video form YAMAHA (2012 carb yfz450) trash talking the HONDA TRX400.... LOL

[BakerRacing40]

http://www.yamaha-motor.com/sport/products/modelvideo/323/1142/0/video.aspx

It's pretty funny, them openly trashing another company and how they compare the #'s .... of course the yfz out preforms the 400ex...

the 2012 yfz 450 looks to be the same as previous models but with bigger carb and lighter throttle and good shocks replaced with crappy pogo sticks? anybody see much else difference from the 09 yfz carb models?

[BakerRacing40]

i know tacky to reply first to your own post but on a side note/question does this make the 04 and up yfz ama legal now again? i know their were still ok to run for a certain # of years after 09 but this 2012 resets the counter, right?

[johnnyquad17]

I have been a Honda fan for years (88 250r, 89 400ex) but I love the fact that Yamaha put Honda in it's place for doing no R&D on its sport quads for years. I actually bought my first non Honda quad the LTR 450 in 06 and I refuse to buy from Honda untill they come out with new technology.

[XCRacer236]

Yamaha website says magnesium cylinder. :)

[BoneStockHonda]

This is hysterical. I expect nothing less from yamaha. There's a reason the 400 hasn't changed, IT WORKS. It's the perfect quad for someone who is looking for a reliable trail machine.

[400exrip]

What does Yamaha have to proove it's a 450 vs a 400 of course it is going to be faster than a stock400ex. DUH.

Tell me this why did they not put it up against the trx450R. Yamaha must have been scared.

Any way Honda's have one so many championships it would take years for any company out there to catch up with the wins of a Honda.

[beastlywarrior]

so we get this piece instead of a raptor 400. then again they said the shocks are smoother, i can see how itd be good for an xc racer that puts on aftermarket suspension anyway

[1999x400ex]

that was probably one of the most pathetic things ive ever seen. everyone knows that a 450 is gonna be faster then the 400ex. the yfz is gonna be faster than the 450r too. im a honda man and i love me ex but anyone with half a brain knows that a yfz450 is gonna trash an ex. at least compare it to the 450r and beat that. i laughed when they were comparing them in the end of the video too. displacement: smaller.....compression: lower.... hahahahaha obviously

[johnnyquad17]

I think the main point was Honda hasn't changed anything in years for the 400ex and the Yamaha 450 is in the same price range so why would you buy an outdated quad for the same price?

[400grl]

They are comparing the two quads because they are showing what you can get for the money......the biggest reason they released this new model for even less than we all paid for our 2004 YFZs 7 years ago, was to have something available that is fast and fun at a GREAT price point.

Don't knock the shocks until you ride it - they actually work very well. I was on one all day and I forgot it wasn't a previous model 450, except that I never got a thumb cramp (the new carb helps a lot with the throttle pull effort). They aren't bouncy and they soak up a lot.......for the recreational rider (which is who this quad is aimed at), it's a great deal.

Plus, if anyone is a racer and wants to race it, you wind up swapping out the suspension anyway - now you just get a new YFZ for less money.

I like that they took this step - they are always trying to find ways to adjust with the market, and I think they did a good job here. This is going to make owning a new 450 a lot easier for a lot of people, I think.

[CJM]

While I understand the fact they wanted to compare prices, you cant compare an outdated quad that hasnt changed (yes it is outdated, but they keep making it like it is b/c it works!) to a racebred 450.

Now, compare it to a honda 450r and then lets see.

[400grl]

When you have $6900 to spend, and you are looking to buy a new sport quad, you ARE going to compare the two.....absolutely! They are showing what you can get for your money - it's not a class shootout.

[CJM]

When I have 6900 to spend Ill be getting a Honda 450R, not a 400EX. True story:
Friends of mine bought 2 brand new 400's 2007's for 4000ea in 2009. Honda has nothing but leftovers still... Another friend sold his 450R only to buy another one 3 months later. He got it for 7200 out the door with fmf full exhaust, HRC kit, KN air lid and he worked out first service and 3 oil changes free.

I almost bought a 450R 6 months ago but dropped out of the deal. Dealer was willing to give me the bike itself, a 2008 for 6200 out the door.

prices are cheap, honda still has plenty of leftovers. So what its last years model-still brand spanking new.

