2011 Ski-Doo MXZ TNT 600 ACE Review

Posted by Jerry Bassett on March 29, 2010 under Uncategorized | Comments are off for this article

Sayonara

Posted by Chris on March 25, 2010 under Yamaha Insights | Comments are off for this article

Sitting in a hotel over looking the airport in Narita reflecting on what I have been through in the last four days. I got off the plane in Asahikawa just as a fairly significant snowstorm was receding. I have been in this area during the spring before but not seen snow like this. The base has to be still around three feet in the fields and deeper in the bush.

The first day in Shibetsu was spent riding. Typical spring conditions with tight frozen snow in the early part of the day slowing giving way under the bright sun to loose, sugary mush in the afternoon. We had approximately twenty different sleds parked on the edge of a large meadow and took turns hopping from one to another as they became available. The groomed test course, several km of serpentine trail around the perimeter of the speed course is always a blast and this was no exception. The guys had it groomed perfectly and after the requisite safety briefing we were turned loose to rip it as hard as we dared.

There is always a surprise or two from our engineering advanced group and I was not disappointed. ‘Chris-san, try this machine it has (fill in the blank with some hi-tech trickery) and tell me what you feel…’ Not everything was quite so cool but even trying existing models with different calibrations, track patterns ergonomics and assorted other tweeks is fun and enlightening.

I spent a bunch of time on the new Apex SE and it still blows me away, what a cool snowmobile. I was able to spend some time with Kai-san, our engine design leader and learned more on the many subtle refinements and background of the new engines development, there was an EXUP system on the bench which I was able to fondle, surprised at how little it weighs and how smoothly the valve operates.

Right now you are thinking, what else are we working on and I wish I could say but that will have to wait another time. Victor was here from Russia and I always find his information and stories of great interest. Turns out Russia got all our snow this year. It started dumping in November and is still going. They sell mostly wide track machines as there are no trails or groomers. He had us all laughing when he told of the riding style in the bush, how Viking is good for breaking trees with 5inch diameter trunks without serious damage, which turns out to be a big sales feature when compared to the more flimsy competition. They have no premium fuel and no environmental restrictions or very few restrictions of any description and total snowmobile industry sales have increased once again. I would really like to go there sometime to ride. It really sounds like an adventure where anything goes, if you have the notion.

my old friend Ole Haga (Norway) was there with Allen from the Netherlands who also had good things to report on a fairly snowy and successful winter season in Scandinavia. Unfortunately I had to report that we are coming out of the driest winter on record and total industry sales in Canada are down significantly over last year. All manufacturer’s are dealing with an inventory surplus, not the best situation considering the crappy economic climate.

I am not looking forward to the 13 hour plane ride that lays ahead today. I have another few hours to burn here in Tokyo so I’ll be on my way and update when I get home…
cheers cr

2011 Polaris 800 RUSH Pro-R LX Snowcheck Select

Posted by Jerry Bassett on March 22, 2010 under Uncategorized | Comments are off for this article

Snowmobiling in 2011

Posted by Jerry Bassett on March 17, 2010 under Uncategorized | Comments are off for this article

Planes Trains and Snowmobiles

Posted by Chris on March 16, 2010 under Accessories, Apex, Information, Product Planning, Skidoo, Sled Talk, Vmax, Yamaha, avalanche, engineer, japan, sleds, snowmobiles | Comments are off for this article

As most of you will know by now, there was a terrible avalanche at the Big Iron Shootout on Boulder Mountain in Revelstoke last weekend. (Note: The Big Iron is not an organized event but an annual gathering of riders intent on challenging the hill and each other in some unofficial runs.) I have known some big slides over the years but never one that came down in front of so many sleds. The fact that only two lives were lost can be attributed to many of the riders being avalanche aware (educated) and prepared to deal with such an event. The reason I say this is because of the unlikelihood of anyone in the media recognizing the fact that the risks assumed by many mountain riders are very calculated and acknowledged with formal training and safety equipment. They would much rather paint the picture of a bunch of yahoos running amok in the mountains as they call on governments and law enforcement for restrictions. The efforts of the survivors should be applauded as they were prepared and able to save the lives of many. That said, our hearts go out to the families of the two men who lost their lives.

Last week was interesting, Jon, Richard and I traveled to our testing center in Wisconsin to evaluate some future projects and discuss everything from the new Apex release to the latest accessories plans. The testing was difficult due to the trail conditions. We ran a section outside of Hurley which ranged from mush to muck with lots of rocks popping up, sink holes with sucker snow on the edges ready to pull you off the trail if you tried to hug the sides… The test terminated in a freshly plowed logging block with skidder tracks deep enough to swallow a snowmobile. Given the conditions the sleds ran great, I’m just glad it wasn’t mine!

Next week I am heading for what will likely be my last ride of the season. There is still lots of snow in northern Japan and I’ll be doing planes / trains and automobiles for at least 48 hours of the trip… Will make a point of snapping a couple of pics for Sled Talk and visiting my most favorite sushi bar in the world in honor of Karl Ishima, who will retire the end of this month.

Karl is the father of the Bravo and both VK models. He was also influential on the SnoScoot project, Vmax 4 (from his post in the USA) the OMP that almost was and the RX-1.
It would be great to get some comments from people that have owned any of the above mentioned snowmobiles as I want to put together a little presentation for his retirement party… anyone have any farewell wishes for one of our most seasoned engineers?

cheers
cr

2011 Arctic Cat F8 EXT Review

Posted by Jerry Bassett on March 15, 2010 under Uncategorized | Comments are off for this article

2010 Mountain Sled Evaluation – Part Two

Posted by Matt & Kevin Allred on March 10, 2010 under Uncategorized | Comments are off for this article

Vilas Closed

Posted by Hiawatha on under General | Comments are off for this article

We all knew it was just a matter of time til it was official… Vilas officially closed their trails today…  so early to have the season end this year. Still got one more ride in me yet tho.. 

Only 279 days til Trails reopen!

2011 Polaris Lineup Preview

Posted by Jerry Bassett on March 8, 2010 under Uncategorized | Comments are off for this article

More New News

Posted by Chris on under 4-stroke, Apex, Cat, Information, Sled Talk, Yamaha, Yamaha Insights, YouTube, sleds, technology | Comments are off for this article

Now that all the new sleds for 2011 have been announced and the excitement is melting away at the same rate as the snow on our local trails–it’s time to make one last announcement from Yamaha.

After the new Apex hit the trail and the on-line discussion took off, a few guys were quoted as saying there must be more. Another rocket that will roost the competition…

Well once again, you will see it here first. We have a high performance twin track snow machine coming to Canada in very limited numbers next fall. Much of the technology is focused on getting the most from the new 4-stroke engine using a hydrostatic drive and yes… power steering. Because of the limited production we are targeting only regions that get lots of snow. I am willing to go on record to say we are absolutely going to blow away our competition with this announcement… here’s a video clip that Bryan and Danny put together to give you the first scoop.

NOTE: you must go to Sled Talk to see video content if you are reading this from an email. cheers cr