By Jon Crowley, Photos by Adam Campbell
Yamaha returned to Glamis for its 2019 dune media ride with a fleet of Yamaha YXZ1000R sport UTVs, including naturally aspirated and GYTR turbocharged machines equipped with different tires and FOX suspension packages. The event gave us an opportunity to compare several YXZ1000R configurations back-to-back in the Imperial Sand Dunes.
Yamaha Media Camp in Glamis
Yamaha had traditionally used its annual Glamis media ride to showcase sport ATVs such as the YFZ450R and Raptor 700R. With the YXZ1000R firmly established in the pure-sport UTV category, the 2019 event expanded that tradition—and gave us a much better reason to attend.
Yamaha returned to Glamis with a fleet of YXZ1000R pure-sport UTVs, including naturally aspirated and GYTR turbocharged configurations.
2019 YXZ1000R
Yamaha brought out a fleet of YXZ1000R, YFZ450R and Raptor 700R for us to test. Now I am just a UTV guy these days so I focused in on the 2019 YXZ1000Rs.
The Yamaha Camp in Glamis
We had already tested the updated machine during our 2019 Yamaha YXZ1000R SS West Coast desert review in Johnson Valley and our 2019 YXZ1000R East Coast trail review.
In case you haven’t seen the updates Yamaha has made to the 2019 YXZ1000R SS, here is a quick reminder.
2019 Yamaha YXZ1000R updates:
- New 29-inch 8 Ply Bighorn Tires
- Recalibrated Gearing (much lower 1st gear)
- Rear-Mounted Radiator W/Twin Fans
- Advanced Engineered Cargo Bed
- All-New FOX Racing Suspension Settings and Spring Options
- All-New Sport Shift v2.0 MCU Logic – Smoother at slow speeds
- New ROPS cage design
- New Styling
- Upgraded Connecting Rods so GYTR Turbo Kit installation is easier
On the surface, it really doesn’t look that much different, but from my perspective, these updates have made a huge difference to how the YXZ1000R performs.
2019 Yamaha YXZ1000R with GYTR Accessories
GYTR ACCESSORIES
In addition to the improvements to the YXZ1000R for 2019, Yamaha has been working hard at complimentary GYTR accessories that you can get right from your dealer. Genuine Yamaha Technology Racing or GYTR has in the past been more associated with racing. For over 40 years, Yamaha engineers have been bringing industry-leading technology that has allowed racers and enthusiasts to shred the track or rip the dunes.
The most significant performance accessory at the event was Yamaha’s dealer-installed GYTR Turbo Kit for the YXZ1000R and YXZ1000R SS..
Here are a few GYTR accessories that we got to play with in Glamis:
- Yamaha Adventure Pro powered by Magellan
- GYTR Turbo Kit for YXZ1000R
- GYTR 4-Point Harness Kit
- YXZ1000R/SS Overhead Audio System and YXZ1000R™/SS Rear Speaker Pods
- EFX Sand Slinger Tires mounted on KMC wheels
Hitting the Dunes
We spent the day riding through the dunes and switching off between the different YXZ1000Rs that Yamaha had for us. This gave me the opportunity to experience how each GYTR accessory performed. Here are the units we had to choose from:
- 2019 YXZ1000R SS SE – Team Yamaha Blue with FOX Podium RC2 w/Dual Springs
- 2019 YXZ1000R SS SE – Ultra White with FOX Podium X2 w/Dual Springs
- 2019 YXZ1000R SS SE – Team Yamaha Blue with 28-inch EFX Sand Slinger Tires mounted on KMC wheels
- 2019 YXZ1000R SS SE – Team Yamaha Blue with GYTR Turbo Kit and stock Bighorn tires
- 2019 YXZ1000R SS SE – Ultra White with GYTR Turbo Kit and 29-inch EFX Sand Slinger Tires mounted on KMC wheels
After running through all of these units, my favorites for the dunes were:
- 2019 YXZ1000R SS SE – Team Yamaha Blue with 28-inch EFX Sand Slinger Tires mounted on KMC wheels
- 2019 YXZ1000R SS SE – Ultra White with GYTR Turbo Kit and 29-inch EFX Sand Slinger Tires mounted on KMC wheels
For the dunes, I am more of a paddle tire kind of guy so it wasn’t a surprise that I’d pick these two. The naturally aspirated unit with 28-inch tires worked very well, and there was nowhere I couldn’t go. The turbo unit is definitely faster for sure so if that was an issue with the group I rode with, I’d give that some thought. If I primarily rode in other terrain with maybe a trip to the dunes every year or two, I’d select this route.