[400grl]

Well, fortunately there is more of a choice now for everyone... :)

[300racer]

how much does the new yfz cost? i can get new left over 450r's under 5 in my area and a nice used 450r for 3500. the new yfz's has crappier shocks and they stoped making the yfz x with the efi to go back to this? and then they knock honda cause the 400ex is bullet proof and has work for almost 15 years? stupid i hope honda comes out with a video the has the 450r walking all over this new yamaha. :blah:

[beastlywarrior]

were talking mrsp here, hell my friend picked up an outlaw 525s for 4 grand brand new. hell i just wish i was there to get one too. oh well ill stick with my old trusty steed and be happy

[guy310]

They can't come out with a video that shows the trx beating a yfz because that doesn't happen. And of course you can get a leftover (2009) honda still because they still haven't sold all of them. They just called them 2010's and 2011's. You doun't see any leftover 2009 YFZ's because people bought them. Sales overall for all manufacturers have been down for several years now. With that being said, whether you are a Honda or Yamaha or whatever fan, everybody says they are a fan of ATV's and support the sport and everything but not very many people give the manufacturers that are supporting the sport in a very big way a chance (Can-Am) when they are considering a new ATV purchase. They can be had very cheap also and they even help tremendously with race parts to start you out with.

[blacknblue#2]

I think its good what yamaha done, for yamaha to completely trash talk honda is pure jealousy. Yamaha updated their quad at the wrong time and they realized that i think. They realized honda was still old school technology and was still selling. The fact of them selling left overs could be the simple fact that honda may have built alot more. Do i think Yamaha will take off selling quads left and right?? NO. People not buying aint just because of ppl not taking the plunge, its also affected by banks not giving money....Banks are giving money for necessary needs. Its hard gettin banks to loan 7k on a toy that has a resale value of half that as soon as you leave the dealer

[TheLane]

Originally posted by blacknblue#2
I think its good what yamaha done, for yamaha to completely trash talk honda is pure jealousy. Yamaha updated their quad at the wrong time and they realized that i think. They realized honda was still old school technology and was still selling. The fact of them selling left overs could be the simple fact that honda may have built alot more. Do i think Yamaha will take off selling quads left and right?? NO. People not buying aint just because of ppl not taking the plunge, its also affected by banks not giving money....Banks are giving money for necessary needs. Its hard gettin banks to loan 7k on a toy that has a resale value of half that as soon as you leave the dealer

notice how all the people bashing this are honda riders.

point set, match = dollar per dollar the yfz is the better buy.

[jb500ex]

i honestly think $6900 is way to high for both those bikes

[honda400ex2003]

i laughed at the little bit of distance that separated the 450 from the 400 in the drag race.

shameful day to be on a yfz imo. haha

funny vid for sure, thanks for posting.

steve

[motofreak2772]

The whole point of this video is to get people planning on buying a 400 to spend the extra 500$ and get a 450.. It seems logical to me. I don't see the purpose of having 400s anymore. Even for recreational and trail riding, who would want a 400 over a 450? They are just outdated machines.

[CJM]

Ive never seen a 400ex (much less a honda) sell for the msrp, always been much cheaper.

Now a yamaha, I dont get it, friend of mine just got a bill balance 450 and 3 different dealers and the best he got was close to 9 grand.

[motofreak2772]

Originally posted by CJM
Ive never seen a 400ex (much less a honda) sell for the msrp, always been much cheaper.

Now a yamaha, I dont get it, friend of mine just got a bill balance 450 and 3 different dealers and the best he got was close to 9 grand.
It could just be the year. If the dealer has had the quad for 5 years they probably just want to get rid of it and start dropping the prices.

[CJM]

I suppose. Could also be the fact honda has more leftovers as well.

[YFZ-FoFiddy-TC]

Originally posted by CJM
I suppose. Could also be the fact honda has more leftovers as well.

I wonder why?...... *Walks away whistling*

[CJM]

Originally posted by YFZ-FoFiddy-TC
I wonder why?...... *Walks away whistling*

Made more.

Where I ride most have a honda as well, some do have a yamaha, but mostly hondas.

[rollie]

a 400ex costs $6900 now ?????????:eek: :eek: :eek: :eek: :eek: :eek: :eek:

[JR3]

all facts

[coryatver]

They are comparing the yfz one of the best if not the best high performace quad of all time to the performance and features of the 400ex! That alone is proof of how great a quad the 400ex is! I don't think anyone pays close to retail for a 400ex dealer prices are much less than retail. And you can find a used one dirt cheap. Obviously with an equal choice I would rather have a yfz for racing but you can't take anything away from a 400ex they are awesome quads!

Ok where is everyone that dissed honda for coming out with the 2012 450r with no changes:D

Yamaha made a good move the yfzr/x is not half the bike the old yfz is for racing! Get some aftermarket shocks, and put on a fcr carb and go racing!

[BakerRacing40]

they never questioned the 400 reliability or said it wasn't a good bike. they said for a lil more money you can have a quad that will stomp a mud hole in the 400 and walk it dry.

even on a honda's best case on the 400, even if you buy new at a decent price below msrp, how much money do you have to pour into it to be with the yfz? and buy the time you start making the power out of a 400ex you've made it a lot less reliable. and don't give me the "o, i've never had problems out of my built 400" i know some people have good luck with them and most end up with a ticking bomb under them. big power from a 400 = lots of $$$ = issues sooner or later.

as for the 450 honda they aren't selling that many even with the price lowered. the 450 honda vs the 450 yamaha is close competition. always have been head to head through the years. with the yamaha your getting a new quad not a relabeled quad that has set for the past 5 years.

thinking back i'm pretty sure i've seen more trx450's lock up than i've seen yfz's , just what i've seen...

plus on a side note Honda dealerships are a bunch of a holes...

