09's announced today!

[jshtex]

The new lineup will be posted on the Yamaha website today at 12 Eastern time.

http://www.yamaha-motor.com/sport/products/lifestylehome/home.aspx

[jshtex]

Well crap, it looks like they even ran out of new colors....

I don't see anything new? Sad day for Yamaha, it is kind of funny the main page for the yfz says "Light years ahead", ahead of what? Iguess if they tell us it is ahead we are suposed to just beleive it.

[jshtex]

Aparently they did do one thing...

They seemed to have droped the SE version of the yfz all together. It isn't listed on the 09 sheet.

[BK 2007 YFZ450]

Yup, not one single change mentioned except for the graphics/colors of the plastic and A-arms. The thing that really pisses me off is that they did not even update the first sentence in the key features section - no mention of Bill Ballance's recent GNCC titles or AMA Pro Invitational winner, etc. - if you are not going to make any changes, at least make that case that none were needed!!

[250r4life]

if its not broke- dont fix it...

if i were to buy a new quad today it would still be the YFZ...

[cs1981]

Didnt bill ballance say in a interviw that he was working with yamaha and developed a new yfz? At the Ironman he said look for big changes with the 2009, correct me if I am wrong but there are some people who are pretty upset, KTM upped the bar but they are still too darn $$$$$$$$$$$$. What would everyone like to see new on the yfz. Me personally: new frame made of alumanium, new design front end, softer throttle, leave the carb, and NO BLACK WHEELS, maybe hydraluic clutch, What do you guys think??????????????

[jshtex]

Hey the VW Beatle wasn't broke either.

If they don't make improvements it will never be "Light Years Ahead".

I mean heck there was all that talk a while back about Balance's front end and how that would show up on them. What happened to that. If it is good enough for him shouldn't it be good enough for everyone who actually pays for one.

Look around there are a lot of othere colors showing up on the starting lines across america and that should drive improvement.

[jshtex]

Originally posted by cs1981
Didnt bill ballance say in a interviw that he was working with yamaha and developed a new yfz? At the Ironman he said look for big changes with the 2009, correct me if I am wrong but there are some people who are pretty upset, KTM upped the bar but they are still too darn $$$$$$$$$$$$. What would everyone like to see new on the yfz. Me personally: new frame made of alumanium, new design front end, softer throttle, leave the carb, and NO BLACK WHEELS, maybe hydraluic clutch, What do you guys think??????????????


sorry I was typing while you were...

What he said!

[cs1981]

Here is a quote he said on the podium" I been working with yamaha on r&d and 09 you will be in for a big suprize, the new bike is bar far the best i have ever ridden at it is stock!" yeah we got a big suprize all right, NO CHANGES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[RosquistRacer39]

Yea this is turning into a joke. But on the model intro on here they say they expect news on a new yfz later this year. Maybe Yamaha is waiting for Honda to come out with a new 450r before releasing the yfz so that honda can't change everything after seeing a new yfz but im not holding my breath. At least the old yfzs haven't lost any value, hell there all the same bike anyways.

[Blstr88]

Wait guys, they did change something for 09! They raised the price $200!! Go Yamaha! :mad:

[Blstr88]

Wow from what I can see the only thing that recieved any changes was the Raptor 700, the newest one...it got a digital read out for speed, odometer, etc...and they changed the front hood. Thats all...

[Blstr88]

Originally posted by RosquistRacer39
Yea this is turning into a joke. But on the model intro on here they say they expect news on a new yfz later this year.


Yamaha always releases the different SE color options later on after the new models have been released, so its like there "second" release of a new model a little later..I bet thats all they mean. Theyll "re-release" the YFZ450 with some spunky color options later on.

[yfzrider45]

Yeah, its very dissapointing......i like how they kept the carburator tho!! i personally rather have that than FI.....they didnt even change colors tho:eek2: , i mean C'mon now:huh ......I'm thinkin in the back of my head that there gunna come out with a SICK special edition one later in the year.....but thast just me:macho

[BrettOaktree]

im kind of glad they didnt change anything cuz i just got an 08 about a month ago so that would make me look like an ***** but i do think they will come out with a spunky se later in the year

[NickG5755]

haha this is GREAT everyone kept sayiin mann the 09 is guna be insaneee.. haha the YFZ will never change.. just liek the Warrior or newbs raptor 350's they didnt change since the sun was invented

i waited for this but screw it im going to get a 525XC ..

i gave up on yamicrap

[mbx5]

Man I am pretty happy with my YFZ... I dont race, but I am not sure what I would change about it? Some people wanted EFI I guess... Reverse would be my only request - I am not too fond of my flinstone reverse setup...Seems the engine is pretty trick stock... I would buy another one no questions... I love the power and handling of mine anyway.

