Interesting, is it me or does it look like yamah plastic in red with a 400 EX headlight set up ? If the showa shocks had the ressies out the side like the Yamaha it would almost be a look alike clone !

Rear on shot: notice how wide it is through the tank up front !!!

Yamaha plastic clone

Same dry weight but Yam has electric start, reports are yamaha 335 lbs when converted to kick start only. Forward kick !!! boy I hope it lights up easily.................

I can't see an oil tank anywhere visible, and there is a sight glass on the tranny cases
on the shifter side !!!
Sight glass above shifter tip

oh my shorely not, wet sump ! maybe thats how they intend to sort the dirtbikes lubrication problems.........................

1 inch shorter in the wheel base 1 " taller in the seat, 1/2" taller at the bars ?

again is it me or does the chassis look very 400 ex ish ?

well at least the Honda die hards can maybe get one next year...................

Kiwi

 

Im with you. Not too much original thinking on this one.

your links dont work for me

says Im not authorized

 

Follow the leader?

 

Not quite certain what lubrication problems your referring to Kiwi. I don't recall any lube problems over the last two yrs of models, and definately didn't have any on my 02'. As for the wet sump motor design it has been the same since the introduction of the motor in the dirtbike back in 01' when it was only available to Ryan Hughes of factory honda.

 

Honda stuck with the time proven 250R geometry, where the YFZ has more of an MXish chassis. This is no YFZ clone in any sense. I think the YFZ will have more specialized applications, where the TRX will be more of a general purpose machine (and therefore more mass appeal ????). Time will tell which marketing strategy was better. Hondas problem was that it was so late getting this thing to market.

 

Flynbryan, the first year was plagued with lubrication problems, there was a raft of Honda dealer issued updates on this, and excessive valve recession (poor airfliter) and piston ring problems (again linked to the air filter problem) and excessive clutch hub / plate wwear (again linked in in adequate lube volume).

To be fair to Honda it looks like they ironed out most of the problems for the 03 model but then it's still early day to some extent ?

If you had great service out of one then excellent, but alot of hard users had more than there fair share of engine problems.

Wet sump system is pretty old tech for a "racing" four stroke as is a single cam head design, good on Honda for being able to convince consumers this is "hi tech" by giving it a flash name "unicam" and simply not stating that the engine is indeed a wet sump system. When you read the detail they sure gloss up some pretty plain engineering.

Only good thing is the double row bearing in the axle carrier.........................

 

i expected more!

 

Me too.

 

Kiwi, the problems you mentioned have nothing to do with wet sump... All the oil in the world won't fix a valve recession problem... I'm no expert on the CRF, but I haven't heard any of those complaints over here on anyone's '02 models, nor can I find any references to any widespread "problem" on the web. In fact, if you go to thumpertalk and input "clutch problem" in the CRF forum, not a single post comes up - a search for "clutch wear" only brings up one post and it refers to someone with an aftermarket auto clutch.

Wet sump may be against the grain, but so do seperate engine and transmission oils on a 4 stroke, which I'd take anyday over a shared dry sump system.

Not sure why you're considering the engine "old tech" just because it is wet sump and has a single cam. Multiple cams do not increase power - and if you look at it, Honda's "unicam" setup is pretty ingenious. It's also pretty well known that the Honda head design develops better power than the YZ, with less compression. Seems to me that you're the one trying to use "buzz words" without looking at the real reasons and technology behind the madness.

 

Even though Honda is backing Farr and tagging the 450R as the "ultimate" race quad, I think that Yamaha brought a higher-spec machine to the table. Honda reduced compression, removed the titanium intake valves, and choked up the engine. The 450R has less wheel travel, too. Everything else seems to be comparable, but what will the weight difference really be when a bone-stock YFZ has the GYT-R kickstart kit on compared to the TRX? They both weigh 350lbs OTD...

I think that it would be stupid for Yamaha not to field a team now. If they don't show any support for their "racing" quad, buyers are going to flock to Big Red. I'm sure that they could pick up Gust or Ellis fairly easily. Come on Yamaha, let's go racing!!!