2008 Yamaha YFZ 450
Designed as a race-ready machine from the outset, Yamaha's YFZ 450 turned the ATV world on its head when it debuted in 2004. The 2008 model continued the original's competition focus and winning pedigree.
Before the arrival of the YFZ 450, ATVs generally fell into one of two camps, heavy 'agricultural' work vehicles, or compact, small capacity fun machines for kids. The growth of quad racing as a companion to two wheel enduro competition, particularly in the GNCC (Grand National Cross Country) series in the USA during the 80s and 90s, exposed the need for a fast, lightweight, competition-focused ATV. Before the arrival of the YFZ, many racers were using quads based on production models, but with lightweight aftermarket frames, wheels, suspension components and more, they were more 'custom' than 'factory'. A string of accidents through the boom years of the three wheel ATV in the mid-1980s had made the main four Japanese manufacturers wary of producing a racing quad that may do more harm to the ATV's image than good. However, by the early 2000s, the growth in the number of "home-built" race ATVs, and ATV racing in general, was getting too big to ignore.
Still, it took Yamaha to produce one of the first truly race-focused ATVs in the form of the YFZ 450, an ATV that claimed superior performance thanks to its use of lightweight components throughout. The weight was kept down through the use of aluminium for the subframe, swingarm, upper A-arms, wheels, oil tank and grab bars. Magnesium for the cylinder head cover, RH crankcase cover and other parts also saved weight. Even little things like the CDI ignition and cam chain tensioner were made as small and light as possible.
In the USA, YFZ-mounted riders won three out of four available championship classes in the model's debut year of 2004. From there, the hits just kept on coming. In the GNCC 'XC-1' Pro ATV class, Bill Ballance, who won the championship from 2000 to 2003 on Honda-based customs, was one of many racers to make the switch to the YFZ. Successful from the outset, Ballance not only won his class in 2004, but also for the next four years in succession - all on a YFZ 450, making him one of the most successful ATV racers ever.
As the YFZ 450 was so right for its purpose from the outset, few changes were made until 2006, when racing feedback saw the introduction of a new crankshaft and revised head design which increased capacity from 439cc up to 449cc. Other improvements included a larger capacity radiator, twin piston rear brake caliper, all-new tyre design and a twin-row bearing carrier swingarm, which made for easier chain adjustment. The steel front bar and rear grab bars were replaced with aluminium units to keep weight down, while a titanium heat shield increased rider comfort. A longer travel rear shock and revised front suspension also debuted with the 2006 model.
The YFZ was popular with Australian racers by this time, too, finishing in the top ten and scoring a few podiums at the Finke Desert Race. In the USA, Ballance's success on the YFZ 450 was honoured with a 'Bill Ballance Edition' in 2006, a limited edition model which featured heel guards, nerf bars and was finished in a replica of Ballance's racing graphics and colours. The popularity of the Ballance special saw a number of similar special limited edition packages offered over the following years. Generally, these consisted of minor specification changes and special colours or graphics, but were mechanically the same as the base models.
For 2008, the YFZ 450 still had the best power-to-weight ratio of any ATV produced up to that time, was still a hot seller and was still winning races, so there was no need for many changes. The main addition was an even more improved suspension package. The provision for low and high speed suspension adjustment showed the growth in popularity of the YFZ 450 amongst recreational riders, as well as racers. Other improvements of note include a ventilated rear disc brake and an improved clutch, both of which had debuted with the 2007 models - the same year that the YFZ 450 won ATV Illustrated (US) magazine's 'Sport ATV of the Year' award. The tradition of the Special Edition continued in 2008, with the available YFZ 450 'SE' variants for that year including a choice of Midnight Blue/White or Orange/Black colour schemes, both with unique graphics. The Special edition models also featured a GYTR front grab bar and side nerf bars.
The big winner with the YFZ 450 is not only its speed and light weight, but its handling, too. Competition-spec piggyback shocks on the front and a YZ linkage-type suspension with long-travel Showa shock at the rear (with adjusters for preload, rebound and compression damping) make the YFZ suitable for a wide range of racing surfaces and requirements. While it's been superseded by the latest fuel-injected YFZ 450R & X models, the 2008-spec YFZ 450 is still a competitive machine, as well as offering bags of fun.
Source: JUST BIKES, December 2010, Issue #258