[NickG5755]

i mean for an average trail rider any 450 and most 400's for that matter will do..

but i'm an agressive trail rider and ive been known to run a harescramble or 2 :p

and the KTM fits the bill perfectly

[Blstr88]

Itd be cool if they gave it EFI and also did the a-arms the same way the KFX450 is done, how the lower a-arms mount to a single section of frame instead of two. Changed the plastics a very little bit just to give it a new look (not too much since it's already real badass...but maybe mimic the Rap 250 a little)...then released two versions, an MX and a trail. Give the MX a kickstart and the trail version electric and reverse...kinda like the TRX450R and ER I guess. I dont know, that might be kinda neat since the YFZ right now doesnt really suite MX or trails perfectly out of the box, it's somewhere inbetween...this would kinda give you something better suited for your riding right from the dealer. And with only this minor changes it's not liek the MX version couldnt do trails or the trails version couldnt do MX...it'd still be the same bike really, just with minor variations.

[jshtex]

Originally posted by NickG5755
haha this is GREAT everyone kept sayiin mann the 09 is guna be insaneee.. haha the YFZ will never change.. just liek the Warrior or newbs raptor 350's they didnt change since the sun was invented

i waited for this but screw it im going to get a 525XC ..

i gave up on yamicrap

As somone who owns two 04 yfz's I can safely say that they have changed a lot along the way.

But as I said way back when I started this thread, I am bummed. I count on yamaha to set the stage for the other makes. like they did in 04.

But this isn't putting any presure on anyone. Well except the dealers to move them out.

[TheNewn]

Oh man...all that hype then NOTHING...that's pretty hilarious actually.

[NickG5755]

ohh dont get me wrong they have changed...but nothing reallyyy drastic.. the changes were mostly them working the bugs out of em and im guessin some susp changes,, i drove an o4 and a buddies 07 and it didint seem a whole lot different..

im not a yamaha person really... the only reason i had a raptor is i got an insaneeee deal on it..but the KTM is perfectly suited for me

chromoly everywhere and power out the wazoo..
not to mention the trick susp and the other small things about it that just make it better

[04TRX400EX]

I hate how the big manufacturers do this. Honda did the same thing last year by holding back the 400EX. Obviously the 400EX fans are a little different than YFZ ones and probably desire different changes but still - all sorts of speculation and hype ... and then nothing.

As someone else said, so much for all of the "big changes" on the "all new" YFZ as Ballance and all them said. I realize that the quad still does very well in comparisons stock and has a lot of potential modified but I don't know how Yamaha and Honda can keep up with Kawi and Suzuki, and even Can Am, with the high-tech stuff. I agree carb bikes are easier to work on but the throttle response and tuning ability with EFI and a programmer is awesome.

I'm disappointed. I was hoping Yamaha would change the YFZ so maybe next year Honda would change the R.

[ZSNOW]

i always been a yamaha person since i started racing. BUT this is kind of turning me away. next year i will be looking to get on a 450, and since my blaster uses mostly yfz parts(like 18.50 shock) and tires and wheels im gonna be out of luck. ill have to sell my yami parts to buy a suzuki at this rate! :(

[KingpinsEx]

Yea this is pretty sad, I just can't believe all the HYPE. So many on this site were raving that the '09 YFZ was gonna be the top dog, without any actual proof. That's exactly why I wait for the cold hard facts to come out, to be honest I didn't expect much anyhow, nor would I from Honda. Suzuki and KTM are the only one's paying attention to the market and steping their game up. How many changes does Zuki make each year? Ton's not to mention the FI on the Z now, hard to compare a 400ex anymore. And with KTM's XC and MX packages you are really getting the machine you want for your type of riding. This is what the market needs, how hard is that to understand.

