I heard about Yamaha a while ago, Now , it seems, Arctic Cat is going away as well. Spent a lot of time south of Buffalo riding, but its been 25 years ago. I have noticed the new sleds are stupid expensive I think the main reason for hurting sales is the lack of snow, raining today in Buffalo, used to be snow years ago.

https://www.startribune.com/ar...shuttering/601198160

Raining here and 40 degrees here in the Yoop. No real snow on the ground yet and last year was bad for snow cover. So... No sledding here yet. And lots of people up here count on winter snowmobiling for income.
And there is this to factor in, too:
Cost of the sled. Need a means to store it in the summer. A trailer to haul it. Registration fees. Trail fees. Insurance.
Once I considered everything, I had to pass on sled ownership.

I’m not surprised. Prior to Covid hitting (revitalizing sales) motorcycle sales were way down, and many powersports stores were going under. Covid hit, and they couldn’t keep anything on the floor.

But it’s not the same. Gen Z has come along and they aren’t interested in anything but that got damn phone. Inflation and Covid gouging certainly didn’t help matters so it’s 50/50.

My neighbor bought two new Artic Cats last year before winter. They are both still sitting in his garage just as new as the day he bought them. Less than a mile on either one of them. We have been through stretches of no really rideable snow for four or five years in a row before. Somehow a lot of those country bars started burning down.

Cost is out of control on recreational anything. Been looking at new skid houses for ice fishing. A 6X10 aluminum insulated box with a few holes in the floor, a door and a couple windows can run you up to 10G's.

Have they started regulating emissions on these yet? Eliminating two strokes and moving to 4 strokes and maybe fuel injection?

That will drive costs up.

I haven't kept up recently on emissions on them, I know back around the Yellowstone fire in the 80's they were starting to restrict 4 stroke only in the park when I was riding there. I think the 2 strokes are limited use in national parks now, not sure what the States are doing.
Last ride I had was in the Washington Cascades 2 years ago, still were new 2 strokes riding around. The one rental place did have 4 stroke Ski Doos but I don't think it was required.

Weren’t most Yamahas made by Arctic Cat?

quote:

Originally posted by trapper189:
Weren’t most Yamahas made by Arctic Cat?

Not that I know of, they have been around a long time. Made in Japan and sold world wide. Good sleds too, they didn't have a quality problem.

https://global.yamaha-motor.co...usiness/snowmobiles/

56 in Buffalo today and was even sunny for a while earlier. Sled sales have dropped off in recent years around here. Our trend the past several years is to get feets of snow and then a warmup that melts most or all.

quote:

Originally posted by lastmanstanding:
Cost is out of control on recreational anything.

Hard to justify the price on any of the toys out there today. Doesn't matter what it is. Boats, Atv's, SxS, etc... A damn 250cc dirt bike from Honda or Yamaha will run you close to $10K after markup and taxes. Insanity!

quote:

Originally posted by rizzle:

quote:

Originally posted by trapper189:
Weren’t most Yamahas made by Arctic Cat?

Not that I know of, they have been around a long time. Made in Japan and sold world wide. Good sleds too, they didn't have a quality problem.

https://global.yamaha-motor.co...usiness/snowmobiles/

That link says Yamaha makes engines and components. These agree with that and say Arctic Cat built the machines for both Arctic Cat and Yamaha:

“To date the Yamaha/Cat connection works. Arctic Cat supplies an existing platform. Yamaha supplies the power.“ Link

“In 2014 Yamaha released the SR Viper manufactured by Arctic Cat in the pro cross chassis. It was the start of Yamaha's reliance on Arctic Cat and slowly winding its own manufactured line. Each year Yamaha models made in Japan slowly started to disappear, with 2023 being the last year of any 100% made Yamaha Snowmobile. We were worried when we saw the 2024 lineup of only Arctic Cat Chassis.” Link

“Most of the brand’s 2024 model lineup has already been built or is currently being built by Textron/Arctic Cat.” Link

Good to know, I had no idea that 2023 was the last year of Japan sleds, Thank you for the heads up. I'm always learning, so it's nothing new .

quote:

Originally posted by rizzle:

quote:

Originally posted by trapper189:
Weren’t most Yamahas made by Arctic Cat?

