dirt wheels 450 shoot out

[chrisrzz1012]

Well here we go again. The number one reason why I don't read dirt wheels mag. that much. They picked the YFZ over all the others. One little brief statement. They must get a TON OF MONEY from Yamaha. YFZ #1 quad for 450 class, B.S. !!! I do believe the ATV Sport shootout more then Dirt Wheels aka ( Yamaha's ATV magazine). They said that the YFZ is the cheapest to buy, B.S. I guess they forgot about Honda's 450r ( both versions) being less. I won't renew my subscription because of there Yamaha Laening ways. Whats next The 350 Raptor beats the 400ex, DVX-400 and LTZ-400z in a shootout. Mark my words that will happen in that magazine.

[450raider]

NO :mad:, no sir the 350 wont "beat the 400's"....the 250 will :D , but yeah DW or yamawheels are morons i like how they marked bad things about the R saying "it looks dated" but.....it dont!? so idk about them, as useless as their info is they are still the biggest mag.

get Quad Magazine its amazing! Its always interesting, theres helpful tips, still stories and letters from people, cool poster in every issue, build stories and pictures, funny comments, great trips that they have taken and pictures included... I mean it has everything. I used to read dirtwheels but it got old quick, it was like the same thing every issue and there wasnt much but advertisments and yes the yamaha owning everything.

[416exfreak]

To me, the 450r looks dated.

Look at the aggresive lines of the other 450's and look at the honda. It looks like a big dude punched it in the front end.

They ultimately said that if you could afford it, get the KTM, but if you couldnt, they still choose the YFZ as the winner.

It had the least complaints. Plus Yamaha updates it every single year making it better and better. All it needs now is EFI and it would be perfect.

[Hondamaster5505]

Did you ever stop to think yamaha actually makes some quality stuff?

The YFZ is on the cheap side, still one of the fast, and excellent shocks/handling.

They make a billion changes to the YFZ all the time, while Honda hasnt even touched theirs really.

When they did the shootout of the rappy 250 vs the 300ex, I completely agree why they chose the Yammy. Its nimbler, just as quick, more stylish, and better handling. Just ask Pappy, his son ran consistantly faster laps on the stock raptor then their 300ex.

In the test between the 350 rappy and 300ex, the 300ex did win. It won because they said the 350 was mediocre suspension and it was on the rough side. The only place it was better is power.

Im sure if Hondas won all the shootouts, you wouldn't think they're biased because you like Honda:mad: :grr: :rolleyes:

Originally posted by Hondamaster5505
Did you ever stop to think yamaha actually makes some quality stuff?

The YFZ is on the cheap side, still one of the fast, and excellent shocks/handling.

They make a billion changes to the YFZ all the time, while Honda hasnt even touched theirs really.

When they did the shootout of the rappy 250 vs the 300ex, I completely agree why they chose the Yammy. Its nimbler, just as quick, more stylish, and better handling. Just ask Pappy, his son ran consistantly faster laps on the stock raptor then their 300ex.

In the test between the 350 rappy and 300ex, the 300ex did win. It won because they said the 350 was mediocre suspension and it was on the rough side. The only place it was better is power.

Im sure if Hondas won all the shootouts, you wouldn't think they're biased because you like Honda:mad: :grr: :rolleyes:

ok but pappys son did better and got a raptor 250 because it fit him better because it was smaller. Put a small kid on a bigger machine what do you think? I like the raptor 250 but no way would I choose one over the newer 300ex's. You could call me biased but I stick to my guns because I see how great Honda is. They may not have the newest up to date stuff but they will always last and keep running strong. Sure Honda needs some improvments on their 400ex and 450r other than "BOLD new graphics" but they are still winning races and still being sold. I rode a YFZ and i didnt like it. It felt awkward and yamaha's are genreally known for having problems.

[Hondamaster5505]

Originally posted by FoxHondaRider
and yamaha's are genreally known for having problems.

hmm, thats funny. We have owned TONS of yamahas.

