Press Release –
Yamaha Motor Company loves to lead. After two spectacular product launches last year, including the revolutionary 2010 YZ450F with its reversed, rearward slanted engine, and the VMAX SHO high-performance outboard, the first ever four-stroke capable of outclassing two-strokes in every category, the company is now offering snow-goers a radical change. For 2011, the New Apex features Electric Power Steering (EPS)—a first for production snowmobiles.
“We’ve been developing the New Apex for over three years,” says Yamaha Motor Canada’s National Manager of Product Planning and Research, Chris Reid. “After surveying customers to find out what they wanted from a trail sled, we went to work. What most asked for was a lighter feeling sled, and we’ve accomplished that by adding EPS. It makes the sled feel 100 lbs. lighter and delivers more confident, effortless steering. You have to ride it to truly appreciate it.”
But that’s not all. Yamaha’s next goal was to give riders more power where they need it: out of the hole and corner-to-corner. That led them to the addition of Yamaha’s Exhaust Ultimate Power Valve (EXUP).
“The EXUP is a variable valve positioned at the end of the chamber, where the four exhaust pipes come together. It functions to prevent exhaust blow-back and remove the peaks and valleys found in power and torque curves,” explains Reid. “What that means for the rider, is they will experience maximum engine performance in the more practical RPM range, from low to mid. It also creates a smoother, linear throttle response.”
Even though the New Apex is released today, it’s been igniting forum chatter for the last month. “We launched the 2011 Apex in a very non-traditional manner this year, releasing information, sneak peeks and rider impressions before the official launch. We knew we had an amazing new sled, but we also know consumers can be skeptical of traditional marketing claims. So we let them ride it! We wanted more genuine, authentic testimonial from real world riders.”
