Got the new DW's the other day and there is a small piece about Yamaha coming out with a new 450 sport quad? DW's said next month they would have more info on it. Anybody got any inside info on it, what the cost will be, will the motor be "detuned" from the current 450 motor in the dirt bike, etc.? Thanks!!

 

Hopefully Yamaha paid a lot of attention to the aftermarket frames, make it lighter than 370LBS, didn't turn the motor into a gutless POS and they don't have any first year problems with it. If so I would get rid of my Raptor- well have to see what Honda comes out with as well. I hope there will be some defininte info in next month's DW.

 

Are you sure this isn't this this years Dirt Wheels April Fools joke?

 

FWIW, I've been hearing rumors about Yamaha's 450 quad for a while now. I doubt it's an April fool's joke, they usually like to go a little more out on the edge than playing up something that's really a possibility.

I've also heard it's in Yamaha's plans to offer it before Honda brings theirs out....

If it does come to be, expect significant detuning from the 450 bike - that part is guaranteed. However, it will be a great platform for modification. The big thing to hope for is they don't screw up the frame & don't have typical Yamaha first year issues.

 

hope it comes out this year and i hope its awesome i have to decide between a shee or a fourstroke maby a z400 but i would be nice to stay yamaha if i do go that way lata
-cory

 

The Yamaha 450f dirt bike has 4 gears. For the atv, I hope they add a 5th gear with reverse!

 

fifth gear, heck, why not a 6th? of course, i have never seen a quad with both a reverse and 6 forward gears... reverse first, then sixth...

 

what, never heard of the Warrior?!

 

I will laugh my a$$ off if Yamaha comes out with a new 450 sport quad before Honda. Nothing against Honda but all the speculation year after year and nothing. It would be kinda funny for Yamaha to come out with a 660 then a 450 sport quad while all Honda has is the outdated 400ex the whole time. Every manufacture has come out with a new sport quad in the last few years except one - Honda. Even Polaris of all people have a decent sport quad out.

 

No conversation about sport quads can end without someone bashing the poor, outdated, underpowered 400EX (that still somehow manages to be the most race winning current production quad).

Don't forget who started the recent resurgance of the sport quad. The 400EX may have the least stock power of the current crop of 400+ cc machines, but it's not by much. If you're on a 400EX and are losing races, I guarantee it's not the bike's fault..

I'm all for Yamaha bringing out a 450 machine to come and play, it would be a great addition to the current choices out there. However, everyone loves to gripe about how long it takes Honda to release models, but everyone also likes to gripe about the other manufacturers first and sometimes second year+ problems --- it's one or the other boys - good, solid product the first time - or be the guinea pig for the company that rushes to market. Don't b!tch about both.