Snowmobilia

2007-06-21T12:29:00.000-05:00

Yamaha Celebrates 40th Anniversary
With Hardcover History Of Its Sled Story

Wow! Who would have thought that Yamaha has been a part of snowmobiling for the past four decades? Seems like only yesterday that Yamaha brought high-quality, low-buck sleds to the Americas. Guess that’s how it seems when you get to be a member of the AARP-generation.

With its very first model, Yamaha pioneered oil-injection as standard equipment and showed that technological relevance would be a keystone to its future. While that feature eliminated the need to mix oil and gas when refueling your sled, it was a feature that was a bit slow to catch on with the other sled makers. Now, of course, you don’t have to worry about pre-mixing oil to gas with a Yamaha. You should, however, still occasionally check the oil on a modern day 4stroke Yamaha before heading out for a day’s ride.

This new book covers Yamaha’s 40-years in snow-biz from the 1968 SL350 to the 2008 Nytro. In between those two models you’ll discover facts and figures about many of Yamaha’s interesting and historic snowmobiles—such as the unique SnoScoot, the all-conquering Phazer which helped propel Yamaha to #1 in sled sales, and the small displacement World’s Championship Yamaha racing machines that defeated the vaunted Ski-Doo racers.

If you are “into” Yamaha or vintage snowmobiling, this is a book that you will want in your collection—alongside Jerry Bassett’s Polaris Pioneers and CJ Ramstad’s Legend history of Arctic Cat. The new Yamaha anniversary edition contains rare photos and insights from the early years of Yamaha’s snowmobile development, including an account of the company’s entry into the budding snowmobile market in the late 1960s by one of the project engineers on that team.

In this collector’s edition you will find color images of dealership displays, consumer brochures, magazine ads, clothing and accessories from the past four decades. This 96-page volume provides in-depth information on 40 years’ worth of industry-changing snowmobiles. The commemorative book features an embossed dust sleeve as well as an embossed hard cover.

To get a copy of this book, check with your local Yamaha snowmobile dealer or order it on line at: www.toizrit.com/yamahabook.htm.

© 2007 Snowmobilia/Jerry Bassett

To comment go to – http://www.amsnow.com/jerrysblog

2007-05-03T08:42:00.000-05:00

Gone “Off-Roading”

Print readers can still find Bassett in American Snowmobiler

Snowmobilia.blogspot.com will continue to receive sporadic updates over the summer, but for more current Bassett “Rants & Raves” and inside opinions about new sleds, paste the enclosed link (http://snowmobile.off-road.com/snowmobile/article/articleDetail.jsp?id=423834&ref=25) into your browser as Bassett moves to snowmobile@off-road.com as a twice a month columnist on that site which also highlights off-roading info for ATVers, dirtbike riders, Jeep and 4wheel drive players as well as snowmobilers.

For those of you who prefer the printed page, check out Bassett’s appearances as Backtracks writer and occasional test reporter for this season’s American Snowmobiler magazine, which he founded in 1986 and turned into snowmobiling’s #1 paid subscription publication before selling it in 2004.

© 2007 Snowmobilia/Jerry Bassett

To comment go to – http://www.amsnow.com/jerrysblog

2007-04-02T14:31:00.000-05:00

IMPRESSIONS 2008

No Bad Sleds

There are no bad sleds, just ones we prefer over others.

The first time I attended a snowmobile “test” session, there was actual testing done. We mounted sleds on a table to measure “tilt angles”—the degree at which a sled might actually tip-over. We ran the sleds through a 100-yard acceleration run. We did panic braking stops from 30 miles per hour. And we recorded sound levels with a decibel meter.

Our staff gave subjective ratings to each sled in five categories: throttle response, straight-line stability, ease of handling, comfort and ride, and overall styling.

That was in the spring of 1973 and we evaluated sleds from as many as 27 snowmobile manufacturers. At that time we tested and rode sleds from Arctic Cat (Panther, Cheetah, El Tigre), Polaris (Colt, Custom, Electra), Ski-Doo (Elan, Olympique, T’NT, Nordic), and Yamaha (SM 292F, TL 433, GP). Of course, that doesn’t count sleds with names like Alouette, ARGO (which still makes a multi-wheeled all-terrain vehicle), Columbia (yes, the bicycle people of the time), John Deere, Evinrude, Harley-Davidson, Mercury, Rupp, Scorpion, Sno-Jet and Suzuki.

This Spring of 2007, we photographed and rode nearly 100 sleds from just five different manufacturers— Arctic Cat, Boivin, Polaris, Ski-Doo and Yamaha. There were no tests of acceleration, sound, horsepower, etc. In the 34 years since my first sled evaluation in Houghton-Hancock, Michigan to the most recent in Grand Lake, Colorado, sleds have improved, but magazine “testing” hasn’t. With the snowmobile manufacturers in control of the evaluations, radar guns, decibel meters and scales are outlawed. The reasoning is that sled makers do not want to read about their sleds being slower, heavier, and noisier than the competition. The sled makers claim that, since the majority of “test” models are prototypes or pre-production versions of what the consumer will get in the autumn, it would be unfair to actually test them at this point.

Well, eh, yes! But in 1973 Alouette allowed a prototype of its Super Brute to be tested. It was a sled with essentially an engine, track and throttle. The brake was for show—not slow—purposes. The taillight was a block of wood painted red and pasted to the rear of the sled for photo purposes. Now that was a prototype! We didn’t see any such rough versions of the sleds from Arctic, Polaris, Ski-Doo and Yamaha.

In fact, Yamaha might well have benefited from some actual radar gunning and scale tipping as its new Nytro had undergone some marvelous transitions from its magazine preview to Colorado’s on-snow evaluations. Ski-Doo’s incredible weight reductions might have benefited from being showcased via third party endorsements.

But, that was not the case. You snowmobile buyers have to take the word of the magazine guys and gals and the word of the sled makers that what you can buy in 2008 is better, faster, lighter, quieter, etc. than ever before. In the “old” days the magazines didn’t ask you to take their word for things, they could back up their claims with facts. Cold, hard, incontrovertible facts. Facts that could sway your purchasing decision. And that is exactly why the current snowmobile evaluations are totally seat of the pants subjective evaluations and not objective acquired data evaluations.

With that rant off my aging, gray-haired chest, let me give you a maker-by-maker evaluation of the most significant sleds for 2008. Take my word for it. I have no hard data on which to base my observations, but three decades of riding the newest of the new must be worth a little something. Trust me!

Ski-Doo

The French-Canadians offer the most impressive new line of snowmobiles in many, many years. Ski-Doo was faced with an “Indy” problem; how to follow up on the success of a sled model that made you #1 in the marketplace and still stay #1 with subsequent new models. Ski-Doo’s solution? Make the REV better. Make the REV lighter. Make the REV more exciting. Simply reinvent the REV. Easier said than done. But for 2008, Ski-Doo certainly appears to have reinvented the #1 seller with a sled that could actually outsell the original.

The XP is a better REV in all ways. Because it retains the best engines—Rotax 600 SDI and 800 PowerTek—and drops significant weight, the all-new Ski-Doo automatically gains better all-around performance merely on the power-to-weight basis.

What the new lighter Ski-Doo models also gain is an adrenaline rush of on-trail handling and a major boost on the fun-o-meter.

In our view, the best new Ski-Doo is the XP with a 600 SDI twin. The most intriguing is the all-new T’NT version that is powered by the base 600cc twin sans RAVE and direct injection. It will be the price leader and a tempting choice for budget-conscious riders. If the $7,500 price tag is your limit, we feel that the T’NT is the best value in that price range. Plenty of motor—probably 100 horses or so—and not much weight (Ski-Doo is expected to claim just under 400 pounds!). If your budget can be stretched upwards a bit, we’d opt for the 600 SDI version because you get much better overall engine drive-ability from the semi-direct injection system and because the shock package is far superior to the base model.

For you trail cruisers, the GSX Limited on the new platform is a very solid consideration. It will be a smoother, less aggressive ride with better wind protection and more overall bells and whistles. The 600 SDI version is again our choice.

We were really impressed with what Ski-Doo has done for 2008. The new “look” is hip and happening. The fact that Ski-Doo recognized what it did well and kept those features (can we say great Rotax engines?) and improved on the strengths of the REV (can we say rider position, handling, style?) leads us to believe that Ski-Doo knows how to lead via technology and insights into what is truly important to snowmobilers.

Yamaha

Like Ski-Doo, Yamaha dropped weight faster than a bulimic on the South Beach Diet. Unfortunately, someone forgot to tell Yamaha’s planners what Ski-Doo was up to!

The all-new Nytro is significantly lighter than any rough trail, 4stroke Yamaha has created to date. Even with the advantage of its 1050cc, 130-hp powerplant, the Nytro will not have the best power-to-weight ratio in the 120 class for 2008. But it does get a major overhaul in the ride and handling department since the versions we test rode at Yamaha’s sneak peek for the various magazines.

After out first outing on the sled, we were disappointed. The power delivery was wonderful, but it overpowered the Nytro’s suspension setups. The rear suspension rocked back under torque and lifted the skis at just the most inopportune times—like coming off an apex as you were trying to stay out of the trees off the turn! While this was great for straight-line shots, it was unnerving for switchbacks and twisties.

At Grand Lake, the Nytro was a totally different machine in the ride and handling departments. We were told that the Nytro suspension packages were only about 30 percent completed during the sneak peek introductions.

Part of the major upgrade came in the form of a totally new and repositioned coupling block that united the rear suspension’s front action with the rear action. From skis in the air to skis on the ground. Amen! Yamaha suspension gurus also got much closer to the final shock and spring calibrations by the Colorado evaluations. What Yamaha likes to do is to establish the suspension’s attack angle to the snow, locate the limiter strap position and work the front and rear shock and spring action to fine-tune the unit. The coupling block plays a major role in this action and you could definitely tell that Yamaha engineering made a gigantic stride forward in establishing a very rider-friendly setup. Hurray!

As we stated previously, the Nytro has power and very good performance-oriented ergonomics. Now it has the ride and handling to match. We can recommend the Nytro as a top choice—the top choice for performance riders wanting a 4stroke!

Now let us get back to our view of the Phazer. We test rode the latest spec RTX in Colorado and were content with it. There is a definite upgrade from Year One to now.

After our ride on the RTX, we immediately switched to the Phazer GT, which uses clicker shocks and is intended for sporty groomed trail riding. We pushed into a few corners after we switched from RTX to GT and were not happy. The rider I had been attacking while on the RTX was readily able to get away from me. Because the Phazer is limited to 80 horsepower, you need to hold the throttle on and dance around the turns, slide slipping the chassis to scrub off speed instead of hitting the brakes. Well, let’s just say this wasn’t going well at all. If I had Herculean strength, I would have stopped the GT, lifted it off the trail and hurled it off the mountain! We were not in our happy place.

Every time we closed on the sled ahead and came up on a turn, the GT pushed and popped, pushed and popped, leaving me cussing under my helmet. This hadn’t been the case with the RTX and its air shocks. It would push a bit, but then grab and hold. After a few corners, I pulled off the trail and summoned the Yamaha technician who was riding with us. We chatted a bit and agreed to go all the way stiff on the compression setting.

Another mile or so and we made another change. I was really ticked off now. We chatted again. The GT was like a pogo stick under the stiff compression setting. We backed off the compression and this time softened the rebound to slow the action a bit to see if that could mitigate the sled’s tendency to “pogo.” Voila! Rebound was the key. The front end was significantly better and would prove even better a day later as Yamaha’s tech fiddled with the setting again and let me try it. It was the best setup of any Phazer I had ridden to date.

My point is simple. Read the setup manual. Make adjustments. Note your adjustment. Fine-tune your adjusts until you are totally satisfied. Make notes. You may find that the key to cornering is going to be in the rebound setting, but you will need to play with the compression stroke as well.

Now we know that the Phazer GT can be made to be acceptable and great fun on the tight trails, but we are still convinced that Yamaha needs to do more. Perhaps a new ski design with either dual runners to get good grip or more of a rocker keel will prove to be the answer. Of course, at an entry-level price, we can’t expect Nytro features can we?

Our other fave in the Yamaha line is the new Vector series—the best 4stroke drive train in Yamaha’s most rideable chassis setup derived from the Apex line.

Polaris

Polaris answers the Phazer question of what can you get for $7500 or so with its loss-leader Shift, which should come in under seven grand and should be a really good buy.

Looks like Polaris is getting back to its basics of offering good quality sleds at the lowest prices per category. It—and the Indy—was what made Polaris #1 in the market for a dozen seasons. To get consumers’ interest, Polaris marketers are attacking the value market with a 600cc-powered sled in the popular IQ chassis. Called the Shift, the down-and-dirty sled comes without makeup and a base handlebar setup. So, right away, Polaris figures that the Shift buyer will want to upgrade the plain black hood with a dealer-available and optional graphics package and maybe even a riser bar to get the handlebars up where they can be comfortable. This so-called “stripper” sled is intended for cost-conscious buyers who might want to personalize their ride.

We get the concept. At under $7000, the base sled is actually a pretty good buy. But what you really want is the Dragon 600. It and the all-new Ski-Doo MXZ are the two best rides on the market and worth the price of admission.

The Cleanfire 600 is the equal of the Rotax 600 SDI. The Polaris IQ and the REV XP are not apples and apples. In fact we came away confused as to which of the sleds we liked better. We liked the traditional power sled feel of the Dragon, which reminded us of the best traits of the older Indy in that it seemed no matter what stupid thing you might do the sled covered for you. The Ski-Doo is noticeably lighter and you can readily toss it around and have great fun with it. The heavier feeling Dragon goes where you point it, but doesn’t like to redirect itself if you change a line. It feels a bit sluggish in cornering, but that is most likely a result of the Ski-Doo being so light and giving such a feeling of lightning quick response, especially when cornering.

The Dragon is an exceptionally good sled with very nice quality in its build, respectful of the rider, consistent in power, able to ride out rough trails with ease, and a very strong 600cc driveline. Firecat riders disappointed with the new more luxurious Cats may be quite content to change over to the Roseau fleet of sports sleds. The Dragon has very good ergonomics and a large dealer network to support it.

Another model we have to mention is the limited build RR (race replica). This sled will sell for a premium so don’t be surprised. Based on the snocross-winning racer, the RR is a 600cc version that has been calibrated for exciting ditch line running. We were impressed. Expecting a rock-hard ride with race-like handling, we found the RR to our liking. It is more trail-calibrated than racer. Its standup ride position works great on mogulled trails and its pinpoint steering is superb. Like the lightweight Ski-Doo Xps, the RR is designed to be tossed around and ridden as hard as you can. If you like it rough, the RR is perfect. Polaris engineers did an outstanding job on this specialty model. There won’t be many around and they will be pricey, but the RR is a keeper!

Arctic Cat

The new Cat lineup for 2008 is an expansion of what you saw last year. More base model engines have been moved to the new chassis giving you such flavors as the 570 fan-cooled twin in the one-chassis-fits-all mode.

Let me preface what I am about to say with this. The new Cats are very nice snowmobiles. The new chassis and rider ergonomics are first rate. But, it isn’t enough for true Cat fanatics who loved their Firecats. The new sleds are not the old Firecat. By and large the new sleds are heavier and slower than the models they replaced. Especially the ones that replaced the Firecats. Those riders demanded speed, handling and lightness on the trail. The new versions supply little of that.

Overall the new breed of Cat is actually among our favorites as everyday rides. The steering is smooth. The adjustability is incredible as you can fit virtually anyone to these Cats. We like the styling, though not all do. The fit and finish is very good and the overall ergonomics are pleasing.

Oh, my gosh… I just described a Buick!

And, that may be the problem. Cat owners forgave Arctic Cat for the teething problems of the first Firecats because they knew that those sleds were fast and furious rides on the trails. The Firecat 700 earned a performance reputation against competitors with more horsepower and greater displacement. That’s not the case with the new breed of performance Cats. But they are nice. They ride nice. They look nice. But they tend to purr instead of growl and scratch!

And that’s a problem. Cat owners have attitude! The new Cats are nice. Cat owners don’t want nice, they want scratch and claw attitude.

One of the nicest Cats is the new touring version, the TZ1, which combines the best of the Z1 four-stroke with the Cat penchant for Catillac luxury. Smooth, nicely appointed and incredibly cush for a snow car, this top line Cat is at the top for best in show of luxury-oriented trail cruisers.

Fun to ride Cats include the new 570 fan-cooled sports versions and the various SnoPro performance rides. Nice but little growl compared to the fire breathers in the Dragon line and the lightweight Ski-Doo models.

So, if you are looking to Cat, think less Firecat and more Buick. Less growl, more purr.

© 2007 Snowmobilia/Jerry Bassett

To comment go to – http://www.amsnow.com/jerrysblog

2007-03-12T14:27:00.001-05:00

VINTAGE REVIEW

1968 Sno-Skat

One of many interesting sleds to see at World Snowmobile HQ

Things of note you’ll see at the new World Snowmobile Headquarters in Eagle River, Wisconsin, include a display of historic and unique snowmobiles. Among the current display of “traditional” Polaris Sno-Travelers and historic World Championship twin-track racing sleds is a quite rare “kit” snowmobile on loan by Jerry Wanty of Jackson (WI) to the HQ’s museum area.

Wanty’s redone 1968 Sno-Skat is unusual from a variety of points. It is a unique collectible due to its relative obscurity. The fact that it was sold as a kit adds to the uniqueness of the sled. And it also showcases some rather clever design aspects—one of which is being hyped in today’s sleds as breakthrough engineering. Guess the folks at Sno-Skat were 40 years ahead of their time with the 1968 Sno-Skat currently on display at the snowmobile headquarters museum.

The sled was offered as a do-it-yourself kit in 1968 and boasted a carrying capacity for one adult or “two mature children.” The unit’s 4stroke, single cylinder, air-cooled engine was set low in a recessed portion of the tunnel, just back of the steering post and ahead of the seat.

Promotional material stated: “The Sno-Skat offers an exceptionally low center of gravity because the engine is recessed or submerged into the frame. This design feature reduces overall vibration to a minimum while increasing the stability of the machine in operation.”

With the engine tucked away, engineers also enclosed the myriad of moving parts out of harm’s way, too.

“In addition to the low center of gravity created by the recessed engine,” touted the brochure, “the Sno-Skat presents no exposed drive chains or track. If you do happen to tip the machine, you will fall safely clear of all moving parts.”

The engine-mounted clutch was a typical centrifugal unit that you would use for a home-built lawn mower-powered , off-road go-kart. It was simple, efficient for the power output and relatively inexpensive. Braking appears to have been a matter of letting off the throttle and letting friction take over.

Even with a basic “lawn mower” type 5 or 7 horsepower motor, the Sno-Skat was said to achieve speeds upwards of 20 miles per hour, even with an adult who might actually match the diminutive sled’s 180 pounds of dry weight.

