Machined Sheave for a X2/X4 Wolverine

We will do this in a FAQ style

What is a machined sheave?

This is the main movable sheave in the clutch of the X2/X4. What we are doing by machining it is manipulating the belt travel.  We are moving the belt lower in the primary clutch and higher in secondary clutch for better take off, better slow speed power or torque, kinda like adding a lower gear to it but through the clutch.  On the top end we are machining it so it goes faster and at a lower RPM so an overdrive of sorts. We have achieved what we call max safe to max safe.  You can't manipulate the belt on this vehicle any more than we are doing without problems.  The belt will hit something or the rollers will get cut.  Do NOT add any more shims to this clutch, you must use it exactly as we send it to be successful.

What weight of weights do I run with your sheave?

If you have stock tires 26" to 27" then run 20gr with it, if you have 28" to 30" then run 18gr. 30" and over has not been decided on as of today.

What is top speed with your machined sheave?

Top speed varies, you are stuck at 50mph unless you have a ECU flash or other programming device that gets by the speed limiter.  As of today the only way is Weller Racing ECU FLash.  Now our goal was 60 mph with stock tires and we achieved that and as high as 62mph with 28" tires.  So we just can't tell you the exact top speed gains with the sheave, too many factors to take into account like windshields, large tires, weight of machine, health of the machine.  What we can tell you is, that if you do a ECU flash and a machined sheave then your physical limitations will be gone.

What is this white stuff all over the sheave and weights? 

That is our Nano Particle dry lube coating, if want a more detail explanation click this link Link to lube info  SHort version, that is really slick stuff, do not spray it off with brake clean, let it do it's magic it has to be used to push those nano particles into the pores of the metal to provide a super slick surface.  Once in the pores with use, you can't be removed from the pore even if you spray it off with brake clean during maintenance. Here is anothe article from our site that discusses this if you are not bored by now!!!  Link to Article Two about Lube

Why did it take so long to get this out?

Several reasons but the reason you will be most interested in is we simply thought it would be like other yamaha vehicles we have done in the past and could do what we did before.  Well about a dozen sheaves now made into paper-weights and a countless number of sets of weights that we could only use one time we were wrong.  This new design was a whole lot harder to do and required way more testing to make sure it was right and to fix some small issues that really do not affect much that were present in sheaves past.

What is main advantage of using a machined sheave?

Like always, lower lows, higher highs, lower cruising rpm and get to go greaseless!!  Stock machines run around 50, with the required Weller Racing ECU flash you can run around 60 mph, as of this writing we ran 62 mph with 28" tires on a hot day!!!  You can get bigger tires going easier which makes it easier on the wet clutch.  You can creep around technical riding easier as well.

Is there any downside to running this new sheave?

None except you are lighter in the pocketbook!!  J/K!! Yamaha finally made the cover big enough so the manipulating we do still has plenty room for the belt in the cover.  We are presently not warning against any tire size with this sheave.

Why are you not changing the secondary spring like other yamaha vehicles you did in the past?

If you ever see this spring you will know why, it looks like it came off the front end suspension of a ton truck, simply not needed. We can manipulate sheave weights and machining of the sheave for best results without a spring. Spring rate on the OE spring is around 450lbs compared to less than half of that for a Rhino.

Does this help in any other way?

Yes for sure, lowers your cruising rpm once you get around 40 mph or so.  With flash we saw 8600 rpm at 56 mph now we see 7700 but I have 28" tires so with stock that is probably 7800-7900 which is still much lower.  This means you are not only quieter but not blowing your engine up at higher speeds.  You get to go greaseless too for much easier maintenance and no grease to deal with.

Is it still greaseless?

Yes, we have not done grease since 2008

Did you machine the towers where the slides like other sheaves?

Yes, while not as big of an issue on this sheave as others, we felt like it still needed to be done

Why is this sheave higher than the others but no spring in kit?

Main reason is simply cost, not as much as the cost of the parts we are selling you but the cost of doing this.  We bought a new X2 to test on, bought a adventure pro to get GPS speed and RPM, bought tires and wheels for testing larger tires, paid a CNC programmer to do all the programming which was more than any other sheave before due to the way the sheave is made plus the numerous attempts to get this exactly right and having to do it all over again numerous time.  We had to build a whole new holding fixture in the CNC machine as well and on that note, the time in the CNC is four times the amount of time to machine one as other sheaves.  Depending on whether you think my time is worth anything or not, but this took me way more time than any other. Then you have to compare cost to what you will sell and profit on, this will take us a long time to recoup the investment.  If you really want to know why we did it at all, is was loyalty to the Yamaha crowd, you are who brought us to the dance back in 2004 and we want to continue dancing with you.

Are you still recommending and using Tinkseal in the center hole?

Yes we are shipping this sheave with Tinkseal for the center hole just like other sheaves we do.