Yamaha introduces new race-ready ATV
June 6, 2003 – Yamaha has seriously upped the ante in the sport ATV category with the introduction of the all-new YFZ450. Unveiled on June 4 at the company's annual dealer meeting in Las Vegas, the two-wheel-drive sport ATV boasts the industry's highest four-stroke power-to-weight ratio coupled with a fully-adjustable race-ready suspension.
The
YFZ gets its power from the same mill as the race-proven YZ450F motocrosser.
The high-tech liquid-cooled five-valve single (right) has been sleeved down
from 449cc to 439cc to make the ATV eligible for the ATVA's 440 Class and fitted
with a five-speed transmission, à la Yamaha's WR450 enduro bike. The four-wheeler
comes standard with an electric starter, but diehard racers can replace it with
an optional kickstart-only kit to shave even more weight off the machine's already
svelte 350 pounds.
Then
there's the suspension. In keeping with the 450's race mission, the tuning fork
company has specd premium nitrogen-filled gas reservoir shocks (left) all around.
The rebuildable units are fully adjustable for rebound, compression and preload,
and give the YFZ an impressive 9.1 inches of travel in front, and 10.1 inches
in back. The rear hooks up via a trick, lightweight cast-aluminum swing arm
and subframe manufactured with processes derived from Yamaha's R1 superbike,
while braced aluminum alloy upper A arms help keep things under control up front.
In
addition to the kickstart kit (right), Yamaha is offering a host of optional
accessories to support the YFZ's race mission, including competition nerf bars,
exhausts, skid plates, jet kits and extended rear axles.
Look for the YFZ450 in your dealer's showroom this June with an MSRP of $6,899 in red/white or Team Yamaha Blue/white.
In other ATV news, Yamaha has released a new Raptor 50. Based on the Raptor 80, the 50cc machine features floorboards and an automatic transmission. The company has also added a new value-priced utility ATV to its lineup, the Bruin 350, priced at $4,999 for the 4x4 version, and $3,999 for the 2WD model.
Other changes to the lineup include the addition of a differential lock rev limiter override button to the Grizzly 660 and Kodiak 450 models, and a limited-edition metallic red paint scheme on the Grizzly 660.
See the entire line of Yamaha ATVs at the company's website, www.yamaha-motor.com.