Plus, every single warrior we see for sale is still on stock bore, even if its an 89:huh

damn things never need rebuilt

[TRUE]

shootouts are nothing more than expressions and opinions. is it right to call staff at dirtwheels morons?
look around on this site, everyone including their brother says honda is the best. yamaha has a great quad!

if yamaha could make the yfz450 have four valves, efi and aluminum chassis it'll be the greatest 450! (expressions and opinions)

Originally posted by Hondamaster5505
hmm, thats funny. We have owned TONS of yamahas.

Plus, every single warrior we see for sale is still on stock bore, even if its an 89:huh

damn things never need rebuilt

stock bore 89 means nothing to me. My uncle has stock bore original spark plug from the 80's every thing the same on his Honda 200sx and his Honda 3 wheeler. He grew up riding the same quad and three wheeler he still rides today and nothing has been changed they still run like a top.

[450raider]

about an earlier post, when i said the hondas arent dated looking, well in my opinion theyre not but where i was getting at was that yamawheels shouldnt just put something looks bad on the "cons" side, i mean its cool if they just jotted down that they dislike it but they took point or whatever off models for it (not just the R)

[TWISTED]

Originally posted by Hondamaster5505
hmm, thats funny. We have owned TONS of yamahas.

Plus, every single warrior we see for sale is still on stock bore, even if its an 89:huh

damn things never need rebuilt


Hard to destroy a Warrior!!!!! If there's such a thing as a bulletproof engine, the Warrior certainly has one.....

[NJ450rider]

Atvriders shootout is the correct one to take seriously. Dirtwheels testriders/staff are a bunch of nonriding idiots. There is no way in hell the yfz gets beat by only one other 450. Out of the 7 450's i give the yfz 6th place. Only because it handles barely better than the ltr450. Ktm, can am, kawi, and polaris's 450's are definalty better machines than what suzuki,honda, and yamaha currently offer.

[Hondamaster5505]

Originally posted by TRUE
shootouts are nothing more than expressions and opinions. is it right to call staff at dirtwheels morons?
look around on this site, everyone including their brother says honda is the best. yamaha has a great quad!

if yamaha could make the yfz450 have four valves, efi and aluminum chassis it'll be the greatest 450! (expressions and opinions)

im pretty sure the YFZ has four valves...

but yeah, aluminum frame and efi and it would be sick!

[NJ450rider]

yeah yamaha went back to 4 valves in 05 or 06. maybe 07 though lol i dont remember..

[416exfreak]

The YFZ has a 5 valve engine, just like it has had since 2004 when it was first released.:huh

<b>Engine
Type 449cc liquid-cooled w/fan, 4-stroke; DOHC, 5 titanium valves

Bore x Stroke 95.0mm x 63.4mm

Compression Ratio 11.4:1

Carburetion Keihin 39mm FCR w/throttle position sensor

Ignition DC - CDI

Starting System Electric

Transmission 5-speed; wet multiplate clutch

Drive Train 2WD; sealed O-ring chain, eccentric adjustment </b>


**taken from Yamaha's website.;)

[m.h.s.c.#527]

Originally posted by NJ450rider
yeah yamaha went back to 4 valves in 05 or 06. maybe 07 though lol i dont remember..

beat me to it

[jesseweaver]

Originally posted by TRUE
shootouts are nothing more than expressions and opinions.

thats true, so you gotta look at their records. honda has won many many more races and championships than yamaha or any other brand has. im sure it will change soon though, seeing how much interest honda has in the atv market...:(

Originally posted by jesseweaver
thats true, so you gotta look at their records. honda has won many many more races and championships than yamaha or any other brand has. im sure it will change soon though, seeing how much interest honda has in the atv market...:(

records dont really tell anything its the ridder, yamahas are good quads overall and I dont see why they cant be the best 450 out right now.