The best plan I feel Yamaha could do is setup the YFZ450 for mx just like the LTR or pretty close. And then add something for trail riders to compete with the 400 trail class. Hmmm how could this be done? Well they do have an amazing WR400 and 426 engines that would work perfect and completly destroy the competition in that class. Competitive woods riders could still switch the 450 over from mx to make it trail ready for racing as they do with the suzuki. But for trail riders a wr400/426 would be more than enough umph to get around. This way they could truley meet the markets needs!

[Ride1Rob]

Every year some of you guys put yourselves through this same crap. In a matter of weeks (if not sooner) someone will post another post on what changes will the Yami have in 2010. Yeah, we all want Yamaha to step up to the plate and do some changing to make the bike better. EFI is not going to make that much of a difference other than get rid of the bog on the bottom end. If you tune your carb right or get someone to tune it for you that's not a problem anyway. I'm sure that it would be less than buying a powercommander. You guys have to remember one thing... The YFZ was the 1st 450 produced back in 03 and since then, 7-8 other 450's have been produced with so called "Better technology". For the moderate racer or the Average JOE like myself that likes to fast pace trail ride, trackride, etc... The YFZ competes with them all and outperforms most of them all around. With all the hype the Can-Am had I thought it'd be the next closest thing to a flying ATV. It's right there in the mix with all the other bikes :ermm: . There is no bike that's so much better than another. You get the best bike that suits your riding style and maximize it to perform better.

[jshtex]

Originally posted by Ride1Rob
Every year some of you guys put yourselves through this same crap. In a matter of weeks (if not sooner) someone will post another post on what changes will the Yami have in 2010. Yeah, we all want Yamaha to step up to the plate and do some changing to make the bike better. EFI is not going to make that much of a difference other than get rid of the bog on the bottom end. If you tune your carb right or get someone to tune it for you that's not a problem anyway. I'm sure that it would be less than buying a powercommander. You guys have to remember one thing... The YFZ was the 1st 450 produced back in 03 and since then, 7-8 other 450's have been produced with so called "Better technology". For the moderate racer or the Average JOE like myself that likes to fast pace trail ride, trackride, etc... The YFZ competes with them all and outperforms most of them all around. With all the hype the Can-Am had I thought it'd be the next closest thing to a flying ATV. It's right there in the mix with all the other bikes :ermm: . There is no bike that's so much better than another. You get the best bike that suits your riding style and maximize it to perform better.

I think your missing the point. Nobody is saying the yfz is crap. I agree 100% that the yfz set the standard for the 450 class and very few have met the challange.

The point is there were several reasons to think the yfz would be at least upgraded, and I am not talking about 13 year olds on the net guessing. And we got nothing, not one thing. With all the new quads out now, with features that some consider improved. How long will the yfz be able to hold it's place? I mean come on, you have to be supprised that they didn't change anything? :)

I don't care about the FI, I am comfortable with the FCR. But I also wouldn't be scared of FI. In the early days of computer controlled, fuel injected, OBD1 cars, all the magazines were predicting the death of hot rodding. Now we know that those same things allow you to get a lot more power out of the car, a lot easier.

[NickG5755]

Originally posted by Ride1Rob
Every year some of you guys put yourselves through this same crap. In a matter of weeks (if not sooner) someone will post another post on what changes will the Yami have in 2010. Yeah, we all want Yamaha to step up to the plate and do some changing to make the bike better. EFI is not going to make that much of a difference other than get rid of the bog on the bottom end. If you tune your carb right or get someone to tune it for you that's not a problem anyway. I'm sure that it would be less than buying a powercommander. You guys have to remember one thing... The YFZ was the 1st 450 produced back in 03 and since then, 7-8 other 450's have been produced with so called "Better technology". For the moderate racer or the Average JOE like myself that likes to fast pace trail ride, trackride, etc... The YFZ competes with them all and outperforms most of them all around. With all the hype the Can-Am had I thought it'd be the next closest thing to a flying ATV. It's right there in the mix with all the other bikes :ermm: . There is no bike that's so much better than another. You get the best bike that suits your riding style and maximize it to perform better.



actually i think the DS sucks and that the KTM is the cats meow lol... the KTM is insane and prices aside i say it surpases all other quads..