Since the engine in the display model was likely an “off-the-shelf” Briggs & Stratton or Tecumseh 4stroker, the fuel tank would have come with the motor and probably had about a quart of fuel capacity. But they would have provided ample fun time for those mature children.

The rear suspension used basic big-wheeled bogies while ski suspension relied on the flex in the shaped steel steering rods attached to the metal skis.

Passengers sat on a luxuriant (by 1968 standards) three inches of foam seat support.

Designed to be rugged, compact and exciting, Sno-Skat’s lightweight construction made it “…much easier to lift out and keep going if you happen to dig into a snow bank, etc.”

If you are in the Eagle River area and enjoy snowmobiling, you owe it to yourself to stop by the World Snowmobile Headquarters complex at 5121 North Railroad Street. For additional info and museum hours, call the Headquarters offices at 715-479-2186. Once the website is completed, you can check out events by visiting online at www.worldsnowmobilehq.com.

For right now, the Sno-Skat is one of the more interesting sleds on display. But, also you'll find a Polaris “Li’l Andy” and a nice sampling of other significant snowmobiles from the past. Check it out!

© 2007 Snowmobilia/Jerry Bassett

To comment go to – http://www.amsnow.com/jerrysblog

2007-03-08T10:40:00.001-06:00

More Rants

Vintage Sleds A Threat?

There are reasons for growth of vintage sledding.

At the peak of last week’s near-blizzard in central Minnesota, we stopped our sled ride to gather at a pit stop along the Soo Line trail. As we parked our brand new (low mileage!) ’07 test sleds outside the trailside bar; we noticed a couple of 1970s vintage Scorpions parked alongside the front edge of the parking lot. Both were in wonderful shape—especially considering that each was easily 35 years old. One hood had a nicely painted patriotic theme while the other retained historic Scorpion black paint on its scoop nose.

Upon entering the bar, we noticed a couple of younger fellows—well, at least younger to me. One was outfitted in a Scorpion-logoed red and black hooded sweatshirt. The other had the Carhartt thing going for him. They were the owners/riders of the two Scorpions and they were of a similar —if not younger— vintage as their sleds. My riding partner, a veteran Scorpion enthusiast and former Scorpion factory racer, knew the lads. We struck up a conversation.

Now, with no apologies, I will admit that this vintage thing has perplexed me some. I do get it. After all, I still have the 1969 Ski-Doo 320SS that was given to me one Christmas by my folks. And I have possession of one of three 1964-65 10-horsepower Ski-Doo Olympiques that my Dad sold the first year he was a snowmobile dealer. So, yes, I get the heritage and emotional side of vintage sleds. I don’t quite get why younger guys are so eager to ride and embrace vintage sleds.

The “Carhartt Guy” said, “It’s kinda like riding a Harley for the snow.” Does that mean the sleds leak oil and ride hard? Yes and no!

“Carhartt Guy’s” buddy said that he could invest a little money and get a long-term ride that put him in touch with what snowmobiling was all about. It sounded a little Thoreau, but what I think he meant was that even though his sled’s top speed was well under 50 miles per hour (the state speed limit in Minnesota, by the way!), he enjoyed a sense of adventure of being a participant in winter.

Also, he pointed out, once he invested the hundreds or a few thousand dollars to get the vintage ride where he wanted it, he could have a nice sled for years to come. One that didn’t require huge repairs—since he could repair most of it himself. If he wanted to update the suspension, he could do it quite easily. Since these were older sleds and since Scorpion parts of those years were somewhat interchangeable, the lads could update the early Scorps with later Scorpion parts. The famed Para-Rail rear suspension could be added to virtually any older bogie model. The engine could be upgraded with newer and more reliable electronics and carbs could be switched out from Walbro to Mikuni.

While the guys liked working on the sleds to make them “theirs,” they enjoyed riding them more. Interestingly, more and more younger riders are finding old sleds to enjoy. They are cheap compared to the $10,000-plus required for today’s newer, heavier and more complex sleds. But, as “Carhartt Guy” noted, “Parts for the old sleds are getting harder to find and more expensive as more people are getting into vintage.”

Yes, indeed, more people are getting into older sleds. While we were at the pit stop another small group came in. One of the younger fellows climbed off a John Deere, the old silver and green one.

With the reality that vintage snowmobiling is growing in popularity, how does this impact the existing sled makers? Is there a realization by today’s snowmobiling crowd that today’s sleds are too expensive for the length of the season? Is there a feeling that today’s sleds are just too heavy and way too complicated? Is there a feeling that there is a growing insider club of vintage sleds —like there is with street rodders, classic car buffs and, yes, Harley guys— where you can be an individual with a remade sled customized to you by you that has greater appeal than the sled makers realize?

When we went to Eagle River (WI) for the races this past January, we were impressed with how big vintage sled racing has become. Working for Snow Week “back in the day,” I covered many of those sleds that I was seeing compete in the vintage events at Eagle River. The difference is that the vintage sleds weren’t falling apart and leaving debris all over the historic oval as the originals had done. And today’s vintage sled racers are actually better overall drivers on average than many of the old time competitors. Vintage racing is impressive. And growing.

As one aftermarket pioneer told me. “If you put a few thousand dollars into building up a vintage race sled, you could race that sled for years. But if you race the new sleds, to be competitive you have to get a new one every year.”

As new sleds get more expensive, more complicated, less mechanic friendly and much heavier, vintage sleds may pose a threat to new sled sales. Vintage sleds are simple, fun and can be made quite reliable. When your butt is a foot off the snow rebounding from a bogie wheel suspension and cradled in a modest foam seat, the vintage sled’s 40 miles per hour top speed seems like a 100 mph on a modern sled. You experience winter first hand on a vintage sled. That’s part of the secret to the growth of vintage sledding.

© 2007 Snowmobilia/Jerry Bassett

To comment go to – http://www.amsnow.com/jerrysblog

2007-03-06T11:35:00.000-06:00

Rants & Raves

Ski-Doo Sets New Standard?

After having been around the snow biz since I was a high-schooler back in New Hampshire, it sometimes seems that it’s just the same ol’ thing, just a different day. Back then; Ski-Doo was #1 with the lion’s share of the snowmobile market.

Hmmm! Fast-forward to today and Ski-Doo is #1 with an ever-growing share of the snowmobile marketplace. The company that reinvented winter back in the 1960s has its sense of history firmly in place as it just introduced some all new “light-footed” snowmobiles of today that have as much impact as those original “light-footed” sleds of yesteryear.

Power To Weight—The big difference is that the new sleds Ski-Doo just unveiled with an all-new rider forward positioning are not merely lighter than the previous REV, but come with more power. Meaning, simply, much more performance due to an incredible power-to-weight shift. If we do a little math —and remember, we are writers not math hounds— we get the new Ski-Doo 800 coming in with a power-to-weight (PTW) ratio that charges each horsepower with 2.8 pounds of sled to carry down the trail! Now, giving Yamaha’s all-new lightweight Nytro 4stroke the benefit of the doubt, it comes in with a PTW of one horsepower to 3.5 pounds of sled weight. That’s the basic math.

We won’t pretend that we weren’t concerned about Ski-Doo and its future. Once the powersports group was broken off from Bombardier proper a few years ago and became an independent entity backed by venture capital, we judged that Ski-Doo would have a fight on its hands for sheer survival, much less market dominance. But Ski-Doo used its legacy product of snowmobiles, revisited the way and why snowmobilers rode their sleds and came up with the REV platform. A gamble? Yes! But one that changed the recreational snowscape as much as those light-footed sleds of yore did. If you don’t believe the REV was successful, look at the competition. Every other manufacturer makes a big deal of its rider-forward ergonomics. Argue that Yamaha’s Snoscoot was the first with the concept, but Yamaha abandoned it to follow the mainstream.

Could Doo—My problem with Ski-Doo was not one of “can do.” Rather, more could do! Could Ski-Doo without the benefits of Mother Bombardier have the resources and capabilities to score another REV success? Voila! Ski-Doo has pulled off what very few snowmobile companies in the #1 position have been able to do—follow up a market leading success with another market leader. It has yet to be proven that the new REV chassis combo will be a big hit, but we are betting it will because it isn’t just about weight.

Check out the Ski-Doo web site and take a very close look at the sled’s details. First, there is the weight reduction. Taking a page from Yamaha’s book, Ski-Doo engineers combined functions of some pieces to reduce overall weight. It’s worked well for Yamaha.

Second, there is the benefit of proven power from tried and true Rotax powerplants that are known to provide excellent performance. And the fuel mileage of these 2strokers is totally under rated, which gives the power source an advantage beyond simple horsepower. Lighter weight to haul usually means improved mileage as well as speed and acceleration.

Third, there is the simple fact that the new Ski-Doo shows that Ski-Doo engineering “Gets It!” The engineering team thinks in terms of a total package. The front and rear suspensions are designed to provide maximum usage of their components. Shock rod lengths are there to be used as the rear suspension couples front action to rear action. The front end reflects a concept of balance. Supple up and down action balanced with progressive side-to-side action.

Fourth, rider positioning was rethought. But not to the extreme. Adding an inch or so of rider height created a way to give the rider more legroom while allowing him to maintain better control. The engine is mounted low. The secondary clutch is mounted nearly straight up and down to accommodate the riding position. A glance at the sled’s dynamics as portrayed on the Ski-Doo web site suggests a nice balance between center of gravity retention and centralizing the mass of heaviest componentry—engine, exhaust, clutches, etc.

Rough Trail Leader—Frankly, we’ve been a bit amazed that Ski-Doo has been the leader in rough trail technology in recent years. This is a company whose engineers open R&D’s overhead doors and head onto one of the best-groomed trail systems in all of snowmobiling. For those “hommes” to intellectualize rough trail riding and the ergonomics of rider position in big bumps and pockmarked, rutted out terrain comes as a bit of a surprise to us. This is the company that gave us the Everest—nice for touring, but not very good when the trails got rough—and Safari series. We have been incredibly impressed that Ski-Doo brought us the REV. We would have thought that Polaris or Cat would have done that since their engineers open the R&D doors in northwestern Minnesota and head out on to some of the most pitted out roadside ditches you can imagine!

That brings us back to another reason we are impressed with what Ski-Doo has done. When a sled company has been #1, it has been hard to retain that title. Yes, Polaris was #1 for more than a decade living off the Indy and its many iterations. But when it came time to make the great big jump forward, Polaris gave us the Fusion 900. Goodbye #1!

Arctic Cat was #1 for years, but in tough times back in the late 1970s and early1980s, Cat went out of business and was saved by diehard Cat engineers and marketing types who brought it back to life and created the biggest comeback in snowmobiling history—in great part due to an even more diehard core of Arctic Cat owners who would rather give up riding if they couldn’t have a Cat!

Yamaha was #1 after Arctic Cat fell into receivership, but despite its lineup of interesting sleds like the Enticer, SRX and SRV, Yamaha fell off to a distant fourth place in a group of four. With a renewed commitment to snowmobiling and a major commitment of 4stroke technology, Yamaha has rebounded and now challenges Ski-Doo.

Ski-Doo vs Yamaha—The Ski-Doo/Yamaha challenge is an interesting one. The two companies are opposite in engine technology. Yamaha is 4stroke-centric. Ski-Doo is open to both 2stroke and 4stroke—sort of. For its performance line, Ski-Doo opts for clean burning 2strokes that are lighter and pack more power per cc than a 4stroker. Ski-Doo offers a V-twin 4stroke for its trail-oriented lineup of Legend type machines, but believes that performance riders want lightweight performance first and foremost. And, for Ski-Doo that means 2stroke Rotax performance.

Based on rides this winter of the new Blizzard 800cc twin, we agree that performance riders can get strong performance and good fuel efficiency from 2stroke-based sleds. Just recently at a gas station in central Minnesota, we compared fuel efficiency between Ski-Doo’s Blizzard 800 and Arctic Cat’s Jaguar Z1 4stroke. Having traveled the same distance, the 4stroke thirsted for a gallon more of fuel than did the 2stroke Ski-Doo. Keep in mind that the Suzuki-built Cat motor uses a computer-corrected fuel injection system versus the carbureted throttle body style feeding the Ski-Doo 2stroke twin. We were quite surprised at the result of that fill up. Ski-Doo’s Rotax engineers know a little something about squeezing power and efficiency out of its engines!

Bottom Line—The bottom line in this discussion is simple. Ski-Doo has established a new standard for snowmobiles. There is power-to-weight. There is comfort. There is big bump performance. There is engine power. There is engine efficiency. There is a heritage that is taken very, very, very seriously by a legacy sled brand! And, there is a very large challenge for the competition.

© 2007 Snowmobilia/Jerry Bassett

To comment go to – http://www.amsnow.com/jerrysblog

2007-02-26T11:59:00.000-06:00

NEW SLEDS

YAMAHA MODEL LINEUP FOR 2008

Phazer & Apex Updated; Vector Re-Invented

For the Apex and Phazer models, if you liked the 2007 versions, you’ll love the 2008s. There has been some nomenclature change along with new graphics on certain models. The Apex crossover is now the LTX and the mountain sleds carry the MTX name and a new rear rack.

Overall the Apex series remains true to its performance image with the nifty 4stroke, four-cylinder motor that puts about 150 horsepower. As with the Apex, the Phazer line underwent minimal change. All Yamahas will have at least one styling option designed to celebrate Yamaha’s 40th anniversary of building sleds, including a period when Yamaha snowmobiles were #1 in the sled marketplace.

One Phazer change is the addition of a new snow panel designed to reduce snow build up on the running boards. But power remains the same—80-hp from the 500cc twin—and some suspension packages have changed a bit to include clicker and “air” shocks. Look for the Phazer FX to have disappeared and to be replaced with the name RTX. All else is essentially the same. Look for aggressive pricing as Yamaha uses the Phazer to entice cost-conscious buyers.

Vector—The Most Excellent All Around Snowmobile

We know that we are supposed to view the all-new Nytro as the BIG news for 2008, but we found the re-invention of the Vector as the biggest and most impressive surprise. Yamaha did this right in taking all the best features of the Apex, its chassis and rider ergonomics, and combining them with the best features of the previous Vector, 120-hp triple cylinder engine, fuel efficacy and pricing.

What you have is the best all around snowmobile in the marketplace. We really liked the Apex series, especially its rider friendly seating, its overall cornering ability, and its general snow-ability. We liked the Vector’s power plant, feeling it was the most trail-friendly drive system on the market.

The 2008 Vector has no shortcomings. Because its engine is a cylinder shy of the Apex, the front end feels lighter and easier to steer. Because the Vector enjoys the rider-forward Apex positioning, you have a feeling of greater control over rough trails while maintaining the ability to slide back and relax while touring.

The new Vector retains the mono-shock with its remote adjustability dial on the side of the tunnel. The rear suspension has, of course, been recalibrated to accommodate the changes in the new Vector. The front suspension, which the Apex had adapted from the previous Vector, is recalibrated as well.

You’ll find various versions of the’08 Vector, including a sporty GT model and a longer tracked LTX, which replaces the Rage nameplate for the crossover model. The LTX uses a 136-inch long track. There is no mountain version as the all-new Nytro chassis and its more powerful 130-hp triple have been designated to replace the previous Vector mountain versions.

Yamaha makes no pretense about the Vector—new or older. It is the full-sized price leader for the company. Said a Yamaha spokesman; the key to the Vector is its 120-hp, fuel-efficient 4stroke and “price, price, price.”

According to Yamaha, Vector owners claimed getting upwards of 20 miles per gallon.

Now that the 120-hp engine is in the Apex-derived skin, the Vector has to be the best overall trail sled available. It can be sporty for exceptional cornering and overall handling.

The lighter weight front end is truly noticeable immediately. The engine has more than adequate performance from its triple carb setup. And how can you not like the 4stroke benefits of economy, reliability and long-term durability?

Yamaha’s big problem with the new Vector is going to be getting people to turn them in for another sled years down the trail. Or, maybe not, because this is a sled that the more you ride it, the more you’ll want to ride. So, maybe people will be turning them in because they’ll have so many miles on them they’ll need a newer one!

Vector Bottom Line

For us, this is an instant classic, one that has no downside. Great value at initial purchase. Great fuel efficiency. Wonderful ride. Vector is the best all around snowmobile you can buy in 2008!

© 2007 Snowmobilia/Jerry Bassett

To comment go to – http://www.amsnow.com/jerrysblog

2007-02-26T11:31:00.000-06:00

NEW SLEDS

ALL-NEW YAMAHA NYTRO FOR 2008

Is 130 Horsepower, Outstanding Ergonomics Enough?

One area where Yamaha knew it hasn’t been competitive is in the snocross-style, “big bump” category of performance snowmobiling. Enter the all-new, 1050cc, three-cylinder, four-stroke Nytro. The name “Nytro” may remain from the past, but this is much more than bolder, newer graphics.

With an all-new fuel injected triple that classifies for snocross racing classes, the Nytro is the lightest full-size 4stroke performance sled Yamaha has created to date. On its website, Yamaha is leaving the weight issue unspecified.

In chats with Yamaha officials at a pre-introduction press briefing back in January, we were led to believe that a trail ready, wet weight Nytro RTX with electric start and reverse would come in around 560 pounds, about 20 pounds lighter than a 2007 Ski-Doo Blizzard 600. The base Nytro RTX sans reverse would be 10-12 pounds lighter. Unfortunately, with Ski-Doo’s unveiling of its newest REV-like sports sled reportedly coming in with dry weights mimicking Yamaha’s twin-cylinder Phazer, Nytro isn’t the lightest big bumpster. However it still should be the lightest 4stroke big bump sled.

Going after the known market and anticipating that others might lighten their sleds, Yamaha built the Nytro with power-to-weight in mind. If we did our math right, with its 1050cc triple and claimed 130 horsepower, the new Nytro’s performance should rival that of the more powerful and heavier Apex 150-hp engined Yamahas.

Nytro’s triple is said to be based on the Vector, but we take that to mean that it resembles the 120-hp Vector triple in the same way the Apex four-cylinder engine resembles the RX-1 engine that it replaced. If so, all the resemblance means is that both have three cylinders and no gear reduction. Not much else is the same—as the fuel injected Nytro triple is said to be 11 pounds lighter than the carbed Vector motor!

First 4Stroke SX Win

This engine (and chassis) is essentially the same product design that won the Brainerd (MN) snocross and became the first-ever 4stroke to do so. Imagine Yamaha’s delight. While the R&D Yamaha snocrossers have evolved, so has the competition and Yamaha, while placing well, has not had another victory as we write this piece.

We can verify Yamaha’s claim that the Nytro offers an exceptionally strong 96 pounds-feet of torque from 5000 to 6000 revs. It is a grip ripper when you slam the throttle forward. Yamaha claims that the new engine delivers 95 percent of its peak power at 1200 rpm.

