Morning broke with

an informative presentation covering some of the 180 changes made to the big YZ; this was not a massaged 426 but a whole new animal. I looked forward to mounting the 13.5-pound lighter machine and putting the staff catch phrase of “flickable” to the test. Nothing about me or my riding style has ever had the term ‘flick’ associated with it, but that’s not the bike’s fault. The slick graphics pointed out the average age of the new YZ buyer — about 33 years old — and many of the bikes would never see competition on a track. That was me, I had my own piece of the pie chart: I grew up in that odd category of kid who used a motocross bike for anything and everything but motocross, like mowing through the woods or tearing up the local sandpit. Maybe you know the type or were one yourself.

Tiny new hot start lever.

We loaded up and headed down the road past the exotic game roaming the ranch to the beautifully maintained Lake Whitney MX track with a row of new 450s and support staff waiting for us. Before I headed out I was told to just learn the track first before I got on it. No worries there, I was cautious to say the least as Burns stressed that my prime objective was to return uninjured, but I sort of had this in mind before his orders came down the line. Visually the new bike has a compact and aggressive stance compared to the last generation.

Once in the saddle the work area was impressive with a new flatter tank and seat junction and aggressive riding position. I would have to learn to sit forward now that I could, compared to my big old WR tank. Ergos were quite roomy for my large stature and after a rear brake adjustment things were good to go. I headed out on my reconnaissance lap gently wicking up the pace with each turn. The 450 felt very forgiving in any circumstance and gave me the utmost confidence tackling any obstacle I encountered while lapping the loamy track. I found the power from the extra 23ccs added this year to be very linear with more than enough on tap anywhere in the rev range to blast me over a set of woops or straight up the face of a jump with little effort. The trans is now a four speed down from five and made perfect sense since I would only climb as high as 3rd during my time at the track.

Trying to get off the ground for Frank’s camera.

Don Dudek offers some advice to the exhausted Hatch.

This is the time when those stiffer springs would come in handy.

One of the most revolutionary changes has to be the automatic decompression system which means you just kick it and if things are hot simply pull the handlebar mounted hot start lever and that is it. For those of you familiar with the old drill of the compression release lever, finding top dead center often in hot or awkward situations on the trail or track, you can appreciate the magnitude of this change. Minimal effort is now required to get things lit.

As I got more comfortable with the track and bike I could get a feel for the suspension, the bike felt very neutral over the rough stuff and even during the minimal air I could muster. I probably could use a stiffer set of springs front and rear to go beyond a playful pace but I am sure my personal dimensions are outside the parameters the Yamaha staff worked toward.

The Yamaha staff was great acting in a very accommodating and understanding manner. I had a chance to work with photographer Frank Hoppen who has to be the hardest working man in show business. He did his best to capture me digitally not looking too out of my element. While taking a break from the oppressive Texas heat I climbed to the top of a tower to watch Doug Dubach hammer around the track showing the true capabilities of this bike. The thundering exhaust note made it clear Doug rarely gets off the pipe while ripping his way around the track; it was an impressive sight to behold to say the least. In the right hands this bike is capable of amazing things.

I feel the YZ 450 has finally reached maturity with the 2003 model and Yamaha has created a confidence-inspiring bike that enables the rider to reach the limits of their ability without any drama or stress. There are no longer any compromises when going with a four-stroke. This is the 450 MX bike for 2003 but I may need to mount the rival Honda to confirm my opinion.

Specifications
2003 Yamaha YZ450F Specs

Engine:
Type: 449cc, DOHC, 5-valve, liquid-cooled
four-stroke w/ titanium valves
Bore x stroke: 95×63.4mm/3.74×2.5in
Compression ratio: 12.5:1
Carburetion: 39mm Keihin FCR Flat-side w/TPS
Transmission: Constant mesh 4-speed,
multi-disc wet clutch
Starting: Kick

Chassis/Suspension:
Frame: Semi double cradle
Front suspension: Telescopic fork, 11.81″/300mm travel;
coil spring/oil damper
Rear suspension: Swingarm link suspension, 12.4″ travel;
coil spring/gas-oil damper;
separate hi/lo-spd compression adjustment
Rake: 27.2°
Trail: 4.65in/118mm
Front brake: 250mm floating disc
Rear brake: 245mm single disc
Front tire: 80/100-21 Dunlop 739
Rear tire: 110/90-19 Dunlop 739

Dimensions:
Overall dimensions (LxWxH)- 85.5×32.6×51.3″/2172×828x1303mm
Seat height: 39.2″/996mm
Wheelbase: 58.5″/1486mm
Ground clearance: 14.6″/371mm
Fuel capacity: 1.8gallons/8.2L
Dry weight: 222lbs/101kg
Colors: Team Yamaha Blue/White

My cousin Craig was a major influential factor in forming my lifelong obsession with motorcycles and ultimately my vehicle-based illustration career. When I was a young kid a visit to his house was magical, with the garage always filled with the latest motocross hardware, gear and parts strewn everywhere. I would stand in the doorway just staring in awe. Back home my pull-start Briggs and Stratton powered mini-bike just didn’t cut it anymore in the woods of Northern Jersey. Craig and family answered my prayers when they unexpectedly showed up one morning with a brand new, beat-to-death, eight-year-old Honda CT-70 tied to the back of the family truckster. This very bike would launch a lifetime of riding and an endless stream of bikes for Both Craig and myself (several of which Hatch actually bought–Ed.). Despite the fact that both of us have been riding our entire lives, we have never had the chance to ride together.

This event was just the catalyst to get cousin to California and make it happen. Me in my mid 30s and Craig in his 40s, we weren’t getting any younger. This was it.