[jesseweaver]

Originally posted by Polak1035
records dont really tell anything its the ridder, yamahas are good quads overall and I dont see why they cant be the best 450 out right now.

exactly, its the rider. the riders choose honda, dispite the awful support they give. they choose that because they think they have the best chance of winning on that. its not like that anymore though because of how competitive the 450 class has become, you almost need factory support to win, and the riders have seen that, and have made the neccessary changes. none of them switching to yamaha that i can think of though. i used to like honda but now i like can-am until honda completly re-does the 450r and shows some support in the atv industry.

[chrisrzz1012]

Well I agree with some of the points on this thread. I've been riding for over 20 years. So you can say I rode alot of different quads. Here's are some my opinions. First off ,You can beat a Honda for resale and durability and a excellent example would have to be the 250r. Out of the ones in the shootout I haven't ridden would be the KTM and Polaris ( had ridden a predator with a KTM 450 motor). MY opinion is this the Honda is a great machine much like the 250r. If I raced MX the Suzuki would be the quad to get. The kawie and Can-Am are great machines for being the first new models give them time they will get better. And now for the Yamaha I rode an 05 and 07 I was not impressed with it. Two things they need to improve is the throttle assembly (thumb throttle is the worst) and the eros on it ( When i lean it to take a corner the opposite back tire goes in the air). I'm not a big person either : 5'10'' and 170lbs. Plus I never rode a Yamaha that turned will good either. I rode both Raptors (700 and 660), Yfz-450, Banshee, and even a blaster they all turned very bad. I agree with the Hybrid people on this: Yamaha should have copied or changed the 250r frame and put in a WR/YZ-F 426 motor in it. I tried one they are much better then YZF.

[jesseweaver]

and i dont think you can call one "better" than the other. some people are more comfortable on different ones, some are made for mx (LTR) and some for XC (KTM). its all about what you're comfortable on and which one meets the needs for your riding style.

[jesseweaver]

Originally posted by TWISTED
Hard to destroy a Warrior!!!!! If there's such a thing as a bulletproof engine, the Warrior certainly has one.....

yea warriors are nice, but you want a bulletproof engine check out some of the 80s honda three wheelers. ive seen some on original spark plugs and stuff like that, never rebuilt or had anything done to them, and had the piss rode out of them, and they still run 110%.

[chrisrzz1012]

I do agree Honda are Durable ( I own 3 400ex's) those 3 wheelers from the eighties are alot Timex watches ( takes a beating and keeps on ticking) I owned a Warrior but it was slow and the motors are almost bulletproof and you can say the same for the 400ex motor also. But they both have something in common: Air-cooled. I've seen alot of the 400-z motors have motor problems ( bad valves the common issue). I do like the 400ex I own a 2003 stock , 2002 ex-racer ( alot mods plus motor work done, and currently building a replacement for my racer another 2002 with more mods. I've had no problems yet also. I do alot of trail riding and Hare-scrambles.

[GE4x4]

What was really suprising about there shootout, the Outlaw got 3rd. Coming from DW, that is suprising.:eek2:

[atvrider23054]

The thing that aggrivates (sp?) me is that all the Yamaha guys say their $hit is the best and all the Honda guys say theirs is the best. I have a yamaha and love it. My friends have a ltr and the ktm and I've ridden both. They are both amazing machines. I think you should get the one that suites you the best. I got the yfz cuase I wanted a quad that I could go anywhere with and I got it for a good price. I think it's just rediculous how some people only buy Yamaha and others only buy Honda! I just dont understand?

And one companies products can not be any worse than another. How can you say that Yamaha is less reliable than Honda or Suzuki? O yea I remember now, cause your friends have 3 yamahas and they all blew up and your Honda didnt? I mean come on. Makes no sense at all.

[Hondamaster5505]

Originally posted by jesseweaver
and i dont think you can call one "better" than the other. some people are more comfortable on different ones, some are made for mx (LTR) and some for XC (KTM). its all about what you're comfortable on and which one meets the needs for your riding style.

