Assault made a custom switch-panel
mounting system for the YXZari. They
installed a car-to-car radio system that
can also connect with other handheld
radios by Rugged Radios.
Assault Industries designed a custom
short-shift system with racer George
Hammel. It is comfortable to hold in your
hand while driving fast.
Assault’s quick-release steering wheel
system is nice to have. When you are
done driving your machine, you can take
it off, which helps with theft protection
and climbing in and out of the UTV.
Yamaha’s YXZ1000R is the first
high-performance sport UTV that
comes with a sequentially shifted and
manually clutched machine straight
off of the manufacturing line. While
the YXZ operates very well at the
sand dunes or in high-speed desert
areas, the Yamaha falters in rocks
and slow-speed sections. The clutch
is a component that tends to need
replacing, since the machine doesn’t
have a lot of low-end torque and lugging power. Barnett makes a clutch
system for the YXZ that includes a
new clutch and pressure plate that
will last far longer than stock, and
that is exactly what Assault installed
in the YXZari.
HANDLING UPGRADE
The YXZ1000R’s suspension does
one thing very well: it handles high-speed whoop sections like no other.
The shocks perform well in most situations that are very fast paced, but the
rear shocks tend to buck over jumps,
and the machine is a rough ride
at slower speeds. The most noticeable upgrade when we first drove the
YXZari was the Elka Stage 5 shocks.
They soaked up slow-speed chop in a
much smoother manner, which provides a better ride for the average
trail rider or recreational driver. The
Elkas also soaked up high-speed hits
better than the stockers, and the rear
shocks didn’t buck over jumps, which
is great for a fast driver or racer. The
Elkas changed the handling characteristics of the YXZ from a Corvette to
an extremely well-dialed-in ride like
a Ferrari.
In the controls department, Assault
installed their D-shaped, quick-re-
lease steering wheel and a short shift-
er that was co-developed by racer
George Hammel. They also incorpo-
rated their barrel-style heavy-duty
tie-rods on the YXZari. While the tie
rods don’t help the machine steer any
better, they are stronger and far less
likely to bend than the stock set.
Vision is very important in off-road-
ing, and Assault Industries knows this
quite well. They installed an over-the-
top lighting setup from KC Hilites that
includes two A-pillar-mounted dual
Flex LED lights, a 10-inch LED light
bar mounted to the front bumper,
and six Pro-sport lights mounted in a
spread on the roof of the YXZ. This sys-
tem called for a Yamaha alternator kit
and an XTC power-control harness
to tackle the lighting duties. Assault
installed two light-switch mounts that
they make for the machine.
ASSAULT PRODUCTS
This Yamaha has been fitted with
a bunch of products from Assault
Industries, including a custom roll
cage that is designed to be more
protective in a rollover compared to
stock. The safety features don’t stop
there. Five-point harnesses were
installed that are certified for racing,
and a front and full rear bumper were
added to the YXZari. The Assault team
installed its Bomber-series side-view
mirrors, along with its Stealth-series
center rear-view mirror. A quick-re-
lease fire extinguisher was also fitted
to the roll cage of the Yamaha. A
new product that Assault recently
released is their Hydration door bags,
which readily provides water with a
tube, like a hydration backpack, and
extra storage for the doors.
PROJECT UTV
