In the 1970s it was “one size fits all.” There were scores of snowmobile manufactures, mostly located in the Midwest, making the same basic sled for everyone. In the 1980s, the number of manufacturers dwindled to four … but they still built the same snowmobile for everyone. However, they started offering “extended rails” for western riders.

By the end of the 1980s the western market finally convinced the snowmobile manufacturers that we needed a snowmobile designed specifically for our terrain—longer tracks, narrower front ends and lighter weight. Then in the 1990s more attention was focused on the track length and profile. From there we continued to progress in mountain technology to the point were the manufacturers were actually making niche sleds for the western market—terrain performance snowmobiles.

About 40 years ago, as I first started my career in snowmobile journalism, I had the opportunity to spend some time with Ray Brandt, one of the early pioneers in introducing snowmobiles to the western market and founder of Western Power Sports. Often during our numerous discussions he would ask: “What is the future of snowmobiling?”

This question has stayed with me for four decades … and I suspect it will linger on even after I’m just a footnote in this industry. What is the future of snowmobiling?

Since I don’t have extrasensory perception and I’m not psychic nor can I read tarot cards, my thoughts are little more than slightly educated guesses. After witnessing the evolution of this industry during the past 40 years, I believe I have a little better insight and perspective to attempt to address that question.

The editors of SnoWest Magazine had to look long and hard to find any significant separations in the two models … and our conclusions are shocking.

First, there are plenty of similarities between these two models. Both are built on the Ascender Platform, specifically designed for mountain riding with a flat track-to-snow approach angle to lift you up out of the snow. The running boards are also built to allow forward foot positioning for better balance and weight transfer.

This first effort in weight reduction is focused on Yamaha’s all-new Mountain Max LE 154 SL model, which is a welcome addition for deep snow riding. The SL trim of the Mountain Max 154 is the lightweight version. The electric start has been removed to save over 20 pounds of weight on this two-stroke snowmobile.

From our scales, the 2021 Mountain Max 154 weighed in at 592 pounds wet. The 2022 Super Lite weighed in at 543 pounds wet. That puts the weight much more competitive with other mountain sleds.