Sick of all the hype

[kviper]

Ever notice those little guy's with the noose around there neck's are Yellow! LOL It's all good!

 

[SSX600]

LOL! Report back when your E-Tec has 21k on it and how expensive rebuilds are for it as they are not cheap and you will need several, marginal snow wheel's and the other miscellaneous Yamaha needs will seem petty. Your exhaust doughnuts were way earlier than the norm. Generally they are not a big deal, not much more dificult than cleaning power valves on a smoker and not very expensive if you do it your self. I rode a couple 800 E-Tecs last season and I will not trade my 2012 Apex WITH EPS for anything about the Doo! They both had heavier steering and felt like riding a VW bug VS a Lincoln especially at speed. My Apex is much more stable at speed! Yamaha builds a sled that will last many times longer than any of the competition with normal maintenance. That all said does Yamaha need some new stuff, YES! If Yamaha comes with that change they will be light year's ahead again like when they came out with the Apex. The 1200 Cat turbo at 12lb boost needs mods to out run an NA 998 Yamaha, Sorry not impressed. Maybe sound is not important to you but I enjoy my four holer sound all day long.
For what ever reason all snowmobiles have issue's and I guess we snowmobiler's are expected to deal with them, not that it is right but in this day and age of snowmobiling I can not except rebuilding a motor every 3 to 5K.
The Isoflex crank bearing's are a joke at best but necessary in order to run on the
minimal oil that they run on. Sorry but this is a Yamaha site and that is what I ride
and for my own reason's.

Well Said!!!!!

 

[Cherry08]

i couldnt agree more our seasons are to short to be wondering which corner is going to be the last before the engine makes that dreaded sound..... dont get me wrong my 800 poo was fast and fun but 2 rebuilds in 2 seasons took the fun right out of my wallet...
i would rather shell out a bit more and make the few simple mods to start and ride..... and nothing puts a bigger smile on my face then pulling out the tow rope for the boys.... then they get to engoy the sound all the way home lmao

 

[Suckur]

Why can't we all agree that Yamaha builds the most reliable engines in a heavyweight chassis that outperforms other brands in specific environments. If I were riding groomed trails all day I'd want an apex. If I were beating trails through tight trees in the middle of nowhere I'd want a Tundra extreme. If I were hill climbing I'd want a turbo cat. Boondocking? Probably an RMK. To each their own.

 

[sheetwright]

I believe we all believe Yamaha makes the best quality, the best ride, longest lasting, technology most advanced sleds on the market. They were ahead of the curve with all of this before the four stroke caught on. Now that the other brands realize the four stroke could be the future they have played catch up. All while making a decent sled, but still not as reliable as a Yamaha. The changes that Yamaha needs to make concerns the die hards who love their sleds that almost never breakdown and just keep going like the energizer rabbit. Especially when you hear unreliable words like Arctic Cat. Hopefully those words are just for suspensions keeping with the Yamaha theme for quality. For Yamaha to stay in business, to make a good profit, and to show growth they need to change with the others. While changing they not only need to mix it up to increase sales they need to create a huge splash, all while keeping quality, and reliablity. When people mention a three banger I don't believe it is what they are asking for, it is what they are hearing we are going to get through the rumors. The changes being made will not make all happy, and some may leave. Keep in mind though these changes may bring new riders to Blue also. Just as high Horsepower and lighter sleds created big sales and followings for Cat. I can not wait till 2014 just to stop the guessing. I also hope there is a day when we make the magazine headlines like we did back in the day. Showing the others why we ride the best brand out there. YAMAHA!


:rules

 

[kviper]

I agree with the weight issue off trail however you will not get the things that make Yamaha great in a feather weight or a two stroke, at least not with the tec currently available and at a price we can afford. I think Yamaha has the ability to loose weight but I hope it's not at the cost of the things that most of us buy Yamaha's for.

 

[Murse]

I believe we all believe Yamaha makes the best quality, the best ride, longest lasting, technology most advanced sleds on the market. They were ahead of the curve with all of this before the four stroke caught on. Now that the other brands realize the four stroke could be the future they have played catch up. All while making a decent sled, but still not as reliable as a Yamaha. The changes that Yamaha needs to make concerns the die hards who love their sleds that almost never breakdown and just keep going like the energizer rabbit. Especially when you hear unreliable words like Arctic Cat. Hopefully those words are just for suspensions keeping with the Yamaha theme for quality. For Yamaha to stay in business, to make a good profit, and to show growth they need to change with the others. While changing they not only need to mix it up to increase sales they need to create a huge splash, all while keeping quality, and reliablity. When people mention a three banger I don't believe it is what they are asking for, it is what they are hearing we are going to get through the rumors. The changes being made will not make all happy, and some may leave. Keep in mind though these changes may bring new riders to Blue also. Just as high Horsepower and lighter sleds created big sales and followings for Cat. I can not wait till 2014 just to stop the guessing. I also hope there is a day when we make the magazine headlines like we did back in the day. Showing the others why we ride the best brand out there. YAMAHA!


:rules

right on!

