Originally Posted by JerryLBell
When I was in the market for a 2017 Yamaha, I saw this and emailed the guy I talked to at Village Discount Golf about it. Here is what he had to say:
Thank you for your inquiry. I have read jane035657 threads on Totv, and I suspect the misinformation she is providing is a combination of sales tactics, and technical misunderstanding, and no fault of her own.
The 2017 Yamaha does not have a high performance clutch of any kind. It's absolute nonsense, and very troubling that dealers have to create selling points where none are needed. In fact,* it is a lower quality clutch then was installed on older models. Salesman's tactics for sure !
Yamaha changed clutches in 07 and again in 2012 1/2 and again in 2017. Though the current clutch works just fine and is sufficient it is not made with the same quality as the older models . The truth is the further back you go the heavier duty the clutch was, but that's ancient history.
I believe one dealer is just trying to create a stir , to sell more golf carts than another. These clutches engage from 0 mph to 5 mph. The clutch makes little to no difference between 20 and 25 miles an hour. Once the clutch is engaged to the belt at a very low speed it stays engaged unless you have faulty clutches.
There were some problems at the beginning of 2013 as thousands of clutches left the factory without enough oil in the clutch itself. The weights inside of the clutch did not slide properly and many clutches had to be replaced.
Also the 2017 EFI carts have an (ECM) Electronic control module, this is pre programmed and dictates the amount of fuel injected into the motor. The factory has tweaked the ECM on 2017 models to get maximum gas mileage and less exhaust emissions. As with most things there is a give-and-take. 2017 EFI models have less torque than previous EFI Carts , and far less torque than a carbureted cart. A carbureted cart will suck as much fuel into the motor as it needs , resulting in far more torque than an EFI cart. The only time this will be noticeable on a 2017 is going up a steep grade. Other than that the 2017 models are fine. Weaker but fine.
As far as the speed of your cart. It is my understanding that the Villages Golf Cars sets their carts at 20 mph , as it is our policy to do the same. On EVERY cart !* When it comes to recreational vehicles , we are all boys at heart, and we all want to go faster. But the problem is , the law is very clear in Florida. Subsequently In the event of a serious accident , collision , or ejection , law enforcement will* immediately impound the golf cart.* If their investigation shows that the cart was set over 20 Mph, it is literally Un Defendable for any dealer in a court of law. Even if it is found that the driver was at fault , the dealer will still be held liable for setting it at a speed in excess of* state law of 20 mph. We put in writing on every sale , our carts will be set at 19.9 mph for this reason. If Carts And Clubs chooses to make it public to set their carts at a higher speed just to sell more carts, as they obviously do on this forum, then we can only assume they are uninformed by counsel , or reckless , or both.
Finally the calls to Yamaha corporate office.* I suspect if Jane got to the right person, they would tell her the Motor performance is better at a higher speed. This has to do with the power curve that Motor is designed to put out. The reason for this is , Yamaha designs carts primarily for golf courses , and carts without a higher speed gear, and 10" high profile tires. When we (as we must do in The Villages), ad these performance options to a cart, and then combine that with Florida's 20mph speed limit laws,* the Motor never gets to optimum rpm in the power band of the Motor. Thus higher speed could be construed as better. That being said, Performance is one thing to consider , longevity is another. The lower the rpm, the better the mileage and longevity of your motor and drivetrain . Again always a give-and-take.
Unfortunately there is a plethora of misinformation on* Talk Of The Villages , and given to folks at golf cart dealers about golf carts,* both uninformed and with a specific purpose.
As far as what you do to your cart after you take delivery, is completely up to you sir. The feedback we get from customers is it is almost necessary to pass slower traffic. It is your property to do with what you wish,* and I can assure you , that many Villagers turn their carts way up on their own. We know this because we take trade-ins as you know , and a good amount of our trades have been turned way up, even if purchased from us, Village Discount Golf Car or the Villages Golf Cars , which I assure you , neither deliver the cart in excess of 20mph.
I will caution you that if you are cited for speeding over 20 mph , the ticket that they issue is failure to register a motor vehicle, not speeding. It is our understanding it's pretty expensive and requires the owner , to return a second time , to show proof that the cart no longer goes over 20 mph. This is not my area of expertise , I would suggest you ask others about the ramifications of being ticketed.
I hope this information helps , if you need to contact me directly please feel free to do so.
Warmest regards,
Sal Granata
Village Discount Golf Car
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