We also noticed that Yamaha must have felt that Arctic Cat was on to something when it made its new Jaguar 4stroke free rolling and eliminated the potential for engine braking that has been a trademark feature of the Yamaha 4strokes. The Nytro free wheels when you let off the brake. Veteran Yamaha 4stroke riders will notice this right away and have to get used to it all over again. But for riders coming off 2stroke brands, the Nytro power delivery will feel familiar.

Couple, Uncouple

Now, because these were prototype Nytros and because Yamaha was trying to impress us with power and torque, we aren’t certain that all actual production Nytros will react as our test units did. When we grabbed a handful of throttle we were instantly shot rearward on the saddle as the skis leapt off the snow. Is that how the real Nytro is? Or, is it how Yamaha wants us to perceive the Nytro’s holeshot performance? If it is actual, we question it. It would seem to indicate a lack of suspension coupling on the under track rear suspension system. As we are big believers in coupled suspensions, we are not fans of the Nytro’s initial full throttle reaction.

Coming from a more conservative school of performance, we like our contact points to actually be in contact with the terrain more often than not. When we auto-slalomed our sporty cars, we insisted on having all four of our tires as flat and biting on the asphalt as possible. We like having our motorcycle’s tires contacting the asphalt when we corner. Even if there are only three main points of contact on a snowmobile, we like to have them in contact with the terrain. Considering that one point of contact—the track—can totally overwhelm the remaining two points of contact—the ski blades—you might see why we like the skis on the ground when we ride.

We have ridden other sleds with a tendency to porpoise the front end under hard acceleration and found it more exciting than necessary. Example, you are coming into a turn, brake hard, hit the corner correctly and expect the ski bite to guide you around the turn as you apply throttle. Hit the throttle with enthusiasm and get ski lift and you may be saying “Howdy Do!” to the brush. It’s an inconsistency that fully coupled suspensions don’t generally have. So, we disagree with the suspension setup on the Nytro units that we tested.

We also think that Yamaha—and others—listen too closely to their snocross advisors and not enough to their hard-riding consumers. If you have rear or front suspension with extra long travel shock pistons capable of reducing big moguls to molehills, shouldn’t you exercise it fully? The modern big bump suspension seems to have no travel in it at all. Hey, I’ve ridden bogie wheeled sleds. I’ve raced cross-country for hundreds of miles on slide rail suspensions that were lucky to have an effective three inches of travel. Why on earth, would I—or should any performance rider—be left with a long travel bump suspension that has the ride characteristics of the racers of old? No way!

Compromises

Yamaha’s Nytro, like many big bump sleds, compromises its suspensions. These sleds are designed to ride straight ahead, hit big bumps head-on, fly through the air and land hard. Works great in snocross. For the real world of on-trail big bumps, the moguls are off-camber, not spaced to be taken five at a time so you can do a mid-air, heel-clicker, and usually not seen until the last second. What this requires is a stable suspension setup with terrific weight transfer from side to side and end-to-end. The front suspension has to be fully capable of soaking up the initial steering shock without ripping the handlebar from the rider’s grip. The skis have to shift weight from side to side as most moguls are higher or lower from side to side. Then the rear suspension’s front shock has to collapse along the length of its shock rod smartly enough to telegraph its reaction through the assisting coil spring to the rearmost suspension shock. You want this all to happen without fully bottoming either suspension. And you do not want to get a spine-banging jolt when you first hit the bump or when you land. When you land you want to get all three contacts quickly on the snow so you can steer to position the sled for the next obstacle.

My personal opinion is that the Nytro is a bit wanting in the big bumps. The front suspension needs to be more responsive from side–to-side and the rear suspension needs to be smoother and absorb more of the big bump without any aftershock from the coil spring. My guess is that this is not what the snocross advisors are telling the engineers, because they are standing up and they want stiff response over a snocross course, which is correct for them. Not for the world of high mileage, high performance ditch riding.

Ergos Great

Now, then we must compliment Yamaha for the ergonomics of the Nytro. Ergos are truly outstanding. You can stand up comfortably and in control. We bet mountain riders will like the deep snow versions of this sled for its rider friendly cockpit. The sled’s cowling has been rounded off to allow ample side-to-side movement for cornering and the wide footboards accommodate stand up riding exceptionally well. You can readily move around on this sled. The seat was comfy without being overly soft but not rock hard as the Polaris Dragon saddle. Overall the reach for controls was very good.

Yamaha has worked hard on its gauge package, with a nice big speedometer reading in your face. We’ve come around that nearly infinite handlebar heater settings are unnecessary and fiddling with the heater controls is a bit of a pain on the trail. We like the quick slide of a switch at either bar end for handwarmer or thumbwarmer. Unless the control icons are going to be in color, why not just go with a simple mechanical sight gas gauge or a warning beep when low on fuel?

And, for heaven’s sake, if the gauges are computerized, can’t Yamaha calculate well enough to create real speeds and not those overly optimistic renderings we’ve seen since those 122-mph speedometers of a few years back? Yamaha speedometers are easily 10 percent off the mark on most of its sleds. The Phazer really hits 87mph?

Pro And Con

Styling-wise the Nytro is a winner. We really like the precision of the Mikuni throttle bodied fuel injection. And we like the fact that Yamaha 4strokes are hearty sounding, strong pulling and quick to rev. And we like the fact that Yamaha has made such a serious commitment to the sport with 4strokes.

We simply think the Nytro is going to find the competition wasn’t wasting time. If the Phazer can serve as an example. the Nytro will be lighter than most full-sized 4stroke-powered sleds, but by full production it will have added weight and is going to come in heavier than most of its 2stroke competitors. Its 130 ponies will be necessary to make its 4stroke triple equivalent to most of the competition’s 600cc 2stroke twins.

Yamaha has done a nice job with the Nytro and we think it will draw some riders off other brands, but the serious, not loyal to brand, extreme rider will look at weight, power, ergonomics and race wins when he makes his decision to buy. Will it be the Nytro?

© 2007 Snowmobilia/Jerry Bassett

To comment go to – http://www.amsnow.com/jerrysblog

2007-02-20T09:35:00.000-06:00

NEWS

AP Reports Sled Sales Tough

A recent business article by Associated Press reiterates the fact that what snowmobile dealers (and manufacturers) need is simple: SNOW!

The AP news writer quoted a suburban Minneapolis snowmobile dealer as saying that his shop returned more than 50 Arctic Cat snowmobiles and ATVs rather than try to survive another low snow sales season. The AP writer’s research noted that Polaris snowmobile sales dropped more than half, with 2006 profits down 22 percent.

Although Arctic Cat sled sales were more stable the past five seasons, Cat’s sales were down more than 5 percent from ’06. Faced with high incentives to sell sleds, overall profits were impacted, leaving Cat down 16 percent from the previous year.

With nearly a decade of poor snow seasons, snowmobile manufacturers have seen worldwide sales decrease from a peak of 260,000 sleds in 1997 to about 160,000 this year.

The writer notes that despite losing its deal with KTM, Polaris has freed up its Victory motorcycle brand to enter more niches. The all-new Victory Vision touring bike enters the profitable Honda Gold Wing territory.
Polaris which has sold all-terrain vehicles to the US military is trying to gain more sales there.

Polaris reacted to the continued poor seasonal sales of snowmobiles by reducing production of its 2007 models by 40 percent; hoping to let dealers clean inventory. As a matter of public record, snowmobiles were less than 10 percent of Polaris sales.

With no motorcycle option to boost profitability and sales, Arctic Cat cut sled production by only four percent. The company stands with its traditional seasonal sales program of sleds for winter and “wheelers” for summer. Sleds make up around one-third of Cat’s sales, but even so, the company recently laid off 65 workers readjusted its full-year profit forecast downward. to $1.07 to $1.15 per share, down from $1.13 to $1.19 per share.

Fortunately for both sled makers, senior management is experienced with Polaris President and Chief Operating Officer Bennett Morgan a seasoned veteran of the snow wars. He sees Polaris readily capable of ramping up production—and sales—once the snow flies again.

Morgan was quoted as saying that Polaris "… took some tough medicine. … we feel much better about our snowmobile business today than we did in April."

There had been speculation that Polaris would get out of its legacy business of snowmobiles. Morgan stated flatly that Polaris has never considered spinning off its snowmobile business, emphasizing: "It is the heart and soul of this company."

The other snowmobile makers from Canada and Japan are faced with similar problems in the sled market, but Japanese maker Yamaha with its myriad of power products from motorcycles to PWC to sleds has the deepest pockets to weather the (lack of) storm.

Canada’s Bombardier Recreational Products (BRP), which supports its Ski-Doo line of snowmobiles with CanAm ATVs, Evinrude outboards and its line of Sea-Doo personal watercraft, has ventured into new markets, creating a unique three-wheeled street-legal vehicle called the “Spyder.” This quasi-motorcycle is both capable of performance around town or across country as a touring machine.

Polaris has announced an expansion of its side-by-side Ranger utility vehicles with the addition of the sports Ranger RZR (see following article).

With sled sales down, the four companies that remain in the marketplace are looking for alternative products that are less dependent on seasonal fluctuations like snow and that have marketability in more geo-climatic areas.
But as Polaris’ Morgan noted, the snowmobile manufacturers will rebound with the arrival of snows.

© 2007 Snowmobilia/Jerry Bassett

To comment go to – http://www.amsnow.com/jerrysblog

2007-02-20T09:31:00.000-06:00

NEWS

Polaris Creates Sports UTV

Ranger RZR is light and sporty side-by side.

At 50 inches wide, RANGER RZR is the only trail capable side-by-side in its class. At 945 lbs, it is the lightest side-by-side with the lowest cage height, compared to its competitors, which ensures true trail accessibility. RANGER RZR also boasts a true all-wheel drive (AWD) system that automatically engages when the rider needs more forward traction and reverts to 2WD automatically when AWD is no longer needed.

Built with a patented design that places the engine behind the seat, RANGER RZR has the lowest center of gravity of all the sport side-by-sides for unmatched off-road responsiveness. Riders will find themselves sitting at least seven inches lower than they would in competitive side-by-side vehicles for unparalleled handling and ground hugging performance. For optimal handling on any terrain, RANGER RZR has nine inches of travel in the front, 9.5 inches in the rear and 10 inches of ground clearance due to its double A-arm front suspension with an exclusive, front anti-sway bar and a rolled independent rear suspension (IRS). For comfort, RANGER RZR also sports the best ergonomics in its class, including tilt steering, and adjustable hand rails and seats.

Powered by a liquid-cooled, even-firing Polaris Big Bore 800 Twin EFI engine, RANGER RZR is the fastest accelerating side-by-side with the highest horsepower in its class; accelerating to 35 MPH in four seconds, and topping out at 55 MPH. This power coupled with RANGER RZR’s unique design and smaller stature creates a vehicle that delivers razor sharp side-by-side performance.

© 2007 Snowmobilia/Jerry Bassett

To comment go to – http://www.amsnow.com/jerrysblog

2007-02-12T13:25:00.000-06:00

RANTS & RAVES

Cat Lays Off 65 As Slow Sales Settle In— Just as Polaris did earlier, Arctic Cat accepted the reality of its marketplace and decided to cutback, dropping up to 65 employees from its ranks. Most of the cuts came in the Thief River Falls, MN home area.

Although snow has fallen with a vengeance in upstate New York this past week, the reality of snowmobiling for the past few years has been sluggish sales, a laggard economy and marginal traffic into snowmobile showrooms. With boat shows and RV shows vying for consumer attention across the country, sled sales are taking another hit. People want to talk warm weather, figuring that winter is past and its time to get ready for the boating, fishing, and camping seasons.

Cat has found that sales of its line of recreational toys has slowed as even its well-regarded ATV and utility vehicles are falling prey to what is seen by analysts as a saturated market. For both Cat and its neighbor in Roseau, MN, the powersports business requires a cinching up of the belt until market conditions turnaround.

Yamaha To Announce New Sleds To Dealers At Month’s End— Expect any announcements about new 2008 snowmobile products to be made in Wisconsin at a major Yamaha dealer conference. You can bet that dealers will learn just how excited the California-based distributor of Yamaha motorsports products is about the exceptional record its snowmobile racers have racked up this winter. The snocross victory in Brainerd was a big boost for the advancement of 4stroke performance. A win at the Soo and Corey Davidson’s gutsy showing at Mille Lacs Lake cross country event are encouraging signs that Yamaha sleds can compete—and win—against all comers! Yamaha marketers will be sure to explain to its dealers that when it comes to performance, Yamaha 4strokes can lead the way. And, of course, they will expect the dealers to order product.

Western Sales Equal Unreality— If you look at the sales statistics for the most recent season or two, you’d think that the West leads the way in snowmobiling. That fact is misleading as the west has been the only place with consistent snows. The high percentage of sleds sold in that market reflects this anomaly. But unless it never snows again in the east or Midwest, it is a mistake to look at those total sales in the west as a dominating pattern. Once the gods of snow settle back in and dump on the rest of the US, the percentage of sales for the west will drop like a stone.

Of course, no one knows when normal winters will return and with it, normal sales patterns. As for right now, marketing types are earning their money as they find that their once smart promotional programs are falling flat. Ask any veteran snowmo-guru with a decade or more of experience and that person will tell you that the only ingredient to creating marketing genius is SNOW! Anything else is a well-intentioned placebo.

Improved Reliability But C’mon— We can’t help but notice that as sleds become more reliable, sled makers are making routine repairs a bigger and bigger pain in the posterior! We went to change a sparkplug on our REV the other day and discovered it was way more difficult than it should be. Thanks to the REV’s frame design, one plug lies nearly impossible to reach. You can extricate it in only one way and it requires patience that some of us don’t really have.

Yamaha’s Phazer twin and the new Cat motors are essentially hidden in the bowels of the new sled engineering designs that center mass under the rider. We’ve seen a Phazer guru decide that it was easier to remove the fuel tank to access the engine than remove side panels. You almost have to remove the Cat’s new 4stroke twin to get at its plugs. The manufacturers’ response to all of this is that today’s sleds are s-o-o reliable that you won’t be changing plugs anyway. You betcha!

Yes, we have come a long way in sled reliability, but when you’re out on the trail and a belt blows or a sparkplug fouls and the hood comes up, don’t you really think that a $12,000 toy should be immune from all that? We aren’t that removed from our grandfather’s day after all are we?

Future Sleds And Computerization— Manufacturers are so proud of themselves for what they’ve brought to market. And for the most part they are deserved credit. Still, we can think of some things that we should come to expect on sleds that carry price tags north of $10,000.

For example, with all of today’s mini-computer this and that on our cars, why don’t sleds incorporate them on the braking systems? How about an anti-lock braking system for the track? When you screw up and have to grab a handful of brake, what happens? The track immediately locks and starts to slide. It can fishtail, making your emergency maneuver trickier. If it had anti-lock braking, it would stop you more quickly and in a more controlled, more easily directed manner. Anti-lock braking? With sleds having 150-plus horsepower and top speeds easily in excess of 100 miles per hour, shouldn’t there be a bit more concern on the stop-ability of the modern sled?

How about mini-computers in suspension systems that are predictive and reactive to trail conditions? The vast majority of consumers don’t set their suspensions properly for the way they ride. The vast majority of dealers— making a $100 over their cost on a sled — aren’t going to fine-tune a suspension for the dollar-conscious customer. This means that suspension set up falls back to the consumer. Or the manufacturer can use computerization to fine-tune a sled’s ride. With the advent of modern electrical systems on today’s sleds, there has to be a way to tune reactive suspension to a snowmobile.

In many ways the modern snowmobile hasn’t changed all that much from the days of Eliason’s first motor toboggans. Evolution is slow, yes. But if snowmobile makers want to convince us consumers that their products are worth all the money they are asking, shouldn’t they be making more breakthroughs in things other than top speed and horsepower. And, if you follow computerization to its logical next step, it could very well be a way to make suspensions more effective and lighter in weight. We won’t hold our breath.

© 2007 Snowmobilia/Jerry Bassett

To comment go to – http://www.amsnow.com/jerrysblog

2007-02-12T13:22:00.000-06:00

RACING NEWS

Yammie Wins On Mille Lacs
As One-legged Corey Davidson
Dominates The Field

Yamaha-backed cross country star, Corey Davidson entered the USCC Mille Lacs 300 in Garrison, MN, race with his leg still in a cast from a December motocross crash and proved that even on one-leg he was the one to beat as he scored two first-place finishes in the two-race format to take the Pro Open overall win on his Davidson Racing Apex RTX.

Davidson and his Yamaha Apex were the combination to beat in the Pro Open classes of this past weekend (Feb. 10-11). Handicap and all, he added a third overall in Pro Stock on a second Apex.

“I was the only driver in the Pro Open class on a four-stroke,” Davidson said after the event. “The Apex really had an advantage in power and top-end speed over the two-strokes. The Apex handled just perfectly all weekend.”

Davidson’s Yamaha teammate Travis Hjelle added to the spoils by winning both legs of the Semi Pro Open event, finishing first overall by just two seconds after 40 miles of racing.

2007-02-05T19:54:00.000-06:00

NEWS

BRP/Can-Am Intro's Unique
3-Wheeler For The Road

Recently published “spy” photos of an unique BRP 3-wheeler for the road have proven prophetic as BRP introduces its first "on-road" vehicle, the 2008 Can-Am™ Spyder™ roadster.

With two wheels in the front and one in the rear the Spyder three-wheel vehicle presents a completely new and stunning look for a street machine. Powered by a proven 990cc V Twin engine designed and manufactured by BRP-Rotax, Spyder roadster, with its unique Y-architecture, is part motorcycle and part convertible sports car.

"Our Can-Am Spyder roadster is the next dimension in open-road riding. A true paradigm shift, the Spyder roadster offers a balance of performance and peace of mind with features like the Vehicle Stability System (VSS), engineered in conjunction with Bosch, which includes anti-lock brakes, traction control and stability control systems," said José Boisjoli, president and CEO, BRP.

BRP spokesmen noted that BRP's reputation was built on its ability to innovate and design products for powersports enthusiasts. After more than five years of research, the Can-Am Spyder roadster delivers on the company's promise to offer a complete line of recreational motorized products in four segments: on snow, on water, as well as both off and on road.

While confirming that the Can-Am Spyder roadsters would be assembled in Valcourt, Boisjoli added: "This is an historic event for BRP, particularly for our Valcourt and Austrian employees, as it confirms the strategic role of BRP's Québec manufacturing facilities for assembling complex and sophisticated vehicles, and BRP-Rotax's leadership in engine development. With Can-Am Spyder, we are redefining the roadster category by bringing the powersports experience to the road through this new generation of vehicles. BRP is entering a new era that will provide growth opportunities for our company worldwide and potentially create new jobs,'' he concluded.

Plans are to start manufacturing units by fall 2007 with a progressive ramp-up of the production over the next three years to meet market demand.

