By Jon Crowley
I joined Yamaha and other media sites to drive the all-new 2025 Yamaha RMAX 4 1000 up in Utah at the San Rafael Swell. The RMAX 4 is an addition to the RMAX series and joins the RMAX and RMAX 4 Compact (which used to be called RMAX 4). The name change/addition is a bit confusing but it completely makes sense when you forget the historical names and just look at the new line-up.
The RMAX 4 Compact is more suited for East Coast riding where trails are tighter and a sharper turning radius is needed. The new RMAX 4 is much longer than the RMAX 4 Compact (150.8″ vs. 128.1″) and better suited to trails found on the West Coast. As you can imagine, the new RMAX 4 has more room in the back seats to haul four adults.
If you’d like an overview on the features and functionality of the new RMAX 4, check out the following:
Yamaha Announces All-New Wolverine RMAX4 1000 Adventure Side-by-Side
Testing Location
The San Rafael Swell is an excellent place to explore but it is remote! We stayed in Green River Utah, and then Yamaha staged us for our ride 30 miles west on the south side of Interstate 70 and Temple Mountain Road. From there, we completed a 70-mile off-road loop that included Eagle Canyon, Swaseys Cabin, Eva Conover, Coal Wash, and Devils Racetrack.
Doing a little rock crawling in the new RMAX 4
This terrain had very few graded roads and a good mix of hardpack, sand, and rock trails which I found perfect to test the features of the RMAX 4.
FOX shocks on the RMAX 4
Suspension
Right away, the thing I noticed most was the shock setup. It is plush, even with just one person in the vehicle, but also able to handle a full load of four adults plus a spare tire and gear box in the bed. This is very impressive and also hard to accomplish.
There are two FOX setups available: QS3 on the XTR and iQS on the Limited. iQS allows you to change compression settings on-the-fly in the cab while QS3 has three-level compression adjustments on the shock itself.
The dual-rate spring package also easily handled a full load of adults without losing too much ground clearance.
The shocks also deliver 14.2-inches of travel up front and 16.9 inches of suspension travel in the rear.
Clutch
The CVT system on the RMAX 4 is very impressive. It utilizes a centrifugal wet clutch and a constant-tension belt system for tackling obstacles without fear of damaging the belt. I felt absolutely no belt slip, even when I was rock crawling in high when I should have been in low. Yamaha is so confident in their CVT that they’ve backed it by the industry’s only 10-year belt warranty.
The one-way sprag clutch offers natural and predictable all-wheel engine braking at all speeds, maximizing traction, boosting confidence on hill descents and reducing wear on the vehicle’s brake system.
Full-sized cab with room for four adults
Room for Four Adults
The new RMAX4 1000 maximizes passenger comfort with full length rear doors and substantially more rear passenger space. The room in the back seat is impressive. I am 6’ 1” and I can comfortably sit in the back seat.
New Adventure Pro
New Adventure Pro
A new Yamaha Adventure Pro System with a new seven-inch full-color display is integrated into the dash. Connectivity via Bluetooth or USB enables phone and audio controls. Other features include navigation compatibility, all-new GPS mapping and PIN-lockable geo-fencing, customizable home screen, new drive-mode screen, and a rearview camera on Limited models.
While I applaud Yamaha for the Adventure Pro’s GPS capability, it doesn’t quite measure up to Polaris’ Ride Command, and does not include any sort of Group Ride feature.
Overall Thoughts
If you are looking for a 4-seat trail machine, Yamaha’s RMAX 4 is definitely worth a look. It can comfortably carry four adults and still have room in the bed for a spare tire, gear and your lunch. The RMAX 4 is confidence-inspiring with a solid chassis, great suspension and Yamaha’s proven durability.
I really like the Limited trim because of the iQS shocks and backup camera, but I feel like the Limited (top-end model) should have beadlock wheels but those are available on the XTR model.
The RMAX 4 is a great trail machine and I could see outfitting one with the rear seats removed to allow for gear storage on longer adventure rides.
Lunch stop at Swaseys Arch
Likes:
- Shock setup
- Built-in GPS
- Front visibility
- Clutch
- Engine braking
- 10-year belt warranty
- Rear seat legroom
- Genuine Yamaha accessories
- FOX iQS on Limited model
- Three-level DPS modes
- Turf mode – unlocking rear differential
- Rear-view camera on Limited model
- Proven Yamaha Durability
Dislikes:
- Engine Noise
- Rear seat visibility
- Yamaha Chip Controlled Throttle (YCC-T): Sport, Trail and Crawl – mostly a novice rider feature.
- Cannot fit 32-inch tires without modification
