Cool News

In January the AmSnow crew was invited to go on a different type of test ride. This was a sneak peak ride on Yamaha's newest sled, but we did the ride before we were told what the sled actually was, what new technology it employed and what its siblings would be. The unmarked/unbranded sled we rode handled like a dream, but none of the Yamaha reps would give us any answers to our technical queries ... although we were sure it was the new Apex. We were not allowed to open the hood or go through it in any manner. This sneak peak amped up our enthusiasm for the full release, which came nine days later, and the reveal solidified our hypothesis.

When the sheets were finally pulled back from the 2011s (yes, the manufacturers really do that!), we were greeted by a new line of Apex snowmobiles, the base 128-inch tracked model, an upscale Apex SE with 128-inch track, and a long-track XTX. The biggest news was that this entire new Apex line, including the base model, features snowmobiling's first mass produced Electronic Power Steering system.

In addition, each new Apex has a new, more powerful, 4-cylinder, 4-stroke engine from Yamaha. Furthermore, the SE has a full Fox Float suspension with Fox Float 2 shocks up front and a Fox MegaFloat shock in the rear Monoshock suspension. Finally, the longer XTX has a big 144-inch track and the rear suspension is the Dual Shock CK with tipped up rails.

There's a lot more new on these new sleds and subscribers can click here to get the full Yamaha 2011 story.