'06 YZ450F/RM-Z450 Comparison opinions

[SF701]

I've been riding an '03 YZ450F, but considering an '06 YZ or RMZ 450. I'll be riding/racing MX only and in the +35/40 classes. Any opinions would be helpful. Thanks

[Ga426owner]

I've been riding an '03 YZ450F, but considering an '06 YZ or RMZ 450. I'll be riding/racing MX only and in the +35/40 classes. Any opinions would be helpful. Thanks

you should look at either the YZF, or KXF or CRF in this order... in my opinion.....

[Reyndogg]

Something to consider - your air filters, oil filters, and other things will work on a 06 yzf...

[scottpb33]

I've been riding an '03 YZ450F, but considering an '06 YZ or RMZ 450. I'll be riding/racing MX only and in the +35/40 classes. Any opinions would be helpful. Thanks

If you are comfortable with the 4 speed, and the Yamaha line, stay with it. I saw the RMZ 450 up close the other day, first thing I noticed is that the petcock is right behind the radiator, bad move. One small fall, and that radiator is history. I personally like the 5 speed gearbox as opposed to the four speed. The best thing about the Yamaha's is that the motor is pretty bullit-proof compared to the others. Several friends that have Honda's had big issues, I have not heard to many bad things about Yamaha, and not much on the RMZ, since it is new.

[642MX]

I've been riding an '03 YZ450F, but considering an '06 YZ or RMZ 450. I'll be riding/racing MX only and in the +35/40 classes. Any opinions would be helpful. Thanks

I personally would never own a Suzuki. I just don't think there quality is as high as the Yamaha. I had a friend that had a RMZ for about 2 months and hated it. It was a pain to remove the carb, a pain to adjust the timing chain (manually), it seemed to vibrate every bolt loose, and it also had the hot start located on the carb. Do what you want, but I doubt its half the bike a Yamaha is.

[Wyatt]

Well, you ask this question on a Yamaha board......you get Yamaha answers.

[Satch0922]

I think you should buy the KXF......

(jk) ?

[aford541]

Well I just got off of a heavily modified 2005 yz 450 with a 4 speed, I rode the 2006 after setting the sag and thought that the five speed would be a problem, well it was hard to ride the 4 speed after a 30 min moto on the 5 speed.

[Satch0922]

If your asking...the answer is obvious. The Yamaha guys love their bikes because they are bullet proof. Go read the green forum and they spend more time dogging Yamaha riders and making personal attacks than they do talking about their bikes.

As far as the Suzuki....I wandered into that forum and the first thread I see is "Motor Seized" ....I was outta there. Since I was 8 years old and got my first bike (and that was a LONG time ago) Suzuki had a reputation of being fast, agile and raggedy. Almost everything I read some 32 years later seems to reveal the same thing. Raggedy is not good...it makes you go home early from the track with a bad attitude.

[Satch0922]

If I had a 426 and had the option to buy a new bike...it would not be a Suzuki....THAT is what he was trying to say. Attacking someone over their opinion or experience with motorcycles seems to be the new thing on Thumper Talk.

It's getting old. Especially from people who don't even ride or own the bikes they are talking about.

[DPW]

Attacking someone over their opinion or experience with motorcycles seems to be the new thing on Thumper Talk.

Agree 100%...

?

The funny part is a lot, not all... of the folks that are putting down the YZF simply because their local dealer is a clown and won't give them a decent deal. All things being equal as far as pricing there would be a lot more YZ450F owners and there would be a lot less posts about what is better a YZ450F or a ABC450F?

[gholt651]

I have an 06 yzf450. Very fun bike to ride. MY friend has an 06 rmz450.It is also fun to ride. The only things I like better about the Yamaha is the 5 speed gear box,and the Yami seems much more stable at high speeds.My friend is investing in a sterring stabilizer, I dont think I will have to on this bike ? . Again it is personal preferance. As far as dependability? I could not tell you that because this is my first 4 stroke ? . But every thing I have read says the Yami is the king in that catagory . They are all very good bikes though. And as far as price goes, Give it a little time and shop around. I got a very good deal on mine.There out there you just have to look.

[Open_Class]

All the 450s are great bikes in 06, some just a little better.

If you want something to help you make up your mind, this should help a bit.

In support of the Contingency thing, here is how it breaks out in my little corner of the word.

Total contingency available for 2006 season, * = the brand let's you collect for 2 classes on a single vin.

This is the theoretical max I can make with one bike if I win everything. If you do not win everything your piece of the pie goes down, and then the number look even better.

Kawasaki = 9,000 *

Suzuki = 5,700 *

Honda = 1,800

Yamaha = 1,100

As you can see, this sure helps with the decision, plus I found out that Honday is dumping their 40+ contingency in a lot of series. Not to smart given the number of bikes sold to that market segment.

