha 249. Second sled was a 78 Enticer 250. I also have a soft spot for Arctic Cat and they make some good products. I really hope Textron doesn’t butcher Arctic Cat any more than they have and help them at least continue to make quality products. Most people don’t need top of the line, but rather want affordable products that last.
Me and my brothers models (that i can remember) = SRV 540, Exciter II, ET250, Excel V, VMax-4 750ST, XTC700, 2xBR250, Venture MP, Viking II, Nytro XTX, Viper XTX & Transporter 400.
Thank you Yamaha, for 30 years of great winter memories ❄
Awesome comments on the loss of the iconic Yamaha sleds guys....thanks for sharing
Sad day my old GP 338 and SL 396 were awesome sleds.
I grew up on Yamaha sleds. We had a snow sport and a scoot. As well as an enticer. Rode them well into the woods on deep ice fishing adventures with my father. Sad day in the sport
Thank you for this update. Remember well those '70s era Yamahas. And then there were 3 😔
Honestly this is surprising with the amount of Sidewinders I see on the trails.
I still remember the ads in the early "70s when Yamaha introduced oil injection..."we leave the competition shaking in their boots" and there was a hapless fellow shaking his jerry can to mix the oil and gas. A sad day in the snowmobile industry to be sure as one of the greats backs out. I never owned a Yamaha but you had to respect the quality of the machine. I've always had Ski-doo's and I'm here to say that they should have failed long before many of the other companies but I believe their huge dealer network kept them alive where others failed. Rupp, Chapperal, Scorpion, are some of the names that quickly come to mind that failed when they had superior sleds. It seems that being the best doesn't always guarantee success and this could possibly be said about Yamaha.
Still can't beat the raw HP of a Yamaha 4-stroke. Everyone else needed turbo to get to Yamaha NA 4-stroke numbers. Hope they come back one day, out of the blue, with new chassis and Yamaha power/reliability inside.
A comeback wound be incredible. Bring back a new Yamaha-built platform and a Yamaha-built 2-stroke engine.
even in the area where i live, wich is considered one of the holy grail places for snowmobilers, there is a lot less snow than in the past. there is even winters where there is so little snow, that snowmobile season is almost ruined. i had a brand new 1997 vmax 4 800 that had bender racing pipes, clutch kit and agressive tunnel and track upgrades. i had flames painted on the hood. i was the king of the trails. the 80's and 90's were glorious years for yamaha. my friend uncle won the harricana raid on a vk540.
My 2004 rx1 has lasted 20 years and it will probably last another 20 years. Very upsetting news. Yamaha has being a very reliable snowmobile for decades. The only thing i wont miss are the people who bash yamaha about their heavy, underpowered and poor handling sleds. Times have sure changed in the industry. Who will exit the business next? Thanks snowtrax for the informative presentation. And thank you yamaha for giving us exceptional snowmobile products.
Glad I have my 700 triple...never gonna let it go!
I miss the sound of the piped 700 I had
My first sled was an ET 340, which I got from my great grandfather when I was 9. Yamaha made many of us love snowmobiles for the rest of our lifes.
The reliability of Yamaha and "Indy"pendent suspension were sure game changers in the industry. Around that same time we also saw a huge number of companies exit the business. It's been cool to see the industry progress and change but also a little sad. Your dad should do an episode on innovation from manufacturers of the past! My first sled was a 1972 Evinrude Skeeter. Opposed cylinders, reed valves, electric start, reverse and room for a body under the seat. God forbid you got that all steel body and wide track stuck though (I walked home a few times to get help). Chapparal, Rupp, Scorpion, Sno-Jet, Mercury, John-Deere, etc. I think my old snowmobile repair manual had a hundred manufacturers.
I have a 2006 Apex GT and a 2013 Apex XTX. I stopped buying Yamaha snowmobiles when they went to the Cat chassis. I had my first Yamaha at age 7. It's the only brand I've ridden for 47 years. I'm 54 now and extremely disappointed to hear they are getting out of the snowmobile industry. I wont ride any other brand.
Man i feared this for years, just hate to see the sled industry slowly get smaller and smaller.
What will this mean for keeping our old yammy 2 stroke triple sleds on the trail with parts supply?
Mom and dad brought home a brand new 79 340 deluxe I was a happy 9 year old kid ... that's when Connecticut would get good snow
Had a 85 SRV back in the day , great sled that never ever let me down !
