January 4, 2010
Adios 2009
Happy New Year! It was nice to have a few days off over the holidays and I hope you all had some of your own. I have been busy today getting caught up with the desk duties and spent a bit of time in the shop to install a couple of accessories on the Apex. I did have a chance to get out for a good run between Christmas and New Years with Mark and Kent Lester (Supertrax Intl Magazine). Mark had made a couple of inquiries (always nice to know the groomer guys) and we found some absolutely brilliant trails to ride.
The temperature had fallen to a very brisk, minus 18C following a couple of milder days with some rain and wet snow. The sun was shining and the light dust of fresh stuff on top of the glitter made for some stellar riding.
I am more impressed with the Yamcharger ever time I ride it. Huggy tagged along and the boys brought along the new Skidoo 4-stroke and a Polaris Rush for us to try. So we had an Apex, a doo and a Polaris but what was the fourth sled you ask? Well lets just say it’s new, it’s special and it’s a Yamaha of course.
We logged on about 230km and I had a good chance to try out all the sleds. I had forgotten how to ride a 2-stroke but once I remembered where the brake lever was and stopped sneezing, I got along quite well with the Rush. Mark had the skid set-up for our weight but really I wasn’t even thinking about the rear, it was more the balance and handling that caught my fancy but Polaris generally have that figured out.
The skidoo 4-stroke was interesting and I’m embarassed to say this is the first chance I have had to ride one. Part and parcel of being a desk jockey these days. It did a lot of things well but I had a hard time adjusting to the throttle response which felt like there was an elastic band attached to the throttle cable and the steering effort was a lot more than what I was used to. It felt quite heavy but handled flat however and the motor pulled hard. It was the warmest sled in the group and showcases their latest technology nicely but back on the Apex I felt much more at home.
For the record, I maintain that all the current snowmobiles are worthy of ownership and I would ride any one them on a regular basis. That said, I have developed a deep relationship with Yamaha products from years of exposure but I am not brand blind. All the new sleds have continued to evolve, they all have their own character, their strengths and their weakness. The trick is in understanding what they are and how they apply to you but more on that later.
I know you guys are beyond this but I feel the need to urge everyone to use some extra caution during your first outings of the season. Pay extra attention to whats going on around you and anticipate the other guys aren’t. I had some bad news about a real good friend of mine over the holidays and if it could happen to him it could happen to any one of us. Get well Damian.
cr
Chris, as always you peak my interest and i’m sitting here going, oh, I can comment on that, and that, and that. lol
I’m glad you got out for a good ride.
I seen some of that rain in Sudbury and it made for some interesting muddy puddles under the fresh white snow that followed. I got sprayed by an Attak in front of me! My poor XTX ate some mud on the nose cone in the process!
I too as you know have ridden the doo 4 stroke and polaris rush, those reviews are on ty4stroke.com, but you said it perfect with the elastic band comment LOL, I couldn’t find a way to describe that very aspect of the throttle, you hit the nail on the head.
Any chance I’ll see that 4th sled before it goes up for sale in Feb?
Its funny you mention the sneezing, I rode today behind a 1996 Polaris XLT 600 which kept overheating on the hard packed groomed trails (I can’t stop saying “groomed trails” since i’ve been down here) and the smell of that engine’s oil burning off gave me flashbacks of growing up on Ontario trails, I actually missed that smell, at least in small doses
I like and appreciate your honest opinion that is unbiased about the products on the market today. You’re exactly right, figure out what they have to offer and how it applies to your riding style, but don’t forget to add to that the service you get from your dealer and the company. I feel really lucky to be going 3 for 3 (product/dealer/company service) since I went with Yamaha.
Here’s to safe riding in the early season and hoping to saddle up with you soon.
