YZ426F or CR450F

[YZ426man]

which one should i buy. what do you guys think of both.

[John_Lorenz]

Like the 99 Wizzer I would wait a year on the CR

(Personal Prefreance) By habit I never buy the first batch, those by nature are pretty much experimental.

I am a Yamerhaer Love Honda's but just a rival thing

[Idonjuan]

Honda makes an almost perfect bk. If you are short the honda is 2" shorter which means alot when trying to start these beasts. The honda is easier to strart. The YZ has a stronger bottom and is a beast.

[Ga426owner]

I would wait for the YZF450..........be patient grasshopper.........

[Dan_Lorenze]

I say wait for the 2003's. The Yamaha will be lighter and faster. And hopefully the CRF won't leak coolant or burn oil and they just might fix the front end from feeling like a paint shaker. But don't take my advice, You should ride both bikes and see which one you like the most.

[rmarion]

Both bikes are awesome.

If your over 6' Yamaha is only way to go.

If your 5' 9" under, Hondas the bike.

In between take your pick.

Obviously, the Yamaha sits and rides taller than the Honda. If you want the Yam, I'd wait for 2003. (someones has been on a diet)

If you want a bike that will carve under both bikes plus all the 2 strokes get a 250F.

[yankee]

One thing that I haven't heard people talk about is replacement parts. Yamaha's OEM parts cost more about 40% to 50% more than the Honda's. I spent 1k on a bottom end job(New crank, generator, etc) on my son's YZ. For the same parts on the same type of bike for a Honda, It would have cost me half that much. Even when you compare his bike to my 450 I would have saved about the same. This even though the 450 is bigger and cost a lot more.

By the way I compared prices and shopped at epowersports, partsfish, and service Honda.

I think this is important to the average Joe. These bikes will eventually need some kind of maintance and repair.

[Shawn_Mc]

Having ridden both bikes on the same day on the same track, the next bike I buy will be the Honda, and basically for most of the reasons metioned already. Ive owned Hondas my whole life, this YZ is my first Yamaha. The first thing I noticed when do reg. maint. was fit and finish. My 88'CR500 is basically worn out, but everything still fits without force. With my YZ its "flex this to line up the hole" or "man these threads are sloppy" or something around the whole bike. It almost seems like they were in a hurry, on a friday, before a 4 day weekend. My bike might be unusual, but its the only one Ive had to deal with. I wont be dumping my YZ anytime soon, but when I do, I'm buying a Honda.

[javelinmxer]

As of right now the YZ426 is a better buy off of the showroom floor. My bike starts really easy and brother in law just bought the CRF and said he might switch to the YZ b/c it is just a better motocrosser straight out of the box. If you want to spend an extra $500 bucks then go to Too Tech suspension and they will hook up a CRF with awesome suspension and then the bike is worth it. But there is no way i would buy a new bike now when the 2003 YZf450 will be out in seven months. Yamaha and Honda produce awesome bikes, but right now having ridden both, the YZ is better(Starts on the first kick for me and my thunder Alley) than the Honda. But I believe Yamaha will have an awesome bike for 03 that is 12-15 lbs lighter with an automatic compression release and optional electric start on some models, as will Honda improve on the flaws of the 02.

[rpadgett2]

The best advice that I can give is read what owners have to say in both groups. Both bikes have something that they piss and wine about. Figure out which one fits you the most. You hear about problems with both bikes. I own a 1999 yz400f and have very little problems with it.

Good luck!!