Invite secured, Cuz on the plane, one problem left, “Bring your own bike.” I have my own trusty Yamaha WR-400 but needed another ride. A call to my buddy the influential John P. Burns would lead me to a beautiful brand new Yamaha YZ-450F; we had hoped to be able to report on the new 250F, but dirt bikes are hard to come by and this spankin’ new bike would definitely do. The plan was to meet Johnny boy at Elsinore MX track, ride a few laps and transfer the big YZ back to Hatch HQ. Having had the great fortune of attending the YZ launch in Texas earlier in the year I was somewhat familiar with the monster YZ. The Vet track at Elsinore was just my speed and I had a blast chasing younger Sprog Burns and Street Boy Johnny, when John was actually moving that is–but JB will have to tell you about that part.
IDIOT’S CORNER
By Johnnyb

Ordinarily I know better than to ride dirt bikes, but I’ve had this little Yamaha TT-R125L for a year or two now, which I’ve been riding almost weekly in pursuit of the man-cub at the local “MX Park,” and so how different could the 450F be? Certainly bigger and more powerful, but now that my moto-hair plugs have somewhat taken root, how tough could it be eh?

The difference has to be like transitioning from Piper Cub to F-16. I know I’m not in great shape, but are you telling me Hatch is? Look at the man. Mainly the problem is I’m too short. I know you need the eight feet of suspension travel for landings, given this thing’s remarkable vertical leap, but I for one would sacrifice a little suspension travel in exchange for not feeling like Hannibal crossing the Alps aboard an elephant. I love throwing my TT-R on its side into corners, but that definitely ain’t happening for me on the 450, mainly because the ground is so far away. And I’m sure I’d learn not to stall the thing with practice, but every time I got sort of going in my brief interlude with the bike, I would stall it. It’s remarkably easy to start, hot or cold, but in order to do so I would first have to push it to a berm or a stump or a crate to stand atop in order to start it again.

What a fantastic motor. When I think Yamaha single, I’m thinking about my old SRX-6 (XT600 to you dirt people). It’s hard to think these two engines sprang from the same loins. Apparently the thing revs beyond 11,000-some rpm, but it starts shredding knobs at about 250 rpm in this massive wave of torque, aided I suppose by gearing that tops out at what? 80 mph maybe? It’s like riding some bellowing tyrannosaur through the underbrush in a Jurassic Park movie.

Anyway, by the time I’m on it and moving, I’m already tired. Stall it once, push, climb back on in these big stupid boots, restart, I’m really tired… I can do like half-a-lap and I have to rest. I tried to “break through the wall” once, and was too weak to roll off the throttle approaching this one big jump. I thought for a moment I was going to jump completely out of Lake Elsinore MX Park. My eyes mos’ popped out de sockets. Amazingly, though, the bike acted as if that was the first thing I’d done all day that remotely approached its capability. I think it needs a bigger track, preferably one with guest docks every couple of turns I can pull up to to rest.

After all those years kicking Hatch’s butt on paved tracks, he has his revenge. Not for long, though. I am quite certain I can take his WR400 on my TT-R125 at the vet track. Yes, quite. Bring it on Hatchquatch.

–John Burns

Fresh from the airport, truck laden with Cousin Craig, two bikes and gear, etc., down we headed from the Santa Barbara magic garden through the burning flipped cars and general carnage that is Tuesday morning rush hour in Los Angeles, finally pulling into Glen Helen fairly early. We cleared the alert Orange entrance gate and slipped into a spot at the end of the pits. The truck next to us was none other than the great 500 GP champ Kevin Schwantz–whose school I also got to write about for MO, putting on his gear next to a brand new Suzuki RM, most appropriate. Walking around to the back of the truck I spotted the Hayden Brothers suiting up just feet from our rig, next to them the staff from MX Racer. This was going to be a great day indeed.

Geared up we headed over to the massive Dunlop rig to check our tire pressure. The crew was very helpful and made us feel like we were factory for a day but without the chance to win appliances. A stop at the Yamaha truck to make some adjustments reinforced the feeling as we headed onto the MX track.

Craig immediately pulled away on the big YZ, further demonstrating his well-deserved 125-250 Pro expert status and over 20 years of moto experience. I spotted a yellow flash hurtling by with the graceful style that could only be Kev Schwantz. Now I have had the opportunity to follow him on the street and in the dirt. Cruising around Glen Helen trying to learn the track we proceeded over what seemed like an endless parade of tabletops. I slowly followed Craig over what appeared to be just another table but it was actually a double jump, a realization which hit me as I was hanging motionless in no-man’s land smack between the double humps and falling like a stone, no harm done, now I know. The track was an abbreviated version of the National track, and the giant uphill loop was closed off, although the downhill portion of that loop was rumored to be part of a special section. We hit a few more laps on the famed track and prepared for the storied Ten-mile mountain loop.

Then his gaze drifted downward to the jacuzzi on his private deck. “Huh?… That’s way too big to be a lobster pot. Wait . . . The fireplace? Gas! Hey man, there aren’t any gas fireplaces in Maine. Sacrilege! What’s going on? Where’s Gramma and Grampa?” Sorry son, time to wake up. We’re in Central California and this is wine country, so take off that ridiculous lobster bib and pop the cork on the Merlot, would ya’. It needs time to breathe or the tannins will clash with your frosted flakes! Shower, shave, brush your teeth, and for chrissakes, pay attention lad, ’cause we know something you don’t, and you’ve got a verrrrry interesting day ahead of you.

It was thusly that I began the odyssey of the Road Star ‘04 press intro. I joined the other journos in the hotel restaurant overlooking the bay. Breakfast was a buffet affair, and I groggily snarfed down my food and turbocharged my bloodstream with coffee. I exchanged traditional morning pleasantries and, “How did you sleeps” with my compatriots, prior to being ushered into an 8:00 AM briefing, resplendent in all its Powerpoint glory. It was there that we learned the schoolbook interpretations of what Yamaha has cooked up for the ‘04 Road Star feastival. Now that it is June 4th, 9:00 PST, and the press embargo has been officially lifted, I am free to share these closely held secrets with my fellow MOrons. If you didn’t hear it here first, then somebody’s in for a spankin’ Yamaha-style!

So let’s talk tech, shall we? The Road Star’s air-cooled, OHV pushrod V-twin has gained two millimeters of bore to bring it to a husky 1670cc. Bore and stroke now stand at 97mm and 113mm, with a new valve system as well. Greater cooling fin surface area, and the addition of ceramic composite-lined cylinders help to dissipate heat more efficiently. The airbox and pipes have added volume to allow the cylinders to breathe easier.

