I have read a lot of smack on the Yamaha site that the 450 is going to smoke every quad out there. Well I actually had the chance to ride with and against one last weekend on my almost stock predator. My brother and I both have a pred, mine has a k&n and is geared to a 13 38, and my brothers has just the k&n. This is how the ride went.

We should all be proud of our selves because the predator can actually hold its own against the 450. Mine is almost identical and my brothers is 5 mph faster in the top so his would pull away from the 450. The 450 is a great handling machine and I don't have any complaints against it, but all those yamaha guys really should race a 450 before they talk smack. I have read a ton where guys say that to pipe and air box mod the 450 and it will really lay the smack down. Sure it would, if we were to put 1500 more into the engine we would smoke them. Next time I go ride with the 450 I am hoping to have mine piped and then we will see how they compare.

 

let that thing breath a little more and you'll see the samck down for a while...

 

There were a couple of great ride reviews "over there", and the hype sure quieted down quickly. Nice machine, don't get me wrong, but it's not the only nice machine out on the market right now, and with mods, they're all gonna fly. [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-happy.gif[/img]

 

Ugh, you're saying your quad has a bigger engine already and a couple of mods (albeit not that many mods) and you could just hang with it. This doesn't sound like a success story to me. Everyone says the 450 is just waiting to be tuned right and I beleive that also. I love preds, but you said people were saying if you take the airbox off on the 450 and pipe it then it will lay the smackdown, and your complaining. You and your brother already have mods and this guy didn't so I wouldn't complain about them getting mods.

 

I was the YFZ 450 he raced. I was impressed with his predator and I really like my bike as well. I think the predator has more hop-up future than the YFZ. I dont think we will see any 500 or 550 kits for the YFZ in the next couple years. I liked how fast my bike is stock. It will get a pipe and I will be done. If Kakka wanted he could dump 2 grand into his engine and it would be faster. So if you are a guy that likes to drag race the Predator is going to allow you to spend more money and go faster. But if that is what you do I would look towards one of the big-bore 600+cc bikes or a banshee. I think if you want a fast aggresive good riding machine you cant go wrong with the YFZ or the Predator. Dave

 

Or you could go the other way and get the rumored 440 cylinder for the Predator...They're all good, pick your fave, and have a blast. [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-happy.gif[/img]

 

ive never seen a yfz/pred race but it should be close the pred having 40cc over the yfz but the yfz weighing less, but lets put it this way put a person who has never ridn a wheeler b4 on the fastest one and put a pro on a trx 90 and send em down a trail whats gunna happen, experience is life in this game,

 

2 weekends ago my nephew raced a dmc piped yfz 450 at dumont and beat it every time. then after a bit the person on the 450 came over and complimented me on how nice my pred was. he was impressed. very nice guy. he took the beaten like a man.[img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-cool.gif[/img]

 

Well I have raced against predators and I can't remember ever getting beat by one.

 

P.S. and belive me I gotten many a beat down, but every time I lost I learned something about the 450 and it can be manipulated to perform beyond any expectations.