Is the Yamaha Wolverine RMAX2 Fun for a Motorcycle Rider?

Motorcyclist

Motorcyclist Magazine evaluates the 2023 Yamaha Wolverine RMAX2 1000 recreational UTV ($27,199) during the official Yamaha Adventure Ride.  Photography: David Schelske Video: Adam Waheed and Phewlid Films Edit: Joseph Agustin  Insta360 Video Footage Courtesy: https://store.insta360.com/product/x3  Motorcycle Riding Gear Worn  Helmet: Shoei Hornet X2 Jacket: REV'IT! Stratum GTX Gloves: REV’IT! Massif Pant: REV'IT! Stratum GTX Boots: Alpinestars Tech 7 Drystar

Transcript

00:00 It's a cool trade in two wheels from four wheels in the R-Max.

00:25 Hey folks, we just got back from Gateway, Colorado where we participated in Yamaha's

00:36 2023 Adventure Ride.

00:38 Day one, saw us operate Yamaha's 2023 Wolverine R-Max 2100.

00:46 This is a two seat recreational side by side from the Tuning Fork brand.

00:52 It's positioned right in the middle of the lineup below the sporty YXE 1000R which is

00:58 designed for pure sport use and the Viking side by side which is a little bit more utilitarian.

01:05 Now the Wolverine R-Max 2 retails for just over $27,000.

01:13 We tested the XTR model which comes with a lot of cool upgrades that I would want if

01:19 I was going recreational side by side driving.

01:22 It comes with a really awesome Bluetooth enabled stereo.

01:27 It sounds awesome.

01:28 I can't believe how good the sound system sounded in that R-Max.

01:31 It's also easier to pair via Bluetooth than a lot of $30,000 luxury touring motorcycles.

01:37 It also comes with an electronic winch off the front bumper so you can pull yourself

01:43 out of sticky situations.

01:44 You can also help other people out in the trail if they're stuck.

01:48 It also comes with a nice receiver hitch on the back so if you had some Yamaha Wave Runners

01:55 you can haul them on the R-Max 2 Wolverine side by side.

01:59 Now the cool thing about the R-Max 2 is just how easy it is to drive.

02:04 Yamaha has really done a good job of making it super reliable with its CVT system, belt

02:11 breaking and belt snapping that you have on the majority of other UTVs.

02:15 It's non-issue with the Wolverine.

02:17 I like the sound of it inside the cockpit.

02:20 It's got a nice pleasing character.

02:22 You can hear that cross plane engine from the triple 9CC parallel twin.

02:28 It's really neat that Yamaha Motor uses a cross plane engine configuration in nearly

02:33 all of its power sport vehicles nowadays.

02:36 It's really neat that they do that and it's cool that they're paying attention to the

02:39 details.

02:40 It's worth noting that this is not a motorcycle engine.

02:43 This engine is made for the rigors of UTVing.

02:47 These vehicles weigh four times if not more weight than a traditional motorcycle.

02:52 It weighs right around 1,800-1,900 pounds and it's pushing a lot more weight and a lot

02:59 more forces through the drive train so you're going to have to have a more heavy duty engine

03:04 and that's what that triple 9CC engine is.

03:07 Now the engine puts power back to real two-wheel drive.

03:12 The rear differentials locks are always getting real two-wheel drive which is really neat

03:16 but when the terrain gets really tough, there's a knob on the left hand side of the controls.

03:22 You put it in four-wheel drive and now you have essentially what is three-wheel drive.

03:27 So you have two wheels in the back driving forward and then you have the front differential

03:31 which is open which is turning one wheel.

03:34 So you have three-wheel drive essentially.

03:36 You can get to some really cool places with that.

03:39 Now when the going gets really tough, it actually has an electronically locking front differential.

03:45 Now you have true rock crawling four-wheel drive and for some that may not seem like

03:52 a big deal but you have to remember today's automobiles very few have true four-wheel

03:58 drive.

03:59 Now we got a really interesting question and they were like, "Why wouldn't you just buy

04:03 a 2023 Toyota Tacoma and use that to go on these trails?"

04:08 The difference with the UTV like the Wolverine R-Max 2 is you're going to be able to go over

04:13 the terrain way, way faster.

04:17 You have to remember in a production street legal truck, this terrain you're going to

04:22 have to be going over at a very slow speed.

04:24 Think like five, six miles per hour where the R-Max Wolverine can go over it at 25,

04:30 30 miles per hour.

04:31 So that's the real difference.

04:33 Yes, a four-wheel drive passenger vehicle will get you to a lot of these destinations.

04:37 You're just going to get there way, way slower.

04:41 And then when the going gets really rough, you're not going to have that narrow wheel

04:45 track, that short wheel pace, that real rock crawling four-wheel drive to get up and over

04:52 the gnarly stuff.

04:53 You got to remember too, if you're damaging your $50,000 Toyota Tacoma off-road, you're

04:59 going to bash up the fenders really easy and they're not so easy to repair.

05:03 So that's the real difference for power sports enthusiasts.

05:07 And that's Yamaha's touch.

05:09 Yamaha builds these Wolverine R-Max 2, like all of it's side-by-sides right here in the

05:15 United States.

05:17 And the other really cool thing about the Wolverine R-Max 2 is just how small it is.

05:22 And that just allows you to go on trails.

05:25 You got to remember, especially on the East Coast, the trails are a lot more narrow.

05:29 There's a lot more trees.

05:31 You don't have room for a big, humongous vehicle.

05:33 And that's where the R-Max 2 really slots in.

05:37 It's also really comfortable with 14 inches of suspension travel up front and 16 in the

05:42 back.

05:43 It rides over bumps really well.

05:45 And that's where side-by-sides really stand out compared to motorcycles.

05:50 You can just bring your girlfriend or boyfriend or whatever friend you have with you and you're

05:55 riding over this precarious terrain and you're a lot more comfortable than you would be in

06:00 an adventure touring bike.

06:02 As an avid motorcyclist, we really see value in this machine.

06:07 You can bring a friend, you can bring cooler snacks, you can listen to tunes, and you can

06:11 really go to some interesting places in a lot more comfortable way than you could on

06:16 a typical adventure touring bike.

06:21 We did an hour-long deep dive into this video on the Motorcyclist Mag YouTube channel, so

06:27 make sure to review that content if you're in the market for that vehicle.

06:31 You're going to find a lot of fun facts you're not going to find anywhere else from someone

06:35 who's operating all kinds of power sport vehicles.

06:38 All right, folks, as always, give this video a thumbs up if you liked it, thumbs it down

06:42 if you didn't.

06:43 Please leave us a comment.

06:45 What do you think of UTVs?

06:47 What do you think of them?

06:48 Are you a motorcycle rider and have a UTV too?

06:50 Sound off in the comment section and let us hear your thoughts.

06:54 And we'll see you folks next time.

06:55 Thanks for riding with us, folks.

06:56 [Music]

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