These and other enhancements have Yamaha claiming that the ‘04 powerplant turns out 15% more horse power, and 7.5% more torque than last year’s edition. This is undeniably a good thing, and Yamaha offers Road Star Speedstar Stage Kits: I (air cleaner, ignition box, jetting), II (performance exhaust), III (pistons, carburetor, ported heads), and IV (cams and pushrods) to further bump your boost. Personally, I’m of the opinion that hot-rodding a big ol’ cruiser accomplishes about as much as putting lipstick on a warthog, but for those who enjoy going slow faster, maybe this stuff matters.

Velocity management is provided by dual discs, with 4-piston monoblock calipers identical to those found on Yamaha’s Warrior. Elsewhere on the bike, stronger construction allows for a lighter, narrower belt drive. Nine-spoke cast-alloy wheels have shed four pounds up front, and another three pounds in the rear wheel. Tubeless tires are also now standard equipment. In addition to the de rigueur bike specs, the Yamaha folks went into great detail about their commitment to the cruiser market, which apparently comprises over 60% of their street bike sales. In fact, we are told, their commitment extends beyond the Road Star bikes, to the Road Star brand. Recognizing that the average consumer plunks down $1,100 on factory custom goodies before their cruiser even rolls off the showroo

m floor, Yamaha now offers over 250 accessories, as well as apparel and other branded items. The parts and components of the bike have been designed from the drawing board up to stand on their own, and avoid overlapping or interfering with surrounding components to allow for simple customization. From my streetside view of the cruiser scene in L.A., I can confirm the status of the Yamaha line as one of the most popular metric cruisers to use as a base for aftermarket customization.

Press intros are sort of like going to a really swank, all-male boarding school where the classes last about an hour and recess fills the rest of the day. It was 9:00. Class dismissed… time for recess! I removed the toothpicks from my eyelids, wiped the drool off my chin, and staggered out of the darkened room into the daylight, squinting like a 220 pound newborn rat. We gathered out by the bikes, which had been arrayed in front of the Inn at Morro Bay as if by an extraordinarily well-to-do chapter of Hell’s Angels. Upon inspection, the bikes exhibit a devotedly heritage styling. Considering the fact that the first Road Star rolled off the line five years ago, the appearance of a vintage bike has been lovingly recreated. To the casual onlooker, the metric cruiser might be easily confused with a restored classic, and that’s exactly what they were shooting for. They’ve hit their target handsomely.

All of the available color combinations were present and accounted for. The standard ‘04 Road Star is available in white with red pinstriping for a classic look, and a sort of black/raspberry combo which adds a more contemporary flair, and then there is, of course your basic “Bad Boy” black. The Silverado editions offer touring windshields and leather saddlebags and come in either an Onyx/Red or Tan/Black color scheme. A new LED taillight graces the fender of all the ’04s. In addition to this year’s cornucopia of cruiser color schemes, the Yamaha crew had provided an array of ‘03 models for comparison purposes, which led to a visual saturation of Yamaha-mania!

We were offered detailed maps of a recommended route, with rendez-vous times for lunch and dinner, and left to grab bikes at will and follow our own devices. Why try to herd cats, anyway? Just fork over the keys, and let ‘em have at it. Aaaah, the sublime pleasures of bourgeois decadence topped with a liberal dollop of anarchy. One of my favorite delicacies! While a solid layer of cloud cover blotted out the sun, we were assured by the Yamaha folk that there was a negligible chance of rain, and to enjoy the day. Being familiar with the Morro Bay/Paso Robles territory from numerous wine tasting excursions, I struck out solo for the open road on one of the blackberry/raspberry models.

As I pulled away from the inn, and into the small, innocent, still sleepy town, my first impression was that the Road Star was obscenely, obnoxiously… quiet. Of course, being the righteous, dignified, upstanding member of society that I am, I would shudder at the thought of rousting even one of the local populace with a reveille of V-Twin flatulence. In this case, it was never an option. Even in my half-dome, I could barely hear the engine. Rats!… er, um, I mean, jolly good show chaps. Yes, quite important to preserve the peace at all costs. Brilliant. Carry on.

When coupled with the fact that a tachometer has been omitted from the instrument display, I wound up locating my shift points by braille on my way up the freeway onramp, by repeatedly bouncing off the soft rev limiter. I had the same issue with the Warrior when we tested it. For some reason, Yamaha likes their RPM peaking out at 4K and change. While I am sure that if it was “my bike”, I would grow accustomed to the Road Star’s biorhythms (as I did the Warrior’s), the bike could use a more emphatic voice to let you know where it stands on acceleration issues. Lacking that, can a brutha get a tach, puhlease!

Having now made my way onto the Pacific Coast Highway about as gracefully as Mr. Magoo, I settled in for a nice leisurely cruise along the scenic… “what the… RAIN”! Harumph! What’s the matter with these Yamaha people! Don’t they coordinate their press intros with God, or Gillian Barberie, or Storm from the X-Men, or whatever local deity presides over such matters? Well, here I am, less than five minutes into the tour and already I have decisions to make. Return to base camp for my full face and rain gear like a sissified city slicker afraid of some coastal mist, or forge ahead like a Viking warlord, spitting at the fates in my blue jeans and brain bucket. The odds of encountering a steady downpour seemed remote, especially in light of this morning’s optimistic weather report. A glance at the route map showed that the plan called for a turn off the coast and into the mountains just a few miles ahead. Paso Robles is wine country, and every bend in the road reveals a new microclimate.

So for the answer to this conundrum, I turned to the ultimate biker measuring stick by which all such matters of life and death on the road should be decided. You can hem, and you can haw, but in the end it all boils down to the five little words that serve as the moral compass of any road warrior worth the brass on his belt buckle. These sacred bon mots will steer you unerringly down the winding path of tall tales and high adventure, and provide a mandala against the chamomile lives of the RUB or gasp!… cager! And so I intoned the biker koan… “What would Sonny Barger do?” (WWSBD T-shirts, hats, and license plate holders coming soon!) Sonny in rain gear? Rrrrrrrright. Onward and upward for this rapidly moistening Viking warlord!

