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For those debating gear reduction

91K views 160 replies 49 participants last post by  Sjs 
#1 ·
I have a 2017 SS with an Alba heavy hitter flywheel. My first ride with this new machine was at Hatfield McCoys (rock house) with buddies riding a 2017 Teryx and 700 Grizly.

Reading all the posts about the gear reduction kits available and clutch issues, I was skeptical and slightly worried going into this ride to say the least.

All I have to say is that this thing is an animal. It took everything I threw at it with ease! I climbed the steepest rock covered switch backs up countless mountains easily in second gear, sometimes stretching it out to third. Now my background is fast sport quad riding, priding myself that I could ride anywhere that a 4x4 could faster and airing it out over big jumps. I kept the rpm's up around 5-6k (still breaking in) and this thing had no issues at all!

I put 200 hard miles on this thing and even find that 1st gear is too low, quickly shifting into second. Now my buddies say that I am an adrenaline junky and not afraid to push through the roughest, tightest terrain but I just drove it like a sport quad and it handles awesome! I quickly got it out of that dreaded green half cluch light and spun it up.

This thing is amazing! For those debating gear reduction i say: put down your beer and spin that motor. It's not needed.

The only thing I want to monitor is the down shifts. I found that while winding out third or fourth entering a sharp bend, the bend entering down shift seemed to keep the half clutch light on a little longer then on a start out. Not sure I like that. I see the owners manual says something rediculous like 18mph for a 3rd to 2nd downshift.

It's now time for me to complete the first maintenance and check this thing out. Can't wait to get back out on the trail!

My $.02
 
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#93 · (Edited)
Just want to weigh in here.

Just through my break-in period, and loving the machine.

Tough trails? The machine is fine at 11km/h (Canadian clutch engage at 10km/h) If I had another machine, I might crawl slower if it was an option. As it is now, just push the pedal a little harder.

I am a little tame with the machine, and I know I leave a little on the table, but I don't want to break my toy! I also see so much abuse being done to UTVs, makes me cry a little.

I am so impressed with this machines engine and gear spacing. I always thought you would need to keep it spinning high for torque. Not the case. it just has torque (more than I thought it would) everywhere.

The gear spacing, same thing. It just seems right. I actually would be concerned with the gear reduction that it would screw up the nicely space 1 2 ratios.

Now, insane rocks at Moab, I might think different, but, I don't ride at Moab!

As far as the 1/2 clutch issue with taking off, slow speed work, and downshifting. Yeah, I see it and know what it means, but it is designed to do that. So, I just do not worry about that with spirited driving and downshifting. Same with slow speed work (loading on a trailer, into the garage, etc). The clutch will have to be replaced sometime. Its a wear item, and I won't worry about it. Just enjoy it.

Its not a mud-hole monster, but those tear up machines in all kinds of different ways. Not my thing.
 
#115 ·
just want to weigh in here.

Just through my break-in period, and loving the machine.

Tough trails? The machine is fine at 11km/h (canadian clutch engage at 10km/h) if i had another machine, i might crawl slower if it was an option. As it is now, just push the pedal a little harder.

I am a little tame with the machine, and i know i leave a little on the table, but i don't want to break my toy! I also see so much abuse being done to utvs, makes me cry a little.

I am so impressed with this machines engine and gear spacing. I always thought you would need to keep it spinning high for torque. Not the case. It just has torque (more than i thought it would) everywhere.

The gear spacing, same thing. It just seems right. I actually would be concerned with the gear reduction that it would screw up the nicely space 1 2 ratios.

Now, insane rocks at moab, i might think different, but, i don't ride at moab!

As far as the 1/2 clutch issue with taking off, slow speed work, and downshifting. Yeah, i see it and know what it means, but it is designed to do that. So, i just do not worry about that with spirited driving and downshifting. Same with slow speed work (loading on a trailer, into the garage, etc). The clutch will have to be replaced sometime. Its a wear item, and i won't worry about it. Just enjoy it.

Its not a mud-hole monster, but those tear up machines in all kinds of different ways. Not my thing.
exactly!
 
#94 ·
Well I thought I could get away without reduction. I have an Alba heavy fw, but I tried one of our more technical nw rocky trails and roasted the clutch in short order trying to go slower and still have power by slipping the clutch. The fw helps to prevent stalling and going slow, but you still have no torque at 1500 rpm.

GYTR kit and Barnett clutch pack ordered...
 
#98 ·
I bought the new XYZ SS SE and rode it 300 miles at Hatfields and McCoys over a four-day period And I knew at the end of that that I had to either go with it torque assist or sell the bike for my kind of riding. I had the dealer in Logan West Virginia order and install the torque assist kit and he did a excellent job of installing it even though I must admit I was quite nervous about the upgrade but it shifted perfectly and everything worked exactly as it did before the upgrade. I picked the machine up at the dealer last week and headed directly to the Hatfield and McCoy trails and it was a totally different machine its ability to climb Rock faces and deep mud holes was absolutely amazing compared to its original form as far as I'm concerned the upgrade is essential if you're going to ride the Trails West Virginia or any other Rocky technical trails. I ended up having about $2,100 in the kit and installation and as far as I'm concerned it's money well spent. The way that I ride in the woods it would cost me a clutch every six or eight hundred miles I'm sure if I had not upgraded to the gear reduction. Yamaha should offer this as an extra when you order your yxz I don't know why they don't
 
#101 ·
....and I wonder if THAT tranny will bolt in in place of ours now?? Maybe so, maybe no on the retrofit, but that's why I'm waiting to see first before doing a gear reduction.
 
