Yamaha’s New Viking Side-by-Side

Yamaha has announced their new Viking SxS (Side by Side) vehicle for 2014. All 3-person Viking EPS SxS 4x4s will be manufactured at the Yamaha USA plant in Newnan GA.

The Viking is engineered to perform heavy duty work off-road, whether hauling and pulling on your ranch, transporting the prize from your latest hunt back to the lodge or bugging out to your secret remote headquarters to avoid urban unrest (the rear steel cargo bed will carry a fully loaded pallet and can accommodate up to 600 pounds; the 2″ receiver hitch is rated at 1,500lbs. – that is a lot of beans, bullets and bandages). The Viking will feature Yamaha's most powerful four-wheel drive engine to date, a 700cc-class engine they advise has more power than some larger 80cc-class machines. They say the 686cc liquid-cooled 4-stroke, SOHC single-cylinder, 4-valve fuel-injected engine will provide peak performance at max capacity and promise strong low-end torque with quick throttle response and smooth power delivery.

Other features include a 9.7 gallon fuel tank, assisted dump bed, 12″ ground clearance at its lowest point, a newly-designed cooling system and Yamaha's three-way On-Command, driver-controlled system (2WD, 4WD and 4WD with differential lock) with rotary dial selector. The transmission is the Yamaha Ultramatic CVT system with high, low and reverse; it includes dual speed gearing and auto centrifugal clutch to maintain constant belt tension. Shocks are gas charged. The Viking will also have an optional EPS (Electric Power Steering) system.

The Viking's tires will be Maxxis Big Horn 2.0s, designed specifically (and exclusively, apparently) for the new vehicle. Yamaha advises these Big Horns provide an optimized balance of sidewall and tread center stiffness guaranteed to deliver traction, precise steering and comfort. Large front and rear disc brakes have dual piston calipers on all four wheels and the vehicle is equipped with a mechanical parking disc brake.

The all new Viking EPS and non-EPS models will be available in August, in Hunter Green with sun top, Steel Blue, Red with sun top and Realtree AP HD camo with sun top. Prices begin at $11,499 MSRP. There will be a special “tactical black” model available in spring 2014.

GPMG pintle-mounts, IFF panels, DRVC camera systems and explosive reactive armor will all have to come from 3RD party sources for now, and you'll have to install them yourself. Sorry.