There is no steering wheel adjustment in the
Viking, but the driver’s seat is adjustable
to accommodate different size drivers. The doors
on the Viking are easy to open and close, latch
well and give a good sense of security.
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2014 Yamaha Viking dash is well designed
with the parking park, gear selector,
and digital display all accessible &
well placed |
The inside of the Yamaha Viking is nicely equipped
as well. The dash gauges and dials are easy
to see and read. The multifunctional LCD panel
includes a speedometer, odometer, dual trip
meter, hour meter, 4WD indicator, Transmission
position and clock and fuel gauge. There are
cup holders located on each side of the Viking,
a glove compartment and a center storage compartment,
which provide ample storage.
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The
Yamaha Viking features a large glove compartment |
There are two water
bottle holders on each side of the Yamaha
Viking |
Now that we were all buckled in, it was time
to see what the fuel injected engine had to
offer, and we did quickly notice there was quite
a bit of vibration at idle, but that disappeared
completely once the vehicle was in motion as
the Yamaha engineers were looking to dramatically
reduce the vibration while driving, which they
accomplished, but it does have plenty of vibration
at idle, which is easily solved by turning it
off while stopped for an extended period of
time.
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The Yamaha
Viking is powered by a 686cc single
overhead cam engine
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The Yamaha Viking is still powered by the 686cc
single overhead cam liquid cooled engine found
in the Yamaha Rhino 700, but Yamaha has made several
upgrades to the engine to increase its performance
for the Yamaha Viking. Yamaha has increased the
compression to 10:1, and they optimized the air
intake system along with an efficient cooling
system to maintain performance.
On our test drive, we took the Yamaha Viking
from just over 4,000 feet in elevation
to 8,000 feet in elevation, and the Viking provided
plenty of power to make the climb, and the Yamaha
Viking provided a very smooth and fluid power,
which made for an enjoyable drive. Since the
Yamaha Viking was designed as a multi-purpose
vehicle and not a high performance sport machine,
it only had a top speed of 52 MPH in high gear
and 38 MPH in low, but it had plenty of power
for everything we put it through despite losing
15 to 25 percent of its potential power due
to our high elevation test drive. We felt that
Yamaha Viking would provide plenty of power
for recreational use such as hunting, fishing,
camping as well as working on a farm.
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The Red Reflet Ranch proved to be a great
location for testing the Yamaha Viking
with its varied terrain and several thousand
feet of elevation change |
We also were impressed with the engine braking,
which engaged as soon as you let off the accelerator.
It was great for going downhill if you are hauling
cargo and want to go slow, and it also helps
to reduce premature brake wear and overheating
with the Yamaha Viking’s engine braking.
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The Yamaha Viking's engine braking worked
great on some of the big downhills |
The Yamaha Ultramatic Transmission is one of
the best CVT systems available with its Centrifugal
clutch that keeps tension on the belt to reduce
belt wear and heat. Also, unlike many other
SxS models, you don’t need to worry about constantly
shifting into low gear when climbing a hill
or risk burning up your belt. The Yamaha CVT
is designed to handle to the abuse, and it works
extremely well.