And I think an another underlying reason why they're getting out. Is the fact that the snow isn't what it used to be either. Winters have been really unconsistent in the last 10 years at least in the midwest.
That's rough. By no means am i arguing your claim but i'm a midwest Canadian and we seem to be getting plenty for the past few years. Had our last group ride on Easter weekend this past year.
@TheCheesewalrus yeah down here in the mitten we haven't gotten a full winter in years. Like snow on the ground. From December to March. It all melts then comes back melts and comes back over and over again.
I agree! Winters have sucked for the past 15 years up here in the north east in upstate NY.
@caseysellner3163 @kevinbennett6347 not the new i wanted to hear fellas. this year supposedly being an "El Nino" year might make it yet another tough year
Nova scotia canada is the same way, we got about two weeks worth of sledding the last few winters, then the snow was gone.
If you want to go sledding you need to truck it to new brunswick now, they're still getting lots of snow.
Thanks SnowTrax for the July post and industry updates. Also, Ski-doo thankfully took their boot off the neck of Arctic Cat with the whole Pyramidal lawsuit a couple years ago. Ski-doo sees what you were talking about with market share. As I have mentioned on other forums, as sled-heads, we all need to keep spending money on the sport we love to keep it strong.
I found the entire you sue me I sue you fiasco incredibly selfish for the industry. It only wound up hurting everyone in the end. Fact: In the late 1960s when several manufacturers started copying the Arctic Cat slide rail suspension that they invented and held patents on, Edgar Hetteen decided to not pursue lawsuits because he felt it would do more damage than good. By the way, Ski Doo helped itself to this technology. We all laughed about that back then. But with sales pushing a half million units in the industry the pie was big enough to feed everyone. Today I’m teaching kids in my day job who don’t know what a snowmobile is. The markets shrunk that bad. Maybe that’s what’s driving the suits. Like buzzards picking at a carcass.
It's sad. I ride Ski-Doo now but grew up in the 80's riding a 340 Exciter and my dad's old Artic Cat Cheetah. Last sled i bought new was a 99 Yamaha VMAX 500sx. Was hoping to see them come back with 2-stroke Trail Sled again would of been good to see
I think Yamaha Snowmobiles have priced themselves out of the Industry.. The snowmobile industry has been so expensive for so long and Yamaha has been the most expensive..
My experience with Yamaha was that I bought a Kawasaki Jet Ski and my friends had Yamaha.. Mine was always breaking so I bought a Yamaha and it did not break down and it was fast..
The first snowmobile that I bought was an Arctic Cat that was a 2 stroke.. I think it was a 580 fuel injection.. I think it was a 1994.. Absolutely no suspension.. In 2010 I bought a 2006 Yamaha Attak that had 1800 miles on it.. I knew that I was going to be putting a lot of miles on it and I did.. My normal ride was 200 miles a day.. The thing was amazing.. I want to say I had 6000 miles on it when I got rid of it.. I might have even put more miles on it.. Not sure and I wasn't worried about putting too many miles on it..
My family owned a motel on The Eagle River Chain of Lakes and we would have people stay at our place with Yamaha outboards.. I really wanted to get one..
If I got into motorcycling I would get a Yamaha or even if I got a four wheeler/ATV/UTV..
I have 2 electric guitars but if I were to get an acoustic or a keyboard I would get Yamaha..
I have been looking into Ebikes and I now see that Yamaha are making motors for them.. Ebikes are going in so many directions right now that I think it is best just to wait..
But yes I would say that I am Yamaha for life..
Hey guys want to put a shout out to you boys .Watch a lot of your video's especially the Quebec rides ( I get a season pass and ride Quebec a lot ) and some of my fondest memories saddle bag riding up there was on my Yamaha Venture . Great comfortable ride with 3 speed settings, power steering , long track and adjustable back rest .Sad day for sure. But keep up the great video's and appreciate your independent reviews
Thank you very much!
Why didn't AC leave a tiny bit of room in the Catalyst to allow room for a 4-stroke motor? Seems odd they didn't.
Catalyst is built as a mountain snowmobile first (following Polaris design) to be the lightest of the market. Ski-Doo is trying to do the same but they are still to heavy. All 2 strokes design frames. How many 4 strokes Polaris are there?....
Mountain market drives the market today. Which really irritates us old time East riders. So we buy 90 s and 2000s classics and restomod the heck out of them.
