I'm with ya. I love Yamaha products and have owned many over the years. In fact, if I still lived in the Midwest, I would certainly have a Sidewinder crossover. However, for the past 28 years, I have lived and ridden only in the Western mountains and the days of "only" point and shoot are minimal. Yamaha in my mind, made a poor decision in only producing four stroke sleds. I would argue they make the best four strokes in the World, but that's just not what 99% if Western riders want. It's all about weight and technical riding, and the current lineup of mountain four strokes take more effort to ride. There are those that would argue otherwise, and I appreciate and respect their opinion, but for me, I want lighter. If Yamaha came out with a new two stroke mountain sled, I would probably own one. As for Yamaha and their future, I think they have a strong following on the trails and will continue to sell strong in that market. I would love to see their total sales and how they break down. As with any large company, it comes down to dollars. Is it profitable? The Japanese are proud people. I don't expect them to give up on over 50 years of building snowmobiles, however, I think they need to swallow their pride and allow some outside thinking when it comes to developing a mountain sled. Of course this is just my opinion. Others will disagree and I welcome their opinions.