Cheers,
January 4th, 2010 at 9:36 pmYK
I got to agree about your impressions of the ski-doo four-stroke.Had a chance last winter too ride all the 2009 doos on a demo ride(forty plus minutes of pushing the sleds hard can,t be called a run of the mill demo ride).Ski-doos 1200 was fast but it had heavy steering(just like the 2 strokes),throttle response very jerky along with a very heavy weight at the nose.My warror may be 100 pounds heavy than the 1200 renegade but even with the shocks clapped-out before i got my rebuild the warrior still had great balance in the whoops.Even the 2-strokes had this NOSE-HEAVY FEEL.One area were they lead is ZR like flat cornering along with a great rear skid(i don,t think its there shock settings,must be the single-ply track along with light-weight arms).When i rode my brothers 06 nytro that same day i noticed a much lighter feel on the nose than even the E-TEC 600 MX-Z front end(jumping the MX-Z off drifts is where you really feel its heavy beak).Can,t really see myself going doo,that first sled i rode was an ELAN,but the first ride on my dads new 1990 BRAVO LT that winter of learning the ropes left a better impression.Happy new year Chris and lets hope YAMAHA is still in the game for many winters to come,by the way,how many cylinders did all the sleds have on that test ride?
January 4th, 2010 at 10:20 pmAdios indeed for `09!
We a brisk – 30c here for a thrid week in row. Just like the good old days I remember ( the ´80´s LOL). My 4-stroke is not getting so much km´s under it´s belt that it should, but I like to think I´ll take this back in april when the sun is high and snow is plenty.
“So we had an Apex, a doo and a Polaris but what was the fourth sled you ask? Well lets just say it’s new, it’s special and it’s a Yamaha of course.”
Is this the new sled we have heard the rumours? Please tell!! I really like my ´07 Warrior, but there are some things I´d like to change on it next summer.
Ride safe and have fun! Just like Judas Priest song ” Rock hard, ride free”!
Ike
January 5th, 2010 at 1:59 amHappy new year and I hope your friend is ok!
January 5th, 2010 at 8:22 am“I am more impressed with the Yamcharger ever time I ride it. Huggy tagged along and the boys brought along the new Skidoo 4-stroke and a Polaris Rush for us to try. So we had an Apex, a doo and a Polaris but what was the fourth sled you ask? Well lets just say it’s new, it’s special and it’s a Yamaha of course.”
Well CR I told you ….you wouldn’t want to get off that Yamacharger! As for that new Polaris Rush…sure looks interesting…BUT what’s more interesting is that “OTHER” Yamaha you keep teasing us with. Gotta be a TOTALLY new APEX with Power Steering and a Brand New Platform that will be Yamahas HOTTEST sled ever….How About a Little More Info CR….LOL
Stay tuned, I hope to give Sled Talkers the scoop on this one shortly…
January 5th, 2010 at 10:11 amNot soon enough….
January 5th, 2010 at 1:56 pmNot related to this post,however! I am hoping for a definative answer from a proven expert! My daughter rides an 07 Phazer and loves it to death. Sadly,Dad is tired off digging ice and snow out of the tunnel and heat exchanger “can you say HEAT LIGHT IS ON” I have read everything at TY and a million other sights about this problem. My question is simply this. I purchsed the official Yamaha block off kit for the sled. It is much more invlolved than the simple aftermarket block off panels I have seen out there, probably with good reason. Will it help?!!!
I told her to carry a can of “PAM” with her on the trail. Her response was and I quote. It’s a snowmobile not a frying pan. Any response would be greatly apprecaited. Huge fan of the Blog! Keep up the great work!
TB
The factory block off kit is designed for the ‘worst case’ scenario where much of the labor goes into heat wrapping the muffler to protect seat from heat damage if left to idle for long periods or operated in such as way as no cooling air is circulated under the seat damage might occur. The aftermarket kits assume some common sense. I have not heard any problems with them but thats not to say it couldn’t happen.
January 6th, 2010 at 10:42 amNot sure how old or experienced a rider your daughter is but sounds like she has her dads wit! Officially speaking, I could only recommend the factory solution… cheers cr
I can’t wait to hear more about this new Yamaha! I’ve had my 06 Attak longer then any other sled. I’ve even been buying the 2 year licence stickers for it, that is up until this year. All my buddies have been teasing and asking if this means it’s time to trade in. Please keep us informed. Any more hints????
