2023 Yamaha YZ450F Reviews

ML512
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ML512 10/25/2022 9:12pm
10/25/2022 9:12pm
LouisianaMotocross wrote:
So am I the only one who thinks opinions might be skewed based off the fact yamaha invited these guys to ride? You don’t cut the...
So am I the only one who thinks opinions might be skewed based off the fact yamaha invited these guys to ride? You don’t cut the hand that feeds you so to speak. Would probably not be invited back if you bashed the bike right after they invite you to ride it. Maybe I’m looking into it to much.
Every bike intro is put on by that respective OEM…regardless of what state it’s in…

Same as a car manufacturer doing a model launch with media invites.
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yz763
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yz763 10/25/2022 10:45pm
10/25/2022 10:45pm
LouisianaMotocross wrote:
So am I the only one who thinks opinions might be skewed based off the fact yamaha invited these guys to ride? You don’t cut the...
So am I the only one who thinks opinions might be skewed based off the fact yamaha invited these guys to ride? You don’t cut the hand that feeds you so to speak. Would probably not be invited back if you bashed the bike right after they invite you to ride it. Maybe I’m looking into it to much.
You know it’s funny I was thinking the reviews all seem to have the same vanilla response. “It’s a great bike and we were impressed.” Maybe it’s just a journalism style that doesn’t speak to me as it almost seems coached. It sounds like a great bike but for some reason the test riders all seem to follow the same script in almost the exact same order with this intro.
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Rad76
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Rad76 10/26/2022 1:42am
10/26/2022 1:42am
it's crazy Ping even got invited considering his involvment with Yamaha, listed as a primary sponsor on his website. It wouldn't fly the same way in Europe. As far as the bike is concerned, i felt like it was a huge improvement compared to last year model, especially on the handling and the ergonomics. I'm not so much of a 450 guy, but i actually loved it.

PS : Maxime Renaux, Glenn Coldenhoff, Jeremy Seewer, Arnaud Tonus and Clement Desalle rode the stock bikes among us "journalists", i can tell you they're fast in stock form Laughing


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Hcallz5
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Hcallz5 10/26/2022 2:42am
10/26/2022 2:42am
Glad to see Yamaha got their 450 figured out. Reading this thread before 2020 you'd not believe it after the blue pig era.
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LouisianaMotocross 10/26/2022 6:34am
10/26/2022 6:34am
LouisianaMotocross wrote:
So am I the only one who thinks opinions might be skewed based off the fact yamaha invited these guys to ride? You don’t cut the...
So am I the only one who thinks opinions might be skewed based off the fact yamaha invited these guys to ride? You don’t cut the hand that feeds you so to speak. Would probably not be invited back if you bashed the bike right after they invite you to ride it. Maybe I’m looking into it to much.
ML512 wrote:
Every bike intro is put on by that respective OEM…regardless of what state it’s in… Same as a car manufacturer doing a model launch with media...
Every bike intro is put on by that respective OEM…regardless of what state it’s in…

Same as a car manufacturer doing a model launch with media invites.
That was my point in my previous post. Every time one of these first ride videos comes out for a new bike every media source talks about how great the bike is.

Honest question not trolling, would you feel comfortable giving a bad first ride review after one of these oem’s invites you out?

Not vital but I have several ktm first ride reviews where they rave about the bike, but in the shootout they talk about the issues. They didn’t mention those in the first ride reviews.
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Moto520
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Moto520 10/26/2022 8:52am
10/26/2022 8:52am
Rad76 wrote:
it's crazy Ping even got invited considering his involvment with Yamaha, listed as a primary sponsor on his website. It wouldn't fly the same way in...
it's crazy Ping even got invited considering his involvment with Yamaha, listed as a primary sponsor on his website. It wouldn't fly the same way in Europe. As far as the bike is concerned, i felt like it was a huge improvement compared to last year model, especially on the handling and the ergonomics. I'm not so much of a 450 guy, but i actually loved it.