 

[murdog94]

I have owned Yamaha and Polaris. I own a 500 Fuji Indy for my wife, those motors can easly go 10K miles but are rather well slow haha. I got back into ridding in 2009 and bought several 600twin XTCs (97,97,98,97) and then went to a Viper, and now on my RX1 (i have gone thru several sleds but after some bad accidents that totalled the sleds) And my buddy is a die hard doo guy, right up until i told him at 3500 miles i shouldnt even need to change the plugs for a long long time. And his 800 Summit X couldnt pull away from my "600 equivalent" 1000 4stroke. Yamaha has me hooked now.

 

[STAIN]

I have ridden ALL the brands and what stands out to me is how cheaply built the others feel. I rode a 1200 Ski-Doo before I traded my Nytro for an Apex and the nicest thing I can say it felt "industrial"
Now different strokes for different folks but at this stage of my life I will take the refinement and reliability over the the other options.

 

[whitedust1]

Really is nothing to hype. Solid sled yes with good engine yes but nothing new since EPS & air shocks many don't think they need EPS for the $15K MSRP. YMC needs to have a new lighter platform in the 145hp zone that runs on regular gas & turbo takes to 185hp or so if you have to have the ponies. To me hp in 140s would be fine with a weight loss & beats the heck out of the 120-135 HP class sleds that Ac,Poo & Doo are hung up on. Move the 120 class to 140+ HP lose weight & you would pay more & smoke everything 135HP down sounds good to me for trails in 136 track with clickers & ohlin Ec the things we like.

 

[Murse]

Quite simply I just want a boosted model, Cat is doing it apparently it has been successful in sales. I'd love to boost my Apex but at 5000 for ulmer kit... plus installation time and the wear and tear afterwords and fuel consumption etc etc HEADACHE for me. But if factory came with and it was set up to run nice of course if they sell it off the show room floor plus wasn't too bad on fuel and was in the 170 + hp range WOW sign me up here's the card.

 

[cudase]

LOL! Report back when your E-Tec has 21k on it and how expensive rebuilds are for it as they are not cheap

This is why many in our riding group have converted to yamaha. We are trail riders, and will gladly sacrifice a bit of weight for added reliability. Last year my buddies 600 Etec dumped a isoflex crankbearing at 4200 miles just outside of the soo. We dragged it to Chippewa motors and he traded it in on a left over 2010 Vector LTX and couldn't be happier.

 

[kviper]

LOL! Report back when your E-Tec has 21k on it and how expensive rebuilds are for it as they are not cheap

This is why many in our riding group have converted to yamaha. We are trail riders, and will gladly sacrifice a bit of weight for added reliability. Last year my buddies 600 Etec dumped a isoflex crankbearing at 4200 miles just outside of the soo. We dragged it to Chippewa motors and he traded it in on a left over 2010 Vector LTX and couldn't be happier.

Makes me laugh when people come in here telling us how bad our sled's are and that we should take our blinder's off. LOL, OK!

 

[cannondale27]

Most of the other makes are sleds made for the weekend warrior maybe even less than that.I swear when ever I am riding during the week 9 out of ten sleds are Yamaha's.Those sleds are still being ridden on the weekends but are vastly outnumbered.Point is there is a reason I see more Yamahas during the week.Its a whole different mentality when you own a Yamaha.Yes we all tweak em but as a whole I believe we ride them more than others because we dont have to worry about them.Not sure what thats worth but it may be worth more than any wieght,suspension or hp combined if it just means your more apt to get out and ride.

 

[Sasquatch]

A standard Nytro FX weighs in at 522 pounds. I paid $10,600 otd for my then new 2010. Comparing apples to apples a TNT 4-Tec weighs in at 502 pounds and has a better chassis and out of the box setup. The TNT also has no icing which is a pretty big deal at the end of a 200 mile day. Comparing apples to oranges I paid $10,100.00 otd for my new leftover 2012 MXZ TNT 800 E-Tec. It weighs in a 430 pounds and is supposed to have twice the fun factor,ride and handling of an untouched Nytro FX. I cannot say it does yet myself as I have not ridden it. Pretty much everyone I know agrees the my TNT 800R is going to put a huge smile on my face. Time will tell. Can anyone find a 2012 Apex for $10,100.00 otd? Highly unlikely. The Apex weighs in at 580 pounds. That's 150 pounds more then my 800 E-Tec. Not trying to be a hater but Yamaha is losing more customers than it is gaining from everything I hear and read. I liked my ole Vector and Nytro. Still do. The "why fix it if it is not broken" mentality is what's killing Yamaha. I will never buy a sled on the basis that it sounds cool. Sounds cool? Really? The Apex sounds cool so it is a great sled? C'mon. If I wanted a sled that sounds cool and nothing more I would still be on a 80s' or 90s' triple. They sound cool. How many are still in production? Zero. I have never read in a magazine or online anywhere that Yamahas are not reliable. They are. We put 21,000 trouble free miles on ours over the last five winters. No complaints from me in that respect. However, should I have had to have added scratchers,low snow wheel kits,tunnel block off,skiis and so on to a brand new "state of the art, modern" sled? Should I have a 30 pound block of ice stuck in the tunnel? Should I have had to replace the exhaust donuts after just one season? Really? The exhaust leaked after one season? No sled is perfect. The only Poo I like is the Indy SP. You'll never see a Cat in my trailer. That leaves Doo, the brand I owned before Yamaha and had great luck with also. I wish Yamaha the best and hope they pull their thumbs out of their butts soon. They need to step it up like everyone else does and continues to. Power steering is cool, but not the answer for someone that is looking for the latest and greatest. What's a bigger deal? R-Motion or power steering? Tuner skis are nice but they should have came along ten years ago. Riding all day is what I like. Having a seven gallon fuel tank isn't. Paying $400.00 for a bigger tank is worse. Anyways, I think by now you know where I am going and where I have been. I am hoping Yamaha has anything but BNG for 2014. We'll all find out soon enough.