"This event also marks BRP's first truly global launch," said Chris Dawson, vice-president, Strategic planning & Head of Can-Am Spyder Program. "In 2007, BRP will deploy the first phase of its go-to-market strategy: twelve selected American states and four Canadian provinces will offer Can-Am Spyder roadsters through BRP's existing dealer network, followed by France and Spain in early 2008. In its second phase, BRP will expand its Can-Am Spyder offer to more North American states, Canadian provinces, Europe and other countries, and expects to be present worldwide within three to four years," he concluded.

2007-02-05T14:51:00.000-06:00

NEWS

Gueco Wins Soo I-500 Enduro
With Yamaha Apex RTX

A Yamaha Apex snowmobile has won the tough Soo I-500 endurance race in Sault Ste. Marie, Mich., for the second consecutive year

The winning team of Chad Gueco and co-driver Bill Wilkes dominated throughout the entire event on Saturday, Feb. 3. Last year’s winner Corey Davidson, riding with Travis Hjelle and Troy Hanson, put another Apex on the podium in third.

Qualifying only 11^th, Gueco set his Apex’s suspension for the rough conditions expected during the scheduled 500 miles, figuring the powerful Yamaha would still handle well when conditions deteriorated.

“I have always loved endurance racing because it’s a challenge, a strategy game, trying to outsmart the other racers,” Gueco explained later. “Yamaha builds a great sled and the Apex four-stroke engine never missed a beat the whole race. This thing has so much steam down the straight-aways! It pulled the same rpm every lap and we never had to worry about the engine at all.”

Although the competition was fierce – mostly coming from other Yamaha teams – the Gueco Racing Apex ran in the top three for most of the first 200 laps. The only mechanical issue occurred at the 200-mile point when the team pitted to replace an idler wheel. The team reclaimed the lead and built up nearly a lap advantage before the event was red-flagged on lap 367 due to the emergence of a fast-moving snowstorm. Gueco and Wilkes were declared the winners while Davidson, Hjelle and Hanson, charging hard in third, simply ran out of time. Moving through the field after receiving a stop-and-go penalty, they had un-lapped themselves and were chasing down the leaders when the race was stopped.

2007-01-31T11:45:00.000-06:00

NEWS

One Millionth Sea-Doo
Assembled In Valcourt

BRP, Ski-Doo’s parent company, and its Valcourt, Quebec-based employees celebrated manufacture of the one millionth Sea-Doo® watercraft to leave the assembly line recently. The one-millionth vessel was a 2007 Sea-Doo RXP model powered by a Rotax® 4-TEC® engine. BRP/Sea-Doo has led the sit-down personal watercraft market with innovative features, striking design and unmatched performance. BRP’s Sea-Doo brand has been the industry leader for almost 20 years.

"BRP has always been at the forefront of the industry thanks to our employees' dedication to developing and manufacturing high quality products," said Yves Leduc, vice-president and general manager, Snowmobiles, Watercraft, All-terrain vehicles and Sport boats, BRP. "Over the years, the company has introduced new technologies to improve safety and decrease noise and emissions for its watercraft. These are just a few of the reasons more and more people are discovering the excitement of riding on the open water aboard a Sea-Doo watercraft."

According to Michel Hade, vice-president and general manager of BRP's International division, "today's Sea-Doo products are 90 percent cleaner and 70 percent quieter than models introduced before 1998. It says a lot about the company's commitment to this industry and to providing great fun on the water to both enthusiasts and newcomers."

© 2007 Snowmobilia/Jerry Bassett

To comment go to – http://www.amsnow.com/jerrysblog

2007-01-31T10:59:00.000-06:00

OPINION

Future Sled Marketing...

It Ain’t Rocket Science

It has amazed us over the years as to how snowmobile-marketing types think that snowmobile enthusiasts are not very bright. These gurus of hype and product planning seem to think that the average snowmobile fan can’t figure out what’s coming next, or what should be coming next from each manufacturer.

We will agree that often the final execution of a product plan can still surprise us from time to time. For one we have been both surprised and impressed with Yamaha’s commitment to its sled biz. Any normal bottom-line American company would have pulled the plug on snowmobiles about six years ago when Yamaha’s market share was sinking lower and lower into the single digits. But, because Japanese companies tend to think longer term than every financial quarter, Yamaha snowmobiles survived and are doing quite well with the company’s commitment to 4stroke performance.

Still, it should come as little surprise that snowmobile companies that are involved in racing would eventually offer some form of a consumer sled based on the racing machine. Ski-Doo never missed a beat in its history. There were free-air Rotax-powered trail sleds based on oval track racers. There were the Blair Morgan “signature” models. And even this season there is the MXZ X-RS, a snocross-like “big bump” sled for the trail warrior.

Arctic Cat historically has followed racing successes with either trail performance models or letting race tricks dribble down into everyday consumer models.

In our opinion, Polaris marketing types have been the most outrageously behind the curve in recent years. Back in September 2005, when it was suggested that the about-to-be-introduced-at-HayDays race sled would lend itself to a nifty “trail version” that could entice the Polaris faithful to Polaris dealerships, we were told in a very arrogantly condescending manner that no such plan would be in the works and, essentially, chastised for suggesting that the almighty Fusion 900 wasn’t worthy of drawing showroom traffic on its own. Sorry! Even with unprecedented offers on Fusions, customers are managing to stay away in droves. Fortunately the Dragon and IQ models are driving some semblance of traffic and helping Polaris regain some respect among its faithful.

But, a decontented race sled version for the mogul and ditch set? In ’05, it was a stupid idea. However, rumors of Polaris preparing a preeminent ditch banger with a serious snocross pedigree for the very near future have been on the radar for more than a year. Hey, how hard is it to at least offer a snocross replica for the few hundred (thousand?) wannabe-racers out there?

With snocross racing specifications and rules changing to incorporate 600cc twins and 1,050cc 4stroke triples as the base engines, could we expect to see some new big bump sleds for the aggressive trail riders? While Polaris is rumored to have an 800cc motor ready for next season, does it really take a marketing guru to figure out where Polaris’ sled line is weak? We will admit to liking what Polaris has done with the 140 horsepower, turbocharged Weber 4stroke in the IQ chassis. But it doesn’t take a Masters degree in marketing to figure out that the Weber setup is too heavy and lacks consumer sizzle to be the headliner in the Polaris performance line of the future. It’s nicely suited for trail and cruising performance, yes. Polaris has to fend off Arctic Cat and Ski-Doo, both of which have more than a 700cc twin where it counts. We figure a race-bred mogul masher to battle Ski-Doo’s X-RS at both the 600 and up levels has to be in the plan. If not, Polaris is more arrogant than even we could imagine!

Arctic Cat could offer a “Tucker Hibbert” replica that would draw interest, as would an updated “Blair Morgan” Ski-Doo replica. That leaves Yamaha out of the picture—for now!

You snocross fans know by now that Yamaha’s R&D 4stroke snocrosser won its class at Brainerd, Minnesota, earlier this month. In the process the victory became the first ever for a 4stroke in such competition, for which Yamaha is justifiably proud.

In an earlier chat with Yamaha’s racing team manager, we learned that the Yamaha race sled has been a constantly evolving work in progress for the R&D team. When asked about the use of a Vector-type engine in the current race sled, we were told that next year’s rules call for a triple cylinder maximum of 1,050cc in a three cylinder maximum format. Final drive cannot be of a gear reduction setup as with the Apex 4stroke. Being very coy, Yamaha suggests that the snocrosser engine meets racing specs and is to the Vector triple as the Apex quad is to the original RX-1 quad. What’s that mean?

What we know beyond a doubt is what we can glean from photos of the snocrossers in action at Brainerd and the Winter X games—where the Yamaha failed to qualify. Check out the early photos of the Yamaha R&D snocrosser at Duluth. Then check out the photos of the Yamaha snocrosser that ran at Brainerd. You tell us what you see. Is that a highly evolved new front suspension? What else can you determine?

Check out the Polaris, Ski-Doo and Arctic Cat models as well. How much of that look will make it from snocrosser to trail sled within the next season or two?

Based on the fact that sled sales outside of the western snow states totally stink, we guess that snocross replicas may make the cut for the coming model year to help ignite a spark of interest at the dealerships. There are big bucks spent on racing and a sled manufacturer would be ill served not to use it to create excitement for its dealers and its loyal customer base. But, hey, we’re just your average snowmobile enthusiast, what could we possibly know!

© 2007 Snowmobilia/Jerry Bassett

To comment go to – http://www.amsnow.com/jerrysblog

2007-01-29T13:47:00.000-06:00

SLED RIDE

Yamaha Phazer

Much Promise. Some Concerns.

If any of you have ridden older vintage sleds like the 1960-1970 Ski-Dooes, the first John Deere models or, even, Yamaha SL models with the engines mounted up on the front of the tunnel, then you know how little weight there is over the skis and how it impacts cornering and handling. The front-end bite on those early sleds is marginal at best. Even moving your body as far forward as possible can’t get you secure bite on those leaf spring-supported skis.

Now, move forward three to four decades. Test ride Yamaha’s all-new Phazer lightweight. Nice front suspension. Well-designed stabilizer bar to maximize side-to-side weight transfer from ski to ski. Modern ski and runner design. Everything that should guarantee great handling. Easy steering is assured. Ski bite is not.

As much as we absolutely love the Yamaha Phazer as a concept, we can’t come to grips with the Phazer on the trail. Frankly, because we were excited about Yamaha’s new concept, we have made a point of test riding as many production models as possible. Our favorite of all Yamaha Phazer iterations is the GT model, which corners flattest of all and seems to have the most ski bite when riding hard. Still, it is not enough.

Upon reflection as to why the Phazer leaves us wanting, we have concluded that Yamaha engineering went a titch too far when centering the unit’s mass. Yes, we fully recognize that we are absolutely NOT the Phazer’s target market. But we have been able to professionally ride, evaluate and judge snowmobile performance fairly and objectively from our first ever test session in the days of tunnel-mounted sleds to today.

Back to our point. Yamaha takes this whole centralized mass thing seriously. Overall they have done a wonderful job with making the Apex handle and ride like a much lighter sled than it is. And we compliment them for their success in snocross and proving that 4stroke performance can win against 2strokes. Still, in the case of the Phazer, we feel that the sled’s handling, which we can only rate as “unsure”, is a direct result of moving the engine and its components too far to the center, too far off the ski centerline. We also think that Yamaha engineers went a bit overboard with their concept of rough trail handling and designed a front suspension that is too active and not backed up by a similarly active rear suspension.

When we test rode the prototype Phazers a year ago, we commented to key Yamaha product people that we felt the front end action was too “tippy” and uncertain in its handling characteristics. We suggested that Yamaha consider a thicker sway bar to better control side-to-side motion. Of course, we are just snowmobile enthusiasts and not trained engineers and what do we know. We were told that the way the prototype Phazers were was what consumers would want in this sled. Okay, fine. But interestingly enough, when we saw ALL of the final production Phazer models at Hay Days this autumn, virtually all of them were fitted with upgraded sway bars. Huh?

Let’s give Yamaha credit for creating a very viable –wonderfully fun—sled for all snowmobilers. With a real top speed in the upper 70s on hardpack, the Phazer will compete with sport performance fan-cooled models like Ski-Doo’s REV MXZ 550F and even Cat’s base liquid-cooled 500cc twin models, but it will not handle with a well-ridden REV which has better bite from its racing inspired front end and twin-bladed skis.

We suggest that the Phazer could benefit from better skis, perhaps even a very aggressive dual runner design that could grip the snow with more authority. But overall, the flaw in the Phazer design may be two-fold. First, as mentioned, too much weight has been moved aft of the skis effectively unweighting the ski runners too much for the kind of handling and cornering ski bite a lightweight and nimble sled like this should possess. Second, while Yamaha engineering spent much effort in lowering the sled’s actual center of gravity (very commendable, by the way!), the Phazer design (in our opinion) moved the rider too high in the saddle, effectively offsetting the “CG” gain from the lowered and central power train positioning. Even moving way up on the saddle, almost onto the gas cap, is not enough to get the skis to bite like we think they should. When you do this, you totally unbalance the rear end, making it want to skip around on you in really tight trails. Because there are only 80 high-strung ponies to work with, you can’t really throttle your way out of a crossed up corner.

To us, the Phazer is a wonderful sled to begin with. Light enough (about the same as a fan-cooled REV or Indy). Ergonomically suited for younger or more diminutive riders. It is more than adequate for spirited riding, but not for snocross action. It is incredibly well finished in overall quality. And it is seductively priced.

But truth is, its looks as a lightweight sport machine are deceiving. Based on price and features alone, it is a fascinating value. While it is a good bump sled, it is not a great one.

What you get for your money may prove to be legendary. It is a 4stroke with a high-revving twin that requires a secondary drive to get engine revs within “clutchable” parameters. Think Apex quad engine instead of Vector triple. As a high revver, the Phazer seems a bit weak at low revs, but coming on well enough at midrange and top speed.

Despite what the digital display will show, the Phazer enjoys a relatively new Yamaha tradition of showing off extremely optimistic speeds. At an indicated top speed of 85 to 88 miles per hour, the actual ground speed will be nearly 10 mph lower as we discovered when riding with riders aboard higher horsepowered sleds. My Phazer indicated a speed of 87 mph. The other riders who said their sleds’ speedometers indicated that they were doing 80-85 mph left me in their wake. This isn’t really a surprise with the Yamaha speedometers, which have been prone to optimism since the introduction of the RX-1 and its 120 mph read-outs!

While the target market of youthful and nimble ridership will find the seating okay; an older, broader-beamed ridership will find the narrow-top saddle as comfortable as a Chippendale dancer’s thong.

Light and relatively nimble, the Phazer is uniquely styled. It comes with gotta-love-it electric start —and reverse on all but the cheapest version. It is light in weight, making it very easy to load and unload on to your trailer or into the back of your pickup.

Overall, we love the concept and while we accept the sled’s limits, we feel a bit put off at what we feel should have been one of the sport’s all-time, trendsetting all-stars. Maybe future Phazers will get it ALL right!

Photos: Yamaha

© 2007 Snowmobilia/Jerry Bassett

To comment go to – http://www.amsnow.com/jerrysblog

2007-01-23T13:28:00.000-06:00

SLED RIDE

2007 Polaris Dragon 700

Much good. Some Thoughts To Make It Better.

If enough Polaris people test ride or purchase a Dragon, they should help the rest of the snow world look at the disastrous Fusion series as a one-time blip in the proud snowmobiling history of this pioneering sled maker.

The Dragon is what Polaris should have brought to market a few years back. It gives diehard Polaris owners all that they expect from a “Polaris” branded sled. It handles well. It has better than average straight-line acceleration as well as “off-the-berm” throttle response. It takes the “big bumps” as well as most top sleds in its niche (Ski-Doo and Arctic Cat!).

With around 140-horsepower from its Polaris Liberty twin, this performance engine is well suited to the IQ chassis that houses it. In various test rides this past month, we found the sled totally competent at its 90-100 miles per hour top end and competitively quick off the line versus others in this “big bump” performance category such as the new Ski-Doo Blizzard 800 twin.

The borrowed sled that we tried was set up with an aggressive package of Stud Boy traction products on the track. While it aided the straight-ahead performance, the use of studs with the stock carbide runners up front was a decided “no-no” as the track totally overpowered the ski bite in any moderately icy turns. Imagine Dale Earnhardt Jr at Daytona running new rubber on the back of his racer and slicks up front. The Dragon was kind of along those lines. Nonetheless we could still feel the overall setup as being conducive —with longer carbide runners— to strong trail handling.

We really appreciated the rapid response from this Liberty twin, which we felt had very good midrange—which is exactly what you want in a bump-busting, mogul sled. Considering that one magazine test crew proved the Dragon is among the lightest sleds (with fuel) in this category means that you get excellent power-to-weight performance off the bumps and out of the turns.

Overall, the real world production versions of Polaris’ Dragon are every bit as good as the magazine guys said about the pre-production versions they tested last March. As a more powerful iteration of the IQ 600, the Dragon does not disappoint.

Suggestion One —We do have a couple of suggestions, however. First, we were absolutely shocked at how a 2007 model snowmobile with a technically proficient engine like the Liberty 700 twin could suck up 10.2 gallons of fuel in less than 80 miles! Do the math. Which is what we did as we waited alongside an upper Michigan trail for our crew to come back to tow us in to a gas station. Being generous, we come up with 7.8 miles per gallon for this specific tank of gas.

The last time this writer/snowmobiler ran out of fuel on the trail was 1976 with a Xenoah 338cc-powered Rupp Nitro 340 which sucked up 6.5 gallons of fuel in just over 50 miles of riding! One would think that sled engineers and marketers would have progressed more in the past three decades!

We can tell you that Polaris’ published fuel tank rating of 10.8 US Gallons is off by a half-gallon according to a Michigan-certified gas pump. We ran the Dragon bone-dry on the trail and it took 10.2 gallons to bring fuel to the top of the filler neck! Apparently we must have had the only downsized fuel tank to escape the Roseau production facility!

Our suggestion is that if you own a Dragon, check the old-fashioned (but quite accurate) mechanical fuel gauge at about 50 miles out. You need to know how far the next fuel stop is apt to be. You might consider making certain that someone in your group carries a tow rope in their “just in case” kit.

Another suggestion, this one for Polaris, is that the fuel tank should be enlarged or the energy efficiency improved. This is a high performance machine and people will be riding with the throttle close to the handlebar. Since most riders expect at least 100 miles from a tank of fuel, Polaris engineers should take that into consideration for the future.

Suggestion Two — Now, granted we expect a high performance sled to be a bit rough and tumble, but we do expect the seat to give us more “cush” than the Dragon saddle. The Dragon seat is a perplexing item. First, it has all the comfort of a vinyl-covered cement block. Second, while it is quite adequately rounded and shaped for moving back and forth in the twisties, the seat material is too tacky and works against rider movement. We don’t get the incongruity!

We also felt as though the seating position for attacking a run of moguls could be better. The handlebar with riser positioning is good, but the seat is too low and makes tackling that bad bump section a matter of yanking on the handgrip and pulling yourself forward to center your mass. The REV ergonomics place the rider in a much better “ready” position.

We offer a solution for the Dragon. Simply place a pivot at the front of the saddle and then offer a couple of alternate positions at the rear of the saddle to raise the seat —thus, the rider— up and forward to better place the rider in a ready position for the moguls. It shouldn’t be a big deal as the rear seat brace tube could be revamped with pre-drilled holes that could be moved and pinned to adjust the seat height to suit more riders.

Other than the fuel issue, we found the Dragon to be exactly what we would have expected from Polaris—instead of the Fusion. Expect the Dragon to be reliable, durable and essentially everything that the Fusion was not! Don’t give up on Polaris; they still have a trick or two in their model line. The Dragon is one shining example!

