RIP yeti

[portgrinder]

Just seen the 2022 models.

Well, looks like it’s a wrap to me.

No innovation since the smart people left. No 3in track.

they remind me of the edmonton oilers. I want to be a fan, but when you look at the details, it’s time to move on.

 

[M5-]

Does make you wonder. Since Michelin bought Camso the DTS kit has gotten zero changes and looks like Yeti kit is going the same route and is just getting refined/repaired. Lets face it, Michelin only wants the track division of Camso I'm sure they could care less about snow bikes, its probably just an accounting PITA for them. The new track while not a 3" is a 2.6" but I would like to see it in action. Looks like it might be a trencher, guess we will see. Slowly but surely the carbon fibre parts are going by the wayside in favor of durability. New aluminum spindle. All the Ti arms have been changed to CroMo over the last few seasons, Ti bolts are gone etc etc. They are making them more durable at the expense of weight. Warranty claims can kill you so the kit needs to be tough and last. I still like the 5.5 rail spacing second only to the monorail. TS needs to get on board with this change.


M5

 

[teal_210]

I still like the 5.5 rail spacing second only to the monorail. TS needs to get on board with this change.


M5

Curious as to what you like about the skinny rails? In north Idaho snow they seem to be more of a hinderance. They're great in powder but very unpredictable in less favorable conditions. The skinny rails are my least favorite part of the current yeti line, they slide off the hill too easily - maybe just our snow conditions?

 

[M5-]

There is no doubt that the skinny rails and the monorail give it up to the 10" rail spacing when it comes to side hilling but for me I find them more responsive and much less tiring to ride in almost every situation. I often find myself riding and steering my bike using the inside of my legs by just applying pressure to the tank or seat with hardly any steering input from the bars. Again to me wide rails feel like all they want to do is be flat on the ground which is fatiguing forcing way more handle bar input. Each to their own I guess. BTW I ride NW Montana a lot so I dont think its the snow so much a personal preference. Riding the Aro 3 its more nimble than my old TS but it still feels like a TS to me, stiff.

M5

 

[aka Mr Floyd]

One reason Yeti may not be dead for 2022... price.

In the US very few Yetis sold historically as they were always significantly more expensive. But their focus on refinement, not innovation, they have kept their prices stable while Timbersleds have gone up and up (for most models, intro pricing on the Riot 120 being the one exception).

Suspension strut is included instead of a $999 upgrade. Kit is lighter. Kit is getting more durable, brakes work better, etc.

Some guys on here swear by the Yetis.

I don't know, but they might see some more sales to folks in the US that have only had exposure to Timbersled and want to try something different.

 

[boondocker99]

There is no doubt that the skinny rails and the monorail give it up to the 10" rail spacing when it comes to side hilling but for me I find them more responsive and much less tiring to ride in almost every situation. I often find myself riding and steering my bike using the inside of my legs by just applying pressure to the tank or seat with hardly any steering input from the bars. Again to me wide rails feel like all they want to do is be flat on the ground which is fatiguing forcing way more handle bar input. Each to their own I guess. BTW I ride NW Montana a lot so I dont think its the snow so much a personal preference. Riding the Aro 3 its more nimble than my old TS but it still feels like a TS to me, stiff.

M5

Never understood the monorail or narrow spacing on snowbike skid. These thing literally fall over on their own and require so little effort it just makes zero sense to me why anyone would want monorail or narrow spacing. On top of what the monorail/narrow spacing does not do it then has an overall negative affect on side hilling and getting on the bike. To each his own...

 

[M5-]

Once you ride it for a while there's no going back.

M5

 

[boondocker99]

Once you ride it for a while there's no going back.

M5

Everyone has their own preferences and not saying someone else should not like the monorail but I just don't see how a snowbike needs to be easier to go side to side, period. It fact it seems absolutely ridiculous that is would be important to someone when these bikes are so easy to ride. I've ridden a monorail and just don't see the value at all. On the other hand having the best sidehilling and most stable bike for climbing onto is very important... I personally hope no other mfgs move in this direction as it's simply unnecessary for what is does and effects other things in negative ways.

 

[kempmechanics]

I don't find them to be any less stable then standard spacing. Why reinvent the wheel when you can refine it. Not sure why everyone is so stuck on the 3" I like track speed. Going away from the pos carbon front end was a great change. I don't they are going anywhere. I will ride one over a polaris made product any day. They still need work on a few things like the deflector brakes and ski. Curious how well the new track works

 

[n16ht5]

New yeti looks good to me. I like the narrow rail stance way more than full width.. I’m not a slouch on the steep stuff. Supposed to get a new one in here soon to try I’ll see how it goes.

 

[daloof]

 

[Praisegeetarman]

Seems like a new track design and a new spindle design is quite a bit of changes for one year.

As far as the narrow rail design, I like it. I came off a CMX for the previous 2 years (there are pros and cons with both). I haven't noticed any additional wash out on the side hills, but do notice it easier to handle and turn. Maybe it might wash out more on a hard snow day (not sure..... had a lot of powder days so far), but those are the days that turning on the trail is more difficult, so......

As far as getting on and off the bike, I will gladly accept that for a kit that performs better.

Keith

 

[M5-]

I'm liking what I see here, in lots of ways its better not to buy the first year of anything so evolution not revolution is the road to reliability and one thing Camso knows is tracks.