[coryatver]

fact is a 400ex works plenty well stock for almost everyone but us enthusiast. msrp is close but 400ex's are going for thousands less than msrp doubt this new yfz is going to. Honda dealers are a-holes? ok then... lol and what does 450s locking up or whatever have to do with this

They are marketing a race quad against a tame trail quad becuase they are the same price but they are totally different markets. Like saying the renegade 800 is cheaper than the yfzr and the renegade is actually faster! but totally different markets


For example I would rather put a young son on a 400ex, someone that doesn't ride aggressively or any beginner rider on a 400ex than a yfz. They have toned it down it seems but still say it has the same power as before just more low end. 400exs are pretty much gas and go and put away wet and start right up when you go to ride again. perfect for what some people need in a quad I doubt the changes they made will make the yfz like that they take some maintnence.

[BakerRacing40]

Originally posted by coryatver
fact is a 400ex works plenty well stock for almost everyone but us enthusiast. msrp is close but 400ex's are going for thousands less than msrp doubt this new yfz is going to. Honda dealers are a-holes? ok then... lol and what does 450s locking up or whatever have to do with this

They are marketing a race quad against a tame trail quad becuase they are the same price but they are totally different markets. Like saying the renegade 800 is cheaper than the yfzr and the renegade is actually faster! but totally different markets


For example I would rather put a young son on a 400ex, someone that doesn't ride aggressively or any beginner rider on a 400ex than a yfz. They have toned it down it seems but still say it has the same power as before just more low end. 400exs are pretty much gas and go and put away wet perfect for what some people need in a quad I doubt the changes they made will make the yfz like that

ya, only one honda dealer in northeastern Oklahoma that i've been treated decent in, but that is not really important for this... lol

400ex still has a spot in the market but with dealers selling for way under msrp, profit margins have to really suck all around. Honda doesn't want dealers selling that low but it happens.

The way Yamaha has put this back out there it's saying the yfz450 is our 400ex in our product line and the yfzr and yfzx are more aligned with a trx450 which points out that honda doesn't have a specialized "race ready" quad in their line up. the video is calling honda out hardcore.. lol

and i agree with you a 400ex has a great platform for a rider to get into the full sized quads and are tamer than the 450's from any manufacturer. the thing i see is if a kid gets on a 450 and learns how to ride it pacing it till they have to knowledge to go all out after plenty of seat time, instead of parents trying to use it as a babysitter they would be fine.

400ex is a great bike, but i'm yet to find someone with one that doesn't want a 450..

[Rich250RRacer]

This speaks loudly about the faith Yamaha has in the YFZ-R and YFZ-X. They don't sell well and they are an overall flop with poor handling and fuel injection that's even worse. Instead of fixing the problem, they re-release a model that was eliminated to make way for the new model.

[YFZ-FoFiddy-TC]

Originally posted by CJM
Made more.

Where I ride most have a honda as well, some do have a yamaha, but mostly hondas.

I don't think Honda made more. Out here there are probably 8 YFZ's to 1 Honda I see. I'll never buy a Honda.

[YFZ-FoFiddy-TC]

As for this new model, I think it's a waste. They pretty much stripped the YFZ of everything it was good for to "save money". Why would someone buy an inferior 2012 YFZ for $6,000 over a better 04-09 YFZ which can be had for $3,000? I was thinking maybe it would be good for someone who planned to strip it down and mod it... Then I realized they'd have to be a fool when they could buy an 04-09 for 3 grand less and use that $3,000 towards parts... I dislike.

[nkillian9]

in the video and pics it has cheap shocks but on the spec sheet it shows to have hi/low speed piggybacks,

[Pappy]

Video not withstanding,,,,,



It appears to me Yamaha listened. People have been saying from the first month that they wished the older YFZ hadnt been taken out of its line up. People also have complained about the heavy throttle etc and thats all been handled. Thank you for listening Yamaha.

The rebirth of this model to me seems to fit a good nitch, price point in the marketplace and a better platform for mods. I do not get why they tried comparing it to the 400ex, IMO not even a fair fight but to those who dont dwell on the internet or at the race track it will drag a few sales away from Hondas almost perfect 400ex(Think entry level, trail riding etc)

Just this spring we saw 450R Hondas selling new for below $4000, and the models in the industry that are at $8k arent moving.....so a price point needed to be addressed and they have done that, but that difference isnt THAT big in the long run. Interesting to say the least. I cant fathom how they can retool and bring out a model when they could have made the corrections to the YFZ-R & X and worked on lowering its price.

