Pez, don't forget #7 is a numbers man. You better list your sources. I don't list mine but I also make wide personal opinion statements which I freely admit have no scientific or market origin. How about this one:
Ski-doo sleds were BY FAR the ugliest machines on the snow in the late eighties. BAM!
American Snowmobiler and ISMA have vastly different statistics than the uncited statistics from the Pez.
The US sold only 22% more snowmobiles than Canada last season. 5 to 1 would be 500%.
Ironically, that is the approximate amount more a Canadian pays for the same sled an American pays. This makes gross revenues in Canada and the US about the same.
Snowmobile sales fell again last season as economies around the world struggled through the recession.
Worldwide snowmobile sales fell 24.2 % to 111,492 units from 147,066 in the 2008-'09 season.
U.S. sales dropped 21% to 48,599 snowmobiles from 61,593 the year before. Likewise Canadian sled sales dropped 23.9% to 37,670 from 49,510 sleds sold the previous season.
The figures are compiled by the International Snowmobile Manufacturers Association (ISMA), which also reported that snowmobile registrations fell 9.2% nationally last season.
Ed Klim, ISMA's president, blamed a number of factors, but the economy was No. 1. In the U.S., the struggling auto industry, which laid off many workers in both Michigan and Ontario, was a major deterrent to sales and registrations.
Klim said that the loss of manufacturing jobs in Ontario, coupled with a horrible snow season there contributed largely to Canada's decreased snowmobile sales. While overseas the devaluation of Russia's rubble vs. the Euro, along with falling oil prices that hit Russian snowmobilers in their wallets, cut sled sales dramatically. Russia is a major oil exporter and the uptick in that industry had been fueling sled sales for several years.
#2, just remember, snowmobiles are only sold in the snowy regions around the world or course. As you've told me in the past Yamaha, being a Japanese mfr, will only produce the number of units they are absolutely sure they will sell each year. There is very tight control over how many of which model that each distributor will be alotted.
And Canada, much like the protective German mentality, for the most part buy only the brand that is produced in their country. They make foreign brands cost prohibitive to the market through ridiculous tariffs and contrived tax penalties. They are simple minded that this helps to preserve their domestic mfg base, but in the end of course all it does is penalize the consumer. You know, the people they are elected to serve.
I am not being ignorant, I recognize that Ski-Doo makes a fantastic product. On many occassions I have stated that I believe Yamaha is making (has always actually) the best quality product in terms of engineering, materials and workmanship. As a result, they are more expensive (a la Toyota, Honda). Ski-Doo/BRP definately has brought the most to market w/ innovation (i.e. rider forward, engine-reverse, direct injection, wind tunnel testing for rider protection, and on) and bringing new ideas to market (3 passenger snowmobile, integrated add-on seat/gas tank). Unfortunately, they also brought those awful bumble-bee stickers.
The American brands are lagging horribly. Their sales, or lack thereof, are how the market will always punish those companies who don't perform. Expanding operations by opening a mfg/ass'y plant in a 3rd world country for lower labor rates is a textbook example of a company going down the drain. I am simply waiting for the announcement that Polaris is exiting the snowmobile market. Arctic Cat will follow. It's too bad, I mean, how hard is it to make a good snowmobile!? We are not talking about rocket science here.
As far as no new Polaris sales all I can say is: "If it ain't broke - don't fix it!" Why buy a new sled if the old one is still humming along just fine?
#5
ps> Note the brand sled of my avatar. It's all good! (of course, that sled does not have a Rotax engine, which might ecplain why it still runs each year. ooooooo damn! Sorry, I can't help myself!!!! hahahahahaha it's all good!)
How sweet that all the Doo owners will band together. Sooooo cute. (maybe they should be renamed "Ski-Don't". Haha!
That's good, the more of you that are pulled to the side of the trail helping eachother fix your sleds, there will be more room on the trail for the rest of us to ride!
Hehe! Ka-Pow! You are just makin me want to ride my old dinger more and more.
#5
Hey #7, the forum is up and running in grand wpr fashion now!!!!
Where is #4????????????????????????????????? Is he in the Bahamas or something??
Yes, most of the questions listed in the tech section of snotech do seem to be directed towards the doos. I have often wondered if that was because Polaris hasn't sold a sled to a retail customer in two years.
Wow, the site is poping with great input from members! Another great post on two counts.
First, this is a fantastic proposal from #3, I am most definately in. (I just renewed my MA reg). I will be sure to be reg in NH by then and we should DEFINATELY plan something for that weekend. I suggest Island Pond. This is supposed to be snowmobiling grand central. I have a trail map of Essex county and I can bring it to our next meeting.
The second thing is that #3 is reading Snow Tech magazine. Who knew????!??!?!!!? So we already knew he was a closet Formula 1 fan, and now we learn he is a techie as well?!?!!! One point for the engineers!
This is very good news since now I know that he read about the article regarding the common issue in the e-Tec/Ski-doo sleds of the rear tail light wiring shorting out and causing many electrical issues. I'm sure he has already pulled his seat and has verified these wires are not causing his electrical gremlins.
But I do have to comment, have you Ski-doo fans noticed that the "Dear Ralph" and "Tech Updates" sections are simply crammed with updates/notices/bulletins/etc for Ski-doo sleds. 4 out of 5 posts are for the yellow brand. What-up?? The majority of Polaris posts are typically on older models and readers are asking how to do long-term care on these machines b/c they just aren't ready to part w/ them yet. Hmmm.
Just reading the Dec issue of Snow-tech. Listed is a proposal that NH and VT will share registrations on the 3rd Saturday and Sunday in January. NH is game. Waiting to hear from VT. That would be a good time to ride in VT. We should plan something.