At the palatial Yamaha HQ, PR man “B-rad” Banister escorted yours truly and photo-guy Alphonse into a secured area full of yet-to-be-introduced ‘04 goodies. B-rad gave us the rundown on the new FZ before pulling the covers off. Voila! All sarcasm vanished…instead of a cheapo econo-bike, the FZ6 resembles a shrunken version of the much-acclaimed FZ1, albeit with some very tasty new features.

The FZ6 is built around a completely new frame which is formed using Yamaha’s new, controlled fill die-cast forming process, the same as used on the R1 frame. The exhaust snakes up under the seat and exits under the tail light through a pair of slash-cut silencers, a Streetfighter styling touch that we can safely say will be rather ppular on Yamaha’s 04 sportbikes. “Our customer focus groups told us the underseat exhaust is what they want, so there it is,” B-ad confirmed.

Remember folks, these are euro spec bikes so yes, the turn signals will be larger and so on for the US market.The fairing is basically similar to the FZ1 unit, and its windscreen sits more upright than on the R-bikes for better wind deflection. Instrumentation is the currently hip modular/integrated digital speedo and tach, very similar to the unit found on Kawasaki’s Z1000.

“Okay,” says B-rad, tossing me the keys, “let ‘er rip, but be back before dark.”

Ain’t she just beautiful? Heading out from the complex, I decided to skip our usual top-secret twisty road destination due to hellishly hot weather, instead opting to do a coast run where I could concentrate on the bike rather than feeling like a tamale being steamed. As such I was mostly confined to the traffic-clogged streets of LA and only able to ride a few curves. But, I figure, that’s probably where most of the FZ6’s demographic will do most of their riding, anyway.I was immediately impressed with the stability and ‘centered’ feeling of the FZ6. It’s supremely confident, and confidence-inspiring. Even on bumpy freeways in a headwind, the bike doesn’t get upset. The same held true when I reached the curvery; this bike is light, tight, and alright, stable yet totally flickable like its sporting brother. Although the high, flat handlebar bar is perfectly positioned and the fairing does a great job of deflecting the blast sans turbulence, the seat gets painful after maybe an hour, which is unfortunate for a commuter bike.

Time to ride!The re-tweaked R6 lump is revvy (redline is 1000rpm down from the R6, at 13,500) and needs to be spun up past 7k to really rip, but good power is available in the midrange as well. In any case, it’s super smooth…although there is vibration, it’s never intrusive or annoying.I’m not a big fan of the new-tech integrated instrument pod though…like the Kawie Z1000, the speedo is clear enough but the tach bar is nearly invisible. To me, a good instrument panel tells everything in a very brief glance; one shouldn’t have to squint and pause when trying to determine the engine revs as the next corner approaches. Hip and cool and high-tech doesn’t count for jack when you can’t see the numbers. It’s a good concept, but one that needs a bit more refinement.

New-concept middleweight sportbike: High-performance but with an anything, anytime, anywhere attitude.So there you have it. The new FZ6 is a damn good machine, at least on first impressions - sexy, good handling, light, and reasonably comfortable for short-term work. And for the price of “around $6k” as B-rad says, it’s also a damn good deal. The line forms at your nearest Yamaha dealer, sometime around the beginning of next year.

Then in 2006, the R6 received a ground-up overhaul that resulted in a package that many judged to be the tastiest eye-candy in the segment. That (plus an optimistic 17,500-rpm tachometer) garnered plenty of attention among consumers and the media alike. This flash and controversy somewhat overshadowed a stellar chassis and the bike’s less-streetable character from its racy ergos and the engine’s top-heavy powerband.

So in this mid-cycle revision for ’08, the tweaked R6 has a bolstered midrange punch and even better handling dynamics in the face of new-for-2007 challengers from Honda and Kawasaki, plus a revised GSX-R600 from Suzuki for ’08. Yamaha invited Motorcycle.com to the hills and twists of Laguna Seca near Monterey, California, so we could gleefully sample the latest iteration of this sportbike sales success: R6 sales are up 44% since 2001.

This is a critical class for all manufacturers of sportbikes. The 600cc segment makes up 51% of what Yamaha calls the Supersport market, a segment that is up in sales a huge 52% since 2001.

The key change to this new R6 is an engine that is architecturally the same but has received some 50 refinements to improve how it delivers its power. Working in conjunction with the bike’s existing YCC-T ride-by-wire throttle is another techie acronym we first saw in last year’s R1: YCC-I, which is a variable-length intake trumpet stack called Yamaha Chip Controlled Intake. At lower revs, the intake air is fed with the fuel-injection’s velocity stacks in their long configuration for enhanced torque output. But the system electronically converts to a short intake tract at 13,700 rpm for optimum performance at the top-end.

Yamaha showed us a dyno-chart comparison of this new model against last year’s that demonstrate a stronger midrange plus even more power up top. Although the chart didn’t have numbers on it that show exactly the parameters of the power comparison, the curve of the new bike was clearly stouter in the upper midrange. Peak torque now arrives 1000 revs sooner at 10,500 rpm. And at the upper end, a Yamaha rep revealed to Motorcycle.com that horsepower at the rear wheel handily exceeds 110.

Rocketing out of Laguna’s Turn 11 and onto the front straight reveals seat-of-the-pants impressions that back up the dyno chart, although the R6 still can’t be described as torquey. As before, strong power arrives only once past 10,000 rpm, but now the hit is superior in its quality and quantity. From that point, there’s a 6000-rpm strata of ripping high-end power that is a joy to crank up around a racetrack. As long as you use the excellent gearbox to keep the engine in this bountiful range, the R6 will be hard to catch by any other middleweight.

To achieve this augmented powerband, Yamaha engineers made several other modifications to the 599cc powerplant in addition to the YCC-I. A bump in compression from 12.8:1 to 13.1:1 aids torque production, as do 83% larger crossover pipes in the exhaust headers. Cam timing was subtly altered to augment the new engine tuning. Meanwhile, several tweaks to reduce internal friction free up more ponies in the upper range, and wider connecting-rod bearing increase durability. The MotoGP-inspired snub-nosed exhaust retains its titanium construction and powerband-enhancing EXUP valve.

