Classic Bike Review: 1998 Yamaha YZ400F

tblazier
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tblazier
Edited Date/Time 6/20/2020 11:28am
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motomike137
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motomike137 6/19/2020 11:25am
6/19/2020 11:25am
Game changer and a helluva good bike. The AMA and the manufacturers should have stayed with 400cc displacement imho.
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Falcon
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Falcon 6/19/2020 1:19pm
6/19/2020 1:19pm
"Game Changer," or "The Bike That Ruined Motocross?" Sad
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Jaybird67k
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Jaybird67k 6/19/2020 1:22pm
6/19/2020 1:22pm
motomike137 wrote:
Game changer and a helluva good bike. The AMA and the manufacturers should have stayed with 400cc displacement imho.
I thought the four stroke displacement was 550cc at the time.
Then didn't Honda lobby to make it 450cc after they had one in the works?

Jason
hartebreak
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hartebreak 6/19/2020 5:27pm
6/19/2020 5:27pm
Am I the only one sitting here thinking to myself. "HOW IN THE FUCK IS THE YZM400 OLD ENOUGH TO BE CONSIDERED A CLASSIC?". Didnt that thing just come out like 3 years ago? Fuck, Im getting old.....
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Langhammx 6/19/2020 6:20pm
6/19/2020 6:20pm
Had that bike the day they came out. While it seemed to be such a great bike at the time, I would hate to ride that bike today !!
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Mossy
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Mossy 6/19/2020 6:32pm
6/19/2020 6:32pm
An ancient relic of the past Pinch
7I3N
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7I3N 6/19/2020 6:52pm
6/19/2020 6:52pm
hartebreak wrote:
Am I the only one sitting here thinking to myself. "HOW IN THE FUCK IS THE YZM400 OLD ENOUGH TO BE CONSIDERED A CLASSIC?". Didnt that...
Am I the only one sitting here thinking to myself. "HOW IN THE FUCK IS THE YZM400 OLD ENOUGH TO BE CONSIDERED A CLASSIC?". Didnt that thing just come out like 3 years ago? Fuck, Im getting old.....
You think YOU feel old? When someone says YZ400F, I think of this bike. Whistling


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APLMAN99
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APLMAN99 6/19/2020 7:22pm
6/19/2020 7:22pm
I loved my 98 YZ400. It had a 420 kit in it, and it was so much easier to ride than a 250 two stroke that it was like when parabolic skis first hit the market.

Horrible bike to start sometimes, though!
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crowe176
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crowe176 6/19/2020 7:37pm
6/19/2020 7:37pm
APLMAN99 wrote:
I loved my 98 YZ400. It had a 420 kit in it, and it was so much easier to ride than a 250 two stroke that...
I loved my 98 YZ400. It had a 420 kit in it, and it was so much easier to ride than a 250 two stroke that it was like when parabolic skis first hit the market.

Horrible bike to start sometimes, though!
I remember watching local A guys laying those things upside down being mind blown. I like the parabolic reference.. Made the art of railing a turn non existent
walent215
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walent215 6/19/2020 8:49pm
6/19/2020 8:49pm
Langhammx wrote:
Had that bike the day they came out. While it seemed to be such a great bike at the time, I would hate to ride that...
Had that bike the day they came out. While it seemed to be such a great bike at the time, I would hate to ride that bike today !!
Raced it with ohlins frt/rr....that was a game changer. Completely different bike with that suspension on it!
AHRMA361 6/19/2020 9:05pm
6/19/2020 9:05pm
I had it. The sound it made had guys pulling over in turns and I was still 100 feet behind them on practice days. Awesome bike, until it wouldn't start right before your moto was lining up.
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bents
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bents 6/19/2020 9:47pm
6/19/2020 9:47pm
Rode a 98 and had to have one-tough to find though. Got a 99 and loved it, but it was a total bitch to start, especially when hot. It was like motocross for dummies riding that thing. Unfortunately, the one down side of technology and 4 strokes is that the bikes are so good it creates situations where riders aren't talented enough to cash the cheques when the crash comes....
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inthebadboycorner 6/20/2020 1:38am
6/20/2020 1:38am
hartebreak wrote:
Am I the only one sitting here thinking to myself. "HOW IN THE FUCK IS THE YZM400 OLD ENOUGH TO BE CONSIDERED A CLASSIC?". Didnt that...
Am I the only one sitting here thinking to myself. "HOW IN THE FUCK IS THE YZM400 OLD ENOUGH TO BE CONSIDERED A CLASSIC?". Didnt that thing just come out like 3 years ago? Fuck, Im getting old.....
7I3N wrote:
You think YOU feel old? When someone says YZ400F, I think of this bike. :whistle: [img]https://p.vitalmx.com/photos/forums/2020/06/19/433271/s1200_YZ400F.jpg[/img]
You think YOU feel old? When someone says YZ400F, I think of this bike. Whistling


Especially when someone mentions classic!
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RACERX69
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RACERX69 6/20/2020 5:51am
6/20/2020 5:51am
Falcon wrote:
"Game Changer," or "The Bike That Ruined Motocross?" Sad
More like the bike that ruined the entire sport!!Angry
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jerry atrick moto 6/20/2020 7:25am
6/20/2020 7:25am
hartebreak wrote:
Am I the only one sitting here thinking to myself. "HOW IN THE FUCK IS THE YZM400 OLD ENOUGH TO BE CONSIDERED A CLASSIC?". Didnt that...
Am I the only one sitting here thinking to myself. "HOW IN THE FUCK IS THE YZM400 OLD ENOUGH TO BE CONSIDERED A CLASSIC?". Didnt that thing just come out like 3 years ago? Fuck, Im getting old.....
7I3N wrote:
You think YOU feel old? When someone says YZ400F, I think of this bike. :whistle: [img]https://p.vitalmx.com/photos/forums/2020/06/19/433271/s1200_YZ400F.jpg[/img]
You think YOU feel old? When someone says YZ400F, I think of this bike. Whistling


Yep YZ400F still have mine
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bents
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bents 6/20/2020 7:31am
6/20/2020 7:31am
Jerry, that is a time capsule beauty!!! Well done. Great bike.
jerry atrick moto 6/20/2020 9:02am
6/20/2020 9:02am
bents wrote:
Jerry, that is a time capsule beauty!!! Well done. Great bike.
Thanks i did it in blue first but yamaha yz’s were yellow when i was a kid
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VetMX.com
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VetMX.com 6/20/2020 11:28am
6/20/2020 11:28am
I had one of the first ones and it was like cheating, especially at Lake Whitney on the hill and long starting straight. You could pull in the clutch and rev it to scare guys into making mistakes in front of you for the lulz. But if you crashed or stalled it, good luck getting it re-lit with no hot start button.
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Rabbit Run 41 6/20/2020 1:32pm
6/20/2020 1:32pm
I had a friend with the '98 that rode with our group in Oregon hill climbing tight trails in the trees. He swore he was going to pull his arms out of socket with that bike so he went back to a 2 stroke. The bike was a pretty good climber though.
Markopolo400
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Markopolo400 6/21/2020 9:09am
6/21/2020 9:09am
I had a 99, and never had any trouble starting it LOL. Never used the hot start either.

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