Yamaha is keeping its promise and so far is three-for-three.
You see, about three years ago, Yamaha officials promised the company would roll out a new vehicle each year for the following five years. The first year brought the Viking; last year it was the Viking VI.
That brings us to model year 2016. What did Yamaha have up its sleeve for this year? There was a lot of speculation going on as to what the third vehicle would be. Yamaha has the utility/work segment covered with the Viking and Viking VI, so the conjecture was leaning toward a more recreational-type vehicle, maybe even a big bore/high performance side-by-side.
All the rumors and conjecture came to a stop in mid-January when Yamaha unveiled the Wolverine R-Spec, its newest side-by-side.
Some might be disappointed that Yamaha didn’t “go big” with its latest side-by-side—which fits into the 700 class—but we think the Wolverine R-Spec is the next logical step for the company. The Wolverine R-Spec is decidedly different than the Viking and will fit nicely in the recreation segment, which, according to Yamaha research, represents about 17 percent of the side-by-side market.
As we have yet to sit our butt into a Wolverine R-Spec and fire it up, this brief report is just an appetizer. The main course comes soon.
We do like what we saw at Yamaha’s manufacturing plant in Newnan, GA, where we actually got to see some Wolverine R-Specs being built and where it was shown for the first time to the media.
The chassis is new, although it does keep some of the best features of the Viking chassis, the suspension is beefed up and is now a long travel suspension and the engine is upgraded from a single overhead cam to a dual overhead cam design.
Here are some of the highlights of the Wolverine R-Spec that we gleaned from the intro in Georgia.
Suspension – During the unveil, Yamaha side-by-side and ATV product planner Travis Hollins and Yamaha tester Pat Biolsi spent a good share of the time covering the new suspension. And for good reason we suspect, as the Wolverine has a long-travel suspension with standard KYB nitrogen gas-charged piggyback shocks offering high- and low-speed compression damping, rebound damping and spring preload adjustability.
That all helps give the Wolverine 9.7 inches of travel up front and 10.6 inches in the rear—that compared to the Viking and its 8.1 inches both front and rear. And all the adjustability should help you get the ride you want, depending on the terrain you’re going to cover.
Hollins said a lot of attention and focus for the new Wolverine was in the suspension, which also has a wide-arc A-arm design along with 11.4 inches of ground clearance. The wide-arc A-arm design is similar to what is found on Yamaha’s Grizzly ATV and helps the Wolverine to have that nearly foot of ground clearance.
In fact, Hollins said, the R-Spec tagline after the Wolverine name specifically refers to the suspension and is a name “borrowed” from Yamaha’s motorcycle side of the company, namely the Bolt R-Spec.
Chassis – The Wolverine R-Spec does have a narrower and more compact chassis when compared to the Viking. The Wolverine is 3.94 inches shorter in overall length and the wheelbase, at 81 inches, is 3 inches shorter. Also, the Wolverine is 70 mm (about 2.75 inches) narrower on each side. That means the driver and passenger are moved inward as well, which puts the weight of the occupants toward the middle of the chassis, thus improving the weight balance. Yamaha has moved the engine 148 mm (5.83 inches) farther forward in the new chassis when compared to the Viking.
The upswept sides (two inches higher than the center of the frame) are a carryover from the Viking and there is a full skid plate underneath to provide plenty of protection front-to-back and side-to-side. Yamaha has also made front A-arm-mounted CV boot protectors and rear A-arm built-in skid plate protectors standard on the Wolverine.
The front and rear of the chassis—approach and departure angles—are tapered on the sides and bottom of the vehicle to reduce potential contact on tight trails and in rough terrain.
Adding even more protection, this for the exclusive 26-inch Maxxis Bighorn 2.0 tires, are rear wheel protectors that extend from the bottom of the frame to reduce obstacle contact with the rear tires.
There are two high-back seats—a first for Yamaha—in the cockpit and a sun top (standard) overhead. The driver’s seat is three-position adjustable and there is plenty of storage and other features in the cockpit to keep both driver and passenger happy. More interior functional features include two cup holders, two center console storage bins, a dash-mounted glove box and under-seat storage.
Engine - The all-new Yamaha Wolverine R-Spec features a new double overhead cam (DOHC), 708cc (compared to the Viking’s 686cc single overhead cam) engine with optimized torque, power delivery and engine character—to help it be competitive in the recreational side-by-side segment.
The fuel-injected, four-valve engine packs a 10.1:1 compression ratio and 103 mm bore by 85 mm stroke. A new Air Induction System (AIS) produces fewer emissions meeting the latest EPA standards, while the engine’s power character and delivery is optimized for technical terrain and extreme off-roading.
The bottom of the engine case is similar to the Viking but the top end is obviously unique in its DOHC design.
Yamaha isn’t about to go away from its highly-touted Ultramatic automatic transmission so you’ll find this CVT in the Wolverine R-Spec as well.
Yamaha incorporated industry-leading and proven technologies into the new Wolverine R-Spec chassis that all combined to create a new level of off-road capability in its class.
Featuring high, low, reverse and neutral, the Ultramatic system with one-way sprag clutch offers natural-feeling engine braking that eliminates “free-wheeling”—an important feature especially when traversing extreme terrain.
Yamaha’s On-Command four-wheel drive system features 2WD, 4WD and 4WD with diff-lock—and puts control in the driver’s hand with a dash-mounted dial.
Hollins pointed out that the Ultramatic transmission and CVT belt have been changed slightly for the new Wolverine.
The Wolverine R-Spec features Yamaha’s Electric Power Steering (EPS) with rack and pinion steering. The EPS system’s assist is based on steering torque, vehicle speed, the On-Command setting and tire feedback. Referring to the EPS Biolsi said the non EPS and EPS version of the Wolverine were developed at the same time. “You can’t just use EPS as a band-aid,” he said. “You have to have good geometry to start with.”
Models And MSRPs
The Wolverine R-Spec will be available in Yamaha dealerships nationwide starting in April. Standard models feature a hard sun top and come in Steel Blue and Hunter Green. The new camo Wolverine R-Spec will be the first-ever SxS to feature Realtree Xtra Camo. MSRP for non-EPS models starts at $12,199 and for EPS models starts at $13,199
We’ve seen the Wolverine R-Spec. Now we’re ready to ride the new Yamaha.