[BrettOaktree]

Originally posted by NickG5755
actually i think the DS sucks and that the KTM is the cats meow lol... the KTM is insane and prices aside i say it surpases all other quads..

now correct me if im wrong but u really like that ktm dont you? lol

[NickG5755]

dude if it had a v*gina id probably try to have a kid with it.

Chromoly Frame , aarms , swingarm

The a arms have heim joins not bushings

Sick suspension of the showroom floor

the 525 motor is insane!power out the wazoo w/ reverse!! dual oil filters and no resivore and HYDROLIC CLUTCH!!! people that havent had one wouldnt understand but man ill never drive a bike without one again

Wave rotors with dual 4 piston calipers up front and another wave rotor in the rear.Stainless steel brake lines!

the airbox design is genious. being able to swap filters in the middle of a race in under a minute

comes with a good wheel/tire combo..and you can swap tires with 1 nut... no cotterpins involved

Hex drive AND tourqe dirve or however you spell it on every bolt

comes with tether switch and a place to mount a steering stabalizer stock!..

the list goes on and on man... the KTM XC and probably the SX when it comes out are gunna take over quads just liek thier bikes took over XC racing..

[250r rider 88]

and i thought i was in love with the KTM dang dude oh and it has a v*gina (the exhaust :devil )

i love how many threads there are on which one is the best

it comes down to the individual rider, if you were to put any pro lets say wienen cuase of his drive and determination on the YFZ he could still win after enough time getting used to it look at Natalie and Lawson getting those Can-am dialed and their results are improving with each round, give the Polaris crew enough time and the same will happen, yes i said it a polaris rider will podium by the end of the year

as far as EFI goes imagine being able to roll up to a track with terrible conditions (mud, raining like crazy) and pulling out your laptop or running it over to a tuner that has a booth there and putting a custom curve that will make it work better for the conditions in under 10 minutes, have fun doing that with a carb

if carbs are so great why did the automotive world go to EFI? even the hot rods you see today are alot of times converted over to EFI, its simpler and can make more power overall

[250r4life]

the KTMs are pretty bad... i raced a couple of them at the dunes this past season, and although i did beat them, they did give me a run for my money...

however, i was racing the 525s so they did have some displacement on me, and the KTM does cost a pretty penny more... i would still rather take the YFZ and use the extra money to improve it... i think i would end up with a better bike... that and the fact that yamaha is everywhere... i only know of one KTM dealership in the phoneix area, but i could name 8 or 9 yamaha dealerships off the top of my head.. when something breaks i want to be able to find parts for it...

[NickG5755]

i dont like metal va*inas... and its different out here.. thers evey kind of dealer here.. on of the more reputable shops around here is a Honda / KTM / polaris dealer...

in the dunes isnt where the KTM will eff your world up.. its in the sticks where it will..

and the MSRP is very high on them.. but dealers are letting them go for alot less than the MSRP and theyre right around the price of a stock YFZ

[Ride1Rob]

Originally posted by 250r rider 88
and i thought i was in love with the KTM dang dude oh and it has a v*gina (the exhaust :devil )


as far as EFI goes imagine being able to roll up to a track with terrible conditions (mud, raining like crazy) and pulling out your laptop or running it over to a tuner that has a booth there and putting a custom curve that will make it work better for the conditions in under 10 minutes, have fun doing that with a carb

if carbs are so great why did the automotive world go to EFI? even the hot rods you see today are alot of times converted over to EFI, its simpler and can make more power overall

I don't know where you've been, but that can be done on any bike wether it's EFI or Carb. I have 4 custom curves on my carburated YFZ and it can be programmed just as you state above. And you ask why vehicles went to that setup? Because of technology :D . I'm not saying that it doesn't have it's benefits but it also has it's drawbacks. In terms of it being simpler (yes and no). Setting it up, YES! Problem solving, NO! If your EFI craps out you can't and won't figure it out unless you take it to the dealership or some type of shop. I could only imagine how much labor they'd charge you to figure out what's wrong with it and then the price for the part as well :ermm: . The fuel pump for the LTR is $242. A carb (unless it's damaged) will run forever ;) . Oh, did I mention that I can take it apart and clean it to solve my problem :p .