If I favored the dunes more heavily, with trips to other terrain less frequently, I’d definitely add the GYTR Turbo Kit. The turbo pulled much harder than the stock naturally aspirated units, and the power delivery was smooth, noticeable and factory-like. The 29-inch sand tires worked very well with the turbo and also added some ground clearance which helps keep the skid plate off the sand on tough transitions.
Our #1 Pick – 2019 Yamaha YXZ1000R with GYTR Accessories
I did not like the turbo with stock tires as much. The tires spun out much more frequently and took a bit more time to get to speed. I think the EFX paddles work well with this turbo kit and as I said the additional ground clearance is nice in the dunes.
FOX Podium RC2 vs. FOX Podium X2
Both of these shock packages work well. Decently plush ride through the chop and pretty good through the dunes. The X2 shocks seemed to have more bottom-out capability so I’d go that route if I rode in the dunes a lot. Otherwise the RC2 are a solid choice.
Wolverine X2
I also brought our long-term Wolverine X2, the same machine introduced in our Yamaha Wolverine X2 first-ride review. Although it was designed as a recreation-utility UTV rather than a dune-focused sport machine, we had already used it in terrain well beyond its normal job description.
It had been more than a decade since the Yamaha Rhino helped popularize side-by-sides at Glamis.
We have added a few things to our Wolverine X2, but the engine and clutch are completely stock. I decided that a ride to Sunset Point was in order and a ride in the Wolverine X2 would be a good test. I was camped off of Gecko Road, so it would be a good 10-minute ride in a sport UTV to get to Sunset Point. I gave myself 15-20 minutes, figuring that I’d have to get creative in my approach to some of the larger hills.
I jumped in the Wolverine X2 without even checking air pressure in the tires. Typically you’d want to drop down to 8PSI or lower for better “float”, but I figured that running 30-inch tires was a tall order and might as well make it even tougher by leaving them up around 15PSI.
Before hitting the dunes, I connected my phone to the SSV Works audio system and selected my 80’s playlist just to set the mood and headed towards Sunset Point. Now just as a reminder, the Wolverine X2 has a 847cc parallel-twin engine with just under 9-inches of suspension travel. It is intended more for trail rides and work around the ranch, not blasting through the dunes so take that into consideration.
I had to pick my lines much more carefully than I did with a YXZ1000R equipped with paddle tires and GYTR turbo kit, but I was very impressed. In days past if I was climbing a steep dune with an underpowered UTV, it would typically get to a point and just bury itself. Not the Wolverine X2! Even with over-sized tires filled to 15PSI, the Wolverine X2 just kept going. I was pretty surprised at how easy it climbed and attribute most of that to Yamaha’s Ultramatic transmission and excellent power from the 847cc parallel-twin throughout the rpm range.
Is the Wolverine X2 the best suited vehicle for dunes, desert and rock crawling? Certainly there are better options in the sport UTV segment, but once again the Wolverine X2 has done what most would consider beyond the scope of design. At the end of the day, I’d buy a Wolverine X2 for its intended purpose. But knowing I could go on a dune ride or explore the desert for long distances makes it a more solid choice.
Editor’s note: Yamaha retired the YXZ1000R and YXZ1000R SS from its U.S. side-by-side lineup for the 2026 model year. See our overview of the 2026 Yamaha side-by-side lineup and the end of YXZ1000R production.
Final Thoughts
The 2019 Yamaha YXZ1000R was already well suited to Glamis, but our back-to-back testing showed how dramatically tires and forced induction changed its personality. The naturally aspirated YXZ1000R with 28-inch paddle tires had enough traction and momentum to reach everything we attempted, making it the balanced setup for recreational dune riding.
The GYTR turbocharged machine paired with 29-inch paddles was the clear performance winner. Its stronger acceleration, smooth factory-like power delivery and additional ground clearance made it our favorite configuration when outright dune performance mattered most.
The Wolverine X2 was never going to match the YXZ1000R’s speed or suspension in the dunes, but it completed the ride to Sunset Point without drama. That test reinforced the Wolverine’s versatility, while the YXZ1000R remained the machine we wanted when the pace increased.
