Yamaha Motor Corporation Japan and its affiliates Yamaha Motor Canada (YMCA) and Yamaha Motor Corporation USA Jointly announced their intention to exit the snowmobile business.
While the 2024 model year will be the final available production in Europe, North America’s final production year will be the 2025 model year.
This news comes as a substantial shock and disappointment to the entire snowmobile market. Yamaha has been manufacturing snowmobiles since 1968 with its introduction of the SL350.
While sales in North America remained relatively healthy, global influences as result of Europe withdrawing and sanctions limiting the product supply to Russia weighed heavily into the overall global business outlook.
It is not yet known what the long-term impact of this move will be on Arctic Cat Inc. in Thief River Falls, Minnesota. Arctic Cat has been the snowmobile chassis supplier to Yamaha since MY 2012.
Yamaha supplies a significant number of engines to Arctic Cat for use in both their own and Arctic Cat snowmobiles, all of which are built in Thief River Falls, Minnesota.
Initial reports are that Yamaha is committed to fulfilling the contractual obligations as the engine supplier for 4-Stoke equipped Arctic Cat snowmobiles.
In the short term it is business as usual for Yamaha snowmobile dealers with production of MY 2024 models in full force. Included with this release is Yamaha’s release to consumers and the industry, as well as answers to a number of FAQs.