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2010
Yamaha YFZ450R ATV |
Bowling Green, KY - ATVriders.com
had the opportunity to test ride 2010 Yamaha YFZ450R
at Ballance Moto X, which hosted Round 2 of the
AMA ATV Motocross Nationals, and I along with
Pro ATV MX Racers Harold Goodman and Keith Little
test rode the nearly stock YFZ450R at Ballance
Moto X right after the completion of National
ATV Motocross race, so we could see how the YFZ450R
performed on a true national motocross track.
Ballance Moto X is located in Bowling Green,
Kentucky, which is the home of 9-time GNCC Pro
ATV Champion, Bill Ballance, and Bill’s
uncle John Ballance owns and operates Ballance
Moto X. The track is located among wooded mountains
and rolling foothills, all of which were incorporated
into the track design. Ballance Moto X is a
state of the art facility that features many
elevation changes that include long ski-like-style
jumps, table tops, extended straight a ways,
and a short double section through the woods
that is shaded by the sun. These track elements
were developed with the help of Bill Ballance
himself!
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| 2010
#12 Keith Little - Pro ATV Motocross Racer |
2010
#708 Harold Goodman - Pro ATV Motocross
& GNCC Racer |
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| Jeff
Vanasdal - ATVriders.com Test Rider for
the YFZ450R ATV |
The stock Yamaha YFZ450R is an all around great
ATV, and I have been blessed to have ridden
the YFZ450R on many local MX tracks, out in
the deserts of California, and in the back woods
of the South, but never had I tested the YFZ450R
on a National ATV Motocross track, so I was
extremely excited about this opportunity with
special thanks to John Ballance for allowing
ATVriders.com access to the track. It was also
exciting to have both Harold Goodman and Keith
Little both riding a stock YFZ450R for the first
time on the same national track that they just
competed on for two motos with their fully modified
race quads.
The only modifications I did to this YFZ450R
before coming to Ballance Moto X were the addition
of GYTR nerf bars and a GYTR kill switch; both
are required for safety if you want to race
Motocross. We started the test right out of
the gate by having Keith, Harold, and I take
the YFZ450R around the track for 5 laps.
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| To
make the YFZ450R ATV race ready, a G?YTR
kill switch (above left) was installed
along with GYTR nerf bars (above right),
which are safety requirements to race
at any AMA ATV Motocross event, and the
only other addition was smaller motocross
specific tires & wheels, but otherwise
the YFZ450R was stock
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As you may know, Keith and Harold practically
grew up racing and had been very competitive
through out their years racing and they have
both won their fair share of titles. “This
was my first time on a YFZ450R and I was pretty
impressed!” said Harold. “It’s
not often that I get a chance to ride a stock
ATV on an MX track.”
