When Yamaha unveiled the first all-sport performance SxS with manual transmission less than a year ago, it catapulted the Newnan, Georgia based company right into the performance-focused SxS segment epicenter.
A company built on quality, performance and innovation, one of Yamaha’s lesser-appreciated traits is its patience and timing. Many Yama-fanatics were beginning to wonder if they’d ever see something of this magnitude hit the marketplace in the years leading up to the YXZ1000R announcement.
However, with Yamaha’s out-and-out dominance of the Sport ATV segment, we knew it was just a matter time before the SxS market was thrown for a loop. Whether or not you felt this was a long time coming, Yamaha hit a bull’s eye with the YXZ1000R and there was no way they were going to deliver it until they had it just right.
Sport Shifting 101
Manually shifting gears with a clutch gives the driver all the control and for more experienced and expert riders, it’s hard to argue there’s a better choice than this. However, Yamaha knows not all riders are at an advanced level of operation yet still crave the need to control what gear they are in for optimal performance.
Yamaha’s Sport Shift paddle shifting eliminates the need for a foot clutch and provides a uniquely different driving experience.
Operation is simple. Flick the right paddle to shift higher and do the same with the left to down shift. The over-sized digital dash indicates what gear youÂ’re in at all times.
To simplify operation even further, Yamaha has added a feature which automatically puts the YXZ1000R SS in first gear when you come to a stop, eliminating the need to find the necessary starting point.
This system is perfect for times when stopping on an up-hill where stalling the engine during take-off is common. One of our favorite features is Yamaha’s Launch System, which allows the driver to do aggressive accelerations on take-off, like you would need out of the starting gate in a race. Simply squeeze both paddles simultaneously, rev the engine past 5000 rpm and let go. It rips!!
