[6000 ZR RR]

My last Yamaha (yamacat) was a 2016 LE Viper 137 in the procross chassis . It was a great motor, very nice ride, handled terrible with stock skis. Reverse actuator failed more than it worked, chain case being part of the oil revisor and such was a engineering wet dream. Had it reflashed twice because of back fires and hot starts where a no go! I could go on. The Cat DNA was just too much for me .. I tolerated it for two years and sold it. Still have my Apex with M 10 that I hop once in a while and ride and smile. It’s an 07 RTX ... knocking on 20,000 miles.

That's fine. I have never owned a 4 stroke and never plan to. Pro Cross since 2015. Zero issues with any of them other than first sleds needing scratchers. Motors are tight. Will only own Cat. Dealer is top notch and the brand has never let me down. Different experiences is all.

 

[Boom2]

While I’m reading this thread, I’m constantly getting YAMAHA snowmobile adds on the right hand side of my screen. I guess their still in it. I don’t think they have ideas of getting out of this setup with Cat. They keep them available for year round Yamaha customers. I’m in a summer resort area and we have many that have sleds, atv’s and Yami powered boats and PWC’s. Things may change when this deals ends but I think you will find Yamaha sleds in some configuration.

 

[fastkatz41c]

As Ron mentioned above, Yamaha supplied very minimal product quantities to the dealers for their 2023 sled orders. I was at a large multi-line dealership today and the rep said they were only able to order four 2023 Yamaha snowmobiles, period, which would seem to confirm they are heading toward the doors. I cannot imagine they will be in the snow biz too much longer which is a bummer as their other lines are typically a high quality products.

 

[kevin]

Yamaha has been selling sleds since 1968. That has given their dealers in the snow belt another product to sell when the bikes, quads, and wave runners get put away. I think they’re in for the future but like everyone else I don’t know what it will look like. For sure they were losing the mtn market with four strokes but now they reversed course on that. It will be very interesting. I’d love to see continued collaboration with Cat.

 

[6000 ZR RR]

While I’m reading this thread, I’m constantly getting YAMAHA snowmobile adds on the right hand side of my screen. I guess their still in it. I don’t think they have ideas of getting out of this setup with Cat. They keep them available for year round Yamaha customers. I’m in a summer resort area and we have many that have sleds, atv’s and Yami powered boats and PWC’s. Things may change when this deals ends but I think you will find Yamaha sleds in some configuration.

Any sledder wishing a brand to quit, is not a sledder! This is what kills a sport and will only make it more expensive to buy new. Competition is what keeps things moving forward.

 

[Rakrem]

That's fine. I have never owned a 4 stroke and never plan to. Pro Cross since 2015. Zero issues with any of them other than first sleds needing scratchers. Motors are tight. Will only own Cat. Dealer is top notch and the brand has never let me down. Different experiences is all.

For sure.. I’m riding my first new Polaris in 30 yrs and I’m a tad nervous with all the recalls and posted issues recently. It sounds like I did not do my homework but I really sept time educating myself on the new maytrix and details but I never looked for the track record. I know it’s just talk in some cases but the short engine life low miles stuff is alarming. I’ve never owned a 2 stroke that I have not stacked up the miles with no real issues..I’ve sold sleds with 15,000 miles on them never touched the motors . Call me lucky I don’t know but ya never hear the “ rest of the story “ when you read someone’s story!

 

[MuscleD]

I think Yamaha will fade away in 5 or 6 years for sleds. It's really a bummer because they have cool sleds and nice engines. But they do sell for a lot of money. Maybe that's enough to keep them going longer. If we ever hear that they are coming out with a 2 stroke for sleds then we know they aren't going anywhere.

Or do what the Japanese car manufactures do when they start to fade away, hire up all the good engineers and designers from the other manufactures. And proceed to make it back up.

It doesn't help that their old was of forcing a bunch of the sleds they didn't sell on dealers, making them pull out. That's what the dealership told me when I worked there. The used to be a Yamaha sled dealer too, but they pulled out because Yamaha forced them to take in sleds that didn't sell. I think had they pushed the big bad sleds only on dealers maybe they could have stuck around better. Just a theory.

Ultimately I think the decades of lackluster chassis's did them in. If they had an awesome chassis and suspension, I don't think many people would have cares that they are 4 stroke only.

 

[Ron Swanson]

I think 2024 will be interesting for Yamaha. It doesn't sound like the catalyst will be shared with them, at least initially. Hard to think they'll be order-only sidewinders-only again with very limited quantity.

 

[Greg B.]

Yamaha has been selling sleds since 1968. That has given their dealers in the snow belt another product to sell when the bikes, quads, and wave runners get put away. I think they’re in for the future but like everyone else I don’t know what it will look like. For sure they were losing the man market with four strokes but now they reversed course on that. It will be very interesting. I’d love to see continued collaboration with Cat.

Food for thought. I have seen 2 rumors floating around about Yamaha and cat. 1 cat and Yamaha are done. 2 Argo will partner with them. A few other pieces that could say this could come true. Argo is based in Canada. So is yamaha’s snow division. Argo has got a lot of the old cat people working for them. Maybe there could be some truth to that??

 

[Doomxz600]

When KTM got Husky as a consumer I lost an option from chassis to price point and it's the same with Cat/Yamaha. Nothing good comes from Yamaha getting out of sleds but like others have said 5 more years and out.

 

[Paul_Aris]

That's fine. I have never owned a 4 stroke and never plan to. Pro Cross since 2015. Zero issues with any of them other than first sleds needing scratchers. Motors are tight. Will only own Cat. Dealer is top notch and the brand has never let me down. Different experiences is all.

Those ads are based on your browsing history and things you have looked at. I am getting no Yamaha ads.

 

[Paul_Aris]

Some of us have already wrote them off. However, back in the 80's Yamaha was my favorite brand. I would hate to see them go.

 

[XCR1250]

There were 200+ sled brands thru the years, I have the list.

 

[Rakrem]

There were 200+ sled brands thru the years, I have the list.

In 1966 there was 62 companies committed and building snowmobiles at one time! From ski doo to Montgomery wards department stores! Crazy.

 

[XCR1250]

In 1966 there was 62 companies committed and building snowmobiles at one time! From ski doo to Montgomery wards department stores! Crazy.

Sears, & Penny's too

 

[Rakrem]

Sears, & Penny's too

Oh ya!

 

[XCR1250]

I had a Speedway Blue Max for awhile.

 

[Trail Ryder]

There is a large Can-Am / Polaris / Ski-Doo / Suzuki / Yamaha dealer right near my house. They dropped Yamaha snowmobiles but kept ALL other Yamaha offerings.

Again, it will be sad if Yamaha exits the snowmobile business, but it is inevitable, as they had some legendary sleds over the years.

 

[XCR1250]

It was sad when Mercury quit, I had a 74 400 FA and a 76 440 SnoTwister..

 

[acpantera64]

During the slow roll out of Catalyst, I picked up on the fact that nobody from Cat ever mentioned Yamaha( I don't think), as in "designed with our partners" or "in conjunction with" . The silence is eerie. Yamaha might be satisfied with slapping stickers on cats so that their northern dealer have something to sell in the motorcycle off sesson. Only time will tell, it does seem like they're(Yamaha)teetering on pulling the plug altogether. I feel we'll know a lot more this coming spring.