I have some seat time on the new 450. I have ridden a lot of cool quads in the last few years. Built 250r's, canons, honda's, kawi's and the list goes on and on. While it does not have fuel injection or a aluminun frame in my opinion it makes the dale feel like a beartracker on a mx track. While the new yzf450 is not perfect it comes close from the factory as a all around quad. It feels good on the track/trails and should be great in the dunes. The shorter gears on top should make it dune friendly in my opinion. I never get into 5th or even 4th on my raptor in the dunes most of the time. If i gear down i do, but then it hurts on the sand drags. The yamaha is powerful, light and well mannered. It should be more reliable than a cannon and there is going to be a huge aftermarket for it. So do you think the new yamaha is going to be the best quad made in the last 18 years??

 

No, but I bet it's one of the best. I have no seat time on it so I can't really say, I'm just judging by the specs and reviews. By the way it is YFZ not YZF.

 

Well, I bet the 450 will have a good following. I hope craycraft and trinity and who ever else make big bore kits for it. Id really like to see that machine rule all aspects. Like drag, mx, and xc. I can already see it killing in Mx and xc, but the 4 stroke drag scene is still ruled by those damn bombs.

-Nick

 

Was there this kind of talk when the Raptor first came out??? You know...."is the Raptor the best quad ever?"

 

Maybe it will be if it proves itself over the next year. I don't think it will be the best overall quad, I mean come on. A sport quad in general can't be the best overall quad because you've got utility quads, sport quads, sport utility quads. You can't sum it up with one. Maybe the question was meant to be about sport quads and then maybe the YFZ could be, but it's more a racer. Yes a racer can be used for trails but most guys I know may not pay that much to go trail riding especially with the yfz stiff race suspension and the high revving motor. I would think it wouldn't want to putt putt around in low gear really slow in some spots you get in the woods. Also no reverse hurts it for a trail bike. I don't know why people say who cares about reverse because if you're on tight trails, it's a b@tch getting off and pushing all the time. Well it ain't that hard I don't guess with these light quads but it's a lot easier with reverse. I still beleive if it can handle putt putting around a little in the woods or through creeks and such then it can be the best sport ever. Right now I guess I'll give it to the raptor, except for the handling and a good rider can compensate for that. The z second because of reverse (it's not that slow ridley, at least not on trails). Then the 400ex because it's proved itself. The yfz can quickly move up through these, I'm sure it's ahead of the ex now, but it can pass up the z because of the great power and the awesome handling. It might get the edge on the raptor because of the better acceleration and way better handling. It will just have to prove itself this next 6 months to a year.

 

Ridley,
Have you ridden one yet? I have and I have ridden it right next to a stock Z. Its not going to blow it out of the water as far as speed goes. I am sure it has alot of potential, but its a niche market that won't allow it to overtake a more genereal purpose quad, like a Z or a Raptor. I agree, for what you and I do and a lot of other people, yes its going to be the best quad available. But the best ever.....Honda 250R's have that sewn up for a while. You could still make a good argument that its still a better quad and it was made 17 years ago.
Don't get me wrong, I want one too.

 

I really hope it sells well because if it does yamaha will keep developing it and maybe get a race team together,and then other manufactures should follow with their race quads....But the thing is the raptor will probably outsell it because of all the people who know nothing about quads and see that it has the biggest engine and buy it.....I cant stand these poser people...THey go buy a raptor for their first quad ,cant ride worth a crap,wear nothing but shorts while they ride then sell it maybe a month later...

 

We ran a new 450 against a built 440 kawi and the yamaha put 1 1/2 in 300 and 2 1/2 in 660. The kawi was built to the max. (50 plus horse by trinity standards) the yamaha was stock. (15mins ride time) We did not have a stock raptor to line up with it out of 100 raptors. Yes it will kick z's butt, no if and butt

Ridley- one may be in the garage shortly. I have no need for 2 raptors. I do think that there is some more power to be found in that 450. 2mm overbore,piston, cams and port/ polish

 

Throw it on some independent scales, give the trans and frame some abuse, then we'll see.....oh yea, make sure Yamaha stands behind it. Which I hope they do for the consumers sake. Not flaming here, let's just see what burps surface, and how they're handled. [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-happy.gif[/img]

 

thats interesting 14, I raced a yosh 450 in a drag against a 450 last week in the parking lot of a dealer and the z450yosh kit put a pretty good licking on the Yammy. Dont get me wrong, we were talking about a fully built, 41fcr, ect, vs a stock stock stock, but it wasn't really a race. I was the heavy guy on the Suzy too.