In retrospect, I dont see why Yamaha even brought out the X model. They had a very solid platform with the original YFZ450 and it was a good seller and solid preformer on and off the track. Honda gets bashed for not bringing a new model to market, which I have no issue with, but Honda fails year after year to correct its models flaws which are well known (main bearing issues, bad handling starting in 06 thanks to the changed spindles and hubs). They have failed to properly address a very weak frame as well.

I like ALL atv's, I am not a brand bias person, cant afford to be in my position. I want the best we can get for a reasonable price for the sport, what I dont want is excuses and issues not addressed. The manufactures hire or consult with the best in the industry and then make a left turn when following their advice or direction with a model. Can AM is the only manufacture I see religiously at the races taking notes, listening for feedback and doing everything they can to improve.

Welcome to a very small industry, where feedback is a click away and intelligence seems to be lost every model year. Dont believe me, just follow the bike side of off roading........stark differences on all levels.

[400grl]

Originally posted by Rich250RRacer
This speaks loudly about the faith Yamaha has in the YFZ-R and YFZ-X. They don't sell well and they are an overall flop with poor handling and fuel injection that's even worse. Instead of fixing the problem, they re-release a model that was eliminated to make way for the new model.

"poor handling?" Really? I don't agree.....the YFZR/X are marketed for racing....this 2012 YFZ450 is directed towards the recreational rider. The YFZR is an amazing quad, and for racing, I wouldn't go back to my YFZ, even with full aftermarket suspension. I have podiumed my YFZR in the A class more than once with stock suspension......can't do that with very many other quads.

[fastredrider44]

400ex has reverse. The "new" YFZ should too if it's going to be compared. The YFZ is a great quad, but comparing it to the 400ex is apples and oranges, plain and simple.

Yes, 7 grand is too much for either one of these.

The 450R and standard YFZ is a good comparison. The YFZR more closely compares to the other wide bikes. The Honda is not what I would consider a good out-of-the-box bike. Neither is the standard Yamaha though. :blah:

[powerbomb400]

"Reliability"

[01boneless]

Originally posted by fastredrider44
400ex has reverse. The "new" YFZ should too if it's going to be compared. The YFZ is a great quad, but comparing it to the 400ex is apples and oranges, plain and simple.

Yes, 7 grand is too much for either one of these.

The 450R and standard YFZ is a good comparison. The YFZR more closely compares to the other wide bikes. The Honda is not what I would consider a good out-of-the-box bike. Neither is the standard Yamaha though. :blah:

ltr can ham and ktm are closer out of the box but all way more jack too.

[JForestZ34]

I can't believe I watched that.. Of course the YFZ with out perform the 400.. Two totally different machine built for two different purposes...


James

[powerbomb400]

When I went to buy my quad I could have bought anyone I wanted. The biggest factor was reverse. The 400ex had it and the the next was reliablity. The only the Raptor had that I wish the Honda had was the sixth gear. Oh! BlackSheep that's some great looking trikes. If a person knows how to put the English on the curves and not let the front wheel hit the ground you could tear some trails up with them.

[Pappy]

I just cleaned this thread up. Keep it on topic, keep the personal stabs between each other off here period please. People are tired of this crap, weeding through a topic full of personal BS.

[guy310]

AS I said, a little banter back and forth is entertaining. I think it is a bit ridiculous the amount of "big brother is watching" style censoring that goes on. This isn't an Al Qaeda chat room where you are looking for terroristic threats. Just a little over the top on your guys' part I think.

[Pappy]

If you cant handle the atmosphere, change planets. I dont think I can be any clearer.

[trailrider894]

Originally posted by Pappy
If you cant handle the atmosphere, change planets. I dont think I can be any clearer.

Thank you Pappy!!

[Quinn4]

Besides the crappy economy, the biggest problem with the sale of new quads is the used quad market. A good used 400 or 450 level quad by any company can be found for less than 2k.

If I had 6-7k to spend on a quad, I'd buy a used or left over 450 and a used truck to haul it with! (take your pick even the 2011 ds450mx's are going for under 6k around here. And a used ranger can be had for under 1-2k)

That being said we all love quads here and I get excited for ANY new quad that is released I dont care what it is!
Kudos to companies like Yamaha and Can-Am for still coming out with new and inovative products!!!!

[crayfz]

Originally posted by Pappy
If you cant handle the atmosphere, change planets. I dont think I can be any clearer.

Nice :D

[dxcody]

Originally posted by crayfz
Nice :D

DAVE SIMMONS!!!

Man your one of my idols! :D

You are crazy fast. I think you could be competetion for Borich if you moved into XC1 lol :macho

You never know who is going to obe on this site.

[bencasey217]

That's kinda sad that the YFZ 450 only won by a short margin on the drag race