first off i would like to say that i'm a newbie to the site. i was always a die hard yamaha and zuki fan but this past year i went out and bought a new 450 r and man let me tell ya i wasn't disappointed at all. don't get me wrong i like the yfz also, actually i will probably end up getting one of those pretty soon to. i guess let me go ahead and get to the point. every room i go to it's always yfz vs. 450r or vice versa. and everyone always says i would take the z over the r. i'm not a pro by any means but i'm a knowledge freak, and what i mean by that is that all i do is seat around and read about diffrent quads and try to learn as much about them as i can. every magazine i have read that shows the race results from last year the "450r" beats out the z just about everytime. not to say that the z doesn't bet the r also but the r "won" yes "won the majority of the time. also in the majority of the races there was twice as many yfz's than there was r's. if the yfz is so much better at the track than the 450r then whats going on? i always was told the proof is in the pudding and looking at the current standings, thats proof enough for me. i really don't want to get anyone mad or anything, i'm just trying to look at it in a serious point of view.

 

"Win on Sunday, sell on Monday" really works with you I see. It can be nice when your model quad wins a race and/or race series. In reality however, the quads used in GNC are highly modified and would crush a showroom stock quad in most instances. Last year Gust had the best modified quad, and it was a Suzuki. This year Natalie was able to get his 450R dialed in and step up his training regiment. In doing so he became almost unstoppable. These are just examples of what the quad is CAPABLE of, obviously there are few riders with the skill and $$ investment out there to even win a national, let alone a pro championship. Enjoy your R, and if you get a Yammie, then so be it. I really weight the GNC or GNCC wins about how I would correlate NASCAR standings with my next car purchase. BTW, if you are a Zuk fan why not the new Quadracer?

 

Ricky Carmichael is practically unbeatable right now. Does that mean he's on the best maching out of the box??? Nope. Money buys those wins.

Take a look at the mid level classses. The good ole boys who pay for things out of their own pockets. This the class that will always tell you which bike is going to be preferred by the masses.

I raced PWC for the last 12 yrs or so. Kawi always won in the Pro Stand up class. Why, because Mac was paid to win and he was the best. Was the Kawi the best ski out of the box? Hell no, the Yami SJ was ten times better. The SJ dominated the expert and novice level for years. If you wanted to win you were on one in this class.

Honda makes an awesome machine. Always has and always will. The R is more plush riding, more trail friendly, and easier to ride. Having ridden both I know that my YFZ hits harder than the R. I just prefer it more. Having said all of that, I wouldn't be ashamed for one second to show up at the local track or trails on an R.

Buck

 

Wonderfully said buck, I often find myself trying to explain to others that the pro standings arent an absolute measurement for the performance and quality of atv models and their accessories. Just because farr won on a honda doesnt automatically make honda king of the hill, nor gust on suzuki, ballance on yamaha, etc.

I like your comment on the mid level classes too, makes a lot of sense.

 

Ricky Carmichael has won on everything he has ever rode.Farr,Gust,Natalie same thing.I have the yfz and my buddy has a 450r and during the day we swap back and forth .Both are great quads!Ride them both and keep the one you like the best ,not the one evrybody else says is better.For enough money you can make either one of them fast.