Yamaha Snowmobile production to End.

[lannie]

Just read that Yamaha is getting out of the snowmobile manufacturing business.


https://www.fox9.com/news/yamaha-wil...after-50-years

[Smokinyotes]

Not surprising. They have been using Arctic cat chassis for years.

[Talking moose]

Best Yamaha sled ever made was an 80’s enticer 340 long track.

[270person]

Originally Posted by Talking moose

Best Yamaha sled ever made was an 80’s enticer 340 long track.

And this short video is proof.


https://youtu.be/RSuLFvalhnQ

[Smokinyotes]

Originally Posted by Talking moose

Best Yamaha sled ever made was an 80’s enticer 340 long track.

Yup. When I was 13 I bought a new 1978 ET 340. Still remember with a speedometer, spare belt and a tarp it cost me $1695.00. Rode the snot out of that little ET and put 8900km on it in 2 winters.

[Lefty-Canuck]

Originally Posted by Talking moose

Best Yamaha sled ever made was an 80’s enticer 340 long track.

Phazer 2 was pretty decent also

LC

[Sooner]

Originally Posted by Talking moose

Best Yamaha sled ever made was an 80’s enticer 340 long track.

I still have my uncles 79 340 Enticer short track It's been sent a few times much to my backs dismay.

[Talking moose]

Originally Posted by Sooner

I still have my uncles 79 340 Enticer short track It's been sent a few times.

Great machine too if there’s not alot of snow that year.

[fordtruckin]

This has been in the works for a while. How do you sustain a competitive mountain sled when you’re devoted to 4 strokes? Everyone else is getting lighter and your machines still weigh the same.

[Homesteader]

Originally Posted by Sooner

I still have my uncles 79 340 Enticer short track It's been sent a few times much to my backs dismay.

Trained by Larry hey? I never had an enticer, but had a pile of yammies over the years. I too have the back to prove it. They always made a reliable machine, and those triples sounded so sweet. My first machine was an 80 SS440, but I felt my cousins Exciter 440 was the sweet spot and the 440 SRX’s had to be some of the fastest machines around in their time

[Grizzly Adams1]

Climate Change.

Grizz

[7magtime]

Originally Posted by Talking moose

Best Yamaha sled ever made was an 80’s enticer 340 long track.

I grew up riding a 1979 Enticer 340 short track, my brothers and I put a pile of hard miles on it with very few issues. They were great machines….

[ghfalls]

Originally Posted by fordtruckin

This has been in the works for a while. How do you sustain a competitive mountain sled when you’re devoted to 4 strokes? Everyone else is getting lighter and your machines still weigh the same.

The tech is out there to make insanely powerful 4 strokes with electronic reverse and lightweight components with tiny turbos but they’re likely thinking it’s not worth the time and money to build it when the whole world is talking about the battery revolution that isn’t going to happen. Plus factory two stroke turbos are insane.

[sjr]

Originally Posted by 270person

And this short video is proof.


https://youtu.be/RSuLFvalhnQ

That video clip never gets old Classic Larry

[Sooner]

Originally Posted by sjr

That video clip never gets old Classic Larry

How he never broke his back or killed himself with some of those landings is a wonder. Made for great video and him a legend.

[lmtada]

Originally Posted by 7magtime

I grew up riding a 1979 Enticer 340 short track, my brothers and I put a pile of hard miles on it with very few issues. They were great machines….

Yes they were. Purchased a 79 SRX440 in 82. That was a rocket. Carbide track, comet clutch. Won many drag races, and did many poker rally’s with that sled. Ditch banging for hours with little to no suspension. Crashed it on lake hitting a drift in whiteout conditions going 90-100mph. I was sore the next day. All that broke was the tiny windshield. She was bulletproof. Too bad, was thinking of picking up one of those new blue SRX. 😎🏁

[Howard Hutchinson]

Growing up I was always torn between the SRX & The El Tigre. Dad would never as interested or some reason Found this brochure. Rock and roll man!

[REMINGTON JIM]

Originally Posted by 270person

And this short video is proof.


https://youtu.be/RSuLFvalhnQ

Ha Ha that’s GREAT ! RJ

[Howard Hutchinson]

^^^ Just flippin nutz man?!

[urban rednek]

Any word on how long Yamaha accessories will still be available?

[jungleboy]

Originally Posted by fordtruckin

This has been in the works for a while. How do you sustain a competitive mountain sled when you’re devoted to 4 strokes? Everyone else is getting lighter and your machines still weigh the same.

I think the mountain sled market is small potatoes compared to the trail sled market. Out east, Quebec/Ontario and Midwest US they have thousands of miles of groomed trails. You don’t need a tinfoil sled to ride those trails and that’s where the big market is.

