The 2024 Yamaha Wolverine X2 Is All Grown Up

When Yamaha introduced the RMAX in 2020, the company effectively made its entry rec-ute side-by-side, the Wolverine X2, irrelevant. With less power than the RMAX and less utility than the Viking, there wasn’t really a reason to buy one. You’d see them as rentals, but that’s where the market ended. Yamaha wanted to do something about that.

Engineers started by addressing one of the Wolverine’s biggest shortcomings. A common complaint from consumers was the lack of power from the 850cc parallel-twin engine. To fix the issue, Yamaha skipped designing an entirely new engine and ripped the drivetrain straight from the RMAX.

If you’ve ever been in the driver seat of an RMAX, then you know that it doesn’t lack power. Yamaha won’t give us actual horsepower and torque numbers, but it gets down the trail just fine for a rec-ute side-by-side. Throw that engine into the X2, which is almost 200 pounds lighter, and you’ve got yourself a ripper.

The folks at Yamaha made sure to let us know that the X2 1000 was designed for East Coast riding, and we can see why. It’s small, nimble, and is smaller than the RMAX in every measurement. So when Yamaha invited us out to Brushy Mountain Motorsports Park in Hickory, North Carolina, to test the X2, we knew we had the right tool for the job. It’s important to note that Hickory is right in the heart of Appalachia, with rolling hills and tall mountains everywhere you look. Brushy Mountain Park mostly hosts dirt bikes and ATVs, two vehicles that are much smaller than your standard side-by-side.

The trails were narrow, far from easy, and would require slow, precise inputs to get through in most sport side-by-sides. Not so in the X2. The 63.6-inch wide frame made it feel right at home on the tight two-track.

A wheelbase of only 83.7 inches doesn’t come without its downsides though. On the East Coast, trails can change quickly. One minute you can be rolling down a gravel road at 60 mph, and the next you can find yourself staring up a rock climb. That stays true when it comes to Brushy Mountain Park.

The terrain quickly went from muddy water splashes and fast trails to downhill hairpins that test the articulation of your rig. Sadly for the X2, articulation isn’t one of its strong suits. On paper, it only has about an inch less wheel travel than the RMAX, which we’ve praised for its flexibility. But one factor makes it far worse, and that’s a rear sway bar.

The RMAX uses a neat system of only a front sway bar, maintaining stability at speed but still offering plenty of flex on tight, technical riding. Since the X2 is even shorter than the RMAX, Yamaha had to add stability any way it could, and that meant adding a rear sway bar.

A sway bar isn’t necessarily the end of the world for a side-by-side, but with less articulation, the X2 can feel tippy. That’s a problem considering the X2 is aimed at entry-level off-roaders looking for fun without breaking the bank. That lack of flex means even moderate obstacles can make the Wolverine feel uncertain. On the downhill hairpins, the X2 was quick to lift a wheel or two. It was just as quick to put them back down on the ground if you trusted it, but that experience can be scary for new riders, and can even turn them away from side-by-sides all together.

For experienced riders, this could just add to the adventure of off-roading. It’s not a Polaris RZR or a Can-Am Maverick. It’s a small machine that requires skill if you want to keep up with your group. It’s been a while since I needed a spotter and actually had to think about line choice in a side-by-side. The accomplished feeling of getting up an obstacle that your rig had no business being near makes the X2 special. There’s no pointing it at the obstacle and matting the throttle. The X2 1000 will climb just about anything you can find in an off-road park, you just need a good enough pilot.

For the average consumer, the Yamaha X2 checks all of the boxes. It has power, towing capacity, cargo space, and enough capability to make trails fun. For the longest time it lived in the shadow of the RMAX, and was near irrelevant last year. Yamaha changed that with the 1,000cc engine, and now the X2 1000 is back near the top of the rec-ute class with vehicles like the Polaris General and Can-Am Commander.

Size and lack of confidence on intricate trails aside, the 2024 Yamaha X2 1000 would be a fantastic entry-level rig. Enough power to keep up with your friends, great styling, and a reasonable starting price of $17,999 should earn it a spot on your list if you’re in the market. If you’re on the opposite side of the spectrum and are an experienced off-roader, you could still find yourself having a blast with the X2. The nimble chassis and quick handling keeps it interesting, and makes it well worth the MSRP.

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