June 11, 2012
Hold The Phone!
My bad … Been over a month since I have updated Sled Talk. No excuses aside from really busy here, keeping my head down and focused on the job at hand. I had a chuckle from ‘Apex / Vectors’ comment re: Iwata Bound -”I hope you weren’t gagged as well”. Inspired me to start typing 
On the product front, I am pleased to tell you there is light at the end of the tunnel. Our trip to Japan was one of intrigue and motivation. I sat in on meetings for ATV’s ROV’s MC’s and yes … SMB’s and what I heard left me excited and eager to learn more. Yamaha corporate has shifted its gaze from the developing nations back over to the developed countires, namely North America and Europe.
During the past three years of low economic tide the R&D focus and investment has been set squarely on the six million unit plus scooter business found in the developing nations (India, China etc.) leaving the big ticket products we so desire sitting high and dry, but that I can tell you is all about to change.
The strong Japanese Yen still presents a monumental problem for marketing products made in Japan but we are adapting and moving forward with more globalization and aggressive procurement from suppliers around the world. It won’t all happen overnight but from where I sit, I can see three years out and if all goes to plan, it will be a pretty fun ride right across the board as new products begin to roll off the motor sports lines and into our dealerships.
Who knows, there might even be a little something planned for us snowmobilers!
cheers cr
Chris,
June 11th, 2012 at 11:33 amThanks for the insight, it sounds encourageing for the future!
Mr. T
Hey CR
June 11th, 2012 at 4:06 pmGlad to see the blog back in action. New product is great but my 2012 yfz 450 (just getting broken in) will keep me happy… at least until the snow flies. Build a snowmobile that handles like the 450 and it’s all over for the competition.
Good news Chris, lets hope winter weather gods are playin the same tune. Couldnt help myself , jumped for a Spyder RT-S, and a KLR. Id love to have those tunin forks on something like these………Super Tenere 600 rebirth and some exotic cruiuser/ snowmo hybrid crossup….We all know Yami has the onions to crank out leading edge stuff, its good to hear from credible source like yourself that this is a possiblity even in these economic times.
June 12th, 2012 at 7:16 amRegards SR
Well I sure hope so.Problem is by then how many dealers will be left. I been a Yamaha guy for my life and I’m 41. Everything is Yamaha around here. 5 quads were all Yamaha but mow one is a can am. My 3 kids are devastated as my brainwashing them went deeper then I thought. Grizzly was a great bike. BUT im getting bored with it. My dealer started selling kawi to get more product to sell as sales are really hurting for them in Yamaha line. The brute is selling for them 10 brutes to 2 grizz. And the brute comes in 1500 cheaper which might help. They need to do something pretty quick in my opinion. Where I live there’s benn 6 buddy that I know that switched to a french Mexican ride. And now me. Boy are they fun. Yes maybe not as reliable but mines 71 HP. Its a blast. Take care Chris and push to help save the dealers and me from eatiing so much crow
June 12th, 2012 at 7:29 amI love a good story. No worries however waiting for the snow. We are still riding out west and will be for another few weeks at least. Similar to that 1998 SRX countermeasure we testing in Late June/Early July.
June 12th, 2012 at 9:54 amHi Chris,
June 12th, 2012 at 6:08 pmNice to see you are back sending out posts again after your visit to Japan.
Just finished reading an article from sledracer.com on Yamaha’s Cross-Country Race Sled
A 2014 Nytro with a 128″ track would be welcomed into the new lineup. A 10 gallon gas tank instead of a 7 gallon would be an added touch too.
Lets hope for lots of snow this winter!!!
Mark
Chris, I am gald they are now making sweeping changes, but IMO they are too late. It will take lots of changes and lost of NEW releases to get them back in the game. I hope they do, because I love their motors… Still have my 09 700 Grizzly with EPS, but my 08 Can-am 800XT blows it away in 80 percent of the categories. Sleds???? My 1200 Renegade is awesome is all I can say… Our Yamaha dealer closed up here in the Sault… Now I have to go across the river to the american side, which I think is better anyways…
Good Luck….
June 15th, 2012 at 12:55 pmP.S… You need an edit function on this blog, so I can fix my spelling errors!!
June 15th, 2012 at 12:57 pm@sledfreak that seems to be the trend more and more yamaha dealers closing up, I know of two that I am friends with that have said no more and are going to take on another brand (yellow)I’m sure its just as frustrating for the North American Yamaha reps etc trying to get that message back to Japan but it might just be too little too late. With a shrinking dealer base people do not want to travel 100′s of miles for basic parts or service, which is why a northern ontario yamaha dealer I’m friends with did so well, until the lineup got so stale no one was buying anymore. Figure a dealer in Northern Ontario some of the best yamaha sled type trails and sleds sitting there 2 years old brand new…and not just a couple.
@Chris even though I no longer ride the blue train I still enjoy this colum and check here weekly for an update on things this is a great venue forsure, keep up the good work. I’d love to get back onto something yamaha that went like an apex on boost and handled as well as my new F1100 turbo did last season.
June 20th, 2012 at 10:46 amChris – personally I didn’t expect you to report that Yamaha has decided to throw in the towel on sleds…..
Welcome back!
June 25th, 2012 at 9:06 pmHey Chris! I’m going off topic with a request for Yamaha’s ATV division. We need something off factory floors that will compete with BRP’s Outland X MR. My eyes are set on a quad as my next purchase and it would cost me too much and void my warranty to do to a Grizzly 700 what you get from an X MR 1000. Any feedback on Yamaha’s view of this competitive offering is welcome. And a ‘email notification’ of any replies on a topic would be a great feature on this site.
Did you finish the 2012 Season of Episodes?
Cheers, YK
June 27th, 2012 at 11:38 pmLike an SX Venom and Viper?
June 30th, 2012 at 10:15 amHi Chris, I hope that the light at the end of the tunnel is not a freight train coming your way. My feel of things is that if Yamaha releases anything less than top of the class spectacular, that light that YOU see is going to be the freight train engineered by the Yamaha sledhead faithful. The recent attempts by Yamaha marketing trying to spin rebadged or variations of existing sleds as “New” is inconsistent and surprising coming from a company whose best attribute is quality. Those attempts just seemed cheap and not Yamaha. I think you know what I mean.
July 9th, 2012 at 9:38 pmSo what if the US economy is still weak, what if Mother Nature does not cooperate, what if the yen’s strength continues, what if the next generation Apex and all it’s variations is not scheduled for release next model year? Get off the tracks my friend! Enjoy the rest of your summer!
Todd
The story on the bravo in the newest HORIZONS magazine was great.Can,t complain about this summer so far(nice and dry for a whole month,pure yamaha sport quad heaven).Hope this hot,dry summer produces tons of the white stuff this coming winter so us in the yamaha camp can finally see what you guys been working on.
July 10th, 2012 at 1:24 pmBeen over a month again Chris. Many valid points and concerns here!
July 12th, 2012 at 9:40 amstill checking weekly……..
August 8th, 2012 at 11:54 amChris,
What is up with the facebook post from Yamaha today. Looks like a photo from the hood of an Apex or Vector with Bold New Graphics? Did Yamaha keep 2013 up their sleeve to throw the competition off?
Give it up here first to your loyal followers and riders!
August 20th, 2012 at 11:25 amHey Mark,
http://www.yamaha-motor.com/sport/sno/graphics.aspx
Right under their post of the picture is a link to the Yamaha site that shows they are selling limited edition wraps.
August 28th, 2012 at 7:21 am