I had the actuator arm screw come out far from camp, making the actuator worthless. After pulling some plastic interior pieces, I was able to put it in second gear and putt back to camp, was still able to start and stop in second. Loctite and I carry an extra screw now.
Opinions on Long-term Reliability of Sport Shift
21 - 40 of 43 Posts
Think it ever had been removed before? Crazy that it just backed out if not. Mileage when this happened? Will have to check mine out next time I pull the panel. Good call on keeping another bolt handy just in case.
It was my very first time out actually, had like 8 miles on it. I suspect it was either the dealer or Yamaha didn’t tighten it enough. More likely the dealer if it was part of the assembly they do - they kinda sucked and I proly would not go back there.
….I thought for the first few mins when this happened I was screwed but turned out to not really be a big deal, just slow back to camp to find a metric bolt 😄
I’ve had zero issues since
Joined
·
15 Posts
Hi
My 17 Sport shift has had a lot of shift issues
Some seem to be non repairable intermittent ghost problems. Mine would be great one day and not the next, and then fine again like a wiring or sensor problem. Mine was at the dealer for a couple months and they finally gave it back as they couldn’t find the cause of the problems. I found a post that suggested replacing or re building the shift actuator. It’s Too expensive for a guess repair. Yamaha had a brush kit for them, they were on back order for a long time and now I can’t even find the kit listed, so I’m guessing it was discontinued.
Another member posted that he was able to find some very close brushes at Napa by matching them up. He had to file them a little but it solved his issues for about five bucks! I was able to clean my brushes and armature good and re grease the tiny gears and
Re assemble it. I have only had it out once since for a few hours, but it seems to be much better , and possibly cured!!!
I bought mine new, and it has maybe 1200 miles on it. 99 percent dune use.
I would suggest buying the factory repair manual
These machines are not generally simple or cheap to repair. And they have some complicated wiring and sensors
That being said , the shift actuator was not a difficult repair. You remove a bunch of plastic junk and it’s held in with a couple tiny screws. Don’t drop them, Experience says They are hard to fish out of the plastic belly pan!
Disassemble them in a clean confined spot the brush springs and set screws are really small
The YXZ is absolutely seat dyno fun to drive ,but, I have had unreliable experiences with mine. I would not take mine out of walking distance anywhere that had no cell or sat service unless I had a Polaris buddy with a tow strap along for the trip
I hope your yxz is trouble free
I Have three Yamaha 4x4 quads and a number of
Yamaha Wave runners, they’ve all been excellent.
After buying a yxz 1000 ss se
I don’t think I will ever buy another Yamaha product
My 17 Sport shift has had a lot of shift issues
Some seem to be non repairable intermittent ghost problems. Mine would be great one day and not the next, and then fine again like a wiring or sensor problem. Mine was at the dealer for a couple months and they finally gave it back as they couldn’t find the cause of the problems. I found a post that suggested replacing or re building the shift actuator. It’s Too expensive for a guess repair. Yamaha had a brush kit for them, they were on back order for a long time and now I can’t even find the kit listed, so I’m guessing it was discontinued.
Another member posted that he was able to find some very close brushes at Napa by matching them up. He had to file them a little but it solved his issues for about five bucks! I was able to clean my brushes and armature good and re grease the tiny gears and
Re assemble it. I have only had it out once since for a few hours, but it seems to be much better , and possibly cured!!!
I bought mine new, and it has maybe 1200 miles on it. 99 percent dune use.
I would suggest buying the factory repair manual
These machines are not generally simple or cheap to repair. And they have some complicated wiring and sensors
That being said , the shift actuator was not a difficult repair. You remove a bunch of plastic junk and it’s held in with a couple tiny screws. Don’t drop them, Experience says They are hard to fish out of the plastic belly pan!
Disassemble them in a clean confined spot the brush springs and set screws are really small
The YXZ is absolutely seat dyno fun to drive ,but, I have had unreliable experiences with mine. I would not take mine out of walking distance anywhere that had no cell or sat service unless I had a Polaris buddy with a tow strap along for the trip
I hope your yxz is trouble free
I Have three Yamaha 4x4 quads and a number of
Yamaha Wave runners, they’ve all been excellent.
After buying a yxz 1000 ss se
I don’t think I will ever buy another Yamaha product
Joined
·
29 Posts
That's interesting because a lot of people with the YXZ report they are highly reliable. Sounds like you were just unlucky. I hate the belt CVTs enough that I'll put up with fixing whatever breaks on the YXZ. If it ever becomes too annooyingly problematic, I'll just stick to my Xterra and CRF250F for off-roading. Wouldn't likely buy another belt anything.
