I was in Chaparral the other day, and they say they are selling on average 2 YFZ's each day. Now you know all these folks can't be MXers, so it is safe to assume that most of these bikes are being purchased by recreational riders. For some reason there is this assumption that the YFZ is some kind of "magic carpet" (and therefore now the standard by which all the other bikes are to be judged). I have now put in a few hours on a friends (bone stock) YFZ. Two weeks ago we spent a (hot) morning riding the dunes and open desert. And, today we did some mountain fire roads and (tight!/semi-technical) fast single track (the kind of stuff any recreational rider would do). I honestly have to say that I AM LEFT WONDERING WHAT ALL THE FUSS IS ABOUT????? At some point I have ridden most of the popular bikes now in production, so I have some basis for a comparison. And, my conclusion is that the bike is ok in some respects, but HARDLY EARTH SHATTERING and not the logical choice for a recreational rider.

On the positive side I would say the bike is a good jumper, corners like it is on rails, and it handles the whoops EXTREMELY well (YZ linkage no doubt). Everything else (including the power) is nothing that spectacular at all. And, a lot of people are in for a very rough ride, on that stiff suspension! Note that I have not MX'd the bike, so I can't comment on that. But I don't MX, and neither do most of you! The magazines always hype the latest machine to come out, and a lot of people have bought into it!

 

wtf?!?!?![img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-disgusted.gif[/img][img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-confused.gif[/img][img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-shocked.gif[/img][img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-confused.gif[/img] Are "we" suffering from sleep deprivation??


MIke

 

okay this guy is definitely on drugs...

 

stiff shocks?!?![img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-shocked.gif[/img], theyre fully adjustable you moron!

 

That's why the shocks are fully adjustable....[img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-happy.gif[/img]

 

I've ridden a bone stock one too, and I've ridden them with pipe and silencer, and ridden one with the 13-1 piston and lightened up etc. There is a big difference between stock and reasonably modified. A good handling quad that'll put a whoopin on piped Banshees up the hill and have a wide powerband IS something to fuss about. JMO

 

Come on, even the magazines say the suspension is MX stiff. The shocks were set for the owner, who is about my same weight, so they are in the ballpark. My point is that from all the hype, I was expecting to be wisped away on some fabulous ride. The overall machine just didn't impress me at all.

Someone who owns a particular bike will usually defend it, no matter what! Here is a candid opinion from someone who doesn't have to defend their purchase. My advice to any prospective "recreational" buyers is that you had better ride this one and be sure, before you spend your money!

 

I'm with recon on the ride thing, with one major caveat---I haven't adjusted any shocks, just ridden other people's YFZ. It's way stiff. That may adjust out, but he's got a point there.

 

[quote]
Originally posted by: reconranger
And, my conclusion is that the bike is ok in some respects, but HARDLY EARTH SHATTERING and not the logical choice for a recreational rider.q]

I guess since I'm a recreatioal rider, I didn't make a logical choice. Oh well. I'll get over it.

 

I want to launch one of those just to see what it's like to land with good suspension. I'm so used to the old Suzuki bottoming out, it's terrible!