PS : Maxime Renaux, Glenn Coldenhoff, Jeremy Seewer, Arnaud Tonus and Clement Desalle rode the stock bikes among us "journalists", i can tell you they're fast in stock form Laughing


Good point! Hey....i grew up in Elk Grove Village!
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ML512
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ML512 10/26/2022 9:20am
10/26/2022 9:20am Edited Date/Time 10/26/2022 9:22am
LouisianaMotocross wrote:
So am I the only one who thinks opinions might be skewed based off the fact yamaha invited these guys to ride? You don’t cut the...
So am I the only one who thinks opinions might be skewed based off the fact yamaha invited these guys to ride? You don’t cut the hand that feeds you so to speak. Would probably not be invited back if you bashed the bike right after they invite you to ride it. Maybe I’m looking into it to much.
ML512 wrote:
Every bike intro is put on by that respective OEM…regardless of what state it’s in… Same as a car manufacturer doing a model launch with media...
Every bike intro is put on by that respective OEM…regardless of what state it’s in…

Same as a car manufacturer doing a model launch with media invites.
LouisianaMotocross wrote:
That was my point in my previous post. Every time one of these first ride videos comes out for a new bike every media source talks...
That was my point in my previous post. Every time one of these first ride videos comes out for a new bike every media source talks about how great the bike is.

Honest question not trolling, would you feel comfortable giving a bad first ride review after one of these oem’s invites you out?

Not vital but I have several ktm first ride reviews where they rave about the bike, but in the shootout they talk about the issues. They didn’t mention those in the first ride reviews.
100% feel comfortable saying whatever I feel on these trips.

Some OEMs advertise with us and some don’t. It all goes through ad agencies that only care about click through and impressions. We almost never deal with anyone directly at the companies in this regard.

I did however get called into an OEM this year to explain my direction on a few things. It’s the only time it’s happened in my career so far.

I was fairly critical of the RM-Z450 after our trip to North Carolina for the 2018 model.

For quite a while, the OEM who spent the most money advertising with us was the one getting last place in Shootouts.

I think a big part is we end up on really fresh tracks for just a few hours. So it is a first impression. We learn more as we spend time in different conditions, try different setups, etc.
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Dirty Points 10/26/2022 9:20am
10/26/2022 9:20am Edited Date/Time 10/26/2022 10:28am
LouisianaMotocross wrote:
So am I the only one who thinks opinions might be skewed based off the fact yamaha invited these guys to ride? You don’t cut the...
So am I the only one who thinks opinions might be skewed based off the fact yamaha invited these guys to ride? You don’t cut the hand that feeds you so to speak. Would probably not be invited back if you bashed the bike right after they invite you to ride it. Maybe I’m looking into it to much.
ML512 wrote:
Every bike intro is put on by that respective OEM…regardless of what state it’s in… Same as a car manufacturer doing a model launch with media...
Every bike intro is put on by that respective OEM…regardless of what state it’s in…

Same as a car manufacturer doing a model launch with media invites.
LouisianaMotocross wrote:
That was my point in my previous post. Every time one of these first ride videos comes out for a new bike every media source talks...
That was my point in my previous post. Every time one of these first ride videos comes out for a new bike every media source talks about how great the bike is.

Honest question not trolling, would you feel comfortable giving a bad first ride review after one of these oem’s invites you out?

Not vital but I have several ktm first ride reviews where they rave about the bike, but in the shootout they talk about the issues. They didn’t mention those in the first ride reviews.
It is not rocket surgery.

Riding dirt bikes is fun. Even riding a '97 Honda is fun. And being wined and dined to ride a '97 Honda is even more fun. When you are on a '97 Honda on a track against yourself on a '97 Honda, you are the fastest one there.

It doesn't take a whole lot of manipulation to convince a bunch of people who really like riding dirt bikes so much that they've made it their career that a new dirt bike is worth riding.
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Sandusky26
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Sandusky26 10/26/2022 11:32am
10/26/2022 11:32am
ML512 wrote:
Every bike intro is put on by that respective OEM…regardless of what state it’s in… Same as a car manufacturer doing a model launch with media...
Every bike intro is put on by that respective OEM…regardless of what state it’s in…

Same as a car manufacturer doing a model launch with media invites.
LouisianaMotocross wrote:
That was my point in my previous post. Every time one of these first ride videos comes out for a new bike every media source talks...
That was my point in my previous post. Every time one of these first ride videos comes out for a new bike every media source talks about how great the bike is.

Honest question not trolling, would you feel comfortable giving a bad first ride review after one of these oem’s invites you out?