Exactly. To me, when I rode the YFZ, it felt like it was made for all-around. Not dedicated to just one thing, which helps it in many ways. The Honda is like that too.

Like the LTR is dedicated to MX, the KTM is dedicated to XC, then KFX is real good in the trails, and so on.

One thing I learned about yamaha, which I actually like. They're not the best at ONE thing, but good for EVERYTHING.

[Hondamaster5505]

Originally posted by atvrider23054
The thing that aggrivates (sp?) me is that all the Yamaha guys say their $hit is the best and all the Honda guys say theirs is the best. I have a yamaha and love it. My friends have a ltr and the ktm and I've ridden both. They are both amazing machines. I think you should get the one that suites you the best. I got the yfz cuase I wanted a quad that I could go anywhere with and I got it for a good price. I think it's just rediculous how some people only buy Yamaha and others only buy Honda! I just dont understand?

And one companies products can not be any worse than another. How can you say that Yamaha is less reliable than Honda or Suzuki? O yea I remember now, cause your friends have 3 yamahas and they all blew up and your Honda didnt? I mean come on. Makes no sense at all.

haha, exactly. Whenever I defend yamaha, I get some crap story like "Well my buddy had two yamahas and they both blew up and or at the dealer"
Im like wtf, i had like fifty billion of em and they never broke down.

And I will take whatver I can ride. While I may like Yamaha the best, I also have a Honda. They are my second favorite and also make good stuff. Damn, if riding ment I had to use an 80's 50cc, id still go riding! lol

[Rich250RRacer]

Originally posted by 416exfreak
To me, the 450r looks dated.

Look at the aggresive lines of the other 450's and look at the honda. It looks like a big dude punched it in the front end.

It had the least complaints. Plus Yamaha updates it every single year making it better and better. All it needs now is EFI and it would be perfect.

I HATE getting involved in these threads, but did they say the Yamaha looks dated? It's looked the same since it's intro. Looks are a matter of personal opinion. I own many more Hondas than Yamahas, but I feel that the YFZ is a better LOOKING quad. The KFX's and LTR look good also. In my personal opinion the Polaris is the ugliest thing on earth, followed closely by the Can-Am. Why do these companies think they have to make a quad that looks like some kind of animal, or cartoon character with head lights like eyeballs to sell them. KTM just gets an OK from me in terms of looks, I don't like short hoods or hoods with a steep angle to them. Give me the long flat hood of a 250R any day, the YFZ is the only thing that comes close.

[Rich250RRacer]

Originally posted by Hondamaster5505
haha, exactly. Whenever I defend yamaha, I get some crap story like "Well my buddy had two yamahas and they both blew up and or at the dealer"
Im like wtf, i had like fifty billion of em and they never broke down.

And I will take whatver I can ride. While I may like Yamaha the best, I also have a Honda. They are my second favorite and also make good stuff. Damn, if riding ment I had to use an 80's 50cc, id still go riding! lol

When you're fifteen and inexperienced, you believe everything you say. When you learn enough and have the knowledge to fix a quad yourself, then you can say what's better. That goes for everybody on here who claims brand loyalty. I work on bikes and quads, it's my second job. I see how things are engineered, what works properly and what works poorly. I am brand loyal, but it is because of what I have seen and experienced in terms of engineering, and I've owned a least one of each of the four Japanese brands. This is how I feel the companies stack up OVERALL in terms of quality, engineering, and construction.

1. Honda
2. Yamaha
3. Kawasaki
4. Suzuki

If you were to include all makes in that list, Polaris would be at the bottom, KTM would be very close to the top.