The changes to this year’s R6 go much further than the engine room. Yamaha’s testing guy Mike Ulrich stated in his presentation that it’s “a brand-new bike from the tires up.” While the chassis’s geometry remains unchanged (24.0-degrees rake; 3.8 inches of trail; and a 54.3-inch wheelbase), the cast-aluminum frame has received a major overhaul. In the quest for the optimum balance between rigidity and flex to achieve the finest feedback to the rider, a crossmember was removed from between the frame rails which are now thicker and stronger. The net result is incrementally increased flexibility in all three axes.

It probably helped that the R6’s senior project engineer, Kouichi Amano, comes from an extensive testing background and can haul ass around a racetrack. “The concept is razor-sharp handling,” the gracious Japanese engineer told Motorcycle.com, “and front-end feedback is more better than current R6. This model is more for track riding, so we made it sharper handling.”

Amano and his team also made revisions to the R6’s aluminum swingarm, adding some internal ribbing and replacing an extruded-aluminum section with a new forged piece for less overall flex. The R6’s aluminum subframe is replaced by a magnesium casting in a first for a large-scale production bike, with a weight saving of 1 lb in a critical area for attaining best mass-centralization.

Yamaha research shared during the R6’s presentation revealed that annual track miles for the 600cc Supersport class have gone up 42% from 2004 to 2006; for the R6 in particular, track usage is up an incredible 86%. As such, Yamaha has fitted slightly stiffer springs in the front and rear suspension of the new R6 to keep it taut under the rigors of track abuse. And to retain the proper steering geometry when spooning on larger-diameter rear race rubber, Yamaha has thoughtfully endowed the new R6 with greater attitude adjustments in the form of longer fork tubes and a rear ride-height adjuster – with some race rubber, last year’s bike required the fork tubes to be positioned below flush in the upper triple clamp.

Adjusting ride heights at Laguna Seca wasn’t an issue, as we would be riding on the bike’s stock Dunlop Qualifiers. A “PTM” designation indicates a tire developed specifically for the R6, with a slightly more pliable sidewall. These Qualifiers didn’t immediately endear them to the assemblage of journalists, as cold track temperatures conspired to keep grip levels low. Further holding back my confidence in my first session were suspension settings that were too stiff for my scrawny little frame, which weren’t allowing the tires to be worked hard enough.

It performed so well that I couldn’t imagine a change that would improve it…

The astute Ulrich took a step of spring preload out of both ends of my bike and reduced the fork’s new high-speed compression damping circuit. The result was a bike that now responded perfectly. A slight increase in front-end dive made the front tire dig in harder, and turn-in response that was initially reluctant became easier. I also noted an increase in rear-end grip, and soon the tires were scuffed all the way to their edges. With these settings, the R6 responded kindly to pavement imperfections and felt much more composed. It performed so well that I couldn’t imagine a change that would improve it, so the eager wrenches in the pits sat idle for the rest of the day.

With the setup dialed in, I could now concentrate on the nuances of how the R6 performed while re-learning a track I hadn’t ridden on in more than three years. Despite having been repaved twice in the past two years, the track surface has a few chewed-up spots in a couple of corners, but the more compliant suspension happily shrugged them off. Feedback from the bike was plentiful, and I’d rate it improved over the previous iteration’s admirable chassis communication. Several of the motojournalists in attendance reported front-end slides as the tires struggled early with grip, but not one rider had a rubber-side-up result all day. (We can’t say the same about another web-zine’s “daily” author on the previous day…)

The aspect of the bike’s performance most appreciated is the revised engine’s flawless throttle response. I experienced none of the digital-feeling abruptness common among many fuel-injection systems, either while coming back on the throttle or while closing it when slowing for corners. Yamaha has cleverly modified the new EFI to allow some fuel to continue to flow through the throttle bodies under trailing-throttle conditions. This, combined with a mostly excellent slipper clutch, removes harshness from the driveline during corner entries, allowing a rider to focus on brake modulation while getting the bike adequately slowed.

When it comes to brakes, the old R6 wasn’t really lacking. It already enjoyed the benefits of features like radial-mount one-piece calipers, a radial-pump master cylinder and generously sized 310mm front rotors. For ’08, the twin discs up front have been widened by a half millimeter to 5.0mm for additional heat-shedding properties, and it’s hard to imagine a better combination of power and feel from a set of binders in this class. The bike’s slipper clutch is unchanged, and it proved flawless when banging down a couple of gears for Laguna’s Turn 2 Andretti Hairpin or the positive-camber Turn 5. A slightly harsh downshift was revealed only into the first-gear Turn 11 that precedes the track’s front straight.

By the time the Turn 1 crest in the road has your butt flying off the seat, an R6 rider is almost all the way through fourth gear. I predict the R6’s upper-range power is superior to all its class rivals, and on the racetrack, it’s easy to keep the shrieking, rev-happy mill on the boil. Only racers or Group A trackday riders will require more ground clearance than what’s offered with the R6’s footpeg feelers removed, offering a claimed 57-degree lean angle.

As for how the bike might perform on the street, we can only estimate, as all our time on the pre-production bikes was spent on the 2.2-mile racetrack. However, clip-on handlebars that were already quite low have been lowered a further 5mm (they are also 5mm further forward, but so is the seat), which won’t be appreciated during long slogs on the street. And the limited amount of time we spent with the tach below 10,000 rpm did expose that the R6 still has a way to go to match the amazingly punchy CBR600RR.

One thing that won’t hold back the R6 for street riders is its creatively distinct styling that has made it a class favorite. Bodywork looks very similar but is all new, with a slightly more aerodynamic appearance. Its arresting stealth-fighter edginess remains. The most stylistically appealing bit is a new tailsection that is thinner when looked at in profile. It’s a bit wider across the beam, and it incorporates a few new interesting facets. The rider’s wide seat remains unchanged.