Tomorrow I'm picking up my new-to-me YXZ. However, it isn't the 2019 I was planning to get. Last night on our local classifieds there was a new ad for a one-owner 2017 SS with 2,200 miles. I was able to negotiate a deal that is $6,000 less than the 2019. This one has the gear reduction and appears to have upgraded dual-rate springs. The guy's daughter is selling it for him. The only issue is it was once on it's side. A new cage was installed but the passenger front lower bar mount is slightly tweaked so I'll have to work on that. Plastic is cracked on the fender as well. But for $8,500 I can overlook some flaws. I'll be able to add every upgrade I wanted and still be a few thousand less than the price of the mostly stock 2019.
I'm not that guy who needs the bestest, fastest, prettiest machine to impress my buddies. Looking forward to having some fun with this one.
![Tire Wheel Car Vehicle Hood]()
![Wheel Tire Hood Automotive tire Vehicle]()
Tomorrow I'm picking up my new-to-me YXZ. However, it isn't the 2019 I was planning to get. Last night on our local classifieds there was a new ad for a one-owner 2017 SS with 2,200 miles. I was able to negotiate a deal that is $6,000 less than the 2019. This one has the gear reduction and appears to have upgraded dual-rate springs. The guy's daughter is selling it for him. The only issue is it was once on it's side. A new cage was installed but the passenger front lower bar mount is slightly tweaked so I'll have to work on that. Plastic is cracked on the fender as well. But for $8,500 I can overlook some flaws. I'll be able to add every upgrade I wanted and still be a few thousand less than the price of the mostly stock 2019.
I'm not that guy who needs the bestest, fastest, prettiest machine to impress my buddies. Looking forward to having some fun with this one.
Joined
·
29 Posts
Got her home today after 6-hours of driving, some of it in moderately nasty winter conditions.
One question. Is the shift actuator supposed to sound like someone hits the case with a hammer? Granted it was 30 degrees when I pulled it onto the trailer and apparently it's barely been driven in the last two years. But it's a pretty serious "WHACK." Will drain any gas left in the tank, pull the fuel pump and clean it with a new filter, give it a full tune-up and lube everything. By the way, those are X2 shocks front and rear.
I will say this, in my very short experience driving it, I know I'd prefer a 3-pedal long-term. So this one will get cleaned up with some new tires and a few other fixes and mods and probably go back up for sale later when I find a good 3P deal.
Thank you to all of you who have commented.
One question. Is the shift actuator supposed to sound like someone hits the case with a hammer? Granted it was 30 degrees when I pulled it onto the trailer and apparently it's barely been driven in the last two years. But it's a pretty serious "WHACK." Will drain any gas left in the tank, pull the fuel pump and clean it with a new filter, give it a full tune-up and lube everything. By the way, those are X2 shocks front and rear.
I will say this, in my very short experience driving it, I know I'd prefer a 3-pedal long-term. So this one will get cleaned up with some new tires and a few other fixes and mods and probably go back up for sale later when I find a good 3P deal.
Thank you to all of you who have commented.
As for the bad experience above, yeah, every once in a blue moon you will get a bad case. I've read the user above experiences in numerous threads, poor guy I'd be ticked too, but that is the only case such as that I've ever heard of so you just kind of have to chalk it up to some rare set of anomalies.
They are a bit clunky to shift. Honestly mine (SS car) seemed to get better over time (from when new) but it could be that I just got used to it or maybe learned how to shift it a bit better? It was a bit much initially but also was used to a belted car too, which of course makes no such noises and feel more like your driven by a cloud rather than a gearbox. Also I very recently put in the Yamalube Synthetic 15w-50 and it was MUCH smoother too (over the Yamaha All Purpose 10w-40 I had in their prior) so you may want to try a trans fluid change to see if it helps out. I've heard that the thicker oil is better for the gear changes but could be a bit worse for the clutch operation, so I will be using a wet clutch specific synthetic 10w-40 with the new clutch setup soon.
I love the SS car for my riding style, no regrets there, but have never tried the 3 pedal machines to give one a full shakedown either. However the sometimes very low speed/technical woods necessitates constant gear changes over what is sometimes over hours, which seems would get very old with a 3 pedal. That said the SS can be extremely fun across so many riding styles, the gear shifts are instant and solid and the clutching seems to be fantastic too.
As for the fuel filter you cant change it as it is integrated into the fuel pump assembly, so I presume it is a one time filter for pump life sort of thing. If the fuel looks clean and it runs right I'd just let it be.
