1989 yamaha ovation

Enticer fans, you waited long enough. Yamaha gets a big "A+" from us for its sporty Enticer replacement. The almost all new Ovation is exactly what the doctor ordered for trail cruising.

We're telling you right up front that we like the Ovation. It is very likeable. One thing that we really enjoy is the strut suspension. It's part of Yamaha's trickle down theory whereby the nifty strut suspension trickles down from the top of the line machines to the more moderate performers like the new Ovation.

Another thing that we have to respect Yamaha for is keeping the old 337cc Enticer engine. However, we won't be shocked if next year Yamaha drops the
340 for the bigger, bored-out version of this bullet-proof twin. The larger 408cc version of the Enticer motor is now standard fare in the Enticer LTR, long track with reverse. The increase in cubic centimeters results in better low end grunt and quicker acceleration. That's our scenario. There is certainly nothing wrong with the 340. We've seen this engine power amateur racers to quite a few Sport 2 class wins.

Yamaha, officially, doesn't call the Ovation a replacement for the Enticer and decked out Excel III, both of which have been dropped from the line in favor of the base Ovation and a spiffed up Ovation Deluxe. Officially, the two Ovations are listed as "sports" snowmobiles. We won't argue, because the Enticer was a pretty sporty sled, too. You see, Yamaha's Ovation is aimed right squarely against the Polaris Indy Sport and the Arctic Cat Jag AFS.

Fortunately we aren't in the market for any of these sleds. If we were, we'd let brand loyalty and dealer loyalty guide us. These are three very good trail cruisers. Each has its merits - and demerits.

The Ovation's strength is its cruising ability. This Yamaha is an exceptional value for trail riders. It is the best of all Yama-worlds, as nifty to handle
as the Phazer, as reliable as the Enticer, and as smooth riding as the Inviter.

Like the SRV, Phazer, and Inviter, the Ovation's TSS strut front displaces 5.5 inches of rebound. It is deliberately sprung softer to satisfy the needs of trail cruisers who are out for a romp not a race. The rear suspension travels 5.5 inches, has six adjustments so you can set the ride the way you like it, and resembles the Phazer's Pro-Action suspension on which it is based. Again, the Ovation suspension is tuned for more moderate performance.

In trail testing this past spring, we found the Ovation to be an excellent replacement for the discontinued Enticer and Excel III. We can find little or no fault with the Ovation as a trail cruiser. It's terrific. It's everything an Enticer owner could have ever hoped for. It rides 100 percent better than any Enticer we can remember. It handles better, more like a Phazer than a bland family machine.

Best of all, under the hood is a tried and true friend, Yamaha's nearly indestructible 337cc fan-cooled twin. This piston-ported engine is a solid
gold value. With the addition of the more efficient YPZ performance-type clutch, more of the twin's power will get to the track, which means improved performance, etc., etc.

The use of a unique two-barrel carb should mean improved performance too. Yamaha engineers selected this approach because they felt that a single carb with dual venturis could be easier to tune. It's probably a little cheaper than fitting the motor with twin carbs, but who cares! The butterfly type carb seemed to be responsive and was light on the throttle thumb in our test riding.

Another thing we like is the use of drop panels, especially by the clutches. You can change the drive belt easily or readily access the drive or primary clutch for service. The motor, while it sits low in the engine bay, is easily accessible for plug changes, etc. Overall, this may be one of the more serviceable sleds around. Although with the proven durability of the power train, we doubt that the hood or panels will be raised very much at all.

We bet that serious trail cruisers will appreciate the generous 8.1 U.S. gallon fuel tank. You should be able to ride a long way on a tankful with the Ovation.

The standard Ovation comes in Emperor Red and Enticer Gray. It's a deep red that stands out on the snow. When we first saw the Ovation out west earlier this year, we were unimpressed with the color. But, at the summer dealer show, we saw it again and were wowed! We can't tell you if the Yammie color coordinators mixed a better batch of the paint or what, but the showroom versions are eye-catching. The spiffed up Ovation Deluxe is trimmed out in a real nifty blue and silver combination. For the record the color scheme is Orion Silver and Deep Violet. It's sharp.

If we were to pick an Ovation, we'd opt for the Deluxe version. We're lazy. We like electric start. We like our hands warm. The Deluxe has all the basic Ovation features, but adds in electric start, handwarmers and a speedometer and tach.

Performance-wise, it has been suggested that the Ovation may be down a little in power to the Indy Sport's 340 and the Jag AFS' 440. Frankly, we're not convinced that a former Enticer owner is going to care about a couple of ponies and a few top end miles per hour. That's not what this class of sled is all about. This class of sled is about value, on-trail comfort and reliability. The Ovation is heads and shoulders above the discontinued Enticer and Excel III. It's sporty, yet very trailable. It's reliable, but has a modern "today" styling for which Yamaha has become noted.

No, we're not choosing among the three - and four if you consider Ski-Doo's Safari Saga, which doesn't have an IFS, AFS or TSS, but does have an exceptionally smooth riding rear suspension and is a very good value, too. If we were an Enticer owner looking to move up, we'd go with the Ovation. It has all
the best features of the Enticer which people like; many of the merits of the Phazer, America's Number One selling snowmobile for the past few years;
and enough new pieces to make it a unique trail cruiser in its own right.
If true sport performance is the determining criteria, you'd move up to a Phazer, Cougar, Formula, or Indy anyway.

Reliability and value are what you want in your trail cruiser - and the knowledge that you can get on the pipe once in a while if you really want to. That defines the Ovation, the new breed of trail cruiser from Yamaha. Bravo, Ovation. Well done, Yamaha!

1989 YAMAHA OVATION
 Engine Type: Yamaha, 337cc, piston-ported, radial fan-cooled twin
Carburetion: Single two-barrel Teikei
Transmission: Yamaha YPZ 3-arm swing ramp; Yamaha torque-sensing secondary drive
Suspension
Front: Telescopic Strut Suspension front; 5.5 inches of travel
 Rear: Yamaha modified Pro-Action, trailing arm and link arm, two shocks; 5.5 in. travel
Track: 15 inch wide, rubber
 Length: 100.4 inches
 Width: 40.0 inches
 Height: 43.8 inches
Fuel Capacity: 8.1 U.S. gallons
Offical Dry Weight: 368 pounds
 Standard Equipment: Oil injection, CD ignition, gas gauge, parking brake, storage box; (Deluxe) Tach, speedometer, handwarmers, electric start
 PriceUS  $3,399