© 2007 Snowmobilia/Jerry Bassett

To comment go to – http://www.amsnow.com/jerrysblog

2007-01-14T14:07:00.000-06:00

NEWS

World Sled HQ Holds
Open House Jan 20th

Need something to do during the breaks at the annual Eagle River (WI) World's Championship Derby Weekend? Well, just trudge a few hundred yards north of the Derby track and visit the brand new World Snowmobile Headquarters, home to displays of antique snowmobiles, historic racing sleds, photo displays of the "who's who" of snowmobiling and even a unique snowmobile-oriented gift shop.

The "official" grand opening will be held the evening of January 20th with a "by invitation only" private party. But if you are in the Eagle River area and stop by the World HQ, you are apt to find a warming cup of coffee and friendly faces ready to chat snowmobiles as they prepare the facility for the grand opening.

Stop in and say "Hi!" While there sneak a peek at some unique display sleds like a 1960s vintage Montgomery-Ward snowmobile (manufactured by Polaris for the catalog company). That's just one of the stars of the show sitting in the museum area. There's much more to enjoy.

Says Tom Anderson, one of the key movers behind the World Snowmobile HQ, "The displays of sleds will be constantly evolving as we continue work on making this facility THE showcase of snowmobile history." He noted that he and his group have gotten incredibly wonderful support and assistance from snowmobilers all across the snowbelt.

© 2006 Snowmobilia/Jerry Bassett

To comment go to – http://www.amsnow.com/jerrysblog

2007-01-11T20:53:00.000-06:00

TRAIL REPORT

All Signs Say
Snowmobiling A-OK
From Hurley, WI
To Bergland, MI

Get your sleds loaded for snow and head your tow vehicles to the Wisconsin/Michigan border towns of Hurley (WI) and Ironwood (MI). This is where trail groomers actually have snow to groom this season. And, while the warm (unseasonably so) temperatures turned today's January riding into March-like conditions, the weather is breaking toward the cold side, which will hold trail conditions until the arrival of projected snow storms early to midweek next!

Just back from a day on the trails around Bergland (MI), we can report that the groomers were out early --and so were dozens of snowmobilers. If you're enthusiasm has been on hold, shake it loose and call places like Hurley, Ironwood, Wakefield and Bergland for the most current conditions.

Remember that to a native of these areas, current conditions are only fair but to snow-starved snowmobilers from Minnesota, southern Wisconsin, Illinois and Iowa-- well, this is winter playtime. Real snow. Real groomers on real trails. And the promise is for more snow soon,

As riders based in Minnesota, we can tell you the stores, gas stations, restaurants and lodging sites in the Hurley/Ironwood/Bergland areas are eager to see you. We can report that in this totally abnormal season, the riding here is real.

© 2007 snowmobilia/Jerry Bassett

To comment go to – http://www.amsnow.com/jerrysblog

2007-01-09T13:40:00.000-06:00

BITS & PIECES

Warmth, Postponed Races, Memories, More…

Warm Granite State Winter— New Hampshire’s newspaper, the CONCORD MONITOR reports that the unseasonably warm winter is being taken personally by some state residents.

Reports the Monitor: “For school bus drivers, firefighters and the elderly, the warmth is a blessing, keeping roads and sidewalks clear of snow and ice and preventing falls and crashes. For winter sport enthusiasts and anyone with snow tires or a plow, it's a curse, mucking up the slopes and rendering snow equipment useless.

“Cory Turner, a 25-year-old volunteer firefighter in Deerfield, said he's out at least $100 because of the weather. He registered his two snowmobiles (about $50 each), but he hasn't been able to use them for the past two winters because of warm temperatures and little snow.

"It's a lot of money to fork out if you don't end up using them," he said.

Snowmobile Races Rescheduled— Lake effect snows come early to Buffalo, New York, but this season, the snow went away early, too! That caused the WPSA PowerSports Snowmobile Tour Snocross race, originally scheduled for Feb. 11 at Ralph Wilson Stadium in Orchard Park, NY, to be rescheduled due to lack of snow. The event will now move to Park X at Quadna in Hill City, MN on Feb. 10-11 where it will be renamed the PowerSports Snowmobile Tour Eastern National Snocross.

Scott O’Malley, PowerSports Entertainment president is quoted as saying: “This has been the warmest winter in many years, and the Buffalo event was an unfortunate casualty of that phenomenon. We have a great history of racing at Ralph Wilson Stadium; one we plan to continue next season. Buffalo is an important market for us, and its fans and business community are always extremely supportive of the Tour."

Weather in the mid-50s and forecasts for more above-freezing temperatures made snow making impossible at the venue. PowerSports Entertainment, Inc. Executive Vice President, Operations, Kent Lungstrom said: “We had to make a decision as to what was in the best interest of our fans, riders and sponsors, so we made the call to relocate the event.”

Park X will now host the PowerSports Snowmobile Tour Eastern National Snocross, featuring a full slate of racing. Park X boasts a purpose-built racing course, designed with both the riders and fans in mind. The event will be telecast on ESPN2 on Feb. 17 at 3 p.m. EST. For ticket information, visit www.powersportstour.com or call 651-209-7404.

Maine Woes— Mark Chag, writing in the ADVERTISER/DEMOCRAT which serves the Oxford Hills area of Maine, notes that the impact of this year's warm winter has affected the outdoor sports fans.

Meteorologists reported temperatures into the first weekend of the New Year as high as 50 degrees Fahrenheit in the region. Temperatures like that hardly produce steady snowfall, or help solidify the area lakes — some lakes were showing whitecaps on the water, not ice cover.

Chag reported that snowmobile sales were an issue at Maine-Ly Action Sports, on Route 26 in Oxford. Sales representative James Bowden questioned the future of the sport this year.

"It's pretty bad," Bowden said. He says that each year, when new models of snowmobiles are released, customers typically order them well in advance of the winter season. Over the past several years, it was not unusual to sell anywhere between 20 to 50 snowmobiles during the preseason. This year, Bowden said the store sold one!

What would it take to get snowmobilers out on the trails this year? According to Bowden, it would take “…about a week of cold weather, when it doesn't get above freezing so that the ground will harden up. Then we need about 24 to 30 inches of snow over two or three storms. We need snow right away. At this point people are so desperate to ride."

Chag reports that while Maine-Ly Action Sports also sells and services ATVs for the warmer months, dealers across the state who specialize only in snowmobiles could truly feel the pinch if the warm weather trend continues.

Will McLaughlin, of Colby's Arctic Cat Sales and Service in South Paris told Chag: “I can't imagine they could survive two bad years in a row," speaking of dealers who specialize only in snowmobiles. "It's not just the little guys that get hurt by it either, the big guys get hurt as well."

Nevertheless, Mclaughlin, who says sales are "obviously down" with the lack of snow so far this year, says customers are hopeful about the remaining winter ahead.

“People I've talked to are pretty optimistic that we'll get some snow eventually," said McLaughlin. "They feel pretty much that there's no way we can go two years in a row with no snow."

Reporting for the newspaper, Chag found that area restaurants and gas stations which lie along shores of lakes and snowmobile trails —and depend on the snowmobilers for revenue in the winter months— could see a decline in business.

Bad Before — Having been in the snow biz for nearly 40 years, we at snowmobilia.com have seen bad winters, but probably nothing quite like this. In the early 1970s, an oil crisis combined with snow shortages and a poor economy to keep sled sales soft.

In fact, having started in the biz about 1973 as a snowmo-writer, every year seemed to be more of a downward slide than the one before. We believed the slide would bottom. And it did — about 1986! Then it climbed as overproduction, fuel prices, and economic conditions stabilized --and, the big boon, was lots of good snowy winters that brought sled sales to a second coming of profitability.

It seemed in those good times that no matter what marketing ploy was tried, it worked! Now, as in the late 1970s, it seems that no matter what magic marketing scheme is tried, nothing much happens!

Just remember this-- When Snow Happens! Good things happen!

40 Years— Michigan Snowmobiler, founded by Lyle Shipe of East Jordan, Michigan, in 1967 celebrates its 40th anniversary season! Congratulations to Lyle and his crew of Michigan snowmobilers.

Lyle is character with a long and extensive history in the sport as a snowmobile activist. He can tell you tales of how Michigan snowmobiling got started and about the fights for funding that state snowmobilers had to endure to get trail systems in place. His memory banks are replete with a list of “good guys” who acted on behalf of snowmobilers— and some not-so-good guys who tried to thwart snowmobiling in those early years. Way to go Lyle!

To comment go to – http://www.amsnow.com/jerrysblog

2007-01-05T13:26:00.000-06:00

OPINION

Max Weigh In On Facts

A “must read” for serious sledders is MaxSled.com’s piece about snowmobile weights. This is a factual article that took quite a bit of work to pull off, so “Major Kudos!” to the MaxSled staffers. The piece is quite enlightening and very much self-explanatory, so we won’t totally recap what they’ve done. But we will add some additional thoughts of our own based on the work that MaxSled staffers did.

First of all, while we are certain that some will have their front bumpers a bit outta joint over the audacity of a snowmobile website actually publishing real results on weights that may or may not coincide with a manufacturer’s “published” dry weights, we felt that Max Sled did an immensely fair report. The results were what the digital scale reported.

Four-Stroke Heft —It is interesting to note one seemingly inescapable conclusion: 4strokes, by and large, are h-e-a-v-y! As reported by MaxSled, the Polaris’ 4stroke FST Classic pushes nearly 680-pounds. In fact, virtually any Polaris with the 140-horsepower, 4stroke turbo powerplant seems to lead in their categories! Good news for Polaris is that where it counts, in both the 150-hp and 120-hp trail banger groups, the Polaris 700cc Dragon models and 600cc IQ iterations are actually either the lightest or close to being the lightest — and this is with a full fuel tank!

Still, the MaxSled results showcase some simply incontrovertible facts that, were we Yamaha, would be of some concern. Except for the 80-hp sports sled category, Yamaha 4strokes carry too much weight versus the lightest competition. Glaring examples occur in the high performance ditch banger class where MaxSled reports that a Yamaha Apex RTX (that company’s most serious big bump power sled!) outweighs Polaris’ 700cc Dragon and Ski-Doo’s Blizzard 800 by upwards of 70-lbs! Figure that both the Apex and the Blizzard 800 put out similar power and you needn't be a math whiz to figure which model has the superior power-to-weight ratio, which is a big deal in the dirty stuff and coming off the turns!

In the crossover categories Yamaha again shows a weight disadvantage. But this time the disadvantage is even more significant — the Yamaha Rage was shown to weigh 661-lbs while the Polaris Switchback 600 HO was shown at 570-lbs! That, friends, is a difference of 90-pounds! That is truly significant in the “off-trail” category where riders are not only riding big bumps but also blasting their own trail in deep snow!

Heavy Surprises —Fortunately, Yamaha 4strokes are not the heaviest of sleds for 2007. Aside from the turbocharged Polaris FST models, Arctic Cat now ventures into a realm that it hasn’t visited in quite awhile. Its new line of totally revamped models --which include an all-new chassis as well as an all-new, Suzuki-built, 4stroke engined model-- is now among the heaviest in some categories according to MaxSled’s research. This makes Yamaha 4strokes frequently the lightest 4stroke in the sport. That’s a good thing! Checking where Cat’s Jaguar Z1 weighed in shows it is heftier than the comparable Yamaha Vector, but shy of Polaris’ 4stroke turbo-equipped trail luxury sled. As Polaris discovered, all that “one size fits all” equipment to make the handlebars, seat and windshield readily adjustable means added weight. You wondered why Polaris ditched its proprietary multi-position handlebars? Two reasons, most serious ditch riders didn’t want it and they especially didn’t want the added weight penalty.

‘Doo Agree —Which sled maker comes out of this looking pretty good? Have we mentioned Ski-Doo? Go to the MaxSled site and check out the 'Doo statistics. The BRP-built sleds will not always be the very lightest, but they are consistently among the lowest in weight. Considering that the Rotax powerplants are also consistently potent and you have an overall grouping of sleds that are very strong in power-to-weight potential.

We also agree full-heartedly with the MaxSled staffers who note that you can decry the wet versus dry weight bias all you want, but out on the trail it’s always better to have fuel and oil in your sled than in the garage.

For a more exact representation of the results, go to the source— www.maxsled.com. As for us at snowmobilia, thanks you guys for stirring the pot and bringing some real world facts to light for us that ride with fuel in our tanks!

© 2007 snowmobilia/Jerry Bassett

To comment go to – http://www.amsnow.com/jerrysblog

2007-01-02T13:37:00.000-06:00

RANTS & RAVES 2007.1

Whassup For ’08?

Like everyone else, we’re curious as to the future of the sport. What can we expect to be riding in the near future and can the sled makers stay healthy for the long term?

According to a source in snowbiz, despite the rather paltry sled sales of recent years, there will be a rebound— of sorts. That rebound depends on a myriad of factors. Obviously snowfall is a major factor. No snow. No sled sales. But consider that no one yet knows what consumer reaction to $10,000-$12,000 pricing on new models sleds will do to the market.

Pricing —What, you say. Consumers already are aware of the higher prices for sleds. Yes and no! The early “must have” buyers, the true hardcore rider, are buying new sleds at the higher prices. Yes, that is true. But it is also true that many buyers are purchasing “blow-out” priced 2005 and 2006 non-current models and haven’t had to make the choice between paying the real price of a new ’07 and beyond or staying with an older model.

Consider that we haven’t had good snow for 5 of the 7 past seasons. Many snowmobilers, the average riders, have stayed with the sleds they already had because they didn’t have many miles on them. Some of them did (and will) upgrade to newer non-current models based on price and better features. But, chances are they will not feel a need to upgrade for a few more years, meaning no new sleds sold to them for a while. When the future arrives for them, how seriously will they consider a sled for $10,000 that they will most likely use for 6 to 8 weekends? That’s $1,200+ per weekend of riding. Or, will they look at a new ATV for $8,000 that they can use virtually all year?

Once the new buying patterns are determined how deep beyond the hardcore rider will sled sales go? Mountain riders are pretty reliable because snow is reliable and there is a solid core of these folks. Midwestern and Eastern riders are less loyal and may look for alternatives.

Future —The snowmobile makers have to check their crystal balls for the future. Snowfall. Buyer acceptance of higher priced sleds. So, now sled makers have to fit model plans into this mix. They have to consider unit margins and volumes to maintain profitability. Polaris is the most damned by this as it has become a stockholder-driven company that works its future according to its quarterly projections and stock analyst studies. Arctic Cat is driven this way as well, but to a much lesser degree as it runs with a bit broader view to the future. BRP/Ski-Doo has to meet expectations, but as a more private firm can be even more forward-looking than Cat. And, Yamaha, Japanese-based is most obviously a company that looks quite a long stretch down the road. If it didn’t, it would not be in the sled biz today. Yamaha, like Toyota and other Japanese-style firms, looks years ahead, not quarters. That explains why Yamaha has made such a commitment to 4strokes. If not, Yamaha would have been history 5 years ago!

Looking ahead, the sled makers have to be aware that they will need “price leader” sleds to replace the non-currents and to keep consumers from rebelling at the higher prices. That is one reason Yamaha created a whole new snowmobile line—the Phazer. They figure an $8,000 all-new sled is more palatable to consumers than a replacement sled for 12 grand.

With these thoughts in mind, what can we expect? Frankly, for now, in the short-term, we expect to see sleds aimed at the hardcore rider who is willing to pony up for features and benefits. We expect power to weight to be a big deal. We expect suspension evolution to be a big deal. We expect “big bump” ergonomics to be a big deal. We don’t expect the war between 2strokes and 4strokes to be over. Rather, we expect Ski-Doo and Polaris to hammer away at 4strokes with more efficient, cleaner 2strokes. And we expect Yamaha to hammer on lighter weight 4strokes. They have to. And, isn’t that what Yamaha’s snocross racing is all about? Trying to convince consumers that 4strokes are as nimble as 2stroke big bump sleds?

Arctic Cat —For 2008 we expect Cat to continue its move into the chassis. It has to get weight out of its new performance sleds to maintain pace with Ski-Doo and Polaris. But look for lower cost, de-contented models in the new chassis as Cat looks to streamline production efficiencies to maintain margins and profitability. Other than that, for ’08, we don’t see any revolutionary models. Possible a new big bump model could appear to generate excitement and get consumers to hit the Cat dealerships.

Polaris —Look for a new twin with very good —very strong— power to join the 600 and 700 sport models and to replace the 4stroke turbo as their power king. We expect that new engine will drop into the IQ chassis very nicely and this would be the smarty thing for Polaris as their engineers have got that system working well and helping consumers forget that god-awful piece of crap Fusion 900 and 750. Ouch!

We also expect Polaris to streamline production efficiencies as well by offering a nice palate of consumer-friendly sleds in the $7,500 to -$9000 price range.

Ski-Doo —This company has the burden of being #1, which means they have to lead and showcase a future that will get consumers to upgrade. This will most likely lead to lighter weight sports models, or at least, performance models that can swallow big bumps in a single bound! Perhaps Ski-Doo can do both.

The reality is that Ski-Doo pioneered an excellent seating/riding position and everyone has bad-mouthed it as they strived to catch up with the REV series. What Ski-Doo has to avoid is the “Polaris Syndrome” of becoming #1 and simply freshening up a popular and good design.

Ski-Doo also has to convince consumers that 2strokes are still good. They have to refine the attributes of the 2strokes as being dependable and clean. Yamaha has hammered away at 2strokes by claiming its 4stroke motors are wonderful by comparison. Truth is somewhere in between. Yes, we like the convenience and quiet of 4strokes, but when you look at the results of weigh-ins of 2strokes versus 4strokes, Ski-Doo and Polaris have a very legitimate story to tell. And consumers —especially hardcore big bump riders— know that lightweight matters.

Rumors of high-powered, lighter weight Ski-Doos are running rampant. We believe this is true. It will be a hardship for Yamaha and a counter to Polaris that is also light in weight with similarly powerful motors.

Ski-Doo suspensions must evolve as the rear ends need to be much more compliant for big bumps. Polaris’ snocross record gives them sled “cred” even if that credibility for big bumps is for its racer-only sleds and not its everyday trail sleds. Look for lightweight new chassis with more rider-friendly ergoes coming from Ski-Doo in ’08. And look for a refinement of its quite nice line entry-level sleds to counter Yamaha’s Phazer pricing.

Yamaha —This could be a big year for Yamaha. Nice, though it is, the Vector has to be at the end of its product cycle. We expect a more Apex-like version here. We don’t see the Apex getting much change overall. The Phazer should be solid for another season.

But, we will not be surprised to see an all-new “big bump” model or series from Yamaha that will grow out of the Nytro-type sleds. This is an area that concerns Yamaha. It does not have “must have” deep mogul masher in the line. The company knows that it has to convince the hardcore rider that Yamaha can compete in the ditches and deep and dirty mogul-pocked trails. Look for a lighter weight 4stroke with an evolutionary rear suspension specially designed for bumps.

