It might not be a two-wheeler, but the brand new YXZ100R is truly worthy of mention for numerous reasons, one of which equates to serious performance for a Side-by-Side. Recently earlier this week, the YXZ100R delivers the kind of four wheeling fun most of us can only dream. Yamaha touts it as the world’s first Side-by-Side that’s built for pure sport and nothing else. Not farming, not hunting, just pure hooligan mayhem.

Yamaha YXZ1000R

Now, here's why you should care, the all-new YXZ1000R’s 998cc triple cylinder motor dishes out a whopping 110 horsepower and mates it all to a bonafide 5-speed sequential manual, direct-drive transmission. The short-stroke shift lever is manually actuated with a clutch pedal. Also, a belt drive helps it lay down up to 20 percent more power to the rear wheels.

The motor redlines at a screamin' 10,500 rpm. It’s officially the world’s first sport 3-cylinder engine in a side-by-side, which provides the high-performance SxS with a broad and linear torque curve for on-demand power at all speeds.

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Introducing the Yamaha YXZ1000R – Yamaha's First Performance Side-by-Side

But luckily the new Yamaha has a lot more goodies than just a badass engine. The YXZ100R benefits from Fox 2.5 Podium Shocks that strike a balance between performance and driver/rider comfort with 16-inch travel in the front and 17-inch in the rear. Both front and rear are fully adjustable.

Here's another cool piece of tech in the SxS, the wheels travel back and forth instead of out and in. So when you hit a bump, there's no drastic change in camber or rebound, like with traditional suspension.

The Yamaha has 2WD (rear wheels), 4WD or 4WD options with a full locking differential, so the YZX1000R is just as good as throwing dirt on hard drifts as it is crawling over boulders and downed trees. The front differential is a controlled by the driver via a simple dial located on the YXZ1000R’s center console rather than an automatic computer-activated system, so there’s no slippage or hesitation to speak of. Depending on your choice of terrain and speed, just reach out, dial it in and let the fun begin.

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Introducing the Yamaha YXZ1000R – Yamaha's First Performance Side-by-Side

In order to strike the proper balance between speed and traction, the The YXZ1000R gets shorn with an exclusive tire, the 27-inch Maxxis Bighorn 2.0 on top of 14-inch cast aluminum wheels, which also happen to look pretty stylish for a SxS.

The YXZ1000R also benefits from equipment like front and rear sway bars, a full length skid plate that protects the entire underbody, an adjustable steering wheel, a fully adjustable driver’s seat and seats that are highback for comfort and support along with full stitching for style.

The body looks purpose built and mean with dramatic angles, openings for exposed suspension and huge fenders for maximum wheel travel. The aggressive fascia sports quad LED headlamps that flank an angular central grille. The rear also gets LED lights, and there’s even a tough cargo bed with a water-resistant sealed storage compartment. Capacity is 300 pounds, and you also get steel tie downs so your stuff doesn’t go into the weeds when you flog the beast.

Introducing the Yamaha YXZ1000R – Yamaha's First Performance Side-by-Side

The color choices for the YZR1000 are plentiful and embody its sporting inclinations -- meaning, no camo here. Every color is a high-visibility scheme that lets everyone know you’re out to play hard -- Yamaha Racing Blue and White, Blaze Orange and Black, and Yamaha’s 60th anniversary celebration Yellow and Black.

Price is set at a whopping $19,799, but to be really the first of it's kind we're sure you'll see a few of these in the sand dunes next summer. Maybe you'll see us whipping one around.

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