Yamaha Cutting Production.

[kip]

My guess was correct. I normally order 70 to 80 new Yamaha's a year. Most dealers are going to be lucky to get 2!!!!!!!!!! That's not a misprint. Yamaha will rely 90% on their snow check program. They want to create a demand for their product and bring value to their used market. I say kudos to them for doing this. It's a bold move but I think it's the right one. Starting at 10 eastern time today each Yamaha dealer can order 3 2018 or 2017 models per day until they're all gone and models are limited!!!! If you want a Yamaha I strongly suggest you either order a new 2019 snow check or you get a 17 or 18!!! I doubt anyone saw this coming so it's going to be scramble for dealers and customers!!!!!!!!!!! LOL!!!!

 

[old abe]

Any new sleds other than the low slung racer?????????? No made in Japan new sled???????????

 

[sjb]

Econ 101 taking place.

The business model of Yamaha Snow biz is much different than the other 3. They don't need to be #1 in volume, but want to make sure they can make money on the sleds they produce. Makes sense to me.

 

[snobuilder]

Yea but my kid really really needs a cabbage patch doll!!!!

 

[old abe]

Kip, that may well be a very good way of getting sales on the new 2019's, and any leftovers. Yami snowmobile dealers needed that, as they are dwindling fast. But, it sure doesn't present a very good picture for the future with nothing new other than a present sled as a lake racer????????? Production in small numbers is very expensive, as to production costs. Especially tooling, and buying components in small numbers.

 

[Tracker]

hate to say it but we all know whats next.....we can't give them away.....long live CAT I say....DILLY DILLY....good riddance yamamhami.....lol.....maybe they could make a BEARS MARTY MCFLY VERSION.....bears fans buy anything...including worthless tickets.....DOH

 

[kip]

It's a 2 year plan at this point and Yamaha is a 4 season company so they aren't going anywhere. I understand the cost of production but with Textron they have flexibility to taper back for now. Nothing new other than the SRX right now. I sell anywhere from 80 to 100 new Yamaha's a year and my allocation is 10!!! Yes it hurts but I understand it. Snowcheck is wide open so that's a good thing. Just giving you all information that I know. I always try to give you all as much as I can, good or bad. When I know more I'll let you all know

 

[whitedust]

It's a 2 year plan at this point and Yamaha is a 4 season company so they aren't going anywhere. I understand the cost of production but with Textron they have flexibility to taper back for now. Nothing new other than the SRX right now. I sell anywhere from 80 to 100 new Yamaha's a year and my allocation is 10!!! Yes it hurts but I understand it. Snowcheck is wide open so that's a good thing. Just giving you all information that I know. I always try to give you all as much as I can, good or bad. When I know more I'll let you all know

All this is hard to take for the Yamaha faithful but devastating for Yamaha dealers. 2 year plan not much of a plan maybe the wind down to an official end date who knows??? That would even be worse. Thank goodness you have Polaris and Cat to sell too. I can’t say I didn’t see this coming for the Yamaha snowmobile division but kept hoping Yamaha had something of their own would be released but sounds like Japan sled mfg is all but shut down and not likely to retool with a new product line again. Thank goodness Pat’s has outstanding Yamaha service techs to help you thru the cut backs. Best wishes to Pat’s and all your employees!

 

[kip]

Thanks Pete We'll be fine.

 

[UP RIDER]

Yeah the writing has been on the wall on Yammi sleds for a while, I would be surprised if they are building anything in 2020.

 

[old abe]

Yes the two year plan has been heard before. This now sure puts a end to the all new Japan built Yami sled thing. There is nothing new. That is over. I had thought earlier when someone said a "new Japan made sled", of some kind, was coming for 2019, to be wishful thinking at best. Just b s talk many times over. Some where, a year ago, it was said that Yamaha had already closed down all sled production in Japan. It was done. When they dropped out of the 2 strokes, my friend, and best riding bud, told me that it was the beginning of the end for Yami sleds. He was up to then, a life long Yami rider. I have to agree with him, as to there was a very good market for 2 stroke Yami's. And still is imo. Yamaha had some good 2 stroke tech of their own. And that could have made their 2 strokes much, much better in many ways. Yamaha's commitment to snowmobiles has been gone for some time. No new chassis/platform of their own. I don't see it coming back, very sad to say, but so it is.