[TRX450R014]

Dirtwheels...the "tabloid" of the atv world.:D

[atvrider23054]

Originally posted by Rich250RRacer
When you're fifteen and inexperienced, you believe everything you say. When you learn enough and have the knowledge to fix a quad yourself, then you can say what's better. That goes for everybody on here who claims brand loyalty. I work on bikes and quads, it's my second job. I see how things are engineered, what works properly and what works poorly. I am brand loyal, but it is because of what I have seen and experienced in terms of engineering, and I've owned a least one of each of the four Japanese brands. This is how I feel the companies stack up OVERALL in terms of quality, engineering, and construction.

Just curious, what have been some "poor quality" things you have seen in Yamaha and Honda machines that have been repetative?

[Hondamaster5505]

Originally posted by Rich250RRacer
When you're fifteen and inexperienced, you believe everything you say. When you learn enough and have the knowledge to fix a quad yourself, then you can say what's better. That goes for everybody on here who claims brand loyalty. I work on bikes and quads, it's my second job. I see how things are engineered, what works properly and what works poorly. I am brand loyal, but it is because of what I have seen and experienced in terms of engineering, and I've owned a least one of each of the four Japanese brands. This is how I feel the companies stack up OVERALL in terms of quality, engineering, and construction.

1. Honda
2. Yamaha
3. Kawasaki
4. Suzuki

If you were to include all makes in that list, Polaris would be at the bottom, KTM would be very close to the top.

actuyally, i am very knowlegded of ATV's and I do work on them all the time. Just because of how young I am doesnt mean anything like i dont know...:rolleyes:

[hondarider101]

Originally posted by chrisrzz1012
Well here we go again. The number one reason why I don't read dirt wheels mag. that much. They picked the YFZ over all the others. One little brief statement. They must get a TON OF MONEY from Yamaha. YFZ #1 quad for 450 class, B.S. !!! I do believe the ATV Sport shootout more then Dirt Wheels aka ( Yamaha's ATV magazine). They said that the YFZ is the cheapest to buy, B.S. I guess they forgot about Honda's 450r ( both versions) being less. I won't renew my subscription because of there Yamaha Laening ways. Whats next The 350 Raptor beats the 400ex, DVX-400 and LTZ-400z in a shootout. Mark my words that will happen in that magazine.


its still a yamaha i still wouldent buy it if it was the best!! id buy a honda and make it the best.

[Rich250RRacer]

Originally posted by atvrider23054
Just curious, what have been some "poor quality" things you have seen in Yamaha and Honda machines that have been repetative?

It's not really about poor quality, all four of the Japanese brands are constructed with high quality parts. It's the engineering of their bikes and quads where I find flaws in design more than anything else. And to some extent, the fit and finish of the product. Overall, Honda and Yamaha both offer a nicely finished product, although some of the Hondas produced here seem more cheaply put together than something from Japan. I've seen some things on Kaws and Suzuki that will make you scratch your head and say what the f*** were they thinking. Don't even get me started on Polaris.

[suzukigirl]

there is no such thing as the perfect stock machine...all of the 450s have their good points and all of them have cons.....you can't really pick an overall best because its completely up to the rider. i would say the ltr is the best, but thats because i race mx....its completely up to the rider and the style of riding they do...i like the shootout in atv sport because they didn't pick a winner, they just gave the options for each quad and let the people make their own decision. die hard honda fans will say that hondas are the best machine, same goes for yamaha and the other machines.

Originally posted by suzukigirl
there is no such thing as the perfect stock machine...all of the 450s have their good points and all of them have cons.....you can't really pick an overall best because its completely up to the rider. i would say the ltr is the best, but thats because i race mx....its completely up to the rider and the style of riding they do...i like the shootout in atv sport because they didn't pick a winner, they just gave the options for each quad and let the people make their own decision. die hard honda fans will say that hondas are the best machine, same goes for yamaha and the other machines.

of but the 450r is perfect lol i'm just messn yeah I agree 100% they all have their good points and bad points. Too bad there wasnt a company to take all those good ideas so that it doesnt really have a bad idea.