i'm sure all who subscribe to Dirt Wheels, saw the race test between the slightly modded yfz450r and the ltr450... how about that "R", can't wait to hear all the justifying and rationalizing from the suzy owners. actually they are both great machines and everyone has their own opinions, that is what makes this sport great. but it was nice to open the pages and see and read that...

 

I will agree as a major fan of most quads in general, there is no arguing that Yamaha is at the top of there game in just about everything it makes, From the Best selling 4x4 (Grizz 700) to the best entry level racer made (Raptor 250) there is hardly any Yamaha bike that will not put a smile on your face and keep you out in the front of the pack!

 

Now if they would just do something with the X version,...like doing anyway with the R version front end.

 

Good to here. I'm a huge fan of the YFZ450R but, according to all the zuki owners (of course) the LTR is a much better machine. Glad to see a (semi) neutral review. Either way I think they are both great machines but, I prefer yamaha and think the YFZ looks are much nicer.

 

You'd think between the two, someone could go down to the plant down the road and show Toyota how to make an accelerator that won't stick and brakes that work.

Didn't read the article, but all the makers seem to be producing some good product. What would make be decide on which brand? First, how does the quad feel when I sit on it. Second, how much is it gonna cost me, and third, what kind of dealer network and support will I have locally.

 

You bring up a very good point. I had this conversation with a fellow rider just last weekend. The dealer networks and parts availability AND pricing should be things a prospective buyer checks out before purchasing a new quad. Alot of people just have no idea at how expensive KTM and CanAm can be when comes to replacement parts. They arent even comparable to the other makes out there. A league of their own for sure. And with CanAm, you can forget about your dealer stocking alot of parts inhouse because CanAm does most of everything that sells for under 20 bucks on a quanity package basis. If a CanAm dealer only sells 4 DS450s, be rest assured he isn't going to have swingarm bearings in stock simply because he has to buy 10 of them at one time...which would likely take 2 years to sell, if not longer. Money tied in inventory...ask anyone who has had issues with their Outlanders and ask about dealer support. Oh, the dealers try, but they are out to make money and CanAms ignorant and theft policies dont benefit anyone other than CanAm...not the dealer and not the riders.
No,..Im not picking on CanAm..thats an example. All of the OEMS have some kind of BS that hinders progress...just some more than others.

Stick with a brand with an established background in customer support and a good dealership to handle the deal. If your local dealer can get a good deal within a couple hundred bucks of your best out of town deal, it almost always more beneficial to you in the long run if you go local. That extra couple hundred bucks could pay big dividends if a problem does arise.

 

If you want to see some stealership BS you should check out Ray Fine Yamaha here in Chickasha, Oklahoma. I went to check on some rear wheele bearings for an old warrior. Wanted something like $78 bucks a piece. A PEICE! Plus he charges ME for shipping because they are out of stock. I could understand a special order but, for an item he was out of? Motosport $36 for a full kit.

I told him that I could get them for under $40 for both. Just glared at me stating something about OEM parts being much better quality. I told him that was fine. I would take my chances and swap them out 3 times and still be ahead.

Sometimes I think the dealerships hurt the Manufactures image.

 

When I tried purchasing my atv I went to a shop in Vancouver WA...First the finance guy told me that If i did not even have 3k down it would never go through and he was not going to waist the time...they also wanted almost 10k for the 09 YFZ450R SE for charges on Freight/setup....I laughed and walked out went to another shop down the road and got the bike with shipping/freight dropped, only a $850 downpayment and financed the rest for just over 7k....AMAZING how the same bike in the same town at 2 different dealerships can range so differently..Is that because of the Manufacturer? of course not its the dealer.....but does it reflect the manufacturer? YOU BET!!! for the inexperienced buyer they would of walked out of the first dealership with a total bad image of Yamaha and might of went somewhere else and bought a different machine.

Kind of like gas...How can 2 of the exact same stations selling the same gas have different prices? funny how it works huh

 

yes i definetly agree that dealerships can sometimes help or hinder the manufacture, i worked for chevrolet for ten years and am familiar with dealership politics. i think alot also has to do with product availability, and awearness. with sites such as this one, people can share, research, and review the current status of the atv market in attempts to purchase what works for us ie; parts, machines, etc. at an Honest fair price. for example i know the KTM450 is a great machine and a year ago i thought $13,000 or so was a fair price, but after information gathering and research. i simply believe the austrian makers are just overly proud. lol... anyway lets keep up the good work about informing each other so we can simply get what we pay for...