Not that I know of, they have been around a long time. Made in Japan and sold world wide. Good sleds too, they didn't have a quality problem.

https://global.yamaha-motor.co...usiness/snowmobiles/

That link says Yamaha makes engines and components. These agree with that and say Arctic Cat built the machines for both Arctic Cat and Yamaha:

“To date the Yamaha/Cat connection works. Arctic Cat supplies an existing platform. Yamaha supplies the power.“ Link

“In 2014 Yamaha released the SR Viper manufactured by Arctic Cat in the pro cross chassis. It was the start of Yamaha's reliance on Arctic Cat and slowly winding its own manufactured line. Each year Yamaha models made in Japan slowly started to disappear, with 2023 being the last year of any 100% made Yamaha Snowmobile. We were worried when we saw the 2024 lineup of only Arctic Cat Chassis.” Link

“Most of the brand’s 2024 model lineup has already been built or is currently being built by Textron/Arctic Cat.” Link

Losing the Russian market didn’t help:

“Another reason is the sharp decline in the number of snowmobiles sold in Russia, from around 30,000 in 2014 to zero in 2023. Russia’s annexation of Crimea in 2014 greatly reduced sales in that country. Since February 2022, snowmobile manufacturers have stopped exporting their products to them, closing this market for good. Yamaha’s VK 540s were very popular with Russian snowmobilers.”

Link

The graph is total global sales of snowmobiles outside North America. The bar on the left is 2014 to the bar on the right which is 2023. The top of the scale is 60,000 and the yellow portion is Russia.

Seems odd that Arctic Cat was building Yamahas and couldn't survive. As mentioned above about the younger generation not being marketable (on their phones all the time) for two manufactures. Too bad, snowmobiling was fun years ago, even more now with the heated grips and smooth suspension, some even had the coolant heat exchangers under the running boards. The new ones go like hell too, lots more funner than back in the good old days.
Back in the day when snow stayed around all winter and I was shoveling (building character), you either were on skis or snowmobiling, and lots of bowling. Now I guess being on the phone is enough. I still kinda think the last few winters haven't helped any.
Sad to see Arctic Cat go away, very old company, not really their fault either.

Can't say I'm surprised. Haven't had regular snow in ages it seems like.

Just heard of this yesterday, by coincidence, I got my second machine out of storage today. I wanted to do some maintenance, then targeting Feb or March in the U.P..

Of course, weather dependent. My machines are older, low miles, but run fine, Yamaha and Ski-Doo.

Yeah, discretionary income has been tight lately. One has to justify $12+k for a toy.

Living in northern Minnesota, we struggled last year for snow and ice. This year is not looking the greatest either. New snowmachines in garages and ice fishing houses are just sitting and collecting dust. I built a new ice fishing house last year and never got it out due to shitty ice conditions.

Sad really - Arctic Cat & Polaris are snowmobile legends - I was proud they were both built in MN.

I loved snowmobiling when I was a kid ( born in 1973 ) and drove the hell out of my Dads Arctic Cat Jag 340 - super fun when I was in 6-8th grade. In high school I was begging for a Polaris Indy 400 - it never happened since I was working and playing varsity hockey.

Fast forward and I’m 25 with a job - ordered an Arctic Cat ZR600 in the year 2000. I had it for two seasons and don’t think I had as much fun as when I was a kid on that 1979 Jag - lol. Sold it.

A few years later, I tried again - Arctic Cat F7 & F6 ( for the girlfriend ). Those lasted one season. I have zero interest.

Snow is a factor - I live in Crosslake, MN - last year we didn’t have any snow and this year it hasn’t snowed yet either.

I get why they’re struggling, but it’s sad to see. I wonder how Harley Davidson is doing ? They’re another icon and I have three in my garage - 2002 FB, 2006 RK, and a 2023 RG. At least those I can ride 5-7 months a year pretty easy

MDS

^^^^

Absolutely true. We had sleds back in the 90s. On a good year, you might have rideable snow from the end of December through February. Now, it seems like the season is either non-existent or a few weeks long. We sold ours and went to a SxS. We generally can hit the trails by mid April and keep going until they close for deer season 11-1. Much more predictable.

December 29 in middle Minnesota and literally no snow on the ground (raining right now). Ice fishing resorts up North and going bankrupt because ice is not sufficient to drive on. Been this way for nearly a decade now - growing up in late 80’s we had sufficient snow for tracking deer in early November, now we’re lucky to have any at Christmas.

You can debate why the climate is changing, but you certainly cannot deny that it is. Hard to sell snow machines when there is no snow.