Love my 2013 Nytro. Its got the RACE front subframe & suspension. I put an aftermarket rear suspension in it (EXPERT X). It handles great and is fun to ride. At 59 years old, it'll be my last
I’ve been born and raised on Yamaha. One of my goals was to buy a brand new Yamaha someday, but being only 17 and focusing on growing a business, I can’t be spending that kind of money. It saddens me that I will never own a brand new Yamaha snowmobile. However, I will always own one, on top of maybe picking up one of those catalysts someday 😉
Just got a ZR7000, i'll have it for the rest of my riding days likely
Edgar Hetteen, who was described by the Snowmobile Hall of Fame in St. Germain, Wisconsin as the father of the snowmobile, David Johnson, and Edgar's brother Allan Hetteen were partners in Hetteen Hoist and Derrick in Roseau, Minnesota. Edgar had dropped out of school after the eighth grade in 1934. David Johnson and company employees Paul Knochenmus and Orlen Johnson, who was the first person to ride a Polaris, decided to create a vehicle that could travel through snow. These vehicles' primary use was to make hunting locations more accessible. David Johnson and several employees created the prototype in 1954 while Edgar was on a business trip. Edgar returned to Roseau to discover the snow machine and was furious the employees had used their time and company resources on the machine. This first machine used a grain silo conveyor belt as a track, a Briggs and Stratton motor, and an old Chevy bumper for skis. Edgar was skeptical of its value, and the No. 1 sled was soon sold to Roseau lumberyard owner "Silver Pete" H.F. Peterson for $465 in order to meet company payroll.
Where can I find a pulser coil and cdi box for a 77 ex440a . Thanks for any info !
As a diehard yammie fan this is incredibly sad. Had a '02 SX Viper and currently own a 09 nytro xtx. Never had a hitch with either with regards to engine. Hands down the most reliable machines put on the snow. Maybe they should have stuck with 2 strokes or maybe made ONE 4 stroke model for racing. Seriously contemplating buying a last year model. Hopefully they'll focus on making a 2 cylinder grizzly now who knows lol.
A 2cyl Griz is long overdue
I have a 2009 nytro XTX. Love it , I did most upgrades to the suspension. The thing rails on the trail.
Great job Luke and AJ. I appreciate you guys calling it like it is. Things change in life. Deal with it and move forward. Am I disappointed in this news regarding Yamaha leaving the SnoMo Biz? Yes I am. But after talking to my dealer recently I'm all in to order a 2025 Yamaha.
Thank you!
I was always hoping for the VK540 to get the four stroke twin from the Phazer with maybe a bump in displacement. Keep the good fuel economy but have a few extra ponies on tap. Guess the ol '99 VK gonna get some more love, new fan belt, maybe some new rings, good for another 20 years then.
they had prototypes of the vk with one or 2 new motors but never got out.
I learned how to ride on a 1988 Yamaha Phazer. It had a massive 116" track.😂 I miss that lil sled!
I've never owned a sled less than 12 years old, but they have all been yammies! My 77 and 93 Exciters are still running strong. Hopefully in 10-15 years I can pick up a 23-25 SRX for a good deal that will last the rest of my life thereafter... But something tells me those sleds are going to be collector items!
V-Max 4 & Yamaha Phazer were legends!
What a shame. Yamaha built the highest quality sleds on the snow. They may not have been the fastest or lightest, but the fit and finish and reliability were second to none.
living here in st,cloud, local news about artic cat from nov -dec, "The St. Cloud Economic Development Authority is purchasing back almost 18 acres of land in the Interstate 94 business park from Artic Cat.Artic Cat purchased the 17.9 acres in 2016 for $894,000, according to Mehelich. However, there was a credit applied to the sale, so the amount of money that exchanged hands − $567,500 − is the proposed purchase price for the EDA to buy the land back.. do an internet search.
Wow, I will.
Alot of folks in my area call them Waverunners.
My Bought a 1973 Yamaha Snowmobile it was SW433C it had a low neutral high gear change next to centrifugal clutch. I was 7 years old, 10 years later I was going though belts (2) my Dad and I sold machine my Friend bought the Snowmobile 1986 couple weeks later he diagnosed the problem Clutch bearing. He knew Guy who made bearings and got one. Friend got lot more years out of it.
My Dad suspected that clutch bearing but in shop manual said it was sealed and lubricated never needed servicing.
Years suspect bogie wheels put those were fine.
