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

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

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

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

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

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