I agree GEO
As ICR has mentioned and i believe the intent of this thread is to get past the "panties in a bunch mentality" as so often these threads turn into and discuss what it would take. Everyone seems to point out the obvious issue but the only solution currently that is put forward is to go out and buy a different sled. Its never " here is my idea of how Yamaha could make improvements and win me back as a customer. I believe reason for this is because its a difficult problem to solve and has way more facets to it then people realize I think that you are right it will have to be a complete change in thought process to bring something unique to the table that makes a giant leap over the current competition. which is at this stage is a pretty high bar set by the front runner which is obviously debatable
How do you do that when the cost of producing things is on the rise, the market itself is shrinking which is due in part to that cost along with environmental things we don't need to talk about in context of this thread. As things get lighter the cost curve to weight loss started to ramp up. unique metals raise cost (titanium)? unique materials raise cost (Carbon fiber)? Then you contend with lightening up the current material as much as possible but then those parts start to fail and durability starts to decline. You think as POO did with changing the MFR process "structural glues" as a means of manufacturing but they discovered the downside with the process of implementing that into mass production.
You joked about an auto transmission, but maybe there is something to the transmission of power that could be looked at to cut weight as in the development of the belt drive system of maybe a completely different idea. that is why racing is so dam important to a companies R&D. The only issue there is how to take something that is a one off trick part that takes a lot of time, energy and money to produce a single part then turn around and produce it on a mass scale but keep cost where you and i can afford it.
As ICR has mentioned and i believe the intent of this thread is to get past the "panties in a bunch mentality" as so often these threads turn into and discuss what it would take. Everyone seems to point out the obvious issue but the only solution currently that is put forward is to go out and buy a different sled. Its never " here is my idea of how Yamaha could make improvements and win me back as a customer. I believe reason for this is because its a difficult problem to solve and has way more facets to it then people realize I think that you are right it will have to be a complete change in thought process to bring something unique to the table that makes a giant leap over the current competition. which is at this stage is a pretty high bar set by the front runner which is obviously debatable
How do you do that when the cost of producing things is on the rise, the market itself is shrinking which is due in part to that cost along with environmental things we don't need to talk about in context of this thread. As things get lighter the cost curve to weight loss started to ramp up. unique metals raise cost (titanium)? unique materials raise cost (Carbon fiber)? Then you contend with lightening up the current material as much as possible but then those parts start to fail and durability starts to decline. You think as POO did with changing the MFR process "structural glues" as a means of manufacturing but they discovered the downside with the process of implementing that into mass production.
You joked about an auto transmission, but maybe there is something to the transmission of power that could be looked at to cut weight as in the development of the belt drive system of maybe a completely different idea. that is why racing is so dam important to a companies R&D. The only issue there is how to take something that is a one off trick part that takes a lot of time, energy and money to produce a single part then turn around and produce it on a mass scale but keep cost where you and i can afford it.