January 6th, 2010 at 2:58 pmHey chris, maybe you can do a test with this new sled against your “Yamahacharged” Apex and put it on utube for us to view and if you don’t, then I guess it is because it does not have 170hp? Atleast once it’s been officially released of course. I would not want you to create any more hype then you already have or usually do….:) MY XTX is for-sale, so I can lay some money down on this long, drawn out, anticipated work of art…
Perfect timing SF, I just returned from the lake, ran the Yamcharger against a stock sled and it was definitely faster, not huge but its there, need to get it off the camera, compressed and I’ll post it for you on Sled Talk. This was a very casual and impromptu run but interesting none the less… now about the hype- what hype? who me? jeez can’t a fella have a little fun, all I said is something new / something special
cr
January 7th, 2010 at 12:43 pmHi Chris,
Like IveyRider, my wife and daughter ride our 07 Phazer GT. I bought it used from an awesome Yamaha dealer in Castleton Ont. Doug’s Small Engines. Doug and his team were a real pleasure to deal with. He may be more than 1000 km away but he made acquiring the sled as easy as dealing with a good friend. Doug’s a real pro, and I wish more dealers were like him.
Our Phazer also suffers from the tunnel loading up with ice, and although it has the louvered seat block-off kit, in certain conditions, spray water soaks your leg and boot. I just put the factory tunnel block off kit in over the new years holiday. It took about 2 hrs, but most of that time is spent trying to figure out where exactly all of the heat reflectors go. It is a very high quality kit, and I am surprised it was as cheap as it was. Maybe Yamaha is trying to give us a break,since their design was found wanting. Anyway, I took it out for a 50km lake ride with a couple of chums and was pleasantly surprised to see the rear 2/3 of the tunnel fairly clear of ice. I think when IveyRider installs his kit, much of his problem will be solved. In fact, my 06 Renegade builds up more ice in the tunnel than what I saw on the PZ today. The hardest part of the install was getting a pop rivet gun in place to rivet the piece of aluminum in place. A couple of short pieces of pipe, used to extend the rivet gun handles solved the problem for me. Perhaps others have simpler solutions.
My biggest gripe about the Phazer is the level of vibration it exudes. It was studded when I got it, and that may be the root of some vibration, and I have checked idler wheels, and track tension and they are not the culprit. Ice in the front of the tunnel may add to the problem.
One of the fellows I rode with today was on his wife’s 97 Ski Doo Formula Deluxe 500. Surprisingly, he could not get away from the little PZ on the lake. They had about the same top end, but the PZ could pull him off the line…….cool.
Hope you let us in on the big secret soon.I may be looking to upgrade to another 4 stroke next year. If this new one has lots of jam, and is available with a long track, I could be very interested.
RIDE SAFE ONE AND ALL.
Thanks Bob, excellent comment, you are right about the kit pricing and I have heard about the illusive pop-rivet location, guess our guys used an air riveter
stay tuned… cheers cr
January 7th, 2010 at 6:35 pmChris, I hope you ran the yamcharger against the sled that Mark and Luke lester tested. That’s the video I want to see. Most people could care less about a test against a stock Apex, especially, when a new sled is coming out in 3 weeks or is it just same story hype as the previous model release year.
oops… guess it’s all hype… cheers cr
January 8th, 2010 at 11:11 amChris, keep all the info coming!, As always, you always keep us on our toes with curiosity.
Also many of us are getting itchy to see the new iron and the new aftermarket Yamcharger. Seems like my dealer will be a distributer for the yamcharger, which should keep us gear-heads busy.
I’ll be keeping an eye out on the trails in case anything sounds or looks different -with the yamaha badge of course!.
Ride on and ride safe……
January 9th, 2010 at 7:59 amHey CR,
Why do the mag’s get to see and ride the sleds before the dealers? Also wasn’t it Supertrax that let 500-1000 copies of their magazine out early 2 years ago with the new models in it…….
…So they can tell all our customers about the new products in their magazines which generally take 6 weeks to 2 months to publish and distribute.
cr
January 11th, 2010 at 6:51 pmYes if i recall they let one slip (actually it was their fulfillment house), created a lot of attention, had a lot of people talking about the new sleds… bummer eh!