As we have noted in the past, Yamaha has all but the 100-ish horsepower category covered. Is there a need for more than 150-hp from the Apex? Yamaha might be able to coax 170-plus from that design. The 120-hp Vector triple will most likely hang around as it is reliable but fuel injection tweaking could be expected. The Phazer twin is tapped for 80-ish hp and most likely will stand pat for ’08. That leaves a new motor or a tweaking of the Vector triple in a new chassis, but we wouldn’t be surprised to see a new 115 hp engine in a strongly tweaked Phazer-type chassis. Lightweight chassis? Long travel front suspension — and, please, a new rear suspension that truly works in the bumps!

Yamaha’s 4stroke message has been good and well received, but recent postings of sled weights aren’t going to help the Yamaha cause at this point. We are not talking about a few pounds; in some cases the weight difference is very substantial. While it’s not really a big deal for everyday cruisers, it is a very big deal in the moguls and mountains. Weight does matter in these instances.

No matter how well balanced a sled is, when you bang down a 650 pound sled over a series of moguls you feel it! You can shove the weight back under the rider only so far and every hard landing convinces you that less is more in the biggest bumps! Yamaha has its work cut out for it against Ski-Doo and Polaris that are seemingly committed to lightweight 2strokes with very good power. If the EPA enters the picture with heavy recommendations on emissions, then Yamaha sits pretty, but for now, don’t bet against the Rotax and Liberty engine developers and Ski-Doo and Polaris chassis/suspension designers.

Right or Wrong —Anyway, that’s how we see it for 2008. Come March we’ll know how out to lunch we were or how spot on we were. Right now we’re looking for some good sauces to have with our crow.

© 2007 Snowmobilia/Jerry Bassett

To comment go to – http://www.amsnow.com/jerrysblog

2007-01-01T16:00:00.000-06:00

NEW PRODUCT

The People-Powered
Totally Zero Emission
Snowmobile Of Today

Who says snowmobiles can't be totally emission-free? Not KTRAK CYCLE CORP., which created great enthusiasm at Interbike this year with the launch of its brand new drive kit that transforms any mountain bike into a real "all terrain" vehicle.

You can transform your mountain bike into a totally people-powered, "green" snowmobile by replacing your bike's rear wheel with the Ktrak Rear-Drive Kit. Able to fit a variety of tire/wheel sizes, this universal attachment simply replaces your rear wheel with a track drive system. Designed to create traction on previously "unridable" surfaces, such as snow and sand, the sleek Ktrak design effortlessly blends aesthetically and functionally with virtually all bikes. For a total "snowmobile" experience, replace the bike's front wheel with Ktrak's optional Front Ski Kit.

Note the use of a "bogie" wheel type idler/tensioner on the track system. You'll also note from the photos that the track is quite narrow, which would seem to make the Ktrak best suited for hardpacked snow conditions.

"We were absolutely swamped at Interbike," says Kyle Reeves of Ktrak. "People wanted to buy the Ktrak kits right at the show. And dealers were really interested in getting the kits when they become available. Interbike proved to be a great place to launch Ktrak." The Ktrak system is scheduled for retail release worldwide this month (January 2007). A company spokesman suggested that future kits may be adaptable for low-slung, three-wheeled recumbent bikes. Of course, that means you need two ski kits to go along with the rear track drive system.

Totally "green" snowmobiling? If you chose, you can have it now. Or, you can alert your non-power friends to the fact that snowmobilers are on the leading edge of environmental responsibility. People power to the snowmobiling world! For more details, visit http://www.ktrakcycle.com/or call (250) 951-0503 To further improve the Ktrak experience in snow, an optional Front Ski Kit is also available.

© 2006 Snowmobilia/Jerry Bassett

To comment go to – http://www.amsnow.com/jerrysblog

2006-12-20T12:46:00.000-06:00

OPINION

Yamaha Snocrosser
Test Bed For Future

While not saying in so many words, Yamaha race team spokesmen acknowledge that what you see on the snocross tracks this year will most likely find its way into future new model Yamaha sleds.

The purpose of the snocross team is to prove that Yamaha 4strokes can compete in the tough big bump race circuit. For Yamaha the “big bump” rider is as yet an untapped growth area for sales. Reaching and convincing that younger, aggressive terrain rider that Yamaha snowmobiles are suited to their needs has been part of Yamaha product planning’s current 5-year program.

“We’ve been racing in Europe and Japan with 4strokes for the past three seasons,” stated Yamaha US race team manager, Greg Marier. “We have a well thought-out plan to capture consumers with big bump interest. These are the riders who like to fly, jump and ride in aggressive bumps.”

R&D Racing —Yamaha’s Research and Development racing crew is adding its own stamp to the product plan as racing abets standard Yamaha test programs for its trail sleds. Think of Yamaha R&D racing as an accelerated portion of standard testing for trail sleds.

If you look at the current Phazer-based snocrosser, you’ll note that many components are designed for engineering flexibility. The engine location can be modified. The racer’s physical seating position can be modified. And, of course, Yamaha is continually testing concepts in suspension design to find the right blend of front and rear setup for big bump and trail riding needs.

Like Yamaha’s last snocrosser, which ended its run with the ’03 season, the current design uses a modified Vector-based, triple-cylinder engine. Existing 4stroke engine rules specify an inline triple with no gear reduction and a maximum displacement of 1050cc.

Yamaha acknowledges that it is not the lightest racer in modified snocross competition. But R&D feels that snocross competition accelerates the learning curve, as Yamaha has to face down tough competition on the racetrack.

Focal Points —Marier noted that the R&D race team is focused on three main areas with its existing design: determining the best “rider forward” ergonomics for big bump terrain riding; maximizing power delivery; and, determining the best suspension setups.

For the big bump rider, power delivery is more than sheer horsepower and top speed. Figure that Yamaha is working to maximize torque (out of the hole, off the bump and out of the corner acceleration) while maintaining as much top end straightaway speed as it can. For those of you familiar with Polaris’ TX-L cross country sleds of the 1970s, its 333cc twin was not the most powerful engine of its day. It was the most successful as it won more long distance terrain races than any other model—by any non-Polaris manufacturer! Yamaha hopes to achieve that blend of competence with its next generation “big bump” sled.

To date, Yamaha has done extremely well with its 4stroke models. In some cases the Japanese-based manufacturer has gained upwards of 50 percent market share in certain segments. But big bump riding is not one of the bright spots. Yamaha feels that those riders are important and wants to reach them with a dominant snowmobile that is nimble, flies well and handles the big moguls as well as, if not better than, the competition.

Our Opinion —If we were looking to the future, we would not become enamored with the current Vector triple as the power source for a new breed of mogul master sled from Yamaha. While it is great for trail sleds, it may be too heavy for a future “big bump” Yamaha. The current Phazer twin has gear reduction and is fairly well tapped for power in its current guise. Rule it out for the future mogul master.

No, we’d look for a new inline triple design that is lighter, as torquey as the Vector triple, delivering 110-plus horsepower, and using fewer, but bigger valves to breathe in and out. Look for a revamped drive system, most likely evolutionary, that will be extremely quick to respond both on and off the throttle. And expect pinpoint throttle response from digitally programmed fuel injection.

More Opinion —As for the suspension, for now Yamaha seems convinced that a torsion-sprung rear unit is the best way to go. But expect some major rethinking there—in the longer-term future. We are unconvinced that current Yamaha torsion-spring rear designs are the answer, no matter how evolved they become. Yamaha needs to totally revisit suspension design—front and rear—as this is holding them back. The front end uses very long arms for extended “big bump” action. It uses it on the Phazer and a variation on the previous snocrosser, too.

Yamaha is also discovering something that other manufacturers learned the hard way—weight creates problems. You can lighten up a trail sled, but when you lighten a race sled, you find durability suffers. Note the obvious bracing on the Phazer-based snocrosser. That adds to weight. And what is necessary is a new sheet of paper to come up with a new design. We suspect that is what we’ll see in the future. A sled built tough where necessary, but lighter where R&D racing discovers it’s unnecessary. This is what R&D racing contributes.

For Now —Will Yamaha reach its goal? We won’t bet against it. Speed and high performance trail handling? The Apex has it. Lightweight, moderate priced 4stroke performance and economy? There’s the Phazer series. Everyday trail riding for the high mileage rider? Vector and its next iteration take care of that. Big bump riding satisfaction from a 4stroke? Yamaha is trying with the Phazer FX and Nytro styled machines, but they aren’t there yet. What you are seeing in the R&D racing snocrossers provides hints of the future. It’s yet to come to Yamaha dealer showrooms. But, inevitably, it’s going to come! You can count on that. When it does, the competition better have been preparing.

© 2006 Snowmobilia/Jerry Bassett

To comment go to –
http://www.amsnow.com/jerrysblog

2006-12-14T12:32:00.000-06:00

NEWS

World Snowmobile HQ Coming Along In Eagle River

One of the key backers of the World Snowmobile Headquarters tells us that his group plans to open its facility in early January, in time for spectators to enjoy it while attending this winter's World's Championship Derby at Eagle River, WI.

Said Tom Anderson of Leisure Features and a 2002 International Snowmobile Hall of Fame inductee, "We plan to have the doors open before the Derby weekend in January."

The facility, a converted mini-strip mall located right next to the Derby track, will house memorabilia from the International Snowmobile Hall of Fame in Grand Rapids, MN; a vintage snowmobile museum and display; a World Championship "Wall of Fame" with historic racing sleds of the past; video displays and a gift shop where visitors can purchase clothing, books and videos.

Anderson said that his group, which includes former Ski-Doo vice-president Russ Davis, feels that Eagle River's significance in the history of snowmobiling makes this location a natural venue. Eagle River draws thousands of snowmobilers for the Derby every year. In addition, the Derby Track hosts other snowmobile events each year that include the annual Reunion of vintage sleds in the autumn and snocross racing. Eagle River has become a destination for snowmobilers due to the excellent snowmobile trail system in the Vilas County area.

International Snowmobile Hall of Fame board of director members, Larry Koch and Jerry Bassett recently traveled from Minnesota to view the ongoing construction and chat with Tom Anderson about the World Snowmobile Headquarters' plans for the future. The two ISHOF representatives provided input and insight as to how snowmobiling Hall of Fame members could be represented at the snowmobile headquarters.

Anderson noted that the idea of a centralized snowmobile headquarters encompassing a museum, hall of fame and space for vintage displays and offices for snowmobile related groups like the antique clubs and state snowmobile groups has been a long, difficult process to coordinate. He noted that all the preliminary planning has made implementation a bit easier once they secured a building site.

© 2006 snowmobilia/Jerry Bassett

To comment go to –
http://www.amsnow.com/jerrysblog

2006-12-08T15:06:00.000-06:00

VINTAGE EVENTS

Mark It Down,
Waconia 2007
For Vintage Sleds

Calling itself "The world's largest vintage and antique snowmobile event," the 17th annual Waconia, Minnesota, show gets underway January 20 and runs for the weekend. Expect to enjoy one of the largest swap events in the Midwest. Also planned are ice drag races, a trail ride and show with more than 25 classes for judging.

This year's featured snowmobile will be Arctic Cat. The event will coincide with the Antique Snowmobile Club of America annual meeting.

For more info about the event and places to stay, call 651-649-4688 or venture onto the web at www.mwvss.com.

While this is the highlight of the winter for Midwestern vintage sled collectors, there will be many such similar events of varying size scheduled across the snowbelt. Eagle River, WI, will host its annual vintage derby weekend just ahead of the World Championships. Other races are scheduled --depending on weather, of course-- throughout Minnesota and Wisconsin.

By looking at the two photos, can you tell the vintage racers from actual racing nearly 40 years ago? Clue, the black and white photos are of an actual event in Arjeplog, Sweden, in 1969. The color photos are from Minnesota just a few years back. Check out the spectators in the top photo. Fun, eh!

© 2006 snowmobilia/Jerry Bassett

To comment go to –
http://www.amsnow.com/jerrysblog

2006-12-06T14:14:00.000-06:00

NEWS

BRP Plans $3 Million
Expansion For Its
Austrian Rotax-Werkes

In order to meet increased demand for its Rotax® engines, Ski-Doo's parent company,BRP, will invest more than $3.3 million to expand its Rotax-Werkes engine development and manufacturing facility in Gunskirchen, Austria. The investment will be used, in part, to enlarge the production area and optimize the material flow, but also to build new offices, locker rooms, break rooms, and a fitness-center for employees.

"The increased demand for our Rotax engines is proof of our market leadership in development and production of high-performance engines," said Gerd Ohrnberger, vice-president and general manager, BRP-Rotax. "This investment will allow us to increase production capacity by optimizing and modernizing our plant. It will moreover contribute to improve the working conditions and well-being of our employees," he added.

The construction work will start in January 2007 and is expected to be finalized by October 2007. In the past year, BRP will have invested more than $8 million in its Austrian facilities.

Located in Upper Austria, BRP-Rotax GmbH & Co. KG ("BRP-Rotax") has, in the past 50 years, developed over 350 engine types and produced more than six million Rotax® engines. As an affiliate of Bombardier Recreational Products Inc. (BRP), BRP-Rotax develops and produces innovative two- and four-stroke high performance engines for Ski-Doo® and LynxTM snowmobiles, Sea-Doo® watercraft and sport boats, Can-AmTM ATVs and quads, motorcycles, ultralight and light aircraft as well as karts.

© 2006 snowmobilia/Jerry Bassett

To comment go to –
http://www.amsnow.com/jerrysblog

2006-12-02T15:17:00.001-06:00

RANTS & RUMORS

New Sno Pro Cats
For Vintage Races?

Could it be that Roger Skime and his after hours "skime-works" team at Arctic Cat pieced together a few 1978-ish Sno Pro replicas that could appear by Eagle River to compete head-to-head against some strong running Polaris RX-L replicas?

Strong rumors --consider it unconfirmed truth-- suggest that Cat's senior vice president of engineering spearheaded the effort. Our question is this? If many of the the same engineering crew, many of the same racing team members and the same factory created these sleds, are they replicas or modern day born-again Cats?

A much younger Jerry Bassett, seen above with Hall of Fame racer Bob Elsner, tried out Bob's Eagle River World Championship winner at the end of the season. This was in the "old days" when Bassett was editor of Snow Week and SnowGoer and Elsner was one of Cat's factory-supported Team Arctic race drivers.

"The Sno Pro Cats were very interesting," recalls Bassett."I remember how the the race sled handlebar was cocked to the right a bit in order to get the best leverage in the turns. It was really strange to fly down the straights with bars that were twisted to the right. But when you set up for the left turns and went to full lock it all made perfect sense and felt very precise."

You wanted lots of steering leverage. Remember these were the early days of independent trailing arm suspensions. The long runners and aggressive carbides carved deep grooves in the ice and if you think your trail sled can "dart" on you, try an early Sno Pro racer! Guys like Bob Elsner who made those sleds win were a special breed of cat.

Because the Sno Pro machines were so light, acceleration from the 440 Sno Pro machine was intense.

"Since this was Bob's World Championship winning sled he seemed a bit on edge while I test drove it on Team Arctic's replica Eagle River track," said Bassett. "It may have been nerve wracking for him, but it was a highlight for me. In addition to being a terrific racer, he was a true gentleman."

If the rumors are true and this vintage era Team Arctic Sno Pro machine reappears, make a point of watching them run. In the Elsner years, these Cats gave Polaris' RX-Ls (at left) all they could handle.

© 2006 snowmobilia/Jerry Bassett

To comment go to –
http://www.amsnow.com/jerrysblog

2006-12-02T15:16:00.001-06:00

RANTS & RUMORS

Dealer Sales Leader
To Leave Cat,
Head To ARGO Sales

One of Arctic Cat's long time veterans is leaving for a new challenge in the all-terrain biz. Joe Klosterman, Cat's dealer sales guru for two decades, will take his knowledge of the powersports business to ARGO , a Canadian manufacturer of wheeled all-terrain vehicles. Rumor has it that Joe will be ARGO 's international sales manager.

With Joe's experience we expect to see a few more ARGO six-wheelers in the world market. The ARGO is a cross between a UTV and a traditional ATV. Except ARGO can ford some serious streams and haul plenty of cargo.

Founded in 1962, Ontario Drive & Gear Limited operates from a 105,000 sq. ft. manufacturing facility in New Hamburg, Ontario. ODG has established the ARGO as a world leader in amphibious vehicles.

The amphibious, all terrain ARGO is sold worldwide and has proven its capabilities as a reliable off-road vehicle. The 6x6 or 8x8 ARGO models seat up to six passengers. Other applications include hunting, fishing and bush trekking through mud, across water and over snow. More and more commercial users in the utility, natural resource and public sectors rely on the ARGO in the toughest off-road conditions, all year round.ODG has developed a wide range of options offering greater comfort, protection and convenience.

Klosterman will help establish a growing network of stocking distributors and dealers worldwide. For more info about ARGO, go to: http://www.argoatv.com/.

Good luck, Joe!

© 2006 snowmobilia/Jerry Bassett

To comment go to –
http://www.amsnow.com/jerrysblog

2006-12-01T21:37:00.000-06:00

PRODUCT REVIEW

For Long, Bumpy Rides
The Back-A-Line Works

The first time I ever used a “kidney belt” was for the old Winnipeg-to-St. Paul endurance race. That belt was more a circle of elastic with plastic side stays. The kind of thing that grandma and great-grandma would have known.

The belt worked, but the elastic tended to twist and shift and by the end of the day its use effect was minimal.

About three years ago, when I got back into motorcycling, I found a product in the White Horse Press catalog that looked quite intriguing. Called the “Back-A-Line” it looked to be a cross between a “kidney” belt and one of those back-support belts you see warehouse guys wear. So,what the heck. I ordered one. Tried it. And ordered another.

I keep one permanently housed in my Harley’s saddlebag and the other stored with my snowmobile/ATV gear. The Back-A-Line, states White Horse Press’ catalog description “… is a back support belt with a unique, patented design which reduces back pain, prevents injury, and promotes good posture. Back-A-Line is like no other back support on the market! Because it is firm instead of elastic, it provides consistent support, while typical elastic back supports give out when you need them most!”

The bottom line: believe it! This device works and comes in a wide variety of sizes to fit any in or outta shape gut and back.

For motorcycling I especially appreciate how the Back-A-Line keeps my posture more upright. It adds easy miles to my riding day. For snowmobiling the device assists posture and adds an additional degree of protection when banging along on rutted out trails. In both cases the Back-A-Line leaves me much fresher after a full day of riding. And that’s what we’re really looking for—support, posture assistance, lower back relief and general comfort.

I won’t pretend to tell you that won’t know that you’re wearing it. You will, especially when the going gets tough. You will feel firmed up because the orthopedic back design sits 8-inches tall to support a full range of motion.

If you want the “inside” doctoral scoop, head to the Back-A-Line website or read the catalog description at http://www.whitehorsepress.com.