One part of the spec chart Yamaha neglected to shine a light on was the bike’s claimed dry weight. At 366 pounds devoid of all fluids, it’s 9 lbs heavier than claimed for ’07. And that’s despite the lightweight magnesium used for the engine covers and new subframe. It seems as if blame must fall on the additional complexity of YCC-I, longer fork tubes, the beefed-up chassis and the thicker brake rotors.

Pricing is in line with the R6’s weight: up incrementally. The three main color choices of the black Raven (with sponsorship decals), Team Yamaha Blue and new Liquid Silver have an MSRP of $9,599 and will be in dealers soon. For those who need a bit more bling, you might want to wait an extra month for the $9,799 Cadmium Yellow version with flames to arrive in showrooms.

The 2006/2007 R6 was revered for its radical styling and sharp handling, but its relative lack of midrange grunt made it less desirable for typical streetbike use. This new iteration is better in most every conceivable way, but it remains saddled with a racer-oriented design. The bulk of its engine output is still in the upper ranges, the handlebars put more pressure on a rider’s wrists, there’s not a lot of wind protection from the fairing, and the seat height is among the tallest in the class.

But for all those R6 riders who take their bikes to the track, it’s hard to imagine a better tool for learning to go faster while giggling like a schoolboy inside your helmet. In this environment, there might not be a better choice than the eager R6 and the operatic soundtrack as it shrieks to its 16,500-rpm redline.

Is this ’08 version good enough to command an extra 300 bucks? You betcha!

On a cool February morning a week prior to Chad Reed’s victory at the Indianapolis RCA Dome, a group of jaded motojournalists leave the warm confines of the Hilton Garden Inn aboard an armada of Yamaha WR250Rs. From the palatial campus of the Inn we ride through scenic Victorville on our way to the dirt and scrub brush of Southern California’s high desert, evaluating both the street cred and off-road capabilities of Yamaha’s newest dual purpose machine.

The afternoon of the same day is spent aboard the R’s fraternal twin, the WR250X. Conceived and born from the same tuning fork parents, and sharing much of the same component DNA, it is apparent by sundown that the contrasts between the R and X go beyond the two models’ differing cosmetic treatments.

Tom was pleasantly surprised at the minimal amount vibration coming from the hard working 250cc Thumper.

Because of their historically inherent buzz and underpoweredness, I’ve never considered a small-displacement Thumper as the engine configuration on which to tackle the Alaska Highway. But here’s where the WR250R begins to shine. Riding from the Inn I’m impressed with the minimal vibration coming from the hard working little piston pushing the 500 lbs. of combined of bike and rider weight down the freeway. In fact, the bike is so smooth I don’t realize I’m riding in 5^th gear. Grabbing the transmission’s top cog reduces the revs to a few less per minute and it becomes apparent that riding this motorcycle for longer distances will not induce the numbing discomfort usually associated with Thumpers.

Nor am I worried about insufficient power, another innate shortcoming associated with sub-400cc machines. Horsepower figures were unavailable, but the WR has a lot more acceleration than the 250cc scooter that wheezed up hills under the additional weight of a physics book when shuttling you to class during your college career.

Citing that the demographic doesn’t desire a tightly wound motor with cramped service intervals, but rather an effective engine requiring minimal maintenance, Yamaha endowed both models with a purpose-built powerplant to meet the latter criteria, while also gracing them with modern technology such as titanium intake valves, a ceramic composite plated cylinder, high lift cams, a newly designed 4-valve cylinder head and a short skirt aluminum piston. The engine also has an oil jet located beneath the piston to minimize piston temperatures.

The Mikuni fuel-injection system utilizes a 38mm throttle body and a 12-hole injector for efficient combustion. The WR250R/X also features a radiator with a fan said to exhaust dissipated heat away from the rider (a good thing on hot days, but a not so good thing on cold ones).

As our group turns off the pavement and onto au natural terra firma another strength of the X model is revealed — suspension. The 46mm inverted cartridge KYB fork has 10.6 inches of travel and is adjustable for compression and rebound. The Soqi rear shock also has 10.6 inches of travel, is fully adjustable and features nearly 1 inch of ride height adjustability. (To reduce or raise the ride height, a lock nut must be loosened to release the bottom shock mount.)

Everyone who rode seemed impressed with the performance of the suspension, making the WR250R a competent tool for a wide variety of riders with varying degrees of skill.

Pounding across the undulating desert floor the suspension seems perfectly attuned to the type of off-road riding for which the bike was made. More accomplished off-road journalists are carrying greater speeds than I, and when we stop and converse about the bike everyone seems impressed with the performance of the suspension, making the WR250R a competent tool for a wide variety of riders with varying degrees of skill.

By noonish our group rolls up to Grange Motor Circuit for lunch and a change of attire before swapping the R model for its Supermoto counterpart and etching U-shaped hieroglyphics around the corners of the popular kart track.

Cosmetically the WR250X is recognizable by the blacked-out treatment to the frame, swingarm and forks. Smaller wheels (17s on the X model vs. 21 inch front and 18 inch rear on the R), radial BT090 Bridgestone tires (the R models uses DOT approved TW301 and 302 dual-purpose rubber) and a larger front brake rotor (298mm x 4.0mm vs. 250mm x 3.5mm) augment the intended Supermoto purpose of the X model.

To match the larger front brake disc, Yamaha included a larger master cylinder piston (12.7mm vs. 11mm) to the X model. Brakes on both the X and R models were equally impressive.

Both Nicky Hayden and Max Biaggi have been photographed doing hot laps around the Grange Circuit. It’s a fun, 14-turn, 0.8-mile track that instigates competition among journalists aboard equally matched Supermoto machines. And once the Bridgestone tires were up to temperature, the unintimidating nature of the 250X allowed for some close competition … err, evaluating.

Wearing the same suspension components as the WR250R, the X’s units are, according to Yamaha, “optimized for street and Supermoto riding.” While stock settings may be comfortable for street use, on-track performance will definitely improve with a little stiffening of the adjustable fork and shock. The X’s rear Soqi shock also features the 0.9 inch of ride height adjustment of the R model.