 

[ridindirty800]

I think you will see others do this as well to as there are so many leftovers in the market. Look at Polaris, you can only snowcheck the new 850, they want to create demand for new sled and make people think snowcheck or you will not get it. I bet if there were a lot less 2016-2018's still new around they would not make it snow check only.

 

[600_RMK_144]

It's a 2 year plan at this point and Yamaha is a 4 season company so they aren't going anywhere. I understand the cost of production but with Textron they have flexibility to taper back for now. Nothing new other than the SRX right now. I sell anywhere from 80 to 100 new Yamaha's a year and my allocation is 10!!! Yes it hurts but I understand it. Snowcheck is wide open so that's a good thing. Just giving you all information that I know. I always try to give you all as much as I can, good or bad. When I know more I'll let you all know

How did the Sidewinder sell up there? Hear it has amazing power.

 

[yamadooed]

Seriously snow checking a 8 plus year old chassis or buying a leftover 11 year old chassis sled are the options??? Unless their giving awesome rebates you'd have to be the loyalist sheep in the pasture to follow that Shepard...

 

[maddogg]

Kip, I am always amazed at your honesty. Thank you

 

[harvest1121]

Seriously snow checking a 8 plus year old chassis or buying a leftover 11 year old chassis sled are the options??? Unless their giving awesome rebates you'd have to be the loyalist sheep in the pasture to follow that Shepard...

I just bought a 2017 Viper sold my 2015 with 13000 miles for $3800 what sled can I buy that will not leave me stranded and worth something when I am done with it. Why do not any other manufacturers offer a 5 year warranty?

 

[snobuilder]

I just bought a 2017 Viper sold my 2015 with 13000 miles for $3800 what sled can I buy that will not leave me stranded and worth something when I am done with it. Why do not any other manufacturers offer a 5 year warranty?

hijack...so sorry, but with those miles I'd be on a 3rd set of exhaust gaskets, 3rd set a front end bushings, 4-5 sets a regular hyfax slides, numerous idler wheels and my clutches would have a deep groove in them from the 8 DN belt on my Apex OR Vector.....assuming you owned it all or most of those 13000 miles....What type of maintenance issues come with the Vipercat?

 

[harvest1121]

Changed wheels at 10,000 no exhaust gaskets 3 different belts never broke one 2 sets of hyfax 2 sets of skis tri hub Yamaha warranty did the clutch bearing. Just oil changes so everything else would of been fine. Had one more of warranty people were fighting over it to buy it. They did replace the brake at 13000 but did not cost me anything

 

[kip]

Thanks maddog. The Sidewinder sold awesome!!! Lots of people don't like Yamaha but they aren't going anywhere. We do strong numbers every year and it's made my parents and now my family a living for many years. They treat us like family and nobody, I mean nobody treats their customers better when it comes to warranty. Odd isn't it? Once again the nice guy finishes last LOL!!! I've dealt with all 4 manufacturers and none of them make it easier to deal with the customer than Yamaha. I bet Honda, Suzuki, and Kawasaki dealers would say the same thing. I give Yamaha credit for this bold move. It will make their dealers healthier, period! Now come up riding, the trails are awesome!!!

 

[ICT Sledder]

Econ 101 taking place.

The business model of Yamaha Snow biz is much different than the other 3. They don't need to be #1 in volume, but want to make sure they can make money on the sleds they produce. Makes sense to me.

It is Econ 101 as long as the demand is there to support the higher prices. That's a big assumption. If not, then they're basically shooting themselves in the foot.

With a near-analog, kissing cousin in the Cat 7000/9000 as a direct market competitor, Yamaha dealers should pray that their customers are brand loyal to a fault, because if that doesn't happen then it is a bit like GMC saying we're going to lower our production to drive higher prices, while Chevrolet - with the exact same product offerings - sits in the corner with a confused look and rakes in all the sales and money.

Tons upon tons of examples in our economy of low margin, high volume business models that do exceedingly well - many of them are manufacturing industries. Those companies and products that do well in the opposite model - high margin, low volume - really have nothing to do with a basic manufactured consumer product like a snowmobile.