Dealers have their houses etc on the line selling your products. I see no reason why the mag’s get the info or even get to ride them first.
I have this spider sense that tells me you are indeed a dealer. If I am correct it’s encouraging to know that you are online and participating in the ‘global conversations’ surrounding our products (I wish all our dealers were). I’d welcome you to discuss marketing strategies and opportunities with any one of our marketing or development team members in person.
January 12th, 2010 at 9:13 amI believe I have already answered your question as to why we tech the media early. They require a certain lead time to meet print deadlines.
We have tried similar things in the past (pre-embargo) with our dealers and were let down. (VK Pro comes to mind). One other point to consider many of our dealers do not sell Yamaha brands exclusively, as Greg always said… two can keep a secret if one is dead! All details and specifications on the 2011 products will be made public Feb 2, in the interim you will see lots of conjecture on line, rest assured no one knows for sure… cheers cr
No I’m not a dealer but rather a a concerned consumer. I love the way media for industries such as automobile or powersports refer to themselves as journalists when in fact they are no more than critics and thus their words and not the ones in the know such as the manufacturers or dealers can make or break sales depending on what they write. Integrity is lacking with the media and good reviews are only bought by the amount of “smooze” or how the writer was feeling that day. Lead time for written print is irrelevant if we now have the Lester’s on Youtube saying it might be the best Yamaha that they have ever written. All that has done is stick the dealers with 2010’s in there showrooms for longer while everyone waits for this new 2011 machine.
Hmmmm interesting comments. Would it be any different if we had some dealers or better yet some average customers riding and talking about the new models instead of the media?? Or are you suggesting we should not announce new products until we have sold through current inventories at least on the retail front (don’t forget we also have product in our warehouses)?
cr
January 12th, 2010 at 1:36 pmI would think that is a discussion for the dealer body to be involved in. Selling 2 or 3 units a month can’t be going over well with them at the moment and neither can the same good ole CDN vs USA pricing debacle which continues and might be the reason why units are still in the warehouse.
I thought Yamaha did not want to enter the “mid-year” release arena like other makes. I can think of only one time that happened …. The SRV wasn’t it? Seeing as it seems to be Yamaha’s policy not to do mid-year releases than I would think keeping the wraps on next years models at least until the end of the season would be more prudent.
Hey Peter, you keep expanding the topic, now we are onto pricing and imports. I think we need to sit down with a couple of bevy’s, before we try to fix all our problems here. I appreciate your comments and viewpoints but these are all complex and controversial issues that deserve more than a few one liners from me here on Sled Talk… cheers cr
January 12th, 2010 at 3:41 pmFair enough but it’s all part and parcel as they say. IMHO the mainstay to promote the product should be dealers before media.
Point made Pete… I’ll buy the first round
cheers cr
January 12th, 2010 at 4:35 pmChris, why do you allow the mags to ride the new product first? I agree with Peter, I find this type of product distribution/inforamtion to be old school media. I find way more valuable infomation on the internet forms. There is also alot of misguided information, but you have to read through the dirt to get to the good stuff. As far as the riders of the mags go. What makes their analysis of a new product better then someone like some of the people over on TY (including myself), who uses the forums for a src of information (either giving or receiving) and probbaly have more experience around sleds then most of the critics that you allow to ride. I dropped my Sno-tech subscription 2 years ago and have never felt a need to buy another one. By the way, the new sled pics hit TY. Looks like an Apex with a new mill. Small Supercharger on it?
Later…
This is a really interesting comment. I think the internet and new social media of the web2.0 world is rapidly changing the traditional marketing world which includes print. I think we are still on the cusp of whats to come and large companies are often slow to react. The simple fact that Sled Talk exists is a sign of the future. I don’t disagree with you at all… cheers cr
January 13th, 2010 at 2:03 pmJust noticed a few photos of you and the 2011 machine on Totallyamaha.
Yep that was us, I thought of you when we ran into one of our dealers and his wife on the trail. I tried to get them on the sled but they respected the size of the group and the fact it was all customers and took a rain check (Rob and Barb from Parkway Yamaha are excellent folks and an awesome dealership).. cheers cr
January 13th, 2010 at 2:16 pm