M5

 

[byeatts]

Yeti facts, The TS 3 inch suffers in the track speed dept, They need lower gearing which dont allow for that Over Rev- fast ground speed when entering a climb,The Yeti side by side in 2 feet powder was faster than the TS /3 inch on climbs and we made multiple runs, The 3 inch does have more traction when loping through the deep. But theres a tradeoff and by no means is the 3 inch better at everything, The track and ground speed is better for our riding. Ive been riding a 3 inch sled since they came out however the CVT sled clutch auto adjusts to maintain perfect RPM unlike a bikes gearbox, big difference and why i prefer tall gearing on my bikes. I run 14 counter sprocket and 44/47, this eliminates the useless 1st gear, now 1 st has track speed of 32 mph and a usable full 5 gears which is like an overdrive on the trail up ,runs with sleds down the trail now. The narrow rails have no downside .. I prefer the SS137 since its has even faster track speeds and can real in any other 450 kit easily in the deep however it needs rode fast to make up for flotation loss. Yeti kits are very well designed and the weight savings is a real riders plus, For every 5 lbs weight in a bike theres 1 hp required to maintain the same performance.. A 30 lbs weight saving over some competitors has a 6 hp advantage simply due to less weight. Yeti cant make leaps each year as they are already so far ahead of competition. Carbon fiber and titanium bolts and shaft's are not matched by any other company, The belt drive really allows the motor to spool up quick and carry higher RPM,s... Anyone with their 3 inch willing to go head to head near the Mt Adams area just shout, I think ewe will be quite surprised in the performance differences.

 

[Toy4rnr]

As someone who is going to be upgrading for year 2022, I think Yeti has my dollars. I will be coming off a 2019 Camso and I want something that will handle similar since its a monorail. I don't see any down sides, they beefed up some components and yet still managed to lose 1lb. The TS is just as expensive if you add TSS. Apparently the 2.6 keeps spinning where the 3" can bog down a tad, I have no first hand experience only what others have said. But with the various conditions I have where I live, I think the 2.6 will be much better suited with our heavier snow that sometimes is blower powder. Also less weight is also something I look for. Camso knows tracks really well so I trust the new track they are using will be an improvement. Guess I will have to give a review next year, but I don't think yeti is out of the game.

 

[portgrinder]

I used to be the biggest yeti guy. had one of the first kits before they were available.

i suspect that spindle saves cost vs making anything better.

Also they need a new tunnel to fit a 3in track. Or smaller drivers (I’ve done it). so let’s not sit here and think it was some magic design. It’s a 2.6 because that’s all that will fit without a new tunnel.

The 3in track crushes all. we have a few in our group. If my lil 300 can spin one, anything can.

 

[boondocker99]

Yeti facts, The TS 3 inch suffers in the track speed dept, They need lower gearing which dont allow for that Over Rev- fast ground speed when entering a climb,The Yeti side by side in 2 feet powder was faster than the TS /3 inch on climbs and we made multiple runs, The 3 inch does have more traction when loping through the deep. But theres a tradeoff and by no means is the 3 inch better at everything, The track and ground speed is better for our riding. Ive been riding a 3 inch sled since they came out however the CVT sled clutch auto adjusts to maintain perfect RPM unlike a bikes gearbox, big difference and why i prefer tall gearing on my bikes. I run 14 counter sprocket and 44/47, this eliminates the useless 1st gear, now 1 st has track speed of 32 mph and a usable full 5 gears which is like an overdrive on the trail up ,runs with sleds down the trail now. The narrow rails have no downside .. I prefer the SS137 since its has even faster track speeds and can real in any other 450 kit easily in the deep however it needs rode fast to make up for flotation loss. Yeti kits are very well designed and the weight savings is a real riders plus, For every 5 lbs weight in a bike theres 1 hp required to maintain the same performance.. A 30 lbs weight saving over some competitors has a 6 hp advantage simply due to less weight. Yeti cant make leaps each year as they are already so far ahead of competition. Carbon fiber and titanium bolts and shaft's are not matched by any other company, The belt drive really allows the motor to spool up quick and carry higher RPM,s... Anyone with their 3 inch willing to go head to head near the Mt Adams area just shout, I think ewe will be quite surprised in the performance differences.

Seriously? You need to do some VERY BASIC research on weight/hp. The 5lbs to 1hp is for rotational weight not static weight!

 

[Toy4rnr]

Seriously? You need to do some VERY BASIC research on weight/hp. The 5lbs to 1hp is for rotational weight not static weight!

While I don't think you will get 1hp for 5lbs, I would think per 10lbs that is a real possibility though. Maybe it just applies to cars more since there is more weight, but I always saw 1000lbs shaved off what was the equivalent of about 100hp if you can maintain traction. Less weight anywhere means less power to move regardless though.

 

[Sheetmetalfab]

Seriously? You need to do some VERY BASIC research on weight/hp. The 5lbs to 1hp is for rotational weight not static weight!

Bob sells Yeti.

Bob likes Yeti. ??‍

 

[ravenous]

Brand loyalty can cloud peoples minds to the point that they just spew illogical nonsense. Yeti engineers
have been sent home because they are so far ahead of everyone else there is no room for improvement any more. They are so efficient that you come home with more gas in your tank than when you left. 3 inch tracks are useless. Blah blah blah blah. Its getting hard to take some people seriously.