Speed adjustment
 

Any negatives of adjusting the governor on a 2022 gas Yamaha Drive2, increasing the top speed from the factory set19 mph to 22 mph?
Will it effect drivability at lower speeds?
Asking for a friend, lol.

Well, it might earn you a lawsuit...

"My friend" told me it doesn't change anything except the top speed...

Why not enjoy the view at 19 mpg..

For 3 mph over the speed limit? Lol.
Not what I asked. All I wanted to know is if it will effect drivability at lower speeds. Thanks anyways. I was doing 17mph yesterday and was getting passed by several other carts like I was standing still. So I got to assume the carts passing me made an adjustment to their cart. I’m never in a hurry to go anywhere just curious if messing with the carts governor would effect overall drivability. Again thanks for the legal advice.

I suggest you ask a Sheriff's Officer for a correct answer; and find out from your dealer if the higher limit voids any mechanical warranty work.

It won't affect your low speed handling at all. If you bought your cart from The Villages they will take it up to 24mph for you. At least they would when I bought my 2021.

I have not verified it, but I was "told" the newer (EFI) carts could not be adjusted above 20 mph, which is where ours is set. IMHO, I would check with your insurance as well as the sheriff, as you may find out you have NO coverage in case of an accident, lots of fines and tickets, and possibly no warranty. We simply leave a couple of minutes early and arrive on time.

That model is an EFI, optimal fuel flow at any speed should be delivered by fuel injector. Shouldn’t effect low end performance at all, just not cut off fuel to the engine until cart reaches a higher top end speed. I personally wouldn’t set speed above 21 MPH just to play it safe. When riding alone without the weight of golf clubs and going on level ground or downhill at that setting you could still hit 22. Use trial and error and play with the setting to get it right.

Not true. It's very easy to increase the speed. Whether it's a good idea or legal is another discussion. lol

Thanks for answering the question I asked.
Semper Fi

My warranty does not cover drivetrain damage caused by adjusting the cart to exceed the 20mph limit. It implies that the parts cannot handle excessive speed but does not clearly state that nor does it say how fast is "excessive."

If money is the concern then consider that the cost of replacing parts is less than the cost of the ticket for having an unregistered vehicle. Based on first-hand reports on this forum, the likelihood of either is very low.

what does the 3 mph accomplish?

_______________________________________________
:censored:

I do enjoy the view and in no hurry to go anywhere I really just wondered if changing the factory speed limit effects the overall performance of your cart.

The performance issue I would be most concerned with is braking. The brakes on those carts are designed for the lower speed gears found on fleet golf carts used by golf courses. Converting fleet carts to personal transportation vehicles equipped with high speed gears factory set to max out around 19 MPH is already stressing the braking limits of the cart. Try getting the cart to full speed and slamming on the brakes as if someone just cut in front of you. After doing this I determined it would be best to not modify the speed governor to go over 20 MPH (the cart still sometimes tops out at 21 MPH when I’m driving alone on level or a downhill surface).

Can't answer your question but I can offer an FYI that was mentioned in another response.
Few years ago we were hit while stopped at a stop sign and our cart totaled. One of the 1st questions the insurance adjuster asked me was if the speed had been adjusted higher because insurance might not cover us even though the accident was not our fault.
This is not meant to influence you just an FYI.

Thanks!

I would tell your friend not to do it.

It will NOT affect "drivability at low speeds". However, driving at speeds above 19 mph, WILL negatively affect the following:
Braking time and distance will be increased.
Steering will be compromised.
More stress on the clutch internals.
More wear on the drive belt
Might cause more wear to the engine
Wallet might feel a little lighter

I adjusted mine. It only took about 10 minutes. No effect on anything other than my ability to go faster when I want to pass that guy going 16 MPH.

The pundits on here assume that just because you Can go 23 you have too. My car will go 110 MPH but I control the speed with the gas pedal. Rumor has it that you can do the same in a golf cart.

Not a bit.

