As with most anything in life, it’s the little things that often end up making the difference.
Can we be so bold as to say it’s a whole host of little things on the new Yamaha Wolverine R-Spec that really make this a fun and practical recreational side-by-side? In the world of side-by-sides, that statement might not turn many—if any—heads, but if you were to really pore over the Wolverine R-Spec, indeed you would find lots of little things that make up the whole.
Sure, there are many “big” things that also help define Yamaha’s newest side-by-side, such as a reworked engine, long travel suspension and the tried and true Ultramatic transmission. Oh yea, and it has an all-new chassis—that’s fairly significant. We certainly wouldn’t overlook any of these.
But it’s the components of the long travel suspension, the standard sun top, electronic power steering, several features on the new chassis and numerous other smaller components and highlights that are a part of the Wolverine R-Spec that caught our attention during our one-day ride at the Brimstone Recreation area in eastern Tennessee.
And make no mistake: the Yamaha Wolverine R-Spec, the newest entry into the competitive mid-size side-by-side recreation segment, is not a dressed up Viking.
No, the Wolverine R-Spec is well thought-out for the segment it is targeted for.
Just Right
As we mentioned in the March issue of Dirt Toys Magazine (“Yamaha Wolverine R-Spec: Company’s newest side-by-side unleashed,” March 2015, page 34), we know there are some riders out there who might be disappointed that Yamaha didn’t “go big” with its latest side-by-side, but after seeing and now driving the Wolverine R-Spec, we do think this vehicle is the next logical step for the company.
And there was no better place to test the new side-by-side, which fits into the 700 class, than Brimstone, which has plenty of varied terrain, rocks, creek crossings and hills to climb to bring out the best—or worst—of any vehicle. Add to Brimstone’s natural appeal to off-road riders a generous amount of rainfall, and the result is copious amounts of mud and slick conditions. Perfect.
As the day wore on, there was one question that really kept coming to our mind as we drove the Wolverine R-Spec: “How is this vehicle going to handle this?” We wondered this as we approached rock ledges; steep, rutted uphill trails; creek crossings, steep downhills with little room for error; rock and small boulder-strewn sections of trail; and tight (and we mean tight) tree-lined parts that seemed like they were about an inch narrower than the 60.6-inch wide Yamaha.
Our answers came again and again as the Wolverine R-Spec handled each of those challenges and obstacles. Yes, we scraped a rock or two (or three or four dozen), not only on the side, but we tested the steel, welded-on skid plate, which runs the full length of the vehicle thank heavens, again and again. We used every inch—and then some—of the 11.4 inches of ground clearance and all of the 9.7 inches of wheel travel in the front and 10.6 inches of travel in the rear. There were times when we could have used a little more ground clearance but those situations were while trying to traverse the deep ruts on the trail, which were made even deeper due to the wet conditions that persisted throughout the day.
Little Or Big?
We can talk about the “little things,” in no particular order, as part of the “bigger things” on the Wolverine R-Spec. First there is the long travel suspension, which comes standard with KYB nitrogen gas-charged piggyback shocks offering high- and low-speed compression damping, rebound damping and spring preload adjustability. We found the settings, which we assume were factory settings, to work great during our ride at Brimstone. One of the “little things” about the suspension that really jumped out (and maybe we’re over thinking this) was the two inches of sag that Yamaha has built into the rear suspension (there is almost two inches of sag in the front as well). That sag is most noticeable when the vehicle slips into a rut or off a rocky ledge rather than slamming into the rut or off the edge. In a way, the sag gives the vehicle a little more “give” and makes the ride more comfortable. And, as Pat Biolsi of Yamaha’s testing department pointed out, “The suspension doesn’t just give you comfort; it gives you confidence.”
We can confirm that.
Something else Yamaha officials pointed out about the suspension—and again, it’s kind of a small thing, but big on the kind of trails we rode—is that the company focused on making sure the vehicle would go straight instead of getting out of shape if the vehicle/suspension does bottom out. That is where having confidence in the suspension comes in and is every bit as important as comfort, rather than wondering what’s going to happen if you drive over rocky terrain or slog through muddy ruts.
There might be some debate about whether what Yamaha did to the engine is small or big and we’re not going to debate that, just present the facts. The bottom of the engine case is similar to the Yamaha Viking but the top end is new as it is a double overhead cam (DOHC) and is 708cc (compared to the Viking’s 686cc single overhead cam). The engine does have a new Air Induction System (AIS) that produces fewer emissions and thus meets the latest EPA standards.
Spot-on Power
The power and power delivery are both good but not the kind of rip-your-arms-out-of-the-socket power you expect from a high horsepower engine. The engine builds power moderately, not really slowly, but not G-force either. The Wolverine R-Spec is not going to tear up the sand dunes but it did have adequate power—and torque—for the Brimstone conditions we rode in, which, as we remind you, are the type of conditions most riders who look at a mid-size rec vehicle would be riding in anyway.
While on the topic of the engine, let’s talk engine braking, which is a little thing that could turn into a big problem in some sticky situations. The engine braking is courtesy of the Ultramatic transmission with its one-way sprag clutch. Not only does the engine braking work, it doesn’t resort to free-wheeling once the vehicle gets down to a certain speed. The one-way sprag clutch is driven off the tires so it’s the compression of the motor that slows you down.
Of course, Yamaha is about to go away from its well-respected Ultramatic transmission and wet centrifugal clutch. With this system, the belt never slips so you never have that “grabby” feel when the transmission engages. That is a great feature, especially when speeds are slow and there is a lot of stop-and-go due to rocky terrain. Of course, other benefits of a non-slipping belt are reduced belt wear and improved durability.
As for the new compact chassis (nearly 4 inches shorter and about 2.75 inches narrower on each side than the Viking), one feature that you might not even notice because it’s kind of small but delivers big dividends is the rear wheel protector on both sides of the Wolverine R-Spec. It’s a small piece attached to the bottom edge of the frame that, because of the narrow chassis and the wheels sticking out farther than the body, protects the rear wheels from rocks, stumps and trees. We’re not sure what would have happened at Brimstone had the Wolverine R-Spec not had that little piece of protection on it. Flat tires? Most likely.
Keeping The Elements Out
We also like doors, which, if you look at them, you wouldn’t think they would have kept out the water and mud like they did during our Brimstone ride. But the way they are designed did indeed protect the driver and passenger. Yes, there was mud and water that got into the cockpit, but not as much as we were expecting. Nets would have offered very little protection.
Other small things? The new full-back seats (compared to the Viking’s smaller back and head rest) are plenty comfy and the switch to change from 2WD to 4WD is big and easy to use, even on the fly. The standard sun top is a great feature although on the day we rode, it should have been called the rain top. We like how the hood “falls away” on the front of the vehicle and doesn’t cause any issues trying to see over the front of the vehicle, even when crossing the water bars on the trails.
Finally, there’s the Electric Power Steering (EPS). Not convinced you want EPS? Just spend a day at Brimstone without it and you’ll skip buying lunch for months so you can afford to buy an EPS-equipped vehicle (Yamaha does offer a non-EPS version of the Wolverine R-Spec). The EPS models start at $13,199 and the non-EPS models at $12,199.
Yamaha’s EPS system’s assist is based on steering torque, vehicle speed, the On Command setting and tire feedback. It flat-out works. The steering is so light and responded very well in the rocky terrain, even in 4WD and 4WD diff lock.
Take all those components, features and elements—big and small—and what results is the Wolverine R-Spec, a great new vehicle that makes the recreational side-by-side segment that much more competitive—and fun.