Not vital but I have several ktm first ride reviews where they rave about the bike, but in the shootout they talk about the issues. They didn’t mention those in the first ride reviews.
ML512 wrote:
100% feel comfortable saying whatever I feel on these trips. Some OEMs advertise with us and some don’t. It all goes through ad agencies that only...
100% feel comfortable saying whatever I feel on these trips.

Some OEMs advertise with us and some don’t. It all goes through ad agencies that only care about click through and impressions. We almost never deal with anyone directly at the companies in this regard.

I did however get called into an OEM this year to explain my direction on a few things. It’s the only time it’s happened in my career so far.

I was fairly critical of the RM-Z450 after our trip to North Carolina for the 2018 model.

For quite a while, the OEM who spent the most money advertising with us was the one getting last place in Shootouts.

I think a big part is we end up on really fresh tracks for just a few hours. So it is a first impression. We learn more as we spend time in different conditions, try different setups, etc.
You went to my home state and dissed my bike?
lostboy819 10/26/2022 12:05pm
10/26/2022 12:05pm Edited Date/Time 10/26/2022 12:09pm
ML512 wrote:
100% feel comfortable saying whatever I feel on these trips. Some OEMs advertise with us and some don’t. It all goes through ad agencies that only...
100% feel comfortable saying whatever I feel on these trips.

Some OEMs advertise with us and some don’t. It all goes through ad agencies that only care about click through and impressions. We almost never deal with anyone directly at the companies in this regard.

I did however get called into an OEM this year to explain my direction on a few things. It’s the only time it’s happened in my career so far.

I was fairly critical of the RM-Z450 after our trip to North Carolina for the 2018 model.

For quite a while, the OEM who spent the most money advertising with us was the one getting last place in Shootouts.

I think a big part is we end up on really fresh tracks for just a few hours. So it is a first impression. We learn more as we spend time in different conditions, try different setups, etc.
So which OEM "called you in" Wink as a MX journalist did you feel you had to go in and explain?
ML512
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ML512 10/26/2022 12:52pm
10/26/2022 12:52pm Edited Date/Time 10/26/2022 12:56pm
lostboy819 wrote:
So which OEM "called you in" Wink as a MX journalist did you feel you had to go in and explain?
They're a good supporter of the site and had questions, so I get it. If there's concerns over wether what I'm doing or not is good for their brand...then they'd want to discuss. It was overall a very productive conversation. There was some criticism of how I do things. Some I didn't agree with and some things they had solid points on. At the end of it I didn't agree to change anything I do in terms of what I will post or talk about, most of it was around improved communication.

And as I state on here over and over, I don't consider myself a journalist by trade. I consider myself a content creator. Yes, at times I do real journalistic work but a chunk of my job is managing content, presenting for features, doing opinion stuff and even some of it being for purely entertainment factor.
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rocketsocks26 10/26/2022 2:03pm
10/26/2022 2:03pm
where is pings review?
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Dirty Points 10/26/2022 2:28pm
10/26/2022 2:28pm Edited Date/Time 10/26/2022 2:32pm
rocketsocks26 wrote:
where is pings review?
Lindsay replaced any mention across the whole internet with RMZ450 hot takes.
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ML512
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ML512 10/26/2022 3:04pm
10/26/2022 3:04pm
rocketsocks26 wrote:
where is pings review?
Dirty Points wrote:
Lindsay replaced any mention across the whole internet with RMZ450 hot takes.
Laughing Laughing Laughing
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moto162
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moto162 10/26/2022 3:53pm
10/26/2022 3:53pm
Moto520 wrote:
great....now i will spend the next 3-5 months going back and forth on buying one.....
Oh stop it you already know if it's any good your just gonna buy one to add it to that moto520 collection you already have. Lol
Magoofan
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Magoofan 10/26/2022 5:51pm
10/26/2022 5:51pm
I spiffy new ride on a spiffy groomed track will always be...well...spiffy.

I do like the way MXA rides/races the new models for quite a while before doing a shootout.


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smrscott
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smrscott 10/26/2022 11:12pm
10/26/2022 11:12pm
Some people do not understand the concept.
This was a bike intro and not a full-blown test.
Everyone gave their impression of the YZ450F, down the line they will give you a detailed test with possible settings and more likes and dislikes and "I wish they would have"

Yes it was a fun trip to Star Racing and the Goat Farm.

One day of riding with several riders and part of the day is all about shooting photos and video so all of you can see, hear and listen to a one-day impression of a brand new bike on a track most have never experienced.