They are a bit clunky to shift. Honestly mine (SS car) seemed to get better over time (from when new) but it could be that I just got used to it or maybe learned how to shift it a bit better? It was a bit much initially but also was used to a belted car too, which of course makes no such noises and feel more like your driven by a cloud rather than a gearbox. Also I very recently put in the Yamalube Synthetic 15w-50 and it was MUCH smoother too (over the Yamaha All Purpose 10w-40 I had in their prior) so you may want to try a trans fluid change to see if it helps out. I've heard that the thicker oil is better for the gear changes but could be a bit worse for the clutch operation, so I will be using a wet clutch specific synthetic 10w-40 with the new clutch setup soon.
I love the SS car for my riding style, no regrets there, but have never tried the 3 pedal machines to give one a full shakedown either. However the sometimes very low speed/technical woods necessitates constant gear changes over what is sometimes over hours, which seems would get very old with a 3 pedal. That said the SS can be extremely fun across so many riding styles, the gear shifts are instant and solid and the clutching seems to be fantastic too.
As for the fuel filter you cant change it as it is integrated into the fuel pump assembly, so I presume it is a one time filter for pump life sort of thing. If the fuel looks clean and it runs right I'd just let it be.
That and once you get acclimated to the gearbox, you just never really want to go back either.100 times more reliable than a belt
Joined
·
29 Posts
Thanks for the comment. I plan on changing all the fluids so I'll take your advice on the transmission. Just ordered a new set of plugs as well.
One of the few things I'm seeing that seems odd is the U-joint behind the front diff is really rusty. The machine was garaged its whole life so seeing fairly rusty, isolated parts is kind of strange. I'll clean them up and put protectant on them just because. Same with the rusty axles. Probably just clean and paint those. The radiator looks really good. Was planning a custom, dual radiator relocate to the back but decided to hold off on that idea for the time being.
Thinking about adding the SBD kit later. Will pull, clean and paint the header in the meantime. It looks kind of nasty. The rear window doesn't fit the curve of the cage exactly and has rubbed through the paint on the side bars so there's rust in those spots. I've 3D printed some spacers, ordered longer stainless steel button head bolts and will deepen a notch in the window at the top center to better clear a roof brace.
This is just the kind of stuff I do after getting a machine the previous owner wasn't as particular about keeping nice as I would have been.
The driver headlamp assembly is close enough to the spring that it's rubbed the coating off several coils. Looks like the guy bumped something, bending the mount slightly. The plastic headlight shroud is broken at the front. Thankfully a new OEM shroud is less than $45 shipped. Then the bare, rusty spots on the coils will be cleaned, recoated and painted what appears to be the Yamaha blue color.
Took a look in the gas tank and the inch or less of fuel still in there looks clean even though it's likely two years old. No corrosion on the pump assembly either so I'll drain as much of what's left as I can with a fluid pump, put in 5 gallons of corn-free fuel and call it good.
I've looked at several other posts regarding SS vs. 3-pedal and as expected, it's all about personal preference. Much of where I'll be driving the little guy is at higher speeds in the Northern Utah desert. I'll take my wife with me on a few mountain trails (she'll probably drive) but even those aren't very technical. We're both veteran clutch drivers. Being able to pull away from a stop smoothly without a clunk and wheel spin would be nice. But as noted, this is my first YXZ that I got cheap to see if I liked it enough to get a nicer, newer one for long term.
I already have a really nice, recently purchased Arctic Cat 1000X that I drove once and decided I still despise the CVT. To me there is just something wrong with driving a vehicle that sounds like it's always overreving in first gear no matter what speed you're going. And no, I don't ride snowmobiles.
It will be going back up for sale as soon as it warms up a little.
Picking up a used Yamaha cargo box, some mirrors and new 30x10x14 Tusk Terrabite tires this afternoon. Mud flares and street-legal kit also on the way. And so it begins...
I'd never clean and paint anything as it will look just as terrible within my next hour of riding, this is off-roading life for you lol. The front driveshaft will be rusted, mine was like that too, just grease its CV fittings periodically and call it a day.
Swore I'd never get an auto type car most of life, so I hear you on the clutching veteran status. However you'll get used to the SS if you keep it as oddly enough it seems you do learn to understand the computers clutching logic over time and throttle it accordingly for the ride you need per conditions. It works very well but you need to acclimate a bit, and of course try your best to keep it from half clutching to preserve clutch life (you can hear it plus the green light indicator is on dash). But yeah if you are always in the open the 3 pedal would be a lot of fun too, overall I think for what I do with my machine it would get a bit old (so yes personal preference based on where the machine will be used the most).
I do hear you on the belts feeling off but they do work very well in the technical stuff, and it really makes it easy on the driver to just floor it and instantly and indefinitely being in the power band. Personally I love the controlled feeling of being connected directly to the earth, downshifting and smashing sideways through corners, etc.
I always run just basic pump fuel, even standard 87 (with up to 10% ethanol) has done me well, never noticed an issue. But now that I have turbo'd the machine I am going to be running 93 (with up to 10% ethanol) with the stock boost. When I get stuck at pumps in the rural areas with 87 only, will be adding Octane booster, but when N/A was never a concern at all so use whatever you can find.