I had great times on my Yamaha my friends on their Artic Cats.
My Yamaha had oil injection so I could pull into gas station filler up they had mix gas/oil, most of time at home.
It is a sad day to see such an iconic brand move on. I remember my first brand new snowmobile purchase was the 1984 Phazer. Silver and blue and ran for years. It was bullet proof. We had added an Enticer 250 to the stable as well. So reliable. Our last Yamaha was a Venture 4 stroke 2up which we dubbed our Cadillac snowmobile. We run Skidoos which are pretty amazing and very close if not on par with Yamaha quality.
My first sled was an 85 Phazer, couldn’t kill it!
I hope they use the Vmax-4 moniker one last time on their close-out year with the same graphics as the 1992 model. 🤞
Covid really screwed up Japan. Honda, Yamaha, Suzuki, and Kawi motorcycles have been few and far between having very few models siting on the showroom floor. Compare this to KTM/Husky/GasGas and you'll see they are cranking out bikes. I hope this turns around.
Even tho I never had a Yamaha I have a memory of one. 20+ years ago my friends Dad bought a Vmax-4. I was riding with the Dad (the dude was crazy and loved speed) who was smoking a cigarette while riding. A couple miles up the trail he stopped and the cigarette was curved back around towards his face almost touching his cheek. It was the funniest thing ever lol
This gonna have a big impact. I'm just hoping this will not last long. Look at cat. They pretty much stopped everything for like 2 seasons and finally started up production again. I know it's completely different then this but I'm hoping yamaha will come back maybe around 2030 once they see the demand for them. I don't even rode yamaha sleds but I always loved them and I have a dirtbike from them. I just hope they bring it back one day
I’ve never owned a Yamaha sled. I’ve ridden tons of them and always liked them but never enough to purchase one.
I started out on a 69 Scorpion! lol I then had 2 Arctic Cats, Panther, 340 El Tigre. Then 3 Yamahas. An Exciter 1 then an Exciter 2 then a V Max 600. I did like the reliability and comfort of the Yamahas. I liked the Exciter 2 for its nimbleness but the V Max was a bit faster. I last road a sled in 2008 and have been in Hawaii for the last 9 years. I really miss riding!
The whipit, is what we referred to the whip as, grew up on one to
Snowtrax has no equal when it comes to delivering the best snowmobiling content on the internet. Thanks so much for the great content year after year!
Its really sad to see Yamaha exit the industry in such a slow and painful fashion. The industry needs MORE manufacturers, and to see Yamaha fade off into the sunset is a big blow to the snowmobiling community despite their limited success over the last decade. Competition drives innovation and we all lose when losing yet another sled manufacturer. With only three remaining companies running the entire industry, I hope they begin to treat each other with more respect and less frivolous lawsuits on one another because the consumers need these few remaining brands more than ever now.
Thank you very much! It does leave a gaping hole for Lynx to climb into in the North American marketplace. Hopeful that BRP will allow Lynx to flourish.
@@snowtrax It'd be awesome to see Lynx further diversify their North American product line to include more models, engine choices, etc..! Its a great opportunity. On the flip side, its sounding like Taiga has a really tough road ahead of them.
@@bedlambikes Rode the RAVE RS 600 in March this year. What an awesome piece of equipment. Hoping it lands in North America soon...
will the price of yamaha sleds go up since they wont be making anymore you think?
5 years ago, I was at a friend's backyard BBQ and one guy there was Yamaha rep he told us back then that Yamaha was exiting the snowmobile business and it all started when Yamaha started using Arctic Cat bodies. I didn't believe him at the time but he said Yamaha was going to focus more on marine products because unlike snowmobiles, marine products are sold everywhere on the planet. As good as my viper engine is, I believe Yamaha cut off their own foot when they abandoned 2-stroke engines years ago because a vast majority of the market couldn't afford or justify the 4-stroke purchase cost.
Always wanted a yamacatalpha.
Such a sad day! I collect vintage sleds and Yamahas are my favorite. The Exciters,Srx,SS,Srv and enticers are second to none. I kept waiting for a new Yamaha chassis to drop but I knew once they closed the r and d facilities in Northern Wi that it would never happen. All good things must come to an end and I’m sure glad I got to enjoy Yamaha snowmobiles for most of my life.
Look back to sno-mo market share in 1984 model year Interesting
I always wondered why they went full 4 stroke. I think they made a mistake. The 2000 era triple motors were good up against the twins. They could have been ahead of the curve.