All the people here saying don’t do it must not be the ones I see on the MM paths. Almost everyone is going over 20 and more like 23. JMO

I believe the law is, if the cart is CAPABLE of more than 20 MPH, it's no longer considered a golf cart and insurance may be void. Not if you're going more than 20 MPH.

Whether or not you decide to take that risk is up to you.

My electric cart maxes out at 20mph. Can't go any faster unless going downhill, when the speed controller cuts in to slow it back down. Yet, I constantly get tail-gaited and passed by gas carts going well above 20mph. If the local police wanted to make a ton of money in The Villages, all they would need to do is to put in a few speed traps, and hand out tickets for unregistered motor vehicles. There is no reason to pass me in a golf cart if I am going 20mph.

Same can be said for Florida turnpike, Morse blvd, 466, 466a, the street behind my house, except not golf carts, regular cars speeding.

I was in the same situation.
The insurance adjuster never asked if the speed was adjusted.

When I bought a new 2018 Yamaha Drive2 cart, both Carts and Clubs and The Villages Golf Car store offered to set the max speed up to 22 or 23 before delivery subject to signing a waiver of some sort.

I considered making the same adjustment to my cart just in case I needed the extra speed for a quick pass of another cart. After giving it some thought I decided against it because I like to be able to just put the pedal to the floor and not have to worry about keeping my speed at or below 20 MPH. Plus, I like to keep things simple so my cart has no speedometer and no need for one since it tops out at the legal limit. The only instrument I have in my cart is an old fashioned compass, just in case the sun isn’t showing itself and I need to calibrate my direction.

Going to a taller tire will also give you a speed boost.

Governor
 

Was done for me at the villages golf cart.

Zip Tie the mechanism … max it out and enjoy the cold air in your face… there are no cops, so don’t worry about tickets.. if you get in a wreck you are screwed ! Is it worth it? Tell your friend to leave the governor alone

I think on the quiet techs you can set it to 24 mph and except for top speed you won’t notice any difference.

Cart Speed
 

No issues with "tuning up" your cart. All you're doing is adjusting the governor spring tension and that doesn't effect anything but gas flow when the throttle is open. Laws, lawsuits, etc. are separate issues. Opening the governor full will get you to about 24 mph on that cart which is where most of those passing you are already set.

If you want to give it an extra kick, you can get about 1 mph increase for each 1" diameter you add to your tires. Also, for about $600 - $800 and the cost of the mechanic (if you're not one) you can get a "speed gearing kit" to replace the original gear ratio (think rear end in a car) and those can kick up the speed by 5 mph or more with the loss of some low end torque. FYI, even Yamaha sells the gear kits for some of their buggies. The added 5+mph can have a detrimental effect on your braking distance, but the governor changes are barely noticeable.

All said, no mechanical issues with adjusting the governor.

Thanks !

Thanks to those who answered my question. Now is there a way I can close this topic?

Google is your friend…

https://youtu.be/T8a0gV3Q_bg

No you’re good! I ran my governor all the way out a year ago no issues yet!

According to my friend, no difference in slower speed performance, just higher top speed

Speed Adjustment
 

We purchased a used 2017 Club Car that had a 17mph max speed. The wife had a company change the Governor to 22mph. At slower speeds, while trying to hold a steady speed, the cart would jerk and buck like a racehorse. So in our case, it did effect the slower speed driving. We took the cart to The Villages GolfCart in Spanish Springs and they fixed the issue. We do not have a speedometer, but the cart does work fine now at approx. 22mph top end.

Reading all of these replies I find that they omit/ignore two basic issues:
1. Did the cart come with a high-speed rear end? This will change the top speed by allowing the rear wheels to turn at a higher rate based on the same number of rpm's that the engine is turning.
2. If you turn the governor up to allow the engine to turn more rpm's you run the risk of oil splashing up into the engine's cylinder head and eventually burning up the piston. This used to be the manufacturers owner's manual. Most of the cart gas engines use an oil spash system, not an oil pump to lubricate the engine.

I can't believe how many rumors and how much bs there is about golf carts. People really ought to seek out authoritarian sources, not rumor mongers who don't know. How many times do we hear "I hear..." in conversations. Be careful who you believe!