[fordtruckin]

Originally Posted by jungleboy

I think the mountain sled market is small potatoes compared to the trail sled market. Out east, Quebec/Ontario and Midwest US they have thousands of miles of groomed trails. You don’t need a tinfoil sled to ride those trails and that’s where the big market is.

I dunno. You should see the number of midwestern and New England riders that come to Montana to ride all rocking a brand new mountain sled. Talk to any number of them and they will tell you they don’t ride much back home. Haven’t looked at the cost of a trail sled too hard lately but I can’t imagine it would be as much as the new turbos. 23000USD for a sled they ride one year and then snow check another. No doubt they can get a trail rocket close to that price but I don’t see them upgrading every year the same as mountain riders.

[jungleboy]

Apparently,Ontario alone has 30000 km of groomed trails maintained by 200 groomers.
I doubt they would put that kind of effort in if no one bothered with them too much.
I have Traveled through Northern Wisconsin,Michigan in winter time and seen the dozens of sleds parked at any given hotel along the way. Trails everywhere.

Not saying mountain riding isn’t big business, it may very well be a yearly pilgrimage for some wealthy Easter seaboard residents. I am guessing the majority take advantage of their own back yard trail systems.

[fordtruckin]

Originally Posted by jungleboy

Apparently,Ontario alone has 30000 km of groomed trails maintained by 200 groomers.
I doubt they would put that kind of effort in if no one bothered with them too much.
I have Traveled through Northern Wisconsin,Michigan in winter time and seen the dozens of sleds parked at any given hotel along the way. Trails everywhere.

Not saying mountain riding isn’t big business, it may very well be a yearly pilgrimage for some wealthy Easter seaboard residents. I am guessing the majority take advantage of their own back yard trail systems.

I don’t disagree that trail riding is popular but looking at where manufacturers put their R&D $$ and which platforms get the new engines, new chassis, new technology first it is always the deep snow, mountain segment. A year or two later they transform that tech to their trail sleds. Why would every manufacturer debut their new technology in that particular segment if that isn’t where the money is? Don’t believe me? come down to snow shoot next March and see where the new technology hits.

[does it ALL outdoors]

Originally Posted by ghfalls

Plus factory two stroke turbos are insane.

Correction, ANY 2 stroke boosted sled is insane.

Boosted is just better. On any ICE

That sucks, competition is always a good thing.

There's a member on here that has a Yammi 1000cc sled, that thing is nuts!

All he needs now is boost

[jungleboy]

Originally Posted by fordtruckin

I don’t disagree that trail riding is popular but looking at where manufacturers put their R&D $$ and which platforms get the new engines, new chassis, new technology first it is always the deep snow, mountain segment. A year or two later they transform that tech to their trail sleds. Why would every manufacturer debut their new technology in that particular segment if that isn’t where the money is? Don’t believe me? come down to snow shoot next March and see where the new technology hits.

You’re probably right and I’m probably wrong.

I won’t lose any sleep over it though.

[fordtruckin]

Originally Posted by jungleboy

You’re probably right and I’m probably wrong.

I won’t lose any sleep over it though.

I could care less who’s right and wrong. I just see all the $$ going into the mountain sleds and mountain riders getting new sleds every year while trail riders that rack up the miles tend to wear a machine down before replacing it. Yamaha just never got the mountain thing figured out. I hate to say it but I think arctic cat will be next. Their catalyst chassis is the first new thing since the alpha rail what 5 years ago? Hard to stay competitive when a mountain chassis is what every 4 years?

[Big pete]

Not to mention that the catalyst was only available to snowcheck in a 600cc…..cat is suppose to release a bigger than 800cc motor available for 2025 snowcheck. IMO they are still behind doo and Polaris with both having a boosted 850 and Polaris with the NA 900r . If cat doesn’t get it together soon they will go the way of the dodo bird

[fordtruckin]

Originally Posted by Big pete

Not to mention that the catalyst was only available to snowcheck in a 600cc…..cat is suppose to release a bigger than 800cc motor available for 2025 snowcheck. IMO they are still behind doo and Polaris with both having a boosted 850 and Polaris with the NA 900r . If cat doesn’t get it together soon they will go the way of the dodo bird

Yep I’ve heard rumor has it an 860 but if it’s not a big bore or boosted as you said, they’re still behind! Unless they have a boosted 600. That would be a fun sled. As much horse power at elevation as an 800-850 has at sea level, the weight savings of the catalyst chassis and weight savings from the 600vs800/850 engine.

[M.C. Gusto]

76-78 SRX I bet still beats 99% of the sleds out there . Wicked fast machines.