Yamaha to exit the snowmobile business, ceding market share to Polaris, Arctic Cat

Yamaha Motor Corp., one of the four main manufacturers of snowmobiles, announced it will exit the snowmobile market in 2025.

The exit leaves market openings for the other three leaders: Canada's Ski-Doo/Lynx, Medina-based Polaris and Thief River Falls-based Arctic Cat.

Yamaha said that production of its 2024 models is underway and that it would ensure parts and service would continue to be available after production ends. Yamaha in a news release earlier this week said it would work with its dealers over the next 12 to 36 months as their production concludes.

There were nearly 125,000 snowmobiles sold worldwide last year, according to the International Snowmobile Manufacturers Association (ISMA).

Snowmobiles were a relatively small part of Polaris' $8.6 billion in annual sales last year. The company does not break out sales of snowmobiles, which fall under its off-road segment.

"Polaris has been innovating in the snowmobile business since 1954, and we have no intention of slowing down," a Polaris spokesperson said.

Arctic Cat, owned by Textron Corp., makes snowmobiles in Thief River Falls, Minn. Sales are reported as part of Textron's Specialized Vehicles business that also includes Cushman and E-Z Go golf carts and Jacobson lawn mowers and turf maintenance equipment.

Ski-Doo and Lynx are owned by Canada-based BRP Inc. Sales of Ski-Doo and Lynx snowmobiles are part of its seasonal products group that also includes Sea-Doo personal watercraft.