So a Nytro is 20 pds heavier then a TNT 1200. An Apex is 30 pds heavier then turbo Cat. Seems real close to me and not even worth getting all bent about. Yami builds 4's! Yes two strokes are lighter! Oranges and apples. Course I think your a tad off on the TNT 800 Doo lists it at 468pds. They also melt down usually at the worst times, like in the middle of a 5 or 7 day trip. Those of us who have embraced a 4 stroke did so for a reason. I have 18,000 miles on my RX the motor has run strong the whole while and will do so for many miles to come.

I've knocked all the ice out from under my sled and it when melted in a pail was less then a gallon of water. So at most on the heavy side ten pds of ice build up. Doesn't bother me and when touring I carry a small plastic hammer with me to knock the ice out at days end or even on the trail. Hammer weighs a pound or two. Oh no how can I stand all the extra weight.

The Apex is not all about sound of the motor but if ya ride a turbo cat it would help to be deaf. No the Apex or RX is about groomed trails, rail beds, long lake runs, and above all high speed sweeping corners. Its about mile after mile of touring day after day. The triple 2 strokes are nice I miss the sound of my 1000 triple in full song but the Apex is a sweet replacement for it. Sound is important when coupled to performance. So important that electric cars are now starting to come with sound systems hooked to the throttle. Just to give that performance feel to one other sensory receptor in ones body to compliment the performance feel of the car.

I bought an Apex over a Turbo Cat or a 1200 Doo (those where what I narrowed my choices down too) because the Yami will hang with the Cat and sounds like a performance sled should. The underhood heat of the turbo and melted hoods exc. are a turn off as well. The Doo had I think better handling (just what I've seen on the trail) then the Apex but not better performance. And it sounds like three cylinder. So I stayed with what I knew to be a great trail rider. If I have to tweek a few things to suit me then so be it. If I have to change donuts every 6,000 miles I will ( 2011 and on are not supposed to have this problem anymore) Better then having to rebuild the whole motor every 300 hrs. Plus it just sounds so sweet!

The reason the triple twos are dead has nothing to do with sound but much to do with cost, width and huge tuned arrays of pipes. The triple was killed in favor of huge pistons with stronger engine pulses that are harder on belts, but are narrower and have on less pipe to snake around an already cramped engine bay. Twins are cheaper to produce and fix under warenttee!

Yami solved the engine bay problem by running the pipes under the tunnel and maintaining flow. Doo jammed the 3 cylinders into a log manifold that restricts the engine performance a lot. Cat said don't worry about performance of the pipe and just pack a hair drier under the hood and push the exaust through and create huge melting underhood heat. Could be one reason they need so much pressure to over come all the hp losses. Yami's under tunnel design is a performance design, packing it underhood could make it so restrictive and cause so much heat that we would all have something else to gripe about.

I feel for ya that you had to tweek your Nytro to get it the way you feel it should have come. I sometimes think that Yami could do better real world testing of their sleds and nominate the TY forum as a real good place to start.

But seriously a Poo? I can understand a Doo and happen to like both the 1200 Doo and the turbo Cat but a Poo? They don't even build a 4 stroke that measures up. Sorry Poo riders!

In the end you want a two stroke that is higher maintenance then a 4! I'd much rather have a bullet proof motor and keep the rest maintained around it. Been down the two stroke road and liked both my Doo's and Cats but after realizing that touring puts on major miles a season I needed something that didn't need a rebuilt motor every season or three.

Now if you trade your sled in every year or two and don't mind taking a bath on it buy and ride two strokes. But if I walk into a dealer and they have a two stroke and a 4 side by side with 7,500 miles on each I'll buy the 4 stroke as I know it will last many years miles to come. The two stroke is just a ticking time bomb in need of bearings, pistons and rings.

I'm glad your 800 Doo may put a huge smile on your face! You paid for it and you deserve it. I know my Apex XTX will put a smile on my face it already does and I have only rode it to load and unload it.

Lastly if it isn't broken don't fix it. Well the Apex anyway, do what you want to the Nytro! Wouldn't want on of those, doesn't suit me or my riding style at all.