And the KTM is a very good bike. With all the goodies that you get on it it's race ready. But that price tag is too steep. The 450 motor is doing no wonders compared to all the others. But that 525 is in a class of it's own :eek2: . The only drawback to that is the closest KTM dealership to me here in TOO Sunny Central Florida is 1 hour and 30mins away :( . Round trip for that would be 3hrs plus labor fees :eek: . As far as price there's a dealership in Tampa that are selling them for $7700 which is a nice deal. It will probably be more like 8200-8300 by the time the fees are thrown in. And if you purchase any type of warranty plan that price could easily get you over 9,000. And did I mention that that price is only for the 450.

[XCRacer236]

"We do anticipate that Yamaha will be releasing information on an all-new YFZ450 later in the season and quite honestly we are quite eager to see what new changes could possibly be in store"


that was a quote straight from this site about the 2009 YFZ450. i was not surprised when i got on to the site, and saw nothing had changed, BECAUSE, Yamaha is not stupid, and they know what they need to do. i believe Yamaha will be releasing a new 450 that was pretty much built from the ground up.
the changes i would LOVE for them to do would be EFI, frame, and reverse.
I am a die hard Yammi and Bill Ballance fan, and no way would that man lie on the podium after just winning his 4th championship with that company! I say they will be releasing the new race bike later in the summer, and i can NOT wait!

also, to compare anything to the KTM's, is unheard of right now! KTM blew everything away when they were released. they came out with those, and the companies that care about the ATV world, (Suzuki, Yamaha, KTM) will continue to change and get better just as they have! but then again, Honda has not released their 09 450 either, so it could be basically all new from the ground up. i dont think we can completely count Yamaha or Honda out of it for this year yet! i believe Suzuki will change too!

also, you guys can say im stupid and post "hate posts" against this, but i believe what i believe!

[yfzrider310]

Originally posted by CaseDawg350
"We do anticipate that Yamaha will be releasing information on an all-new YFZ450 later in the season and quite honestly we are quite eager to see what new changes could possibly be in store"


that was a quote straight from this site about the 2009 YFZ450. i was not surprised when i got on to the site, and saw nothing had changed, BECAUSE, Yamaha is not stupid, and they know what they need to do. i believe Yamaha will be releasing a new 450 that was pretty much built from the ground up.
the changes i would LOVE for them to do would be EFI, frame, and reverse.
I am a die hard Yammi and Bill Ballance fan, and no way would that man lie on the podium after just winning his 4th championship with that company! I say they will be releasing the new race bike later in the summer, and i can NOT wait!

also, to compare anything to the KTM's, is unheard of right now! KTM blew everything away when they were released. they came out with those, and the companies that care about the ATV world, (Suzuki, Yamaha, KTM) will continue to change and get better just as they have! but then again, Honda has not released their 09 450 either, so it could be basically all new from the ground up. i dont think we can completely count Yamaha or Honda out of it for this year yet! i believe Suzuki will change too!

also, you guys can say im stupid and post "hate posts" against this, but i believe what i believe!

X2 :D

[NickG5755]

I think the fact that KTM's first quad stomped on all the others in thier first try (liekt he DS was supposed to but never did) is insane.. i cant wait till they improve uponhe thier already awsome quad.!

honestly i dont think that yamaha is guna release a LE edition 450 thats got EFI and all the other stuff we want.

im thinkin its guna be another bill ballance edition sort of thing. i think theyre gunna wait it out another year since the KTM's came out and thyre gunna release another breathrough quad in 2009 aka a 2010 YFZ with EFI reverse and a more reliable motor.

