By Cody Hooper
We will come right out and say it- we dig the Yamaha YXZ1000R. Nothing else on the market offers the level of driver involvement and excitement of slamming gears at high RPM. It may not be the fastest or best suspended UTV you can buy, but it does one thing best, hands down- it deeply involves the driver in the task of driving.
Rockford Fosgate is no stranger to the UTV market, offering dozens of stereo packages for the most popular UTVs on the market that will make your car thump and rumble to your favorite tunes. This YXZ is no exception- Rockford built a fun play car that packs a massive Stage 5 stereo kit, complete with four speakers, a 10” subwoofer, a 2.7” digital display, 400 watt amplifier, and a direct connect wiring harness (see Rockford Fosgate Announces new Audio Solutions for the Yamaha YXZ1000R). Rockford knew the limitations of the stock YXZ1000’s stator output, so when designing the kit, they didn’t throw a ton of power into the mix to keep the battery from draining.
This beautiful blue and white YXZ features a stunning HCR Elite long travel kit paired with King 2.5” internal bypass racing shocks, giving it a plush ride and plenty of suspension travel for soaking up the biggest bumps and dune G-outs you can find. The HCR kit adds 4 inches of width per side, for a total track width stretch of 8 inches. The kit also adds 4 inches of wheelbase to the car, and allows it to cycle a full 20 inches of travel up front and 21 out back. We have spent extensive amounts of time testing and tuning an HCR long travel kit on one of our project YXZs, and we can tell you that it definitely changes the ballpark of comfort and high speed ride control on the car.
To add a little more power, Rockford installed a full Graves Motorsports Titanium exhaust system and tuned ECU. The exhaust system adds a ton of grunt to the YXZ’s bottom end, while not sacrificing any of the midrange and top-end punch that makes the YXZ so much fun. According to Graves, the YXZ pipe adds nearly 20 wheel horsepower at the top end, as well as 15 lb ft of torque in the midrange. The difference between a stock YXZ1000R and one with the Graves exhaust and tune is staggering, waking the car up considerably.
Assault Industries billet accessories grace the whole car, including their new billet shift knob, Bomber Series side mirrors, wide angle rear view mirror, +4” heavy duty tie rods, Ballistic D-Shaped steering wheel and billet hub, quick release fire extinguisher, and a set of their stellar H-Style 5 point harnesses. Assault’s products are top-notch quality, adding a ton of style to the already aggressive-looking YXZ. A TMW Offroad Dominator rollcage is the largest visual improvement to the car, taking away the hardhat look that the stock cage and roof provide. Keeping the occupants in one place are a set of gorgeous Triple X seats that are color matched to the car.
This car sees dune and dirt duty, so matching sets of Raceline Wheels A71B Black Mamba beadlocks are fitted to the Arisun Aftershock XD dirt tires and Sand Tires Unlimited paddles. Finishing touches include an Odyssey PC925 high capacity battery, Rigid Industries A-Series LED accent lights, a set of Safeglow LED whips, and Yamaha accessory bumpers.
Rockford Fosgate is all about sound, and this system delivers. The digital display makes stereo adjustments easy, taking the place of the center console cubby hole forward of the shift lever. The system can handle Auxiliary inputs and Bluetooth, allowing easy connection to supply your favorite tunes. The whole Stage 5 stereo system is IPX6 water intrusion rated for outdoor use, meaning you don’t have to worry about the components getting wet. The front speaker pods keep the woofers out of your way, and the rears mount easily to the stock cage or an aftermarket setup. Installation is quite easy, thanks to Rockford’s supplied wiring harness kit. The speaker and sub enclosures were designed to not take up passenger space, which is a welcomed feature.
The heart of the Rockford system is their PMX-2 stereo controller, which features a clear 2.7” Color LCD screen. The unit is AM/FM/WB compatible, features Bluetooth connectivity, and is Pandora Radio ready. USB charging ports provide power and data transfer, so you can keep an iPod charged while connected. The PMX-2 also features high and low crossover adjustment, a 7 band adjustable equalizer, and rubber coated buttons for easy use. All in all, it’s a wonderful unit, with tons of adjustability and a user friendly interface.
This car was built to highlight Rockford’s product range, and it does so very well. If you’re not looking to dive headlong into a stereo, but still want some tunes, Rockford also sells less expensive stereo packages with fewer speakers and power consumption. For more information, please visit www.rockfordfosgate.com.
ROCKFORD FOSGATE YXZ-STAGE5 STEREO SYSTEM– $2,299.99
400 Watt Amplified Stereo, Front Upper & Lower Speaker, and Subwoofer Kit for select YXZ1000R models
- YXZ-STAGE5 Kit includes:
- Direct connect wiring harnesses for YXZ models
- System is Element Ready to withstand harsh outdoor environment
- Speaker & sub enclosures integrate without losing passenger/cargo space
- PMX-2 Punch Marine Compact AM/FM/WB Digital Media Receiver 2.7″ Display
- RFYXZ-PMXDK: Installation Kit for Dash
- RM1652B: Prime Marine 6.5″ Full Range Speakers – Black (Pair)
- RFYXZ-FSE: 6.5″ Front Lower Speaker Enclosure (Pair)
- RFYXZ-FSEU: Upper Speaker Enclosure (Pair)
- RM110D2B: Prime Marine 10″ Dual 2-Ohm Subwoofer Black
- RFYXZ-FWE: 10″ Front Subwoofer Enclosure
- TM400X4ad: Power Marine 400 Watt Class-ad 4-Channel Amplifier
- RFYXZ-K8: 2 Seat Amp Wire Kit
- *Antenna not included
ROCKFORD YXZ BUILD SHEET
- HCR RACING YAMAHA YXZ 1000 Elite Long Travel Kit
- Assault Industries Bomber Series UTV Side Mirrors
- ASSAULT INDUSTRIES UTV REAR VIEW MIRROR
- Assault Industries H-Style 5 Point Racing Harness
- ASSAULT INDUSTRIES YAMAHA YXZ1000R SHIFT KNOB
- Assault Industries Barrel Style +4″ Long Travel Heavy Duty Tie Rods
- Assault Industries Ballistic D Steering Wheel Kit
- Assault Industries Quick Release UTV Fire Extinguisher Kit
- RACELINE WHEELS A71B Black Mamba Beadlocks
- ARISUN AFTER SHOCK XD Tires
- TRIPLE-X SEATS
- TMW OFFROAD CAGE
- RIGID INDUSTRIES A-SERIES LED LIGHTS
- AXIA ALLOYS CLAMPS AND MOUNTS
- ODYSSEY PC925 BATTERY
- SAFEGLOW LED WHIPS
- GRAVES MOTORSPORTS FULL TITANIUM EXHAUST
- FLASH TUNE ECU TUNING
- BEL RAY CLEANING PRODUCTS
- YAMAHA Desert Front Grab Bar
- YAMAHA High Output 27″ HALO LED Light Bar
- YAMAHA Rear Cargo Box
- YAMAHA Rear Grab Bar