Recently, I have been considering a new UTV. There wasn't anything wrong with my 14 Teryx LE. I had come to realize that the ergonomics with the seating position wasn't as compatible with my prosthetic as I would like. That got me to thinking about all the things I do with a UTV and making a list of things I want and expect my next purchase to do. I cannot walk out if I break down. I also do a lot of exploring and picture taking by myself. So reliability is paramount. I also do very long rides. A 200 mile range with my fuel is nice. If I pack my 4g Rotopak, I like a 300 mile range even better! I would prefer something without a CVT belt system, since that is one of the biggest failure items in the field. The new Yamaha YXZ 1000R has a manual transmission and if coupled with a Rekluse Clutch could be an awesome system. Except I don't need or necessarily want 18" of suspension and no low range. Recently Honda released the Pioneer 1000 with a true DCT automatic transmission. Awesome, except the seating position was very utilitarian and even worse for me than the Teryx. So, if I have to have a CVT belt system, I want the very best the industry has to offer, the "state of the art" in belt driven applications. That brought me to the Yamaha Ultramatic Transmission. Yamaha uses a wet centrifugal clutch in addition to the CVT belt. In reality, it keeps the belt in even tension all the time. It greatly reduces belt wear and minimizes belt temperatures. The Teryx uses a similar system, but not quite as effectively as Yamaha. Yamaha incorporates a one way sprag clutch in theirs which gives the most superior engine braking available. Yamaha pioneered the power steering in ATVs/UTVs. I wouldn't be without it now.
The Yamaha Wolverine R spec EPS SE model is where I ended up eventually. Believe me I sat in a lot of different machines. I prefer doors over nets. I hate to buy an expensive machine and then pay $1000 for doors. I purposely waited for the new Polaris General 1000. It is awesome. I like the seating. There were a couple of things I thought could've been different, but it was in my final two machines for consideration. A $4000 price difference and a $1000 difference in trade in offered also factored heavily in my decision. Next, I had to either sell or trade in my Teryx. We all know that you get more if you sell it outright. In today's world of deceitful people and scam artists, it is bothersome to try and sell high ticket items. That is even more so when using CL or KSL. The best situation is to find a dealer who offered me a trade in value for as much as I was trying to sell for. The real advantage other than avoiding the scams and low ballers is the tax savings. I did find a dealer that gave me in trade what I thought would be my acceptable sale price.
I was concerned with the power of the 708 single cylinder motor in the Wolverine. Test riding revealed that it was at least as good as my Teryx 800 V twin. The fuel economy and consequent fuel range is enough to persuade me that it will have some of the best numbers available. Another consideration, especially when buying in January, is warranty. The Teryx came with a 3 year warranty. No one else does that. Honda I think is 1 year and most everyone else is 6 months. However, the dealer negotiated an excellent deal on a factory Yamaha Extended Service plan of 4 years added on to the 6 month. $0 deductible factory warranty. That was critical because the warranty will be almost up before i get to use it much. So, here we are a kind of "Super Rhino" if you will. Time will tell if I got my priorities right. I also know that Yamaha will release a new Wolverine with more suspension travel and a bigger triple motor just as soon as I bring it home. Unless they do it with a 12g tank instead of a 10g, it won't matter. Fuel range, Baby!
Of course, the over fenders are on backorder... No pics until I pick it up on Friday. White SE
The Yamaha Wolverine R spec EPS SE model is where I ended up eventually. Believe me I sat in a lot of different machines. I prefer doors over nets. I hate to buy an expensive machine and then pay $1000 for doors. I purposely waited for the new Polaris General 1000. It is awesome. I like the seating. There were a couple of things I thought could've been different, but it was in my final two machines for consideration. A $4000 price difference and a $1000 difference in trade in offered also factored heavily in my decision. Next, I had to either sell or trade in my Teryx. We all know that you get more if you sell it outright. In today's world of deceitful people and scam artists, it is bothersome to try and sell high ticket items. That is even more so when using CL or KSL. The best situation is to find a dealer who offered me a trade in value for as much as I was trying to sell for. The real advantage other than avoiding the scams and low ballers is the tax savings. I did find a dealer that gave me in trade what I thought would be my acceptable sale price.
I was concerned with the power of the 708 single cylinder motor in the Wolverine. Test riding revealed that it was at least as good as my Teryx 800 V twin. The fuel economy and consequent fuel range is enough to persuade me that it will have some of the best numbers available. Another consideration, especially when buying in January, is warranty. The Teryx came with a 3 year warranty. No one else does that. Honda I think is 1 year and most everyone else is 6 months. However, the dealer negotiated an excellent deal on a factory Yamaha Extended Service plan of 4 years added on to the 6 month. $0 deductible factory warranty. That was critical because the warranty will be almost up before i get to use it much. So, here we are a kind of "Super Rhino" if you will. Time will tell if I got my priorities right. I also know that Yamaha will release a new Wolverine with more suspension travel and a bigger triple motor just as soon as I bring it home. Unless they do it with a 12g tank instead of a 10g, it won't matter. Fuel range, Baby!
Of course, the over fenders are on backorder... No pics until I pick it up on Friday. White SE
