1997 YZM400 works bike article

3/25/2017 7:19pm
Reading some old bike mags and came upon thos article about the original yzm400 Doug Henry supercross works bike. Man, this is still one of the best looking 4 strokes ever built; probably one of the best looking bikes of any kind. Yamaha ruined the production bike by using the dogshit ugly plastic that cane stock on the production bikes. How exciting it must have been when the 4 stroke was new and an unknown quantity! 20 years of hindsight has shown us that yes, the 4 stroke was a revolution, but it has made the sport a terrible financial hardship on privateers, and has arguably ruined racing in many ways (I absolutely think it has). Anyway, heres the article.

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RMOT.org
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3/25/2017 8:43pm
This was tricker



jj welks
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3/25/2017 8:53pm Edited Date/Time 3/25/2017 8:53pm
Sweet, Feb 1997, thanks for that sir
3/25/2017 8:54pm
Yep. To me 4 strokes are about as technologically exciting as a bass boat.

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Pembroke36
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3/25/2017 8:56pm
20 years, holy shit I am old.
Jamal#440
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3/25/2017 8:57pm
seriously nobody cares about this bike..

now if the arcticle was about that works YZ500 from the late 80s that someone just posted the pic of ..
kzizok
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3/25/2017 9:03pm Edited Date/Time 3/25/2017 9:20pm
Honest question's. So, YZM400=2T and of course YZM400f=4T. What were the year differences? 6-7 years'ish? Just wondering why they didnt differentiate them by name more.

These were the years where I took a break because life happened (college, kids, etc). So, Im still kind of confused, as I thought KTM was first to the table with MX 4t technology in the US?
Ted722
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3/25/2017 9:29pm
kzizok wrote:
Honest question's. So, YZM400=2T and of course YZM400f=4T. What were the year differences? 6-7 years'ish? Just wondering why they didnt differentiate them by name more. These...
Honest question's. So, YZM400=2T and of course YZM400f=4T. What were the year differences? 6-7 years'ish? Just wondering why they didnt differentiate them by name more.

These were the years where I took a break because life happened (college, kids, etc). So, Im still kind of confused, as I thought KTM was first to the table with MX 4t technology in the US?
YZM500 and it was only '87 and '88. Here's a little on it from Jacky Vimond:

http://www.pulpmx.com/stories/tell-us-story-jacky-vimond


Here's another with a similar name...Smile YZR500 (same year 1988)
kzizok
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3/25/2017 9:34pm Edited Date/Time 3/25/2017 9:37pm
kzizok wrote:
Honest question's. So, YZM400=2T and of course YZM400f=4T. What were the year differences? 6-7 years'ish? Just wondering why they didnt differentiate them by name more. These...
Honest question's. So, YZM400=2T and of course YZM400f=4T. What were the year differences? 6-7 years'ish? Just wondering why they didnt differentiate them by name more.

These were the years where I took a break because life happened (college, kids, etc). So, Im still kind of confused, as I thought KTM was first to the table with MX 4t technology in the US?
Ted722 wrote:
YZM500 and it was only '87 and '88. Here's a little on it from Jacky Vimond: http://www.pulpmx.com/stories/tell-us-story-jacky-vimond Here's another with a similar name...:) YZR500 (same year...
YZM500 and it was only '87 and '88. Here's a little on it from Jacky Vimond:

http://www.pulpmx.com/stories/tell-us-story-jacky-vimond


Here's another with a similar name...Smile YZR500 (same year 1988)
Ok. I guess I misspoke about being out of the sport at that time. I was racing then but just a kid. I remember Vymond (did I spell his name incorrectly or did Pulp), I think. Did he wear a lot of JT pink gear?

Anyway, for some reason I thought is was a YZM400. But the stock Yamaha open bikes were still the air-cooled dinosaurs, right?

What about the KTM part?
3/25/2017 9:41pm Edited Date/Time 3/25/2017 9:41pm
Jamal#440 wrote:
seriously nobody cares about this bike.. now if the arcticle was about that works YZ500 from the late 80s that someone just posted the pic of...
seriously nobody cares about this bike..

now if the arcticle was about that works YZ500 from the late 80s that someone just posted the pic of ..
If you dont care then fuck off to another topic. I posted this for the people who might care.
Jamal#440
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3/25/2017 10:05pm
Thats just it though my butthurt bro, NOBODY cares about this POS first FART-stroke to win a supercross.


Didnt mean to pluck your strings there Lemmy.
bvm111
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3/25/2017 11:00pm
Jamal#440 wrote:
Thats just it though my butthurt bro, NOBODY cares about this POS first FART-stroke to win a supercross.


