I spent the day behind the wheel of the 2017 Yamaha YXZ1000R SS at Big Buck in South Carolina. The Big Buck property has been used for GNCC races since 1997 and well known for its tight, technical sections, steep hill climbs, open pastures and high speed runs through the forest. Having never been to the Big Buck property and being familiar with the manual transmission YXZ1000R, I would have thought this wasn’t the greatest choice for location.
But the guys at Yamaha knew better. We were going to be testing the new YXZ1000R SS and this was the location to perfectly illustrate the strong points of the confidence inspiring “Sport Shift” technology.
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| Yamaha YXZ1000R SS with Accessories |
The cockpit of the YXZ1000R was comfortable. FOX RC2 shocks inspired confidence and never bottomed out. Visibility was excellent. And the paddle shifting was exhilarating.
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| Yamaha YXZ1000R SS – Ready to Ride Big Buck |
It was exciting to test the “Launch Control System” and “Dynamic Clutch Engagement” technologies that Yamaha built into the SS. And I even drove one lap like I was on a Sunday drive at much lower RPMs and the SS never missed a beat and definitely never stalled out.
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| Yamaha YXZ1000R SS |
If you liked the YXZ1000R, but really weren’t thrilled about a manual transmission, the Yamaha YXZ1000R SS is definitely worth a look. It is a completely different animal and so much fun to drive!
More Resources:
Yamaha YXZ1000R ReviewIt has been a long wait, but Yamaha's new pure sport UTV is finally a reality. For sport UTV enthusiasts, it has been tough to see Yamaha hit the utility and recreation markets first. Yamaha did their market research and hit the largest segments first with their Viking and Wolverine. Finally on September 1st 2015 Yamaha unveiled the YXZ1000R (see Yamaha YXZ1000R Unveil), and it has been the talk of the internet ever since.
Yamaha YXZ1000R Woods ReviewDespite a wildly successful introduction, Yamaha fans on the east coast were forced to stifle their excitement following the release of the much anticipate YXZ1000R. The industries first pure sport side by side comes off as a purpose built desert and dune machine so its understandable that Yamaha would make the vehicle available first and foremost in the southwest.
