Yamaha YXZ1000R and Driven Racing Oils
- Updated: August 3, 2016
I wrote in an article two years ago entitled “DRIVEN To Win”, it was about the oil that I felt and still feel is one of the best kept secrets in the UTV Racing world – Driven Racing Oil. Fast forward a few years and that definitely hasn’t changed. Driven is one of, if not the best performance oils in world today. Many top engine builders from off road desert trucks, such as Kroyer Racing Engine’s, to the Joe Gibbs NASCAR team rely solely on Driven. Driven is also used in the Gibbs/Yamaha Racing MX and SX bikes. What Makes Driven different from other oils? It’s born from Joe Gibbs Racing and it’s formulated specifically for all-out race and high performance engines.
Since the release of the new Yamaha YXZ, our UTV Scene/Yamaha Motorsports/Double E Racing team have been helping Driven develop and figure out which oils were best for the YXZ. Our team exclusively uses Driven for everything involved in our team, from grease to oil to cleaning. Driven uses extensive laboratory testing on all the oil samples we send them to determine the amount of contaminants, determine how parts are wearing and most importantly to figure out the best oil to use in a particular application. These results also tell us many other things, such as oxidation, fuel dilution, wear metals and how much dirt is in the oil. They also tell how the machine was used and what condition the internal parts are in, giving Driven all the information needed to help them to further their product line.
With all this, here’s what we’ve done to keep our YXZ in tip top condition…
Motor
First, if the YXZ is brand new, we strongly suggest using Driven’s BR40 break in oil. The Driven BR Break-In Oil provides the correct balance of “Fast Burn” Zinc additives and low levels of detergents to quickly establish a sacrificial anti-wear film throughout your engine. Rapidly establishing this anti-wear film in your engine provides a lower wear break-in and extends engine parts life. Long story short, the BR Oils provide incredible benefits such as exceptional ring seal and longer part life by getting the anti-wear film established quickly. After about 15 hours, it is time to change the BR40 and there are two choices. The choice basically comes down to the owner and how diligent he/she are at maintenance. If the owner prefers longer oil change intervals, we suggest XP9, as full synthetic oil. If the owner is anal and changes the oil routinely, we suggest the semi-synthetic XP7. The XP7 is a less expensive, but there is no performance loss between the XP7 and XP9.
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Front and Rear Differential
We suggest DT40 in both the front and rear diff’s. We have tested many different lubricants, gear oils, etc. and the DT40 has shown the best results.
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Clutch/Transmission
We suggest MX1. MX1 was developed by the Gibbs MX team, specifically designed for wet clutches. Our team just changed the clutches in our race car after 668 miles of racing and testing. When we pulled the clutches, they still looked brand new and measured less than 0.001 difference in the new fibers and metals. Basically, we had almost zero clutch wear under extreme racing conditions.
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Grease Zerks
We suggest EPC (Extreme Pressure Grease).
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General lube
We suggest Speed Lube
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Cleaner/Degreaser
We suggest Speed Clean. This is a foaming cleaner that works on almost everything. It is great as a degreaser or just spraying the car down after washing to get all the residue and stains off.
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Show and Shine
There are two products here that are off the hook as far as I’m concerned. Race Wax is a spray on waxy film that helps keep things looking new and leaves a protective film. Speed Shield is very similar to the very popular Maxima SC1 product (which is also very good stuff no doubt). Speed Shield leaves and incredible shine and a residue that helps prevent mud from sticking.
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The YXZ is an incredible machine and the durability we have had through 668 miles and 31 hours of racing is a true testament to Yamaha and the Driven products we use.
Driven has many other products. Check out their website at drivenracingoil.com for a list of all products. As stated above we use Driven products in everything our team uses, including our Diesel Truck and Generators. If you have any questions or want information on how to order Driven products, feel free to give me a call at Double E Racing.
