Yamaha YXZ1000R specifications, dimensions and price

Yamaha YXZ1000R

How the YXZ1000R drives

The YXZ1000R drives like a small race car rather than a utility vehicle. Dirt Wheels noted that the engine can rev to a shift light at about 9,800 rpm, where most UTVs stop near 8,000, and that with the 2024 gearbox it drove from 25 mph up to an 80 mph top speed, or cruised in fourth from 3 mph to around 50 mph. UTV On Demand found that the machine corners relatively flat, with enough weight transfer to keep the outside front tire steering precisely.

The suspension gives 16.2 in of travel in front and 17 in at the rear, which UTV On Demand placed in the middle of the 64-inch, naturally aspirated, one-liter class. The 2024 six-speed gearbox has a first gear low enough that the clutch stays fully engaged down to about 2 mph, which helps in rock crawling.

Manual or Sport Shift

The YXZ1000R comes two ways. The choice decides what kind of driver it suits. The manual has a foot clutch and a sequential lever.

The Sport Shift, offered since the 2017 model year, adds an electronic clutch and steering-column paddles. For 2024 it gained a switch that selects paddle shifting, Sport Auto or fully automatic, and it still uses no CVT belt (Dirt Wheels). UTV On Demand adds that Yamaha recalibrated the Sport Shift's electronic clutch to engage more smoothly and with less noise.

A driver who wants to work a clutch on the trail takes the manual, and one who wants the same engine without the third pedal takes the Sport Shift.

Known problems and what to check on a used YXZ1000R

The YXZ1000R has a reputation for wearing its clutch and for transmission fuss. A roundup of owner problems at Off Road Pulse lists clutch wear, difficulty shifting, gear grinding, transmission oil leaks, stiff suspension and overheating as the recurring complaints. Treat that as a checklist rather than a verdict: on a used machine, feel how the clutch engages at low speed, run through every gear including reverse, and look for oil at the transmission.

On a Sport Shift, also test each of the three shift modes. Yamaha's price fell $1,000 for 2024. So a used YXZ has to be priced against a new one that costs about $20,899.

YXZ1000R against the RZR XP 1000 and Talon 1000X

Dirt Wheels compared base-model non-turbo sport UTVs at 2024 prices: the Polaris RZR XP at $20,999, the Honda Talon X at $20,099 and the Talon R at $21,099, against the YXZ1000R at $20,899. The rivals use automatics, a Polaris PVT and a Honda dual-clutch. The Yamaha is the only one of the three that offers a manual gearbox with a foot clutch.