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

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

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

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 Snowmobilia/Jerry Bassett

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

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 Snowmobilia/Jerry Bassett

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

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 Snowmobilia/Jerry Bassett

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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!

© 2007 snowmobilia/Jerry Bassett

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

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

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