Didnt mean to pluck your strings there Lemmy.


jeffro503
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3/25/2017 11:07pm
Jamal#440 wrote:
Thats just it though my butthurt bro, NOBODY cares about this POS first FART-stroke to win a supercross.


Didnt mean to pluck your strings there Lemmy.
If you know the history and the importance of that bike...you would care! That bike basically changed everything over the past two decades. I'm a 2 stroke nut...and damn well know how big a deal that bike was.

Show some respect.
jemcee
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3/25/2017 11:12pm
I'll disagree with you about it looking good but here's another (maybe rare? dunno) pic


BobbyM
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3/25/2017 11:13pm
Jamal#440 wrote:
seriously nobody cares about this bike.. now if the arcticle was about that works YZ500 from the late 80s that someone just posted the pic of...
seriously nobody cares about this bike..

now if the arcticle was about that works YZ500 from the late 80s that someone just posted the pic of ..
If you dont care then fuck off to another topic. I posted this for the people who might care.
not bad.... not bad.
3/26/2017 5:56am Edited Date/Time 3/26/2017 5:57am
Jamal#440 wrote:
Thats just it though my butthurt bro, NOBODY cares about this POS first FART-stroke to win a supercross.


Didnt mean to pluck your strings there Lemmy.
I dislike 4 strokes myself, even though I own one, but I posted this more because I thought ot was a nice looking bike. Id like to see a story on the old yzm500 as well but I dont have any magazines from 87-88.
3/26/2017 6:42am
Jamal#440 wrote:
Thats just it though my butthurt bro, NOBODY cares about this POS first FART-stroke to win a supercross.


Didnt mean to pluck your strings there Lemmy.
Shouldn't you be out on a ledge?
newmann
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3/26/2017 6:45am Edited Date/Time 3/26/2017 6:46am
kzizok wrote:
Honest question's. So, YZM400=2T and of course YZM400f=4T. What were the year differences? 6-7 years'ish? Just wondering why they didnt differentiate them by name more. These...
Honest question's. So, YZM400=2T and of course YZM400f=4T. What were the year differences? 6-7 years'ish? Just wondering why they didnt differentiate them by name more.

These were the years where I took a break because life happened (college, kids, etc). So, Im still kind of confused, as I thought KTM was first to the table with MX 4t technology in the US?
Motocrossers in the US still weren't taking KTM serious period, be it 4 strokes or 2. Overseas, different story. The YZM was something new and different (and even exciting:blushSmile from the big four who had been sitting on their asses for the past decade doing little to nothing to really improve the production offerings.

Was the YZM400 really a 400 though? I've heard numerous tales of 450 on up to 540 and maybe even considerably higher. Regardless, there was a chance to make the world right with displacement and the AMA, OEM's and our promoters of the sport at the top level all failed us.

I just remember waiting...and waiting...and waiting for a 250F. Seemed like it would be the perfect bike for a 125 nut who was getting old and fat.

And that Cannondale website! Watched it for years. Those fuckers had so much neat shit going on but just couldn't quit fucking with it.
3/26/2017 6:47am
Not sure I would say good looking, but obviously a game changer
3/26/2017 7:15am
I was at Hangtown national the year Henry did the series on it, I remember how weird we all thought it was to see a 4 stroke...history. Moto history IS interesting, thx for posting.
chrisg19
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3/26/2017 7:24am
I remember being really excited about the 4 stroke. Always thought it would be cool to have a 4 stroke option. Unfortunately the displacement advantage was too great, and it swung the pendulum the other way. They need to close that gap or go to equal displacement. Otherwise, now when I see that bike I wish it never happened.
Ted722
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3/26/2017 7:31am
I was at Hangtown national the year Henry did the series on it, I remember how weird we all thought it was to see a 4...
I was at Hangtown national the year Henry did the series on it, I remember how weird we all thought it was to see a 4 stroke...history. Moto history IS interesting, thx for posting.
Yes. Always knew where Doug was on the track (even if standing in the beer line) and don't remember the details exactly, but there was a little (lot) smoke coming out of that thing a lap or two.
cable
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3/26/2017 7:39am
I was at gainesville national in February or march for the national in 1997. I remember henry doing practice starts against other factory bikes and smoking them. There was talk that day in the pits that it was not a 400.. more like a 550.
3/26/2017 7:39am
Not sure I would say good looking, but obviously a game changer
In comparison to the production bike its a million times better. I always liked that model of yz rad shrouds as well.
loftyair
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3/26/2017 7:59am
Steel frame, nice.

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