Yamaha done with sleds

[sailor joe]

A better example is personal watercraft where BRP is dominate. Innovation backed by good marketing.

I saw a seadoo yesterday at the mooring, gave the guy a ride back to the dock. He seemed like he really liked the PWC and I thought the front storage was pretty cool, the yellow and black just reminded me of a Doo, I kinda laughed. Honestly I'm not up on that whole market, I prefer boats. I do like the 115 e-tec on my boat, quiet and powerful.

 

[pdiddy]

I was chatting with one the guys pretty high up with Yamaha sleds at bar one night when they released the viper. I said look at fb and follow that thinking, exclusivity. For example Take a nytro, race front end, titanium and carbon fiber chassis, titanium exhaust build it to be the baddest race sled you can make and drop 75lbs, hell carbon rails on suspension all ohlins high low comp an rebound adjustable shocks with the new exhaust and intake set up and new mapping you can get 155-160hp and lots of torque. Then sell this dumb sled for 25k (in 2014-2015 prices) but only make 500 of them. The desire for someone to have a very limited product and something so different will force them from logical thoughts to I’m getting it! His words to me is, but why not just make it snow check only and I can sell as many as we can in that time and make more. You lost the drive to mentally force people to jump on it and at 25k will be laughed out of the market…… well look what happened.

Right on! If there was a last chance to make it I think the ultra high end was the way to go. And since the sled division was becoming a marketing operation anyways, just outsource what you don't want to deal with. Mark 'em up as high as necessary and people with more dreams than time to ride will scoop them up. 7-10 years later - I'm riding a cool used sled that's still ahead of it's time.

 

[1nc 2000]

Wish they never dropped the FX Nytro program.
With a new front end and better shocks that sled rocks!

 

[journeyman]

A better example is personal watercraft where BRP is dominate.

Which is crazy, they say BRP has 80% of the PWC market. Whenever we go down to Mexico, Bahamas, etc. all they ever have to rent is Yamaha Waverunners. I asked a worker in the Bahamas, why only Yamaha? He said we have tried others and nothing lasts like a Yamaha because they have a true marine engine made to withstand the harsh saltwater.

 

[earthling]

Which is crazy, they say BRP has 80% of the PWC market. Whenever we go down to Mexico, Bahamas, etc. all they ever have to rent is Yamaha Waverunners. I asked a worker in the Bahamas, why only Yamaha? He said we have tried others and nothing lasts like a Yamaha because they have a true marine engine made to withstand the harsh saltwater.

We had the same experience in Mexico, India, and the Philippines, everywhere we went, Yamahas, few other brands.

Around here you see tons of sea doos. I attribute this mostly to the strength of the dealer network but the dealers are loathe to pick up product that isn't well marketed.

Which begs the question. If you build the superior product, why aren't you capitalizing on that status through appropriate marketing?

I think that Yamaha fails to understand is that the generation that cares about the 'lead with the technology' marketing is older and the younger generation and new buyers are primarily driven by emotion, 'lead with lifestyle'. Harley is another brand that does this well.

I just tried something. Browse to yamaha and seadoo watercraft offerings. Then go to facebook marketplace and hit refresh. All of a sudden I have seadoos or really BRP watercraft in my feed even though what is primarily on sale there is used product. No Yamaha. Not that I want that outcome but it is an indicator of who is on top of their marketing.

 

[74Nitro]

Wish they never dropped the FX Nytro program.
With a new front end and better shocks that sled rocks!

The riding position needed work also. It felt too much like the early REV

 

[Stubbs]

The riding position needed work also. It felt too much like the early REV

One of the main reasons I gave mine up was the fact I couldn’t quite get my feet far enough forward to be comfortable on really long days, even with a taller seat. Ergo wise I loved everything else about it after a steering relocate to level the plain of the handlebars.

 

[1nc 2000]

The riding position needed work also. It felt too much like the early REV

I raced quads for many years so I liked the foot placement with a taller seat on the fx nytro.
It felt natural to me.

 

[yamajammer76]

The riding position needed work also. It felt too much like the early REV

When I has my Nytro my knees used to hurt so bad after a long day on it. My knees don't hurt at all on my Viper so it needed work.

 

[fxnytrortxkid]

When I has my Nytro my knees used to hurt so bad after a long day on it. My knees don't hurt at all on my Viper so it needed work.

The wrp (seat concepts) seat fixed that and added ton of comfort to ride equality too. Add race front end a good 137 setup say the single shot and steering relocation and it wouldn’t have been half bad revision. They could have kept developing and innovating.

 

[74Nitro]

When I has my Nytro my knees used to hurt so bad after a long day on it. My knees don't hurt at all on my Viper so it needed work.

The Viper and Winder positioning is far better, but I'd even argue the Doo and Pol are even a little more rider forward.
I had thought about modifying my Nytro, but one short ride on my buds 2017 and I was sold. I had one on 2018.