The 23 YZ450F is better in all aspects than the 22 and before that. From there its going to take more track time and testing to get into the details and form a solid opinion over a first-ride impression. Just saying.


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Sandusky26
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Sandusky26 10/27/2022 1:26am
10/27/2022 1:26am
smrscott wrote:
Some people do not understand the concept. This was a bike intro and not a full-blown test. Everyone gave their impression of the YZ450F, down the...
Some people do not understand the concept.
This was a bike intro and not a full-blown test.
Everyone gave their impression of the YZ450F, down the line they will give you a detailed test with possible settings and more likes and dislikes and "I wish they would have"

Yes it was a fun trip to Star Racing and the Goat Farm.

One day of riding with several riders and part of the day is all about shooting photos and video so all of you can see, hear and listen to a one-day impression of a brand new bike on a track most have never experienced.

The 23 YZ450F is better in all aspects than the 22 and before that. From there its going to take more track time and testing to get into the details and form a solid opinion over a first-ride impression. Just saying.


Seems like the test riders don't understand the concept, it's just a 1st impression.
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DSweeney114
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DSweeney114 10/27/2022 11:12am
10/27/2022 11:12am
Anybody get a update from their dealer on expected timeframe?
Davinci67
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Davinci67 10/27/2022 11:38am
10/27/2022 11:38am
Any updates on when these will actually start showing up at dealers? I’ve heard everything from October through June 2023.
bgpn35
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bgpn35 10/27/2022 12:04pm
10/27/2022 12:04pm
I went to the dealer a month ago and he said it was June of 23 but that wouldn’t happen. Got a call last week and it changed to November so it shouldn’t be much longer and I’m in NC
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cloud41
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cloud41 10/28/2022 3:56am
10/28/2022 3:56am
Davinci67 wrote:
Any updates on when these will actually start showing up at dealers? I’ve heard everything from October through June 2023.
A local dealer in Illinois said spring.
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DB97
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DB97 10/28/2022 4:35am
10/28/2022 4:35am
This shows on the Yamaha website now. The monster one doesn’t say, even though I got that because it was supposed to be earlier.
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jonesaustin
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jonesaustin 10/28/2022 6:47am
10/28/2022 6:47am
yz763 wrote:
You know it’s funny I was thinking the reviews all seem to have the same vanilla response. “It’s a great bike and we were impressed.” Maybe...
You know it’s funny I was thinking the reviews all seem to have the same vanilla response. “It’s a great bike and we were impressed.” Maybe it’s just a journalism style that doesn’t speak to me as it almost seems coached. It sounds like a great bike but for some reason the test riders all seem to follow the same script in almost the exact same order with this intro.
It seems a lot of the riders who test these bikes are so desensitized to these things, because perhaps they're all routinely exposed to the best and newest equipment. That doesn't exonerate them, however, because if you're taking a journalistic role in the testing, being excited and zealous enough to offer real opinions, good or bad, should be prerequisite to the job.
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yz763
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yz763 10/28/2022 7:29am
10/28/2022 7:29am
yz763 wrote:
You know it’s funny I was thinking the reviews all seem to have the same vanilla response. “It’s a great bike and we were impressed.” Maybe...
You know it’s funny I was thinking the reviews all seem to have the same vanilla response. “It’s a great bike and we were impressed.” Maybe it’s just a journalism style that doesn’t speak to me as it almost seems coached. It sounds like a great bike but for some reason the test riders all seem to follow the same script in almost the exact same order with this intro.
jonesaustin wrote:
It seems a lot of the riders who test these bikes are so desensitized to these things, because perhaps they're all routinely exposed to the best...
It seems a lot of the riders who test these bikes are so desensitized to these things, because perhaps they're all routinely exposed to the best and newest equipment. That doesn't exonerate them, however, because if you're taking a journalistic role in the testing, being excited and zealous enough to offer real opinions, good or bad, should be prerequisite to the job.
I hope I don't get clicked for this but the Ping review was about the only review where the rider seemed excited about the bike. I don't care if he has a relationship with Yamaha or not, his review got me excited about the bike. It reminded me of my teenage days bullshitting in the local shop about the new bikes and how I couldn't wait to see one in person.

