My 2008 Yz 450f Review

[polarbear]

Sounds like your are unhappy with your 08. This makes me nervouse cause my buddy ordered one and all he's ever ridden are hondas and he finally decided to try a yammie and now I'm worried! Thanks a lot for the extra stress...LOL!

[djtroy]

Sounds like your are unhappy with your 08. This makes me nervouse cause my buddy ordered one and all he's ever ridden are hondas and he finally decided to try a yammie and now I'm worried! Thanks a lot for the extra stress...LOL!

Are you guys dating each other? Did you pay him to buy it?

[WB450]

Are you guys dating each other? Did you pay him to buy it?

I think he's worried about looking like a ahole in his buddies eyes, maybe he can pick it up cheap down the road.

[DPW]

All I kow is my 06 and 07 lift the front tire in second when you roll on the throttle.

hmm...I wonder how the '10 YZ350F will lift the front wheel in second if a 450 can't?

[grayracer513]

hmm...I wonder how the '10 YZ350F will lift the front wheel in second if a 450 can't?

Perhaps we can take NASCAR history as a guide. In the scope of my memory, the NASCAR displacement limit was 430 CI. The 427 Fords and Chevys and the 426 Mopars were generating 600+ hp and going 200mph. NASCAR decided that the cars were too fast, so they dropped the limit to 405. Soon, the smaller engines were generating 600+ hp and going 200 mph. One thing led to another, and after a while, the cars were limited to 5 liters (305 CID) and had restrictor plates in the manifold. They were, however, generating 6-700 hp and going over 200 mph.

I doubt that any one will think that a 350 in the state of tune a YZ250F ends up in for pro racing is slow, or that it will have any trouble lifting the front wheel. But I don't think it will do what the AMA wants done, what the hell ever that might be.

[djtroy]

I think he's worried about looking like a ahole in his buddies eyes, maybe he can pick it up cheap down the road.

Ya I was kidding

[Camrose Cycle]

I still don't feel as though this bike is lacking major bottem end power. Ya, i do work for a dealership but by no means would favor the yammie because of that reason. MAybe it is that im at a differnet elevation than the others, but this bike has no problem lifting the front end when snapping the throttle. I still think that most people are just being tricked into thinking its slow off the bottom because of the pipe being so mellow sounding. Again, im not saying im correct, that is just my own opinion.

[honda597]

I still don't feel as though this bike is lacking major bottem end power. Ya, i do work for a dealership but by no means would favor the yammie because of that reason. MAybe it is that im at a differnet elevation than the others, but this bike has no problem lifting the front end when snapping the throttle. I still think that most people are just being tricked into thinking its slow off the bottom because of the pipe being so mellow sounding. Again, im not saying im correct, that is just my own opinion.

I would have to agree that the bike does not lack in the bottom end of the the delivery. The 08 is not only stronger off the bottom it also has more in the midrange,which was demonstrated at my friends supercross track today, where he has tricky step on step off section followed by an 80ft tripple.

On the 07 i struggle to clear the tripple,on the 08 i actualy over jumped it to my suprise. This bike is even more deciving than the last.?

[Wolfgangs650r]

Read my 600$ mod this was for a 2007 450

[MXKyle]

I got a chance to put in a few hot laps on a buddies '08 yesterday. If this is Yamaha's plan for future power delivery then I've bought my last Yamaha. This is from a guy that has ridden nothing else for the past twelve years. I simply hated the motor.

Swapping bikes on the track made it seem even worse after doing laps on my '06. The owner's previous bike was also an '06. We spent the rest of the day talking about which aftermarket pipe he should buy. He was really disappointed.

--KT--

[DPW]

I got a chance to put in a few hot laps on a buddies '08 yesterday. If this is Yamaha's plan for future power delivery then I've bought my last Yamaha. This is from a guy that has ridden nothing else for the past twelve years. I simply hated the motor.

Swapping bikes on the track made it seem even worse after doing laps on my '06. The owner's previous bike was also an '06. We spent the rest of the day talking about which aftermarket pipe he should buy. He was really disappointed.

--KT--

What was the power delivery like? Smoother...too smooth?

Just curious what is your skill level?

