yz400f for a newb??

[Kyosho26]

I need some guidance. Would you suggest a 98 or 99 yz400f for a newb dirtbiker?? I have 4 years of street experience and tons of mountain bike experience. A salesperson suggested wr250f or crf250x.

Any other suggestions would be great. I dont want to buy new. i want something in the 3K or less area. Thanks in advance.

[walent215]

the 98 yz 400 was my first 4 stroke and i probably shouldnt have sold it to be honest with you.the bike worked for the trail and the track -effectively i might add as well.if you can find a well maintained 98 or 99 400 dont hesitate.out here in cali you might expect to pay a little more for one as compared to out of state.i sold my 98 400 almost a year ago for 2800.it had mucho extras and was extremely well maintained with near new tires.good luck.

[grayracer513]

Something to remember is that 40 years ago people used to have to start out on 300+ pound 500's with 3 1/2" of suspension travel at both ends if they wanted a bigger bike than what passed for a 125 or 250 at that time. Most of them were able to do that, and by comparison, as big and ponderous as a YZ400 might seem now, it is a much lighter and easier bike to ride. There are probably better choices, but certainly not for the money. They aren't mild mannered plonkers; they were built as competitive MX bikes. But neither are they an unmanageable beast. Not nearly.

They are tough and reliable, and even by current standards, perform well. But, they are getting a little long in the tooth, so you may end up with something that will need a little work before long.

Shop around, you should be able to find a good one for far less than $3k. In fact there should be several 426's under that mark.

A 250 class 4-stroke like that is a handful to start with, but it's not at all unthinkable that it would suit you. You know your abilities better than anyone else.

[Kyosho26]

Thanks for the replies. Any know issues i should look for when shopping for a 400 or 426. I know they are hard to start, and the auto decomp cam is a good mod. I just want it for trail riding. No huge a$$ jumps or mx parks.

[Kyosho26]

Another question. Is the Wr400 and yz400f completely different beasts?? Would the WR be better??

[Sam_66]

Ask when the last pair of tires were put on. Look at the knobs and see how warn they are. The rear tire will give you a pretty good idea of how much the bike has been ridden. Test ride it and see if it feels good. Go through every gear and see how it feels. Ask how often he changed the oil, and cleaned/changed the air filter. Ask about the valves and if they have ever been shimmed or replaced. I am not sure about the 400, but the newer Yamaha's are very reliable and if you read posts on valves, you will see almost no Yamaha's have problems( unless not properly maintained). Do your research on the bike and ask as many questions as you can. Goodluck.

[walent215]

the wr has a wide ratio tranny and pulls gears longer with less hit and might be a skosh better than the yz for trails.personally i liked the yz because i like the harder hit than the wr.you can always take some of the hit away from the yz with taller gearing though .so that might be a tough choice but if you ever do go to the track you will be much happier with the yz.

[Kyosho26]

Thanks all for the help.

[Fly-nBri]

You would be suited for a 400 I'm sure.

[mxaction]

You'll be fine. The first bike I ever rode was a 1998 YZ400F.

And Im 5'9" nd 130 pounds with gear on. Great bike, the 400.

[mxaction]

Another question. Is the Wr400 and yz400f completely different beasts?? Would the WR be better??

For trail riding, the WRF reigns supreme. Motocross, get the YZF.

If it were a newer model with electric start, I'd get a WRF and turn it into a YZF.

[storm 800]

I love my 2000 WR 400

[tacoma426]

for the money u cant beat a 400 or 426

[Extrapolate]

Just bought my first dirt bike. A '99 YZF400, not any time on it yet to speak of, but the guy who sold it to me walked me throught the starting drill and it hasn't failed yet:

DON'T TOUCH THE THROTTLE

Choke on

Kick slowly till top dead center, (can't kick easily beyond this)

Pull decompression lever and continue 15deg past this point.

Allow starter to return to top and kick away. Sputters on first kick(sometimes starts), and always starts on second kick following same procedure.

resist urge to touch throttle for 30seconds.

Good luck!

[Kyosho26]

Just bought my first dirt bike. A '99 YZF400, not any time on it yet to speak of, but the guy who sold it to me walked me throught the starting drill and it hasn't failed yet:

DON'T TOUCH THE THROTTLE

Choke on

Kick slowly till top dead center, (can't kick easily beyond this)

Pull decompression lever and continue 15deg past this point.

Allow starter to return to top and kick away. Sputters on first kick(sometimes starts), and always starts on second kick following same procedure.

resist urge to touch throttle for 30seconds.

Good luck!

Please keep me updated on how you like the bike.

[Kyosho26]

Also, which one would be better for supermoto, yz400 or wr400?? Hopefully it be a offroad/supermoto bike.

[markit]

I use my 99 PC YZ400F for trail/mx/sm for sm the YZ is better for small tracks and Go carts tracks, WR a tad better for large road courses. I would go for the WR if i where you if your ging to be trail riding and SM and you can basicly give the WR the YZ power band with minmal moads.