16 • January 2026 • Powersports Business

The RMAX 1000 was a perfect vehicle to tackle a diverse Arizona mountain terrain, and, despite the warm weather, the hard and soft window and door accessories proved that the vehicle can be used in different climates.( Photos: Yamaha)

BY CHRIS OFFICER ASSOCIATE EDITOR

It may have been last- minute, but it was an opportunity I couldn’ t pass up.

When the media team at Yamaha reached out to PSB at the eleventh hour about an offroad media ride up to Crown King, Arizona, they didn’ t really give me any time to think, so I just responded with an“ absolutely.”

Being relatively new to the powersports industry, I thought this would be the perfect chance to cut my teeth and experience a true off- road excursion on a high- performance machine. The vehicle? The Yamaha Wolverine RMAX 1000 range.

The Bradshaw Mountains can get cold in December, and Yamaha wanted media to experience firsthand the RMAX 1000 furnished with its winter accessories: soft upper door windows and hard cab door weather enclosures; front and tip- up windshields; sliding glass rear windows; and cab heater kit.

Unfortunately, looking at the weather report that morning when we reached our staging area, it would be an abnormally warm day of riding— about 65 degrees. Nevertheless, we packed up and got in our fully enclosed cabs and hit the trail.

window let air circulate, and I was able to feel some of that Arizona mountain wind.

Then came our first pit stop. The sideby- sides started to line up as we approached a daunting part of the trail— a 50− yard rock crawl up a steep incline littered with large boulders and deep crevices. We got out to access and make a game plan. I had the option to let a more experienced driver take my machine up the difficult terrain. And my initial thought was maybe that was the safer bet— no need to hold up the group with failed attempts. However, the RMAX made me feel at ease up until this point, and I felt confident enough to take on the difficult section.

With the help of the Yamaha team, we picked a line for the vehicle to navigate safely, and talked about the necessary driving adjustments: Low gear, ride mode on Crawl, and four- wheel drive switched to differential lock— which was the difference-

maker, considering all four wheels were rarely touching the ground simultaneously.

I stayed slow, kept true to the line we committed to, and slowly but surely, the RMAX had no problems going up the steep stretch— even with me behind the wheel. And, for a split second, the vehicle tricked me into thinking I knew what I was doing.

The added accessories also helped with my assurance. The front and rearview cameras gave me extra visibility, while the front bash plate and rock slider kit left little apprehension of attacking the terrain.

THE DESCENT DOWN After eating lunch at about 6,000 feet, we did some interviews, took some action shots, and made our way back down to our staging site. For the descent down, I switched out of the RMAX4 1000 hard cab and into the RMAX2 1000 with soft upper door windows and the tip- up windshield.

With the RMAX2, I fully opened the front windshield and ditched the soft windows, which were easily removed and stored in the rear cargo box. Opening the cab gave me a whole different driving experience, one where I was able to truly feel the elements— wind, dust, and water. I also switched my power delivery from Trail to Sport. A quicker throttle response, coupled with the open cab, made the second half of the ride feel faster, leading to a more exhilarating, adrenalineboosting and overall sportier experience versus the more luxurious aspects of the enclosed RMAX4.

FINAL TAKEAWAYS It was fast- paced the whole way through when making our way down Crow King, and before I knew it, we were back to our staging area— I guess time really does fly when you’ re having fun.

THE RIDE UP TO CROWN KING To tackle the 30− mile ascent up to Crown King, I jumped into the RMAX4 1000, equipped with front and back windshields and hard- cab door kits. The fully enclosed cab, coupled with the four seats and automotive- style interior finish, instantly made the side- by- side feel like a small truck. After getting situated with the controls and different driving styles, we started our ride.

Powering the RMAX is an 847− cc twincylinder engine. As an amateur off- roader, I kept things simple to start. EPS standard, suspension on medium setting, with D- mode on Trail. These settings produced a relaxed ride all the way up the first 30−mile leg.

Traveling at an incline through a mix of smooth and rocky terrain, the vehicle’ s power and capability were present without feeling threatened by the machine taking over— I felt in complete control. The power delivery felt smooth, and the exceptional engine braking let me slow down to take sharp turns by just letting off the gas.

The first hour or so was smooth sailing, and I felt comfortable, despite being the first time doing anything like this. The fully enclosed RMAX4 got a little warm in the near− 70− degree temperature. But cracking the window and sliding open the rear glass

Switching Drive Mode to Crawl and going from four-wheel drive to differential lock made steep and technical rock crawling go seamlessly, even for an amateur off-road driver.