[adamdf]

I got a chance to put in a few hot laps on a buddies '08 yesterday. If this is Yamaha's plan for future power delivery then I've bought my last Yamaha. This is from a guy that has ridden nothing else for the past twelve years. I simply hated the motor.

Swapping bikes on the track made it seem even worse after doing laps on my '06. The owner's previous bike was also an '06. We spent the rest of the day talking about which aftermarket pipe he should buy. He was really disappointed.

--KT--

Care to comment on the handling and cornering of the 08 vs 06?

[MXKyle]

What was the power delivery like? Smoother...too smooth?

Just curious what is your skill level?

Way too smooth. As in still waiting on it. Like riding a WR but the power was there and the bike is really fast down the straights. The problem is that you have to stab the clutch to get it to snap out of the turns.

My skill level? Or lack of it? That's the same question I wonder every time I see a ride report. I also wonder what type of riding and what kind of dirt.

I held an AMA pro liscense for four years and qualified for the main in pro supercross. Yes, that was a while back but I still ride every week and I'm in better shape now that I was then.

Check out this clip of the track we were riding at. Mostly sand and you can see we actually want some wheelspin. These are all 450's. The fast one is a yellow '06 YZ and the other is a RM. You can see my blue fender once in a while.

--KT--

[MXKyle]

Care to comment on the handling and cornering of the 08 vs 06?

I spent a lot of time getting my '06 to where I liked it. I'm happy to say that I don't have any issues with the handling and never feel like I'm at a disadvantage in the turns. I recognize that some of that is that I have conformed my riding style to suit the bike but that's ok if it works. The '08 felt almost the same right out of the box. It would probably be even better if it were set up exclusively for me. None of the pushing that I had to dial out of my '06 if that's what you mean but not all that much better than what I'm used to right now either.

If I didn't have over 140 hours on my '06 I wouldn't want to get rid of it. I'm still shy of holding onto a 4-stroke very long. I was hoping to upgrade but now I may look for a left over '06 (I think I know where one is) and save a ton of money.

--KT--

[attackmoto46]

What track is that in FL ?

[MXKyle]

What track is that in FL ?

Bithlo

[GENE426]

How does that new exhaust work??????????

[Ga426owner]

Kyle great footage Bud! I love that track. Bithlo has a long history.

I think Yamaha went way to radical on the smoothness factor for 08. We are all use to harder hitting bikes from the 80s, 90s and up to 2006/7. Some Marketing jack@$$ and the AMA has decided we must have tamer bikes...

The 08 is a handling killer but made for the virgin newby mxer IMO. Work and money will need to be done to it to recreate the harder hitting "corner blasting" bikes some of us are used to....I would have a new pipe on order from WB if I was going to buy it hands down.....as well as a 1tooth larger rear sprocket and chain. ? After a few mods it will be fantastic....and dependable. ?

Instead I will keep my 06 as it is perfect for me....but at a hell of a cost, not including the bling factor.....soon to be seen:thumbsup:

[Ga426owner]

ohhh nooooooooooo the more I read the kawasaki forums the more people I see from here wanting to go that way. I will probably see yall there or maybe even on the red forum. I want ass............from my bike

I hear ya Matt....just remember they also have their own sets of issues pro/cons

Kawis have the power and handling...but components seem to fall apart more & wear faster

and Honda......well what else can you say...........

[Ga426owner]

Only reason I would go honda is because my good friend owns our honda and suzuki dealership. I dont have a decent yamaha dealership around. But damnit I want to stay yamaha but the more I read on 08 the more I think...Just like you GA what would you buy if you where in market for a 08?

I will answer this when all the 08s come out....I have been a loyal yami owner for a long friggin time....sometimes change is good sometimes it is not...fortunately every bike for 08....is good with each one having its own sets of issues that have to be resolved....remember the "A" women example...there ain't no perfect package

...for bikes and for women....they all have issues...it just may take a little while to notice them and try to fix them.....a then sometimes they can't be fixed....you just deal with it...

But remember what I told you...my 06 is good for me until the 09s come out....until then...I look forward to when I get the chance to ride a 08 this or that ?

But that 2008 KX500 from Service Honda ....... sure looks like a real mans bike....anyone catch that yet??