Swore I'd never get an auto type car most of life, so I hear you on the clutching veteran status. However you'll get used to the SS if you keep it as oddly enough it seems you do learn to understand the computers clutching logic over time and throttle it accordingly for the ride you need per conditions. It works very well but you need to acclimate a bit, and of course try your best to keep it from half clutching to preserve clutch life (you can hear it plus the green light indicator is on dash). But yeah if you are always in the open the 3 pedal would be a lot of fun too, overall I think for what I do with my machine it would get a bit old (so yes personal preference based on where the machine will be used the most).
I do hear you on the belts feeling off but they do work very well in the technical stuff, and it really makes it easy on the driver to just floor it and instantly and indefinitely being in the power band. Personally I love the controlled feeling of being connected directly to the earth, downshifting and smashing sideways through corners, etc.
I always run just basic pump fuel, even standard 87 (with up to 10% ethanol) has done me well, never noticed an issue. But now that I have turbo'd the machine I am going to be running 93 (with up to 10% ethanol) with the stock boost. When I get stuck at pumps in the rural areas with 87 only, will be adding Octane booster, but when N/A was never a concern at all so use whatever you can find.
Joined
·
29 Posts
Exactly. Been a motorcycle guy my entire life and always purchased manual transmission vehicles when possible. The old but nice Xterra I've been using for off-roading is simply bullet proof. Manual everything. I'll still use it when the weather isn't perfect or when I don't feel like hooking up a trailer, but I'm excited to tryout the YXZ once it's sorted.
I'm aware the belt vehicles handle very slow terrain better than a clutch vehicle. Was reading a project yesterday where the people were installing a high-low conversion in a YXZ. That was probably just to prove it could be done because for practicality reasons it would make no sense.
Haven't got into this yet much because I don't want to put the cart in front of the horse, but I'm seriously looking at the KraftWorks supercharger for a later possible 2019+ purchase. For that I would want a 3-pedal. Haven't looked into the 2019+ 3-pedal offerings so at this point don't even know if they exist. Maybe someone who knows can provide that information.
Yeah aside from some testers the crawl box as far as I understand it has very little time on it (ie. less than 1 year), and there are very few of them out there in total as they are in smaller batch productions. Fascinating looking modification for sure that I have my eye on, but I'd prefer to hang back to ensure all the bugs are worked out before jumping into it myself. I can see myself possibly buying into it later this year or next at earliest if all still is sounding ok.
The crawl boxes have been out for a couple of years now. I wouldn't worry about reliability at this point as they are even using them in the king of the hammers competition this year. They are rock solid at this point. The only problem with them at this point is you have to get on a list to get one because demand is high and supply is low.
From my personal experience with these sorts of products is that it often takes a couple years in the hands of the actual public before the bad press (if it exists) starts hitting the inter webs. More often than not those early testers are usually really understanding when it comes to "issues" as they knew what they signed up for being testers, and they are likely working very close with the vendor who usually will try to make anything and everything right as they make updates to the product to remedy faults (this is precisely why there are product testers).
However selling to the public who expect a seamless and reliable production-based-product is definitely another category, as they typically demand perfection and most are very vocal about things if the product has any disappointments. I also realize that some are being used for KOH this year and I cant wait to see how they handle it, but that has yet to happen. I am not sure we are there yet to say "I wouldn't worry", but hopefully more info keeps coming and especially longevity data from the general public. FWIW I am pulling for the product and it is on my radar.
Only thing I know is that I watched a neighbor camping next to me take a crawl box out of his YXZ in the middle of the night so he could ride with his group the next day.
He’d been having problems with his. This was 6 months ago.
NOT bashing, just relaying. (Use as directed, your results may vary) 😄
He’d been having problems with his. This was 6 months ago.
NOT bashing, just relaying. (Use as directed, your results may vary) 😄
Agree that problems are always going to happen, it is the frequency that matters. For example if they sell 100 crawl boxes a year and only 1-2 guys of that 100 have a problem (within a year or two), you know they are doing something very right. But if say 10+ of that 100 have problems within a year or two, that is a sign it has some serious problems. If I were them I'd definitely be taking it slow in production unless they are very confident they are dealing with what they have found to be basically an indestructible product. This thing is going to have all eyes on it as it is such a cool concept for this platform, and my opinion is by later this year the writing will be on the wall as to how well it has been doing in current form.
Joined
·
29 Posts
Been using them for years for motorcycle stuff. Already looked up and ordered a few things from them for the YXZ. Excellent site, good prices and I love the repair videos their guy does.
21 - 40 of 43 Posts