#100 ·
Yamaha definitely will come with lower gears, I think the only objections are from people who haven't driven the YXZ with gear reduction.They don't know what they are missing, they don't realize they don't lose any of their top end (as long as they put taller tires on) they just add the better take off ability and clutch durability.
I just wonder if Yamaha will also incorporate the clutch and pressure plate mods that Tubeworks also designed to truly make this a bullet proof machine.
 
#102 ·
Why wait; even Yamaha themselves have been sending their vehicles to tube works for over a year, I'm sure if they came with a new gear ratio and you wanted to buy a whole new transmission it would be more expensive than just regearing. With the tube works gearing and pressure plate my vehicle is about as good as I could ever have hoped for. You can always wait for the newest model, maybe the suspension will be way better, maybe they will have 4 seater, maybe it will be a 6 speed, maybe a factory turbo, I only deal with what is available now that will serve my needs and allow me to enjoy my vehicle.
Now if they come out with a 6 speed 4 seater with a better smoother suspension, I think I have enough room in my garage for 2 awesome YXZ's. I will probably need to upgrade my trailer though. LOL
 
#107 ·
We call it the 15% but its not quite that. Neither is the 45%, neither is the 30%, neither is the 70%, neither is the 15% or 1%. Everything is skewed and rounded, sometimes heavily to make it easy to compute and relate. No one wants to try to figure out what a 18.395% ratio does compared to calling it 15% even if its 11.873%. It really is not a major upset in the cars ability to drive and pull each gear and perform as expected. If you can pull 5th now then getting the OD doesnt sound like a problem.

If I take the YXZ to Prerun the 1000 I will be adding the 5th gear to my 45/15, stock motor. But.... I am selling my XP and buying a XP Turbo and using that :D
 
#109 ·
DD, I'd just drive it the way it is and love the hell out of it! Not worth stressing over at this point, especially since you are already using 30" tires.
 
#110 ·
Yup - going fast is the key, including taking off.

Some people can go fast over very rough stuff with no problem, others feel like they should be going slower. It is a personal thing.

Just how much punishment do you want to give the machine is purely subjective. Those keeping up with this guy would be breathing hard and worried about their machine while others are laughing there heads off (like me).
 
#112 · (Edited)
Now I am really confused... I was planning on doing the gear reduction.. My local dealer will perform the work. I am running weller pipes, and reflash on stock tires or 10 paddle skats with front buffs when I go to the sand. My Riding is 50/50 sand/dirt.

I tach this thing up, usually shift at 9 to 10k.... almost always... If I am running low on fuel I will short shift to get back to camp... but I usual run at high rpm with the pipes screaming.

My issue is I NEVER use 5th gear... sand, dirt, anywhere... Might have hit it once on a highway out in desert heading to get lunch.

If I get above 75 mph, wife starts Bit%ing and I let up.. So the gear change made sense, might be able to use 5th gear... Maybe I should just upgrade flywheel and call it good?

BTW, Stock clutch, changed fluid 3 or 4 times so far... no problems at all...

Desert Dog: I still have those stock tires and rims I bought from u last year... one is now tubed... but I beat the crap out of them, trying to get my moneys worth, plus I am cheap lol
 
#113 ·
Trying the flywheel weight will not cost a 10th of doing the reduction. I love the way my machine is now but if I wasn’t going to put on 30’s I would not have done a reduction. .02
 
#116 ·
Is the GYTR kit 70/30/15 or 70/30?
 
#118 ·
You can just get the od from tube works and add it to the GYTR kit
 
#119 ·
Put about 200 miles on the gytr 70-30 kit at hmt a couple of weeks ago. We have rzr turbo and 1kxp also. We did some outlaw trails also up to top of the world. The yxz will do anything those machines will with lot more comfort. We didn't have maps for the outlaw trails we just went the way we thought was right we figured we end up at a road sooner or later. Needless to say we ended up in some pretty bad s**t. The yxz with gear reduction handled everything very well. Would recommend the gear reduction to anyone riding tight trails. I have 30'' tires also and think I am going to try 32'' next time mainly because they look good and little more ground clearance and top speed back.
 
#126 ·
I did the same thing at king knob....followed some RZRs and a maverick into some bad spots. I have 70/30 gears and 28" Blackwater evos. The yxz went everywhere they did plus some. I am very happy with it. It does feel a little long and will not turn really tight but brute horsepower makes up for that.

Sent from my SM-N950U using Tapatalk
 
#127 ·
Lots of good input here that I been looking for. Is it possible there will be GYTR kit with 45/15 ratio in the future? I already have TW oiling mod and I don’t mind doing labor myself.
 
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