Given the closeness of the bikes, there was no way I could even justify going red or blue for 06, plus I think the green one is pretty damn good.

__________________

[thumper_dad]

I wouldn't own another 4 speed period. Suzuki has only started to shine since RC came into the picture. before that when was the last MX title Suzuki won?

They can talk up that 4 speed gear box all they want but in reality for the average Joe a 4 speed doesn't make sense.

I sold my 04 450F because of the crappy gear box and now I own the 06. One of the best things I have found about the new bike is how smooth it is. the motor doesn't shake the bike when you romp the throttle like the 04 did. It has total balance which is very cool.

1st gear is pretty tall but with a 51 tooth rear sprocket it shortened up right where I like it.

Good luck on your decision.

Now go to the Suzuki forum and ask them. ?

[642MX]

Stick with your old school 426, I'm sure that it runs circles around the new RMZ450. ?

2006 YZF450 is even harder to remove the carb.

Not for 06.

The Yamaha better be twice the bike for the price dealers are charging for them.

Trust me, I've ridden both bikes and done LOADS of research. This is a good year to buy a 450. They are all competitve. It came down to the RMZ or the YZF for me. My final decision came from the amount of sponsorship the Suzuki dealer was willing to give me. The $1500 less price tag didn't hurt either. Good luck with your pick. Either way you'll be riding a great bike.

Alright go ahead and make fun of my old school bike, it not the best, but its the best I can afford. I don't trade bikes every year, when I buy one it has to last for years not months. I bought my 426 brand new and have been exteremely happy ever since, why should I ever buy another brand?

[beezer]

I loved my 426, that thing had a great motor!

[thumper_dad]

i just finished reading a bunch of threads in the RMZ forum and they are having countless troubles with plating on the 05's. The engines are seizing left and right not to mention the crank bearings that seem to be failing.

A lot of folks are claiming that these problems are with the 05's and not the 06's but they have no way of knowing since the bikes just came out.

It's a gamble that's for sure.

Rich

[Satch0922]

and once again...you prove my point. Thank you.

And if your so convinced as to what bike is best...then go buy it and save yourself the grief of arguing with people on the net.

No, he said, "I personally would never own a Suzuki". What I said in reponse wasn't even close to an attack. I just think that it's funny that some people "bleed blue" so deeply that they are blinded by any other brand being a viable motocross weapon. He's pointing out faults on a bike that aren't even true. Besides all this.........Satch, why are you up in everyones business anyways? Are you the protector of all that is TT? Shouldn't you be on www.SMOKERtalk.com?

[RAMARION]

IMO

all 2006 450's are AWESOME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

with that said.........your riding an 03 YZ 450...that bike HAS the hardest HIT of ANY thumper made to date. If you like that arm wrenching hit than your looking at the wrong bike's........ RM or YZ.

My 06 YZ has the smoothest delivery I've riden since my 99 YZ 400. The RM (everyone says) has a smoother delivery than the YZ. The CRF has the hardest hit of all STOCK bikes. If your gonna spend $1k on upgrades, then any bike will do..................

IMO, any bike you get........you'll love it........and you'll say it's the BEST bike ever built.............

[642MX]

I'm just playing with you man, not attacking you as some people see it. Did you ride your buddies RMZ450? You should have. I'm coming off an 03 YZF450 and 250F. The handling on the RMZ is AWESOME. I also rode the 06 YZF450 which is light years better than my 03 in the handling department, but it still doesn't carve the inside like the Zook. I didn't notice any head shake or any kind of trade off for the cornering prowess of the RMZ. One HUGE difference that both the 06 RMZ and the 06 YZF share is that they both jump WAY better than my 03 YZF. That thing is felt like a tank in the air compared to these bikes. It's amazing how you can get used to something. I would have never known that my 03 YZF was a poor jumper had I not rode something new. All this is coming from a totally unbiased rider. Coming off Yamaha's I would have to say that I lean more toward the Yamaha brand than any other. Hopefully you didn't feel as though I was attacking you, that wasn't my intention.

I rode the RMZ, I thought it handled very well. But, the vibration was twice as bad as my bike, it had an ugly rear fender and it was a pain to rejet the carb (which it did need rejeting from the factory). I had the carb off twice, once to play with the jetting, and once to install a quick shot. The timing chain had to be adjusted every two races and it went thru plenty of bolts too. I also thought the seat was too firm and the suspension was too stiff.

It took Suzuki 7 years to produce a performance 4 stroke since the first YZF. Sure it handled better than a 98 YZ400, but it still had the hot start in the same place and it vibrated like a old KX500. Plus you have to manually adjust the timing chain. Suzuki fans should be disappointed, the 05 model was a joke, now it seems that they have plating problems and crank issues? I'll keep my old bike, I'm sure it will still be running when those RMZ's are being parted out on ebay.