Sad day. Still won't see me in a skidoo anytime soon. I'll still with my arctic cat
My first sled was the Yamaha bravo 240 or 250 can’t remember the cc’s but either way that was almost 40 years ago and in my opinion is still the most fun and reliable sled ever made. Very sad news to hear about Yamaha snowmobiles.
It’s definitely sad to hear. I’ve only owned “vintage” sleds. Primarily Polaris but I have owned a few of the old Yamaha Phazers and I was always amazed at how well they performed in powder and how well they ran. The power to weight ratio was awesome. Yamaha has always produced a fantastic sled and it’s sad they’re going away all together
I was once one of the tuning faithful for everything not just the sleds. Raced and road Brad the phaser 2 and the exciter SX, both great sleds especially the SX! They slowly quit innovating at this time frame, last still running a mechanical brake, no exhaust valves ( seriously motocross and MotoGP tech? Winningest manufacturer in history!?) then for the 94 year went all in again on obsolete strut front sus. On vmax chassis. I still soldiered on! But the final nail in the proverbial coffin was in 97, Yamaha copied a trailing arm front suspension/ chassis?……. I’M OUT! It was around this time I got to try a buddy’s ZRT 600 triple special in long track ! The triple power was crazy, but I was more impressed with handling, FOX shocks were bottomless! But the WILWOOD brake was spectacular!! 1-2 fingers operate ? Amazing! I was done with tuning forks at that point! However I was still hoping after all these years after seeing the Catalyst: that Yamaha would press forward and lead the industry once again with an all new chassis and engines in next few? To no avail? Many great memories of my youth riding Yamahas! Thanks R.I.P.
I dont think Lynx yet offers Commander on US market? Perfect touring snowmobile. Better than Expedition at least. ;)
The very first snowmachine I ever rode was a Yamaha Bravo. I came back to them as a snowmachine customer during their transition to 4-strokes. The motors were amazing but the weight and especially the horrible handling of the Nytro did me in. My VK540 is an excellent work sled, so glad I bought one in ‘20.
But, this is hardly a big loss. Yamaha is only selling blue Arctic Cats at this point. Sure, you are getting a Yamaha motor in a few models but it’s the same thing as when Dodge introduced the Cummins diesel in their early 90’s pick ups. An excellent motor with a sh!tbox wrapped around it. Yamaha and reliability are a joke with the Cat models. They lost and continued to lose what few customers they had when they went to the production agreement with Cat. They chose the path to obscurity back in ‘14 with the Viper debacle.
I think the transition to 4 strokes only is what did them in. If they kept 2 stroke options, I bet it would have been different.
@@sled_neckx9972 Four stroke only was a dumb move on their part. The fact that they wouldn’t admit they made a mistake and revisit the decision was poor management. All they had to do is say, “Oooh, check this out, we developed a low emissions 2-stroke based off our outboard motor technology.“ They’d have saved face and continued to sell Japanese built sleds.
Looking back on it all the end came right after the Nytro release. They quit with R&D and kept selling the same sleds year after year with no significant changes until they gave up and partnered with Cat to build their sleds. Selling YamaCats lost much of the brand loyalty they had with their small bases of true blue customers. The Sidewinder should have been released as a Japanese build Yamaha sled called the Shogun and restored excitement into their sled line up again.
Hmmm, looking like the boat outboard industry. Only three big players, Merc, Yamaha and Suzuki. BRP pulled the Evinrude/Johnson line. There is a point where profits are the deciding factor regardless of public demand. I think we will soon see some boat manufactures starting to exit because of cost and plain old gluttony. Too many boats and cost is outrageously high. I was planning on a new sled this season, but at $20 grand, I chose a new enclosed trailer instead and will maintain what I currently own (3 ski doo's). I'll miss Yamaha sleds, but they were always out of my price range.
You didn't mention Tohatsu, which is the 2nd largest outboard mfg. in the world. Not to mention they make lower h.p. Mercury models also and 2 strokes for other world markets
That reminds me, I gotta get my piano tuned
I dont blame them. Hard selling 20k snowmobiles when riding season is 2 months long in most places these days. Family of 3, 3-20k sleds, 15k trailer, 3 k riding gear, truck trailer and sled maintenance! Thats almost 80k to ride 2 months! Thats alot more than i paid for 25 acres of land!