Weighing an inconsequential 4 dry pounds heavier than the R model (280 vs. 276 lbs.), the WR250X is great fun for recreational Supermoto track time, especially on a small circuit like Grange where the longest straight measures only 950 feet. Twisting the throttle hard coming out of corners keeps things exciting without the fear of inadvertently breaking traction as the bigger 450s are wont to do.

Being street-legal machines the X and R must pass emissions standards, so the exhaust system on both models comes equipped with a honeycomb catalytic converter and Yamaha’s iconic EXUP system. Of course these items add weight and complexity to a muffler, so the word petite doesn’t apply, but the aftermarket should take care of that, and Yamaha says the bike’s ECU should compensate for a non-EXUP pipe. If not, a DynoJet Power Commander should do the trick.

For anyone interested in purchasing a WR250X and performing a garage conversion into a WR250R, a la KTM, Yamaha says the wheels and front brake caliper are all that’s necessary and are available from your local dealer. To compensate for the smaller 17-inch rear wheel, the X model’s sprocket is smaller, so you should also consider the R model’s rear sprocket, which may also require a longer chain. But if your idea of off-roading is the occasional fire road or an overnighter at a KOA campground, the X model and its sticky Bridgestone Supermoto rubber will suffice.

I’d be inclined to go with the X model. As a commuter, trackday toy or weekend road warrior and for the dirt road cameo appearance the WR250X is the bike I think can do it all. But for the guy whose commute is riding the back 40 to mend a fence, check on the herd and occasionally go into town to pick up a Saturday afternoon six pack, the R model will be a better choice.

Whichever bike suits your purpose, Yamaha’s WR250R/X has filled a void in the marketplace somewhere between high tech, basic performance and small capacity. The new WRs aren’t fire breathing technofiles, nor are they parts-bin Frankenbikes, but for the sub-$6,000 price ($5,899 for the 250R and $5,999 for the X) and the target audience Big Blue has in mind, the R or X are attractive machines.

And as I’m watching television, typing feverishly during commercial breaks, Chad Reed laps the field up to ninth place, scoring the victory and his sixth win of the 2008 Supercross season. I realize that this should be a very good year for Yamaha – either off road or on.

]]> http://www.yamahablog.net/2008-yamaha-wr250r-wr250x-review/feed/ http://www.yamahablog.net/2008-yamaha-xt660z-tenere-review/ http://www.yamahablog.net/2008-yamaha-xt660z-tenere-review/#comments Mon, 29 Sep 2008 19:52:14 +0000 admin http://www.yamahablog.net/?p=57 Tenere or Ténéré is Tuareg (nomadic people) language for desert. The place Ténéré is a desert area in Niger and Chad in the southern Sahara. Sahara also means desert directly translated from Arabic. So before we start, I’m telling you that this is all about riding in the desert!To drag the 2008 Yamaha XT660Z Tenere all the way to the actual Ténéré area would have been a step too far on a launch event. Instead, Yamaha decided to make the international launch a rendezvous with Morocco. In 1983 Yamaha launched the original XT600Z Tenere right here in Morocco.

If my Dakar rally history serves me right, Stephane Peterhansel won a total of 7 Paris-Dakar victories on the competition version of the Tenere. Nothing can speak up a desert rally off-road motorcycle more than that! In the years after Peterhansel, BMW and KTM have shared the victories in the premium class. I wonder whether Yamaha could persuade Peterhansel to give up his cars and do another rally on the Tenere for them…

‘The 2008 Yamaha XT660Z Tenere has literally risen up from the desert like a mirage’ 

The 2008 Yamaha XT660Z Tenere has literally risen up from the desert like a mirage. I was delighted to see it in Paris for the first time in 2007. The design, technical specifications and name have got desert rally written all over it. Yamaha really are serious about this and the company calls the Tenere the original adventure tourer. The Tenere touches the whole concept about desert rallies, to be nomadic and to be free.

After a long and extremely tough week of riding from Europe I could finally see the desert. My tongue had become one with the rest of my mouth now and I hadn’t seen water in days. I was overjoyed with an incredible pleasure inside when I could see the tops of palms that signalled an oasis just around the corner. I dropped the bike onto its side and started running towards the palms half mad from exhaustion and dehydration.

Finally, I was to be greeted once again by the sweet taste of water. I could almost feel the sweet taste in my mouth already when I woke up as my comfy Royal Air Maroc flight landed in Agadir. I sent a text to my girlfriend to signal my arrival in Morocco saying: “Play it again Sam”.

I had an extremely busy schedule arriving into Agadir airport late at night before the riding started in the morning. I certainly found myself in the middle of a nomadic week. From the hotel in Tiznit just at the foot of the southern Atlas Mountains in Morocco I started the ride.

Passing old Mercedes taxis from the 1970s working hard as the modern day camel transport, we headed towards the mountains and the outskirts of the greatest desert in the world. I felt excited to be on the Tenere in a different way. There’s nothing special about how the Tenere rides that should excite me more than a standard XT660R. No, it’s something else - the adventure of it all - being in a remote area of the world, then travelling even more remotely into that area on two wheels. Being on the Tenere, right here, right now, is the essence of motorcycle adventure.

To tell you the truth, certain places that I pass in the desert look just like Southern California. That is until you enter the town or stop at one of the many security check points. We’re in Morocco alright, no doubt about that.

Passing lorries doing 10mph up the mountain passes is a breeze on the 50 horsepower XT660Z. Despite the fact that the new Yamaha Tenere looks so well designed with such a high level of finish that it should compete for BMW F800GS sales, it can’t really compete with 80 horsepower on the roads. For the adventure itself though, the XT660Z Tenere might even be better.

The Tenere benefits from a large 5.8-gallon fuel tank that withstood about 200 miles of very hard riding where about half was fuel gulping off-road riding and the rest fairly high speed A and B roads speaks for itself. I didn’t feel very comfortable with the fuel warning light being lit for as long as it was. I noticed it from around 165 miles of riding and I was alone on my way back to Tiznit with nothing but Euros in my pocket. I decided to trust in the big tank and reached the hotel with no problems.