I got my Back-A-Line at White Horse Press and have no problem recommending that site for customer service and fulfillment. I am not associated with them or get any kick backs. You can find the device at other locations if you choose to use “The Google” for a search. You should find the price to be $39.95 to $49.95. Most places will sell it in black but there are other color options. The device uses “Velcro” fasteners and there are size options that will fit guts from 23 to 48 inches in girth!

The product images are from the Back-A-Line website www.back-a-line.com.

Copyright 2006 Snowmobilia/Jerry Bassett

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2006-11-29T12:20:00.000-06:00

Polaris Makes Big Score
At Duluth SnoCross

Racing for Judnick Motorsports aboard a Polaris 440 IQ racer, Ross Martin earned victories in the Pro Open and Pro Stock classes in the WPSA PowerSports Snowmobile Tour National over Thanksgiving weekend at Duluth, MN.

“It was a great start for me, for Polaris and for our Judnick team,” Martin said. “We’ve got the sled and the determination. Now we want to win consistently.”

In just his second pro season Martin defied any trace of a sophomore jinx as he took first in Pro Stock ahead of fellow Polaris racer Mike Schultz (Avalanche Racing), and totally dominated the Pro Open class – finishing first in every round – to earn first place ahead of Polaris racer Levi LaVallee (Hentges Racing).

Along with the Pro-class Polaris sweep, Hentges Racing's Brett Bender took both Semi-Pro classes. Polaris racers also won the weekend’s Pro Women and Sport Open classes. In Pro Open, Pro Stock , Semi-Pro Stock and Sport Open, Polaris racers finished 1-2.

“It was a great way to start the season. You always want to get out of the gate strong, and our racers and teams really showed they were ready to race,” said Polaris Racing Manager Tom Rager, Sr. “To place so many racers in the Pro finals demonstrates our racers are in great shape and even more importantly, thje Polaris 440 IQ is the sled to beat this season.”

Martin tops 15 Racer Pro Finals
Martin finished first in all three rounds of Pro Open qualifying, adjusting to changing track conditions caused by unseasonably warm weather. Martin's Polaris 440 IQ led the way for the five Polaris racers in the 15-man final. Along with runner-up LaVallee, the other Polaris finalists and their finishes in Pro Open were: TJ Gulla (Hentges Racing) fourth, Mike Schultz in sixth and 11th place finisher Shaun Crapo (Scheuring Speedsports).

Winter X Games Qualifiers
Four Polaris racers were among the 10 WPSA snocross racers to earn invitations to the ESPN-hosted Winter X Games 11, which will be held January 25-27, 2007, at Buttermilk Mountain in Aspen/Snowmass, Colorado. The Polaris racers headed to the high-profile X Games include: Shaun Crapo, Ross Martin, TJ Gulla and Brett Bender. Fellow Polaris racer Levi LaVallee pre-qualified for Winter X by way of a media selected representative. Additional racers will be eligible to earn sports in the X Games or may be invited by the promoter.

Next Up: Polaris Michigan Snocross, Dec. 16-17
The next WPSA national circuit event will be the Polaris Michigan Snocross, scheduled for December 16-17 on the ski slopes of the Otsego Club & Resort in Gaylord, Michigan.

Copyright 2006 Snowmobilia/Jerry Bassett

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2006-11-29T11:15:00.000-06:00

Yamaha 4Strokers Miss Cut
At Duluth Snocross Opener

Although it was their debut, Yamaha/Boss Racing drivers Robbie Malinoski and Yuji Nakazawa wanted to make their Yamaha Factory R&D four-stroke Nytros the first four-stroke sleds in a WPSA Pro final. An additional goal for Nakazawa was to qualify for January's Winter X Games 11 in Aspen.

The pair will have to wait for establishing that 4stroker first. Malinoski, who suffered a crash during practice on Saturday, saw his crew rally to get his damaged Nytro back into racing shape. Despite fighting through four qualifying races in an effort to make the final, he narrowly missed the cut but gets another chance at the next WPSA event on Dec. 16-17 in Gaylord, Mich.

With only the top five finishers earning spots to the Jan. 25-28 X Games, there was plenty of pressure on the 15 riders in the opener's Sunday final. Nakazawa, the defending All-Japan Super Class champion, earned a second and two thirds on his way to the X Games qualifier but could only score a seventh-place finish.

Copyright 2006 Snowmobilia/Jerry Bassett

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2006-11-22T18:27:00.000-06:00

Yamaha Debuts
Pro Open Snocrosser
In Duluth National.

Look for a possible preview of upcoming Yamaha 4strokers when a pair of Research & Development Yamaha Nytro race sleds compete in the Pro Open class at the Amsoil Duluth (MN) National this weekend. The sleds will be ridden by Robbie Malinoski, and Yuji Nakazawa, who make their Yamaha debut on the WPSA Power Sports Snowmobile Tour.

Adjustability

Yamaha Race Manager Greg Marier stated that these racers are truly developmental sleds, not finished and polished machines. The racing chassis allows the development team to change suspension mounting locations and geometry. Sled ergonomics are fully adjustable, giving the drivers opportunity to provide their feedback on what the ideal setup should be. Even the engine mount location is fluid and has been moved around during field-testing in efforts to find the best location for balance and handling.

Simple Facts

To be known as the “R&D Nytro race sled”, these two racing machines utilize an ISR racing rules-approved Nytro-based, 3-cylinder 973cc 4-stroke powerplant. Yamaha race spokesman state that the front suspension, bulkhead, and side panels are derived from the current Phazer design—although rest assured that they are substantially beefed up for racing! The rear suspension is a developmental torsion spring design. Current sled weight is said to be equal or less than other mod sleds on the track.

As you’ll note from the photos, the front suspension is similar to the Phazer with its long lower arms and inboard mounting points. So, the question remains. Is this a forerunner to a new Vector series, which is due for updating? Or is there a new “Exciter” model coming, which could be a higher performance Phazer of 100 horsepower or more?

If you look at where Yamaha is in the marketplace, you may note there is a product for 150hp, 120hp and 80hp. Hmm, could there be a 100hp model or a lower priced 60hp model to come in the future. And, if so, where do the Nytro R&D sleds fall? Test beds for which new ideas? Only the future will tell, but to date Yamaha has had a carefully structured –and executed--4stroke strategy. This would seem to be a part of that plan.

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2006-11-22T09:27:00.000-06:00

Rudolf The Red-Nosed Arctic Cat?

Look, look up in the sky! Well, look, look up in the mall ceiling. It’s Santa and eight shiny Arctic Cats.

A few winters ago, Arctic Cat installed a very unique display at Minnesota’s Mall of America. Santa came to town aboard his very own Bearcat with able assistance from Rudolf and other wee “rein-Cats.”

Ah, yes, there is a Santa Claus and he is technologically updated, saving wear and tear on the real reindeer. So, keep a watchful eye in the skies this Christmas season for flashing lights of eight little Arctic Cats and a jolly ol’ man from the North loaded down with gifts for good little snowmobilers everywhere.

© 2006 Snowmobilia/Jerry Bassett

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2006-11-22T09:25:00.000-06:00

Black Friday

In the “old days,” the day after Thanksgiving was a bit different. In those days when you went on that post-Thanksgiving Friday shopping spree, you could head to Sears-Roebuck and get more than underwear and a polyester tie. You could get a brand new snowmobile—like this 1966 Sears L252! Now those were the good old days!

© 2006 Snowmobilia/Jerry Bassett

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2006-11-22T09:20:00.000-06:00

Give Thanks

As we approach Thanksgiving Day, perhaps, we should pause for a moment and think of those for whom we should give thanks. As snowmobilers we need to say a huge “Thank You!” to all of those who groom our trails. Without them, there would be no snowmobiling.

These are the people who work through the night; who drive lumbering pieces of equipment at speeds barely in excess of 8 miles per hour; who make our snowy freeways; and who do all of that with very little appreciation.

Next time you see a groomer on the trail, pause a moment and give them a “Thank You” wave and know that they will be there to cover your tracks all winter long!

©2006 Snowmobilia/Jerry Bassett

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2006-11-14T14:39:00.000-06:00

Rumor Mill
Has It
Cat #1 In TC

Now we certainly wouldn't be beneath passing on little tidbits about market sharing competition, but word in the Cat dealerships around St. Paul, Minnesota, is that Cat is #1 in that region.

Just say a little kitty implied that the all-new Arctic Cat line up has created a bit of a stir and given Cat fans a reason to buy. Of course, some great deals on carry-over inventory helps a lot, too!

For those not familiar with snowmobile marketing, since both Cat and Polaris have the same founder and since they are mere miles away from each other in northwestern Minnesota, there is a bit (quite a bit actually!) of competitive spirit between the two snowmo-builders. Of course, when you can throw a little kitty litter in the other guys face there are those that will and they will enjoy it. Especially when the "other" guys are headquartered where Cat can use their litter box.

Rumor has it that Cat has nearly a 40 percent share in and around the Twin Cities area with its high density snowmobile population. That even takes into account all those Polaris guys in Medina (a Minneapolis-St. Paul "ruburb") registering their sleds in their home area.

Of course, that is today and conditions change monthly—especially if it snows. But for now Cat's clan is enjoying the market gain.

Seriously, though, we have been hearing in this area of defections from Polaris to other brands. This kinda reinforces those rumors. Consumers, even long time Polaris riders, have begun to look at other loves for the coming winter.

Cat's new models are really quite well put together. The sled side is getting on par with the UTV and ATV side of Cat. And Cat ATVs, while down a titch in the Minneapolis market, are not down as much as the Polaris brand.

The new Jaguar Z1 showcases the best of the "one sled fits all" theorem. The handlebars and seat are readily suited for virtually any size rider. We have seen a big guy hop off a Z1 and a petite lady make quick adjustments to get the sled suited to herself. After a brief test ride, she was all smiles—just like the big guy who had ridden it just before her. Will "one size fit all"? We'll have to wait and see how the season ends up, but for now, snowmobilers are looking hard at Arctic Cats in central Minnesota.
© 2006 snowmobilia/Jerry Bassett

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2006-11-09T14:36:00.000-06:00

Polaris Cuts Staff
Makes Changes

Due to less aggressive sales than anticipated in three areas — ATVs, international and snowmobiles — Polaris has announced that it will (or has) laid off up to 77 employees, including some at its Medina headquarters. Officially Polaris states that it has taken this move as a result of lower than expected sales of its ATVs to dealers. Figure that works for sleds as well.

Fusion Failure. Then again, the failure of the Fusion series to light up show room traffic might be a residual issue for consumers, if not dealers. There is also the fact that those sleds had too many problems which quite quickly led to bad word-of-mouth amongst the Polaris faithful. The Fusion line has been the biggest problem-maker for Polaris Industries since the ill-fated Comet of 1964 (seen at right).

As for the staff reduction, much of that move — a reduction of 2 percent of its 3500 employees worldwide — can be traced to stagnation in the ATV market and an over production situation of ATVs that were not taken by dealers. Sled sales reflect the lack of quality snowfall for the past few years. And, we would guess that international sales have flattened as well due to tight restrictions on sleds and ATVs in Europe and snowbelt areas. Of course, that failed "partnership" with KTM didn't help Polaris at all and we expect that some of this backlash can be traced to that as the Polaris/KTM deal would have taken Polaris to annual sales of $3 billion from its current realm of just under $2 billion.

Realignments. As happens with multi-line powersports firms, watch for "realignments" and consolidation to make sales, service and marketing staffs more efficient and responsive to dealer needs. It is quite common for "similar" products powersports to share sales reps and service reps to cut costs. Then in a few years when a new "cure" comes in, the lines will be separated out again to better service the perceived differences and then staff is expanded. You needn't be an MBA to foresee this. Just old enough to have seen companies like Yamaha, John Deere, Kawasaki, Bombardier, etc. do it a number of times in the past. Yes, what is old is new again!

Not Clueless. However, we are quite pleased to note that Polaris isn't totally clueless. Check out the Polaris web site for sleds and see that the company is smart enough to utilize its past glory to assist the new models. In its five decades of sled manufacturing Polaris did make some very significant inroads and did enjoy a great deal of success with its Mustangs, Colts, RXL, TXL and other models.

While no one is asking, we think Polaris — despite its current challenges — can spring back with consumers if it reassesses its past in regard to where it wants to go. Snowmobilers react to change more slowly than many marketing types might like, but when they like a brand, they can be stubbornly loyal to it unless a manufacturer totally turns them away. Polaris seemed to be very good at weakening that bond with its consumers, but we are seeing some signs of hope that Polaris may be getting a clue.

Business 101 states that it is much easier and less expensive to keep a customer than get a new one. Polaris just needs to treat its customers with a bit more respect — and that goes for vastly improving dealer relations. Dealers are the direct link to the snowmobile customer. An unhappy multi-line Polaris dealer has the option of selling another brand to his customer. Happy, happy happy!
© Copyright 2006 Snowmobilia/Jerry Bassett

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2006-10-30T13:30:00.000-06:00

Odds & Ends
A Smattering of totally Disjointed Items

Just In — Old Forge got NINE inches of snow over the weekend thanks to Northeastern snows and major "lake effect" snows for which that area is justifiably famous!

In the New York area as well — Bender Racing is now part of the DynoPort empire. Pipes, etc. will now come under the control of DynoPort’s Rich Daly who will maintain Bender Racing name for the foreseeable future. Good brand name. Although it would seem that former Bender Racing owner Terry Paine will retain turbocharger biz. He had been working on that side of the biz for quite a while with some very potent upgrades for 4stroke Yamahas. Keep an eye on these two New York-based sled suppliers for future products.

From the What’s Old is New Again Department

Just when you think we’ve been developing hot new technology never seen before. Well, let’s just say that sometime long term memories are the best. For example, Polaris was playing around with V-configured engines nearly 40 years ago. Note the 1969 V4 800cc prototype at right in the photo. At left is an inline 4-cylinder motor displacing 1060cc that was built circa 1970. Haven’t things changed dramatically since then?

And, while Yamaha points out that its underseat exhaust for its 4strokers has many advantages, seems that Arctic Cat actually incorporated the idea into one of its 4strokers way back in the 1960s! That would be BEFORE Yamaha even got into the snowmobile business. Here’s the photo proof that Cat was ahead of its time.

© 2006 Snowmobilia/Jerry Bassett

2006-10-27T20:12:00.000-05:00

Third Quarter Report
Shows Polaris Sled,
ATV Sales Down,
Motorcycle Sales Up

In its 10-Q financial report, Polaris reported sled sales decreased 42 percent for year-to-date versus last season.

Sales of snowmobiles were $87.2 million for the third quarter 2006, a decrease of 16 percent compared to sales of $104.2 million for the comparable quarter in 2005. For the year-to-date 2006 period, snowmobile sales declined 42 percent to $95.0 million from $163.3 million for the prior year-to-date period.

Shipments in the third quarter 2006 were lower as a result of a significant decrease in dealer orders for 2007 model year snowmobiles. As discussed in prior communications, the reduced levels of dealer orders resulted from increased dealer inventory levels at the end of the prior 2005-2006 snowmobile season due to below average snowfall across many regions of North America and quality issues relating to certain 2005 and 2006 model year snowmobiles.

During the third quarter 2006 Polaris has begun shipping its IQ and models which utilize the new 600 HO Cleanfire semi-direct injection engine technology which has received positive reviews.

The average snowmobile per unit sales price for the year-to-date 2006 period decreased three percent when compared to the same period last year due to product mix change.

Sales of ATVs were $308.3 million in the third quarter 2006, a decrease of 12 percent from the third quarter 2005 sales of $351.2 million. Despite the lower sales performance, several of the Polaris’ newer products continued to show growth during the quarter including the entry-level Hawkeye ATV and the two-up ATV-the Sportsman X2. Polaris also experienced double digit sales growth during the third quarter and year-to-date 2006 periods in the RANGER™ product line.

A bright spot were sales of the company's Victory motorcycles which were $25.8 million for the third quarter 2006, a 60 percent increase from $16.2 million for the comparable period in 2005.

2006-10-27T09:06:00.000-05:00

Jaguar Z1 Helps Push Cat’s Sled Sales to 9% Increase

Thief River Falls, Minnesota-based Arctic Cat’s revenue went to $285 million from $276 million a year earlier. Arctic Cat expects that its full-year revenue growth will be in the range of 5% to 9% for snowmobiles; with a 3% to 5% increase in ATV sales; and, a year-end gain of up to 6% for parts, garments and accessories sales.

"Our record sales and increased earnings for the second quarter were driven primarily by a 9 percent increase in snowmobile sales, continued strong demand for our Prowler utility ATV, and higher ATV parts and accessories sales," said Christopher A. Twomey, chairman and chief executive officer. "We are confident that we remain on track to post sales gains across all of our product lines for the fiscal year."

Sales of Arctic Cat snowmobiles totaled $121.5 million in the 2007 second quarter, up 9 percent versus sales of $111.4 million in the same period last year. Contributing to the increase was the previously disclosed shift of Arctic Cat's extensive new model snowmobile production, and related revenue and earnings, into the company's fiscal 2007 second and third quarters. The company's year-to-date snowmobile sales totaled $142.4 million compared to $163.5 million in the prior-year period.

Arctic Cat continues to anticipate that its full-year snowmobile revenues will exceed last year based on strong dealer orders for its 2007 model line-up, of which 80 percent are new models.

Innovation Recognized: In recognition of its snowmobile innovation this year, three 2007 Arctic Cat sleds already have been named among the year's top sleds by a leading industry magazine. Snowmobiles chosen to receive this honor include Arctic Cat's Jaguar Z1, with the first 4-stroke engine built specifically for snowmobiles, the fast F8 Sno Pro, and the M1000 mountain sled with its leading power-to-weight ratio.

Year-to-date sales of Arctic Cat's ATVs grew 9 percent to $194.0 million versus $177.3 million in the first six months of last fiscal year.

Bio-Diesel ATV: During the second quarter, Arctic Cat also began shipping the industry's first twin cylinder diesel ATV with the introduction of its new Diesel 700 model.

"We are excited to begin shipping the first biodiesel-compatible ATV," said Twomey. "This machine reflects our stewardship goal to be a leader in fuel efficiency."

Arctic Cat's Diesel ATV, with its exceptional low-end torque, is ideally matched to Arctic Cat's line of SPEEDPoint accessories, making the machine highly versatile and allowing operators to change a variety of accessories in less than a minute.

The Prowler UTV continued to be a strong contributor to Arctic Cat's ATV business during the second quarter and first six months.

Parts, garments and accessories (PG&A) sales rose 3 percent continuing to benefit primarily from increased ATV parts and accessories sales.

Cat spokesmen noted that due to the timing of shipments, some snowmobile and ATV sales to dealers that were anticipated to occur in the second quarter will now occur in the third quarter.

