The all-new Yamaha Viking VI almost begs you to take someone along, whether it’s to a worksite or far into the woods to hunt or fish.
It’s not just that the Viking VI has the room (it holds up to six adults in a roomy cab that features six individual bucket seats with three-point seatbelts) it actually rides better with more people and more weight. Simply put, it’s designed and built to haul a load.
The VI is the newest side-by-side from Yamaha, which first introduced the 3-seat Viking last year to replace the Rhino. We’ve detailed most of the features and our riding impressions of the 3-seat Viking on a couple of different occasions in the pages of Dirt Toys Magazine, with Steve Janes most recently giving a fairly extensive review of the Viking in the most recent issue of the magazine (“Exploring New Worlds,” Dirt Toys Magazine, August 2014, page 24).
All the things we like about the Viking we also like on the VI. One Yamaha official maybe said it best when he commented that you’re not going to lose anything you like about the Viking 3-seater; it’s just that some things have simply been changed to match the character of the 6-seat vehicle.
Let’s be clear about the VI. It’s not a stretched out 3-seat Viking. Admit it, we would all raise our eyebrows if a manufacturer simply “stretched” a chassis to accommodate another row of seats without changing other parts of the vehicle. Changes have to be made to account for the extra weight and footprint.
For example, the chassis structure is different on the VI compared to the 3-seat Viking. That’s because, Yamaha’s Pat Biolsi pointed out, the chassis needs to be rigid in different areas.
Viking vs. Viking VI
The VI has the same ergonomic layout as the Viking, but Yamaha ATV/SxS product planner Travis Hollins pointed out the myriad of changes specific to the Viking VI cover a range of areas from the aforementioned chassis to the engine to the CVT to the rear cargo bed to suspension to steering and more. Of course, there are many common parts as well but Yamaha had to accommodate the added weight (VI: 1,667 lbs. vs. Viking 1,342 lbs.) and overall dimensions (VI: 153.5 inches long x 64 inches wide x 76.6 inches tall vs. Viking 122x61.8x74.1) of its newest side-by-side.
What are the major differences? Starting with the engine, both the 3-seat Viking and VI use the same 686cc, 4-stroke, liquid-cooled, SOHC, single-cylinder, 4-valve, fuel-injected powerplant. However, the VI has unique-to-this-vehicle fuel injection mapping and ignition timing. Perhaps, more importantly, the bigger VI has a redesigned, high volume intake system (and oversized dual foam air filter) which, when combined with the remapped fuel injection and ignition timing, provides the VI with the power the bigger six-seater needs and makes it, Yamaha says, the most powerful engine the company has ever produced.
And because of the longer length of the vehicle, the cooling system had to be redesigned. The pipes are longer so the cooling capacity has been increased. One benefit of the increased cooling on the VI is the reduced heat the riders in the rear seats might feel.
Although the vehicle tops out at a decent 50-51 mph, this is not a high performance vehicle that can tackle nasty desert trails, but take it most anywhere on the ranch or into the woods to hunt or fish and it will get you (and your buddies) there and back.
Keeping It Rollin’
To make the most of increased power, Yamaha’s CVT system has a new centrifugal clutch which comes with new friction material and maintains constant belt tension for reduced belt wear and belt heat. The constant belt tension also means there’s no “bucking” when you press the gas to begin moving from a dead stop. And the CVT still includes a one-way sprag clutch for all-wheel engine braking.
One thing we really enjoy about driving the Viking VI is the smooth clutch engagement. Yea, the shifter was a bit sticky once or twice, but the vehicle we tested was a pre-production unit and we’re confident Yamaha will have that all worked out by production. We’re also impressed with the ease of switching from 2WD to 4WD and back. The simple twist of a decent-sized knob on the dash does the trick.
Another difference between the two vehicles is the steering ratio, which has been “optimized” for the VI. The steering ratio had to be optimized because of the difference in weight, tires, wheelbase and overall chassis so that the vehicle would still turn precisely when needed. You might remember that Yamaha’s Electric Power Steering (EPS) takes the input of the steering wheel torque, vehicle speed, On Command setting (2WD/4WD, diff lock, etc.) and steering feedback and calculates all those inputs to offer the proper amount of steering during your ride.
While we didn’t get extensive time behind the wheel of the VI, it was enough to remind us of just how silky smooth the EPS is on the Viking and it didn’t seem to matter how many passengers we were carrying. We also like the fact that there is some feedback from the terrain through the steering, allowing us to feel like we are in control of the vehicle and not the other way around.
The major change on the VI’s suspension is the addition of new dual rate springs in anticipation of increased loads in both passengers and cargo. More specifically, the spring rate has been increased on the VI, going from 28N/mm on the 3-seater to 30~44N/mm on the front suspension and from 36~115N/mm (3-seater) to 60~100N/mm on the rear suspension. The travel, 8.1 inches both front and rear, is the same as the 3-seat Viking but the ground clearance of the VI is slightly less at 11.4 inches compared to the 3-seat’s 11.8 inches.
Where’s The Beef?
While on the subject of the suspension, the VI gets new front lower A-arms, which have additional gussets added to help with durability. Yamaha’s Biolsi pointed out that the company wanted to “beef” the A-arms up because, once again, the VI is a bigger, heavier vehicle.
We found the VI definitely rides better with more people. We took it for a spin a couple of times by ourselves and it was evident the VI likes to be loaded down. When we did have additional passengers the VI handled all we threw at it, not that it was very difficult terrain, but it did well nonetheless.
A couple more distinctions between the 3- and 6-seater Viking include the Maxxis Bighorn tires, which have a new internal structure and air pressure rating to account for the VI’s size and weight and the rear cargo bed, which still has a capacity of 600 lbs. but on the VI has a new strut design. The Viking has one strut while the VI has two, which increases the durability as well as the ease of use. Biolsi also emphasized that by using two struts, the amount of twist in the bed has been reduced when lifting the bed to unload.
You really can’t talk about the VI without talking about the seating, which might just be the overall shining feature on Yamaha’s newest side-by-side. If you’ve read our past reviews of the Viking you might remember how impressed we are with that vehicle’s roomy interior and bucket seating (these aren’t bench seats) for three adults. We’re equally as impressed with the seating for six adults.
During our brief test drive of the VI in Texas this summer, we sat in the front and in the rear seats. It is amazing what a difference offsetting the seats a few millimeters can do. The rear seats are set 25mm (.98 inches) higher than the front seats, the middle seat in both front and rear is off-set so you aren’t rubbing shoulders with your seatmate and there are passenger handholds for all occupants. The driver’s seat is also adjustable. It all works together so there is no feeling of being cramped in either the front or rear seats.
There is a Special Edition (MSRP $14,999) of the Viking VI, which has the added features of a Suntop, Flat Silver painted body, over fenders, sealed 20-liter under seat storage, cast aluminum wheels, mud flaps and accessory bed mount. The Viking VI non-EPS retails for $12,799 while the Camo non-EPS version, which does include a Suntop, goes for $13,599. Add EPS to the VI and it is $13,799 for the base model and $14,599 for the Camo version, which again comes with a suntop. And if you really want to personalize your Viking VI, Yamaha has 50 unit-specific accessories for the vehicle.
