Yup yup. When Yamaha decides to go after a performance segment, they traditionally haven't been afraid to buck current trends. The leaked photos that are out there show a more traditional atv type rear fender. I do hope it still has some sort of decent storage. An automotive type manual clutch setup may be a mistake, so I hope it is more like the Pioneer setups. Can't wait till release. Unfortunately, this will probably be outside my price range and or to wide for typical wny trails.

While I love my wildcat, I miss that instant connection a good geared trans offers up. I have a feeling Yamaha is about to raise the bar a long way for the utv racing communities. Especially the desert guys and the short track guys that have jumps and such.

 

Here is a link to some patent drawing that have been floating around...

BREAKING! New Yamaha YXZ drawings released in Yamaha patent! | SXSBlog.com

Looks like a divorced tranny which would make it easy to adapt the engine. Also looks to be a straight sequential shift 5-speed (no DCT or auto), which i think is a mistake on Yams part, but...

If they wanted to get into the sport market in a big way, this machine will do it. Not really my cup of tea...but i'll always take good old power over turbo's and the like any day. I don't think a turbo has any place in a trail machine.

The next question i have to ask is where does it end? This really got started when Yamaha dropped a Grizz engine in a SxS chassis and sent them out of the showroom like free beer. Then PoPo threw gas on the fire with the 50" machines. Now where at mini-sand rails with 144HP, turbos, and $25K. That's all fine for those who want it, but i hope the market doesn't forget where it came from. A simple utility with 40HP does all i will ever need.

 

The same can be said for quads as well. 1000cc 4x4 quads for $13000 aren't exactly cheap either. I think there is room for entry level side by sides and these much more expensive high performance models. If this new Yamaha side by side is a manual shift 5 speed automotive style transmission, it definitely will be unique. But if it doesn't have an automatic mode, it will be a flop. Yamaha has to know that. Its customers want an automatic transmission. Once Yamaha quit building the Big Bear, all of its utility quads and side by sides were cvt automatics. I wouldn't buy it if I had to bother with a manual clutch 5 speed. I'll admit I'm spoiled by the automatics myself. I'm not going to buy it anyway because I'm not going to shell out the cash this machine will cost, regardless of what transmission it has so it doesn't really matter to me. But it will to someone who was considering buying a high-performance side by side and cost didn't matter. They will get a Rzr turbo or Maverick turbo instead because they are cvt auto models.

 

The point I think you've been missing all along has been that this UTV is in a class of its own. It's the first True sport UTV on the market. Consider it the raptor/yfz450r of utvs, then I think you will understand its intentions a little bit better. It's meant for pure excitement and by doing that, it will compromise functionality and ease of use a bit.

 

Again, I must stress, people won't buy a side by side that isn't an automatic. Most of the dealers in my area keep very few if any sport quads in stock because nobody buys them. Yes, a few people don't care if its not an auto because performance is #1. For the other 99% that considered buying one, once they find out its not an automatic, they will completely lose interest and buy something else. Manufacturers must build machines that will sell. It doesn't matter that this might be the fastest side by side ever. It just won't sell. You have to build what the customer wants and an overwhelming majority demand an automatic.

 

I should be clear in that it doesn't appear to have an automatic mode from the drawings...only a single "change clutch".

1st true sport UTV? Have you been living on another planet?

What Yamaha has done is respond to the RZR's, Mavericks and Wildcats that have been in this "class" for years. Not including at least the option of an automatic mode is a major oversight.

 

Perhaps there is more than one transmission option available. Yamaha isn't dumb. They know their customer base well. They also know what else is available. The RZR, Maverick and Wildcat have been the only machines in this class up to this point. The Viking is a utility based machine with limited top speed and the Wolverine R Spec with the 708cc engine is a capable trail machine but falls flat on its face on top end as well. Those other 3 already have 1000cc true sport machines with long travel suspensions. And user-friendly cvt auto transmissions. The Maverick and RZR now have turbo models with even more power. A manual transmission is not needed because they have more than sufficient power and aggressive clutching to get strong acceleration as well. You might gain a little performance from a manual transmission but for the people that buy these, they don't want to bother with it. They like to hit the gas and not worry about whether they need 2nd or 3rd gear to climb something. Or constantly have to downshift every time they stop. Nobody else makes a manual because customers aren't asking for it. Why build something customers don't really want?

 

You are right, Yamaha isn't dumb. I also think for certain types of racing especially, a cvt performs well, but may not be the BEST choice. Yamaha is big in GNCC and GNC for instance. They have a large presence in WORCS. Win on Sunday, sell on Monday. Every model they have with a "Y" and a "Z" is a no compromise competition machine. I guarantee whatever form the transmission is in, it is competitively aimed across the current series they sponsor riders in, and probably a few others as well. I doubt they are out to woo the casual rider weekend warrior crowd, although history has shown if it wins races it will sell to Joe America.

 

I saw those drawings and photos a few days ago on FB. Pretty exciting! I can't believe all the whining about having to shift. What a bunch of dandies. A CVT is only around 50% efficient. A paddle shifter manual tranny is the way to go for high HP and reliability. I'm glad the tranny will weed out those who lack the ability to shift. Yamaha will limit the lawsuits as not every fat, lazy, drunk idiot can get behind the wheel and drive it.

People on other forums are whining about the HP. I bet it does better with 112 natually aspirated HP through a more efficient tranny then Polaris does with a turbo and CVT. Turbo's have no place on trails where you are running them through deep water. I'm sure a red hot turbo will react really well to getting drenched with water in a deep stream crossing.

 

I'd be all for a paddle shifter if it has that. That would be fine with me. People have gotten spoiled with the cvt autos that are in 100% of these except for the new Honda Pioneer 1000, which still has a full auto mode with its dual clutch transmission. A semi-auto with paddle shifters sounds like fun. I bet it will be similar to the Pioneer 1000 with a fully auto mode too. It would be unwise not to have an auto mode. You don't have to use it if you don't want to but it needs to be there so the people that don't want to shift will buy it. Its just that we don't really have all the info so far so we're drawing our own conclusions. A fully manual transmission with an automotive clutch pedal and shifter like the new Polaris slingshot might appeal to a few but will make it hard to sell. It will just be too small of niche group of people that will buy it to make the machine profitable. I thought originally it was estimated to make 130 hp but 112 is still more than the RZR 1000 non-turbo model. Eliminating the cvt from the equation makes that 112 hp feel like more power. The pricing will be key as well. If they price it at or below the competition, that would be wise. Pricing it to the moon will kill sales too. Getting into the pure sport segment very late in the game, Yamaha has a lot of catching up to do.