The bullshit between Ping and everyone else is silly. I don't agree with shutting down another because of a difference of opinion. We all want this sport to succeed and battling journalists and content creators aren't going to foster that. Based off the personal shit, I am not a fan of Pings conduct towards others but his review/first opinion did stand out amongst the others.
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yz133rider
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yz133rider 10/28/2022 8:06am
10/28/2022 8:06am
yz763 wrote:
You know it’s funny I was thinking the reviews all seem to have the same vanilla response. “It’s a great bike and we were impressed.” Maybe...
You know it’s funny I was thinking the reviews all seem to have the same vanilla response. “It’s a great bike and we were impressed.” Maybe it’s just a journalism style that doesn’t speak to me as it almost seems coached. It sounds like a great bike but for some reason the test riders all seem to follow the same script in almost the exact same order with this intro.
jonesaustin wrote:
It seems a lot of the riders who test these bikes are so desensitized to these things, because perhaps they're all routinely exposed to the best...
It seems a lot of the riders who test these bikes are so desensitized to these things, because perhaps they're all routinely exposed to the best and newest equipment. That doesn't exonerate them, however, because if you're taking a journalistic role in the testing, being excited and zealous enough to offer real opinions, good or bad, should be prerequisite to the job.
yz763 wrote:
I hope I don't get clicked for this but the Ping review was about the only review where the rider seemed excited about the bike. I...
I hope I don't get clicked for this but the Ping review was about the only review where the rider seemed excited about the bike. I don't care if he has a relationship with Yamaha or not, his review got me excited about the bike. It reminded me of my teenage days bullshitting in the local shop about the new bikes and how I couldn't wait to see one in person.

The bullshit between Ping and everyone else is silly. I don't agree with shutting down another because of a difference of opinion. We all want this sport to succeed and battling journalists and content creators aren't going to foster that. Based off the personal shit, I am not a fan of Pings conduct towards others but his review/first opinion did stand out amongst the others.
His reviews generally are worthless

The bike was a ton of a fun, a couple clicks here and just a ton of fun, the track was really fun, and all around just a a really fun bike to go have fun on.

Every review he’s ever done.
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PRY
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PRY 10/30/2022 3:18pm
10/30/2022 3:18pm Edited Date/Time 10/31/2022 3:58am
Got to ride the 450 this weekend. My thoughts, the bikes a big improvement over the 22 model.
There are so many improvements. The front end did not have a vague feel, it's thinner, flatter feeling, the motor is smooth with good torque, and then you get this top end bonus. The dirty rotten bastards, just when I would be changing gears, this thing keeps on going.
Difficult to say what the single biggest improvement is, there are so many, maybe the biggest is the reduction in mass of the engine rotating parts, no the improved front wheel traction, the ergonomics, the engine character .....
These bikes were ridden, abused by some all day. I had no missed gears, and no clutch issues. I think it gonna be a good year.
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tek14
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tek14 10/30/2022 11:30pm
10/30/2022 11:30pm
Delivery date still same first week of December.
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Apers144
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Apers144 10/31/2022 3:57pm
10/31/2022 3:57pm
ML512 wrote:
I never invite first time testers for a Shootout. But maybe we could figure out how to get you in one in the future after we...
I never invite first time testers for a Shootout. But maybe we could figure out how to get you in one in the future after we do something in between to decide if it's even a good idea or not. Laughing

This open to anyone else? I’d love to help test any of the 250s ( 4 stroke or 2 stroke) you have sitting around this weekend as my bike just seized heading into the World Vet National.. 😅
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TriRacer27 11/1/2022 2:25pm
11/1/2022 2:25pm
Sandusky26 wrote:
I'm not even joking. Let's find a way to make this happen. I used to lay an MXA magazine in my English book and read the...
I'm not even joking. Let's find a way to make this happen.

I used to lay an MXA magazine in my English book and read the bike test's 20 times.
ML512 wrote:
I never invite first time testers for a Shootout. But maybe we could figure out how to get you in one in the future after we...
I never invite first time testers for a Shootout. But maybe we could figure out how to get you in one in the future after we do something in between to decide if it's even a good idea or not. Laughing

ML, how about opening a spot on next year’s shootouts as part of a charity raffle? I would gladly pay my way and buy some tickets for a good cause for a chance. You don’t even have to take our thoughts about the bikes into consideration at all, just let one of the Vital members peak behind the curtain once a year at how it’s all done.
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