[BrettOaktree]

Originally posted by CaseDawg350
"We do anticipate that Yamaha will be releasing information on an all-new YFZ450 later in the season and quite honestly we are quite eager to see what new changes could possibly be in store"


that was a quote straight from this site about the 2009 YFZ450. i was not surprised when i got on to the site, and saw nothing had changed, BECAUSE, Yamaha is not stupid, and they know what they need to do. i believe Yamaha will be releasing a new 450 that was pretty much built from the ground up.
the changes i would LOVE for them to do would be EFI, frame, and reverse.
I am a die hard Yammi and Bill Ballance fan, and no way would that man lie on the podium after just winning his 4th championship with that company! I say they will be releasing the new race bike later in the summer, and i can NOT wait!

also, to compare anything to the KTM's, is unheard of right now! KTM blew everything away when they were released. they came out with those, and the companies that care about the ATV world, (Suzuki, Yamaha, KTM) will continue to change and get better just as they have! but then again, Honda has not released their 09 450 either, so it could be basically all new from the ground up. i dont think we can completely count Yamaha or Honda out of it for this year yet! i believe Suzuki will change too!

also, you guys can say im stupid and post "hate posts" against this, but i believe what i believe!

i agree i think they will come out with a se later in the year

[Blstr88]

Ehh I hate to say it, but as much as I'd love to see an "all new" yfz450 released later in the year I cant see Yamaha doing it, just cause think of all the people that are gonna go out and buy brand new 2009 YFZ450s only to have some "all new" one released weeks later? I dont know about you guys but that would piss me the fu*k off personally...I do see them releasing some crazy SE YFZ450 that is just a different color scheme though, they usually do that.

[yfzrider310]

Well so far every year they have changed something and why this year with all the hype it got nothing changed. The 09 as is wouldnt hit showroom floors until they get the final model out. Its not like they would sell two yfz's (unless one is for motocross). Thats just my opinion and I dont think we have seen the last of yamaha.

[BrettOaktree]

the 09 model doesnt hit showroom floors until november so that gives them time to do an se model, how much differnt will it be idk but im not counting them out

[fasstltr]

oh man this cracks me up my buddy is a die hard yamaha fan and was waitin for the 08 to come out with efi and more goodies and was dissapointed and then he was talkin crap on how bad the 09 was goin to be this is great

[#17YFZRACER]

the fact that they changed nothing at all makes me wonder if they do have something crazy in the works. cuz it would be stupid to make minor improvements on a quad your going to totally replace. maybe they are totally scraping the yfz platform they have for a new one:confused: that would be cool but im very happy with my yfz as is but new is good to. i can wait for them to do it right.

[fasstltr]

well i luv my ltr to death its by far the best quad ive ridden and owned but i luv seeing all the 450s improvement and new setups so its kinda dissapointing seeing yamaha not setting a new standard like they did in 04

[#17YFZRACER]

its not over yet

[ATVMX905]

i believe that yami is gonna come out with a badass yfz later in the season.:D

[TheNewn]

It would be great if they did...but excuse me if im a bit skeptical.

[400grl]

I definately don't think it's over yet......who makes the rules on when a manufacturer can/cannot release a new quad? Why CAN'T they release something later this year? Yamaha is not sitting idly by watching other manufacturers improve upon the original (YFZ) each year - but they aren't stupid either, and won't come out with something that is rediculously expensive to the point where only a few can afford it. I too believe they have been working on something, and I still hold out hope that we will see a whole new machine sometime this year - and I'm sure it will set another industry standard, much like the YFZ did in 04. :)

[XCRacer236]

Originally posted by 400grl
I definately don't think it's over yet......who makes the rules on when a manufacturer can/cannot release a new quad? Why CAN'T they release something later this year? Yamaha is not sitting idly by watching other manufacturers improve upon the original (YFZ) each year - but they aren't stupid either, and won't come out with something that is rediculously expensive to the point where only a few can afford it. I too believe they have been working on something, and I still hold out hope that we will see a whole new machine sometime this year - and I'm sure it will set another industry standard, much like the YFZ did in 04. :)

EXACTLY what i said, and VERY, VERY true!
;]

[06YFZ450SE]

I like to see the 09 YFZ come out with upgrades..Becuz this would be 3 years coming out with the Same Quad. 07,08,09.. They need to come out with it better to get back on top again.

[jshtex]

In the Sept. 08 ATV Sport magazine (I have a subscription and they come out WAY in advance) the editor makes a comment about the 09 YFZ and checking back with him in September. So I guess there is a chance of something.

But why put anything on the website and call it an 09 (with no changes) and then come out with another 09 later and piss off anyone who bought the original one. Doesn't sound like a good idea to me. I know I would be pissed. Maybe they will call the next one an early 10 model, some of the others have pulled that crap. But I certainly wouldn't buy an 09 for a few months.