The company said it expects to make 33 cents to 38 cents a share for the third quarter on revenue of $210 million to $230 million. — ©2006 Snowmobilia/Jerry Bassett

2006-10-27T08:58:00.000-05:00

Polaris “Wins” Its Own Duel

Call it smart marketing or bogus hype, but Polaris chairman of the bored Tom Tiller declared victory in Polaris’ pretend head-to-head ATV duel to see which brand was really the toughest ATV.

Tiller was quoted as saying: “After granting an extension and issuing several requests to participate, the other manufacturers' CEOs have either declined or not responded at all, Regardless of the reason, I'm disappointed the other CEOs would not accept my challenge. Their unwillingness to participate proves only one company makes the world's toughest ATVs...and that company is Polaris"

Tiller had issued the challenge on October 9th via a letter to the CEOs of Honda, Suzuki, Yamaha, Kawasaki, BRP and Arctic Cat. After not getting any of the manufacturers to accept by the October 20 deadline, Yeah, l,ike that was ever going to happen. P-l-e-a-s-e! Those CEOs didn’t get where they were by failing to recognize over the top marketing hyperbole.

In addition to claiming “toughest ATV” status, Tiller offered a prize donation of $10,000 through Polaris' T.R.A.I.L.S grant program to the non-profit ATV organization of the winner's choice. Since none of the CEOs accepted Tiller's challenge, Polaris will donate the $10,000 to an organization to be named later.

An allegedly disappointed Tiller was quoted to say: "I wanted to give the CEOs every opportunity to respond. I apologize to all the riders out there who were looking forward to 'The Duel.' No rider wanted it more than I did."

We’re in alligator tears here! — ©2006 Snowmobilia/Jerry Bassett

2006-10-24T14:51:00.000-05:00

Sled Sales Lowest
In 12 Years

Heading into the current season, snowmobile sales are at their lowest ebb since 1994. Industry estimates put 2006 sled sales at just under 165,000 units. That’s the lowest sales report since 181,000 sleds were sold in 1994. That was a relatively “good” year as the industry was rebounding from two previous sales years that saw sales under 160,000 units.

As you can see from the following chart, the snowmobile business clearly reacts to snow conditions. Plentiful snow results in plentiful sales. Industry sales figures clearly reflect the effect of poor snow conditions in the North American marketplace.

Just as in the 1970s inventory problems are a concern. While snowmobile makers are far removed from the volume of carry-over units seen back then, current unsold inventory poses problems for sled maker profitability until there is a better balance between new models and carried over units. These inventory problems are a boon for consumers in the short term as manufacturers and their dealers can offer terrific “deals” to blow out old models. However, dealers are faced with the double whammy of getting non-current product out the door so bank interest doesn’t bankrupt them and being forced — in some cases — to absorb some of the manufacturers’ special “blow out” deals to consumers. Snowmobile dealers know that while virtually all special programs are good for the sled maker, only some of them are beneficial to the dealer as well. This is most likely why many dealers have stood their ground in not taking on too many new sleds — despite the objections of the manufacturers.

When you figure it all out for this past season there were 91,670 new snowmobiles sold in the U.S., and 42,953 new snowmobiles sold in Canada. According to industry reports the average suggested retail price of a new snowmobile sold in North America in 2006 was $8,269.00.

If you are a consumer looking for a good buy, look now as you’ll find some very good values. Of course, once inventory of new versus non-current gets to a more manageable level, those great values will be gone. Until the next time manufacturers overproduce and end up with more non-currents than current models. It seems to be a cyclical thing that can be caused by lack of snow, fuel prices and general economic malaise. For now, though, the market is starting to get back on track.

Snowmobile Industry Market
2006 to 1968
Estimated Sales (In Units)

2006—164,860
2005—173,733
2004—181,336
2003—186,627
2002—203,152
2001—208,592
2000—208,297
1999—230,887
1998—257,936
1997—260,735
1996—252,324
1995—227,433
1994—181,000
1993—158,000
1992—150,000

Sales from 1978 to 1968

1978—226,000
1977—195.000
1976—243,000
1975—316,000
1974—435,000
1973—450,000
1972—460,000
1971—495,000
1970—425,000
1969—255,000
1968—85,000

2006-10-19T15:28:00.000-05:00

EPS: A Good Idea
For Female-Friendly
And Heavyweight Sleds?
Both Honda and Yamaha are offering electric power steering (EPS) on versions of their ATVs this season. The idea is to reduce steering effort on those fat-tired ATV front ends when slogging through tough terrain. When ATVs were lightweight 4-wheelers with 300cc engines, it didn’t take much effort to turn the handlebars. But add in an extra cylinder or even a quite large displacement v-twin and you have added weight with which to contend. Throw in the extra avoirdupois of fuel injection and its complexities; add liquid cooling—complete with front-mounted radiator. Well, that little ATV is now a heavy bugger that needs to be forced through rugged wilderness. Hit a rock or the side of a stump just so and feel the handlebar get ripped from your grasp. EPS is intended to reduce both steering effort and soften the jolt when the front end meets immoveable objects—like boulders and hidden roots, etc.

The idea of electric powered steering is actually quite simple and said to add negligible weight. Honda’s Electric Power Steering (EPS) system for All Terrain Vehicles monitors steering torque and vehicle speed to adjust the levels of steering assist and feel. When stopped or at low speeds, it requires light steering effort, and as speeds increase, the amount of assist is adjusted to provide the appropriate level of feedback. States a Honda media release: “EPS is a unique system consisting of an ECU-programmed electric steering assistance motor and multiple sensors. These sensors measure the handlebar torque applied by the operator as well as the ATV’s speed to determine the correct amount of steering assistance required for all conditions. More assistance is provided in rough terrain and at low speeds to decrease the amount of steering effort required, while less assistance is provided at higher speeds and in smooth terrain. This innovative technology also decreases bump steer and kickback through the handlebar in all conditions. The sophisticated Showa system includes separate ECU programming for 2WD and 4WD modes, while spring-loaded steering-motor gears minimize play to increase steering feel and feedback at higher speeds.”

The front and rear ATV suspensions have been revised specifically for Honda's 2007 Foreman with EPS.

Yamaha has added its own EPS to the new Grizzly 700 with fuel injection. With vehicles like the Honda Foreman and Yamaha Grizzly weighing at 600 pounds or so —in the range of many new sleds (with fuel)— wouldn’t there be some likely consideration for adding power steering to snowmobiles? You wouldn't necessarily add it to the sporty ones, but surely here’s a chance to make sleds more “female-friendly!” Certainly seems to make a heckuva lot more sense than “pink” sleds.

Adding EPS to touring and two-up machines —which tend to be the heaviest of models because they tend to come with the most bells and whistles— would make them easier to enjoy on a 250 to 300 mile jaunt! Just a little thought here, are we on the verge of “automobilizing” the sled market? If sleds are already at $10,000 and there are more 4-strokes coming and these sleds keep getting heavier, isn’t assisted steering a good idea? Just some thoughts on the obvious. Hey, macho guys, even NASCAR's good ol' boys use assisted steering. If it's good enough for Dale Jr. and Juan Pablo, then it's probably good enough for us.
© 2006 Jerry Bassett/RPI

2006-10-13T09:41:00.000-05:00

Whassup At Polaris? — Oops. Polaris reports that it will be realigning its production to reflect the real world lack of demand for its products and to reduce dealer inventories.

Polaris reported weaker-than-expected quarterly profits this week. That was offset somewhat by the company’s plan to cut production and shipments of all-terrain vehicles. Investors viewed this as good news as many analysts felt Polaris’ dealers were too stocked with product. Based on that assessment, Polaris shares went up a bit despite the news that company officials see continued lack of demand in the current quarter. Polaris officials are blaming shaky consumer confidence.

Polaris reported a profit of $42.5 million for its third quarter. That’s down from $48.3 million a year earlier.

Citing lower demand for snowmobiles and ATVs, Polaris sales fell 9.8 percent to $490.1 million, below the $506.9 million analysts had expected. The company reported strong demand for its Victory motorcycles.

Polaris now says that it expects full-year sales to be down 11 percent to 12 percent. This past July Polaris reported that it expected a decline of 3 to 5 percent.

Polaris is not alone in feeling the pinch. Others in the powersports and leisure product industry have seen overall business pressured by an uncertainty about gas prices (which have been more than $3 per gallon over the summer) and interest rate hikes, a softened housing market and offshore competition in certain segments of the powersports biz. China is currently manufacturing and importing very competitive ATVs and motorcycles that are much lower priced than domestic makers’ products.

The KTM Factor — The fallout from the failed KTM deal may haunt Polaris. As you may recall, Polaris acquired a 25 percent stake in the European motorcycle maker. The hope was that Polaris would become the “senior” partner and exercise controlling interest. At its annual shareholders meeting, Polaris executives made a big deal of the then-pending merger/partnership (whatever you want to call it) as being a major steppingstone for Polaris. The deal would take Polaris from a near $2 billion company to a $3 billion firm in less than three years. It would be a boon for its engine development programs. And a major boost to its Victory motorcycle program.

While Victory is doing well by Polaris standards, it isn’t a major threat to Harley-Davidson or even Kawasaki for that matter. But, give Victory a pre-existing line of high performance off-road and on-road sport bikes and you have turned Polaris from an ATV/snowmobile maker with a motorcycle division to a full-fledged motorcycle company with major growth prospects.

For whatever reasons, the deal fell apart and Polaris seems to lack a cohesive post-KTM fallout plan. So, it’s back to Square One and that $3 billion target in three years was missed.

With a cutback in production at the ATV and snowmobile groups, this can only lead to lowered profits as lower production numbers make it difficult to retain previous operational efficiencies in manufacturing, etc.

The Non-Current Factor — Other sled makers have already admitted —informally— that it can retain dollar volume figures (which stock followers like to see) despite lower production because the sleds are now $10,00-plus volume.

However, how many $10,000 sleds are going to be sold when these same sled makers are tagging their noncurrents with discounts/rebates and other deals worth $3,000 and more? The best selling sleds are currently noncurrents. There are some great deals on those. What will be consumer reaction to $10,000 models when the noncurrents are finally blown out?

2006-10-06T12:27:00.000-05:00

'07 BRP SKI-DOO 4STROKERS—If you like fun, nimble sleds that may approach 20-plus miles per gallon and won't break the bank when you write a check for them, then you need to check out Ski-Doo's new Freestyle-based models. While the single cylinder 300cc engine remains, the line now adds the same 550cc fan-cooled twin that powers the full-sized REV. And there is a new 4stroke twin that is a major surprise. It is borrowed from the Can-Am ATV line and is specifically adapted for sleds. This 800cc V-twin makes a challenge to Yamaha's all-new trail Phazers. We were very impressed with the ATV powerplant and how it performed in the Freestyle type chassis.

We didn't care for the last V-twin 4stroke we saw from Ski-Doo. It was cumbersome, heavy and slow. It was underpowered for the type of chassis it was expected to propel and left us with a negative attitude toward Ski-Doo 4stroke prowess. The new Freestyle-based models really caught our attention. Initially, we felt that we had to give the sled a "mercy" ride just so we could say that we had ridden it. Oops! A day and half later, we got off the Ski-Doo V-twins and got back to business. We really were impressed with the responsiveness and overall feel. If bang for your buck is a concern, check into these V-twin powered Ski-Dooes.

When we asked a few questions and did a little background research, we discovered that BRP/Ski-Doo has been utilizing the V-twin powerplant in Scandinavia for the last season or two. That explains why the clutching and overall powertrain feel is so "spot on." This was a very good move. Of course, when your motor has the bottom end that this ATV-based 4stroker has, clutching needn't be racer-sharp. And putting the motor in a lighter weight chassis helps immensely as well. We came to the sled with remarkably low expectations. Heck, we figured if the V-twin Ski-Doo could muster up more performance than Polaris' doggy Frontier ever could... well, we'd be happy!

On a closed course trail we tried the short-tracked Ski-Doo against the trail Phazer prototype. We would switch from one rider to the other after a lap or so. What we discovered is that while the Ski-Doo is marketed toward buyers looking for a good buy and not racer-wannabes, the Ski-Doo will not embarass itself head to head with the new lightweight Yamaha 4stroke—despite the Phazer's great power output. The Phazer will roll out its top speed on long straights, but the Ski-Doo 4stroker seemed to pull out of the turns a bit harder. Remember that low end ATV torque we mentioned?

The Ski-Doo has a more traditional front A-arm suspension that handles more like you would expect from a REV. The Yamaha uses very long positioning arms that provide ample travel but a great deal of side-to-side action. Yamaha claims this is on purpose and is designed in to give younger riders greater motocross "feel" in the bumps. We think it's too much yaw and makes the Phazer too twitchy in the real bad moguls. The Ski-Doo felt more secure, but its low-buck shocks won't take the abuse for long and will fade quickly. So, it's a trade-off.

When we ran the Phazer and V-twin Ski-Doo head-to-head, neither of us riders could get a big advantage over the other. Where the Phazer could achieve better top speed, the Ski-Doo would gather it back in on the turns. Frankkly, It was a big shock to us that the Ski-Doo was as good as it was.

It comes with the REV seating arrangement, which we still feel is the best overall positioning for many of us veterans. Yamaha's Phazer is close, but the seat is definitely designed for a younger, narrower hard butt crowd. It fits wider, older guys like a thong. The Ski-Doo is marketed for a less aggressive, more mature and comfort-oriented rider.

We'll save you the spec charts, etc. You can check that online or at a dealership and draw your own comparisons. If you are looking for a nice overall package with decent performance, very good mileage potential and a more than fair starting price, check into the new V-twin powered Ski-Doos. Oh, yeah, that 550 Freestyle-based model is a hoot too!

©2006 snowmobilia/Jerry Bassett

2006-10-05T12:39:00.000-05:00

Is there a "pink" Polaris sled in your future? This "doctored" image of Polaris' IQ racer suggests what a "Barbie Pink" Polaris might look like.

And what's all this talk of "pink" sleds? Recently Polaris marketeers announced the creation of "girlie" ATVs decked out in feminine pink accents. According to Polaris its research discovered that girls enjoy the world of powersports as well as guys.

Harley-Davidson recognized this same fact with its motorcycles in the past few years. Any biker guy knows well that biker babes are no longer satisfied to ride on the passenger seat. They want control. Harley has answered that call -- But quite a bit differently than Polaris.

While recognizing gals want their own motorcycles, Harley did not just add pink as a color choice. The Motorcycle Company took a hard look at what its female customers wanted and CHANGED its product to accommodate the customer. Female riders wanted lower seat heights, easier pull clutch levers, and other female friendly features. We doubt you'll find a "Barbie Bike" in the Harley line.

But, Polaris, basing its decisions on similar factoids have come up with pink as the selling point for girls. Are they making its ATVs more femme-friendly? Do they offer power steering? Easy-reach controls and footrests? Are these new Barbie quads just colored pink or do they offer female-friendly features? If not, Polaris may find that this marketing ploy will be seen as a condescending, male-chauvinist insult to its female customers. Is there a pink camouflage ATV in the future for female hunters?

As for female sledders, lady riders are going to want more than pink. They will want easy-starting, lighter weight models with nimble-handling, easy steering, female-friendly controls, etc. Girls want friendly features first. Girls just want to have fun. And pink probably isn't it.

This marketing ploy underscores why Polaris currently finds itself an also-ran in the sled biz. That must have been some intersting staff meeting when it was decided to push pink ATVs. What female focus group did they base this on? But equally puzzling was the response of some stock analysts who caused Polaris stock to immediately go up in value. If this is the level of expertise we can all expect from stock market experts, out 401s are doomed! Yes, recognizing growth in female participation in powersports is excellent. How about recognizing how to tap into it in a solid, long term manner?

For a company that seems to rely heavily on MBA educations, maybe the company would be better served to get back to basics. This is a company that became #1 in snowmobiles by building quality products that it sold at very fair prices. This is a company that reacted to what its customers wanted. For those that can recall it, Polaris thought its customers wanted the cheaper-to-produce Cutlass models. When Polaris buyers opted for the more expensive Indy models, Polaris accepted that decision and profitted. When the trailing arm Indys became obsolete, instead of leading the Polaris faithful to the IQ and its A-arm design suspension, marketeers "bad-mouthed" that concept. Right out of the chute at product launch, Polaris had to overcome its own negative campaign against the IQ suspension as it did an immediate about face telling its faithful buyers that the new A-arm was the best thing in snowmobiling. Huh!

This company has 50 years of experience in Roseau but doesn't seem to trust its heritage to lead its future. While CAD and CAM design programs can assist in engineering concepts, it takes real-world experience (which Polaris has in spades) to know what works and what doesn't in the snow world. Computers can only spit out what's programmed into them. Stupid in. Stupid out. The Fusion 900 was stupid out and Polaris will be paying for that mistake for some time in all kinds of ways.

Maybe, maybe we're totally wrong and Polaris will be in the "pink" with its new concepts. But the Minnesota company would do well to look at what a certain Wisconsin company has done when studying similar facts.

2006-10-02T11:29:00.000-05:00

Minnesota snowmobilers need to be concerned about some of the things going on in the Grand Rapids area. Seems that some of the current trails may become history as logging areas are in transition — which may mean a significant cutback in land usage in the area. Rumor is that with lands changing hands due to sale and leases, snowmobile clubs are being asked to front up to $1,000 per mile for trail usage by some new land rights holders. If true, that will put a serious crimp in sledder travel for the future. Itasca County snowmobilers have always been very active in the area and are working on the issue. BUT if this action continues, the sled manufacturers will have bigger problems than $3 per gallon gasaoline, high noncurrrent inventories and lack of snow. Because if you take away trails, the sport ceases to exist!

Simply stated:No trails. No sales.

2006-10-02T10:48:00.000-05:00

Rumor has it that the average age of pre-season Yamaha PHAZER Buyers is nearly 20 years YOUNGER than other Yamaha snowmobile purchasers. Average age of a snowmobiler is mid-40s. Early season Phazer buyers are typically mid-20s!

Last time there were issues with fuel prices, snowmobile inventory backlog and economic concerns, Yamaha hit the market with a lightweight, nifty styled, extremely competitively priced snowmobile. That was about 1983 and the sled was the first Phazer! Is history repeating itself? Has Yamaha timed the newest Phazer to launch at precisely the right moment?

There have been some little but significant quality updates made to the production Phazers that were missing on the pre-production and prototypes that I rode earlier this year in Michigan. The production versions are much nicer and much more rider-friendly than the earliest test models we had to ride!

Also, according to some multi-line snowmobile dealers, there is concern at Cat that Yamaha four-strokes are generating much bigger sales and interest than Cat and the other factories will acknowledge publicly. Seems that representatives from Cat's future models team was chatting with some big dealers about this concern. Seems that Cat's nicely styled and well put-together Jaguar 4-stroker is quite a bit more expensive than its competition. Suzuki may be asked to find ways to help reduce costs so the new Cats can sell more competitively with Yamaha's Vector series. Right now the big 4-stroke Cat's pricing is closer to the high performance Apex than it is to the 120 horsepower Vector.