The windshield is a tall Dakar style affair with a very distinctive dragged out headlight where the bottom part looks like David Coulthards jaw. Also, if Transformers did motorcycles the Tenere would be the first choice. Good one for Lego too I reckon and I could go on and on. The exteriors all round the bike look extremely well designed. Behind the windshield, however, the soft covers that protect the headlight bulbs kept vibrating loose whilst riding. Not a big deal as long as you’re aware of it but if they keep loosening and you’re doing lots of mileage in dusty conditions it might be a long-term problem.

In the hot desert it was such a relief to be able to stand up and ride comfortably for miles at a time if I wished too. I could cool down properly and the Tenere have been designed with a comfortable stand-up riding position in mind. The foot pegs on my bike had rubber on them for comfort, but they did get in the way on the off-road part. They can be removed easily though I wasn’t aware at the time. The Metzeler Tourance tires (90/90-21 and 130/80-17) were perfect for the varied road conditions.

Off-road I hooked my Alpinestars Tech 10’s into the gear lever a few times either putting the gear box into neutral or a gear up. That was a bit annoying whilst I tried to look cool for the photographers. The gear lever is foldable to avoid it breaking in the middle of nowhere. I spent around half of my time on the Tenere off-road (not half of the mileage) and though the riding wasn’t too complicated it was fairly fast so concentration levels had to be kept up. Suddenly there’d be a big stone in the middle of my path or a soft stretch of sand would appear. I also tried my first dune, which only was a tiny one really. On the Metzeler Tourance tires I didn’t like it much to be honest and got stuck to get the obligatory spinning in the sand picture.

There were a lot of stones in Morocco and the extra engine protection was really needed as I could hear big ones hit hard all the time. The thing about Adventure touring bikes is that they don’t necessarily need to be very light. As a matter of fact it’s very difficult to make them flyweight due to the big fuel tanks, sturdy frames and engine protection. Then add solid aluminium panniers and luggage and you’re easily 550 pounds without rider or passenger. The Tenere weighs a claimed 403 pounds dry, but it never felt too heavy even off-road.

The easy to use single cylinder engine helps with traction all the time. Yamaha based the XT660Z on the XT660R engine, but improved the throttle response and adjusted for a very smooth torque curve. A motorcycle such as the Tenere needs some serious cooling components and the radiator is bigger than the items found on the XT660R and MT-03. Apart from these changes this 660cc thumper is as proven and reliable as you could possibly wish for. With reliability in mind, 48.4 horsepower is as much as Yamaha is willing to give you. Much more than that and there will be different issues. The new 6.8 liter air box is one of the clues to the fine throttle response. The unique design also features an easy to remove and clean paper air filter

The new exhaust has also been made with the Tenere especially in mind. The header pipes are routed high up on the side for good ground clearance. The under seat slim mufflers have been designed with luggage options in mind and Yamaha has also taken the necessary steps to reduce heat radiation for better passenger comfort.

Within the new steel frame chassis Yamaha has integrated the oil reservoir. You’ll find it just behind the headstock and a dipstick is used to check the oil level. The swing arm is a very high tech gravity-cast aluminium item. The mono shock attached to the swing arm is adjustable for spring pre load only and the same goes for adjustability on the rubber guarded 43mm front fork. To make sure the Tenere can stop efficiently even when loaded heavy Yamaha added double disc brakes at the front with two pot Brembo callipers. Though powerful enough, I found them good off-road too as they are not too sharp.

The 35.2-inch seat height didn’t actually feel as high as it looks on paper. A desert rally bike, made for touring or not, really needs good ground clearance and that’s why these bikes are taller than most other bikes. For sand you need lots and lots of clearance and suspension travel. The tall windscreen is very clever here as it actually helps a lot against all type of weather, even if you are sitting high up with an off-road helmet.

Should you get lost in the middle of the desert Yamaha designed the cockpit area so that a GPS can be easily mounted in the right height just above the instruments.

Yamaha is launching the XT660Z Tenere with a big accessories catalogue that should cover all touring needs. Three colour options are available for 2008: The classic competition white reflecting back on the original ’83 Tenere, Desert Khaki and Midnight black.

Conclusion

I am frankly quite impressed by the effort Yamaha put into this motorcycle. With some serious competition from KTM and BMW in the Adventure segment, I guess Yamaha had to. With the 2008 incarnation of the XT660Z Tenere Yamaha is firmly back in the Adventure touring game. It is very good off-road and seriously comfortable on the roads too due to the tall windscreen and decent seat. The Tenere is one motorcycle that feels at home anywhere, from the city to the Sahara desert - a true all-rounder.

Indeed, it’s the two-stroke motor’s inherent oil-burning design that has forced it from roads in which exhaust emissions are now strictly controlled. Bimota’s innovative 500cc Vdue seemed to offer the promise of a clean-burning, lightweight two-stroke sportbike,  but drivability issues with its fuel-injected V-Twin could never be fully resolved, and this failure (Bimota’s first and only attempt at building its own engine) eventually precipitated the Italian company’s demise until its resurrection a few years ago.

But now word comes out of Italy that the two-stroke streetbike might be experiencing its own resurrection, as these concept sketches of a Yamaha RD350 illustrate. As before, the challenge is to create a two-cycle engine that is able to pass emissions regulations, but perhaps the recent innovations in two-stroke outboard boat motor technology can be somehow adapted to a street-legal motorcycle engine. The challenge Bimota and others faced in this regard has been getting the air/fuel mixture in and out efficiently at the higher revs required of a bike engine. It’s possible that new fuel-injection technology and effective catalyzers might be able to solve this longstanding conundrum.

At this point, it seems doubtful that we’ll be riding new two-stroke sportbikes anytime soon, but these sketches certainly whet the appetites of those who regard these simple and lightweight motors as the ultimate in sportbike powerplants. A prediction of 65-75 rear-wheel horsepower seems doable, and we’d expect an aluminum-framed bike like this to weigh somewhere in the 320-lb range, giving it a power-to-weight ratio close to that of a contemporary 600cc sportbike.

It sounds, to us, like the recipe for a fun and engaging ride. You?