Unbroken

WE TRIED TO BREAK THE YAMAHA WOLVERINE X4, BUT IT MAY VERY WELL BE THE VEHICULAR VERSION OF LOUIE ZAMPERINI

- John Schwartze

RECOIL takes pride in testing manufacturer claims. Whenever companies want to take a chance on us trying out their products, especially the four-wheel kind, there’s a ravenous anticipation among the staff akin to that of wolves finding stray deer. Given the chance to try out Yamaha’s new Wolverine X4 was something we welcomed with open arms and a heavy right foot. We were ready to treat it like the BATFE treats Branch Davidians, but our inability to snap, burn out, blow up, or otherwise return the vehicle to Yamaha in pieces with a heartfelt “oops” and shrugged shoulders earned this UTV some well-deserved respect.

You may remember our coverage of the Minigun Motorcycle in Issue 30, which was built on a Yamaha R1 Superbike chassis. Since its builders chose the aforementioned platform to create that monstrosity around, we knew breaking the Wolverine would be a challenge. Yamaha already had the benefit of the doubt because of its reputation for quality. But first a little history on this model to provide some context. Its ability to suit a variety of tasks was an eyebrow raiser.

The Wolverine has been a part of Yamaha’s fleet for a while and evolved to incorporate the beefier benefits of a utility chassis, but in a sportier package. With the recent addition of the X4 four-passenger version with sliding/folding rear seats, it’s got more room for passengers and gear. Want a solid trail explorer? Check. Looking for a vehicle that’ll perform ranching or agricultural tasks and also double for recreational use? Good to go. Need to haul up to 2,000 pounds worth of trailered ancillaries? You see where we’re going with this.