Our first impressions of the Viking were that
Yamaha had improved on styling over that of
the Rhino. It is very similar to the Yamaha
Rhino, but it looks a bit more aggressive and
refined with its wider stance, which we really
liked. The Viking comes in several colors, Steel
Blue, Hunter Green, Red and Realtree (camo).
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2014 Yamaha Viking 700 SxS |
Being the first true three-seater Side-by-Side,
we did have our doubts about there being enough
room in the cabin and the overall comfort of
the riders, but all doubts were laid to rest
once we climbed in. The Yamaha Viking offers
three bucket seats instead of bench style seating.
The seat positions are comfortable and there
is plenty of leg room, even for taller riders.
The low seat height really made us feel like
we were sitting in the machine, which gave a
secure feeling.
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2014 Yamaha Viking features an industry
first three bucket seats with 3-point
seat belts |
Despite having three seats in a row, the Yamaha
Viking boasts a larger cabin space than its
closest competitor and has a noticeably wider
stance than the Yamaha Rhino, which was only
56.6” wide compared to 61.8” on the Viking,
which is over seven inches wider. With three
people inside, it was easy to ride and comfortable,
not cramped like we had anticipated. One thing
that really helps is the center seat is reclined
an additional five degrees for added shoulder
clearance between the outside seats.
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An above view of the 2014 Yamaha Viking
700 SxS |
Another feature with the seating that we thought
was great is that the floor boards are raised
and provide a nice wide flat area for the center
passenger for a more comfortable ride, and there
is ridge between the center floorboard and the
driver’s side to prevent the passengers foot
from accidentally sliding over onto the gas
pedal while in motion.
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The
Yamaha Viking has plenty of flat space
for your feet & the center section
is rasied for the middle passenger |
The
Yamaha Viking features a sweeping hand
hold bar for both passengers, which is
also adjustable & removable |
Another nice advantage of the buckle seats
is that each passenger has a 3-point seatbelts
instead of just a lap belt for the center passenger,
which is a great added feature. In addition,
Yamaha has added a sweeping bar hand hold along
the dash, which allows both passengers something
to hold onto during the ride. This is a key
feature that is often overlooked, but is a very
important feature for provided for a more comfortable
and safe ride.
