January 6, 2009
Best 4-Stroke – Retirees
It is the magazine ‘Sneak Peek’ season when the manufacturers load up the grease guns and invite the key players of the print world and to some extent, the video and cyber media to top secret locations. Where they will be overwhelmed with new model presentations and hospitality in a quest for the most covers and editorial praise.
I had a chuckle reading the latest Supertrax where Mark and Kent were bantering about the best 4-stroke in their ‘Best in Class’ awards. Mark was reminded by his brother that he had just chosen the new Skidoo 1200 over the 09 Nytro based on a Sneek Peek ride. I’ll quote Kent’s reply to Mark’s comment:
“Very nicely stated Mark. If I were an idiot, I’d almost be convinced your choice was sensible… Here’s a word I didn’t here in your diatribe, ‘Prototype‘. Now after a few miles on a factory prototype Ski-Doo at 10,000 feet, you’re telling us you want to honor it with our coveted BIC award… with the changes to the 09 Nytro – big changes by the way – it’s dialed in to perfection and is the best 4-stroke sled I’ve ridden.”
My point is, the Sneek Peek’s certainly are a valid marketing tool, especially when you can capture an editor with a track record like the ‘Motorhead’ who has a reputation for accuracy and’ telling it like it is’. That’s not to say the new DOO won’t DOO it but I haven’t heard of any with over 50,000 clicks like some of our triples… time will tell.
I remember the spring of 2002 when we pulled the sheets off the original RX1 at the Yamaha Sneek Peek in Wisconsin. That was the same season Ski-Doo introduced the REV and the media had the challenge to decide on their front covers based on what they rode at the ‘Peek’s’ and following Snowshoot press introduction. (ed: for the record, we got the most 
)
Greg sent me a cool picture just before Christmas from our 03 model Peek. It made me reflect on a few things including where they
all are now.
From right to left: Greg Marier, who before Yamaha was with Scorpion and Cat, has held the posts of managing the original R&D Minnesota facility in Coon Rapids in the 80′s and 90′s, leading product planning for YMUS, then leading marketing and public relations for the snowmobile division to where he currently sits, in charge of the factory race team development.
Beside Greg is Max Aoshima who retired a couple of years ago (but is still hanging around the factory). I first met Max in Alaska during field testing. He is one of the last pioneers of Yamaha snowmobile having worked on the original SL series, played in the hay-day SnoPro era and has had influence on just about every sled we ever produced. He finished up his tenure by taking care of snowmobile testing at our Minocqua facility with Jimmy (hey Cowboy!) Kedinger.
Next to Max is another well known Yamaha engineer, Toshi Yasui who is also a veteran of the snowmobile division, if memory serves me well he was first project leader of the Enticer series then Exciter and for sure he was project leader of Vmax 500/600 back in 92/93. I remember getting quite ‘red’ arguing with Toshi about how the ‘new Vmax500‘ was getting too heavy and the need to put the sleds on a diet. Then there was our TSS discussion, but I won’t go there… Toshi similar to Max is semi-retired and working out of the Tokyo office representing Yamaha with regards to Japan government relations. (Japanese companies are highly government regulated)
Next to Toshi is the father of the RX-1, Takaji (Tim) Nakano. Tim was the project leader for the RX-1 and is now in charge of the snowmobile engineering group. I remember first getting to know Tim as I drove him to Anchorage following a nasty sled crash in Paxson. He was project leader of Vmax4 800, when, on the airstrip at Paxson, he lost vision and flew off the end of the test track into a river. He dislocated his shoulder and bruised his ribs. I was to deliver him to the airplane home. I can still hear his moans from bouncing off the frost heaves cruising down the Denali hiway in an over-sprung Blazer.
Next to Tim is Mike Amano another snowmobile old-timer but more from the product planning side. Funny thing but I remember visiting Mike in a hospital in Asahikawa after he looped an SXR at a very high rate of knots cresting a steep hill up in Shibetsu. Mike is now working within the factories product planning division, governing all products, helping to develop the presentation methodology behind the machine.
Next to Mike is yours truly and I’m still here!
To my right is Ron Ruzewski. Ron is an engineer who came to us with deep roots in CART racing as a suspension guru. It was Ron who designed the A-arm suspension along with Tim and his team. At one point Ron actually had an apartment in Iwata Japan as he integrated into our factory culture. We lost Ron to Penske racing who made him an offer he couldn’t refuse. Too bad he’s a good man who loved to ride snowmobiles, I remember trading paint with him on a couple of SRX’s one with the low legs (98 spec) against the less coupled 2000, sorry Ron but I knocked first!
Finally is Stephane Miville from Motoneige Quebec magazine, the official Quebec Federation Publication who assembled our team for the photo-op.
UPDATE; Hot off the press:
New cargo racks for Nytro XTX and Phazer MTX will be available mid January 2009. These racks feature lightweight, durable 5052-H32 Aluminum, with hydro-turf platform for better load stability. Includes exhaust turnout which must be installed with the rack- failure to do so could cause damage to cargo or rack. MSRP 274.95 CDN$
For the record, bloggers: lakercr, Low Slung and snoguzzler are the official winners of my little ABC’s trivia contest… no explanation, just winners! TMDT
cheers cr
Many thanks chris,keep up the good work and great posts.Great to know a guy like Ron had input on my sleds front suspension.(i loved CART racing).
January 6th, 2009 at 7:26 pmHello Chris,
Just a little correction on your last person on your picture (the one on the left) it is Stephane Miville who was working for ‘Motoneige Québec’ back then but quit a few years ago. He is well know in Quebec for is performance in snowmobile drag with Artic Cat.
This is one of my budie who i ride with often.
Thanks
Alain Vmax
Thanks Alain, I was struggling to remember his name, checked some back issues and couldn’t find him… cheers cr
January 6th, 2009 at 8:16 pmawesome post,i can remember when the rx1 was released in early 02,me and my brothers were grinning from ear to ear,we must of had 100′s of discussion over the years on how a bullet bike engine would be awesome in a sled.i remember seeing an add where all you saw were the 2 rear exhaust,like a teaser pic,i wanted one right away,i never thought it would happen for real,i have over 27000 km logged on my 2 4 strokesthanks to yamaha for changing the industry for the better
January 11th, 2009 at 10:29 pmI’m gonna go off topic and ask a couple of direct questions that perhaps you can comment on.
#1. Is Yamaha working on a solution for mountain riders who tip their sleds in powder and lose oil out of their breather into the airbox?
#2. Is Yamaha working on a solution for future models that will allow more voltage to the hand warmers?
Cheers from 40 below,
YK
I’m going to go off topic and answer # 1 … perhaps … #2 perhaps (we are definitely working on changes to the warmers it may not be strictly a voltage issue) cheers cr
January 14th, 2009 at 1:20 amhahaha, I love it. Thanks!
January 14th, 2009 at 11:56 amBut the REV changed the industry way more than the RX1….
Yeah… that’s what I heard from BRP, I’ll say this… they were both landmark sleds that set the direction for the next decade, it has just taken some longer to develop a competitive 4S engine compared to a ride forward chassis, six years later and we have three of the four building ride forward 4 strokes. Yamaha was the first to do this with Nytro, (some would say the Apex).
cheers cr
January 17th, 2009 at 4:13 am