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Edited Date/Time
5/15/2012 10:36am
After all the bad press, I am hoping Yamaha will put the YZ450 on a diet, make the frame less stiff (or whatever it takes to make it handle better).
It obviously has problems, Stewy left because of it. Now is the time to make sure you have worked out the problems with the bike and make it lightest in class. Fix any frame cracks that appear around the head. Then I will buy a 2013 when they come out. But not until the problems are adressed.
Anyone else think Yamaha needs to fix the problems?
It obviously has problems, Stewy left because of it. Now is the time to make sure you have worked out the problems with the bike and make it lightest in class. Fix any frame cracks that appear around the head. Then I will buy a 2013 when they come out. But not until the problems are adressed.
Anyone else think Yamaha needs to fix the problems?
Just like Reed and Kawi.
I do think it's time Yamaha makes a few radical changes to the bike. Some things worked, some things didn't. Go back to the drawing board and find some improvements.
The Shop
Also, it sucks that I always have to keep putting more and more gas in it. Time for yamaha to go back to the drawing board and make a bike that never runs out of gas and weighs less than I do (275lbs).
Yamaha could then base an all new 450 on the new 250
If Yamaha even had a clue, the YZ125 and 250 would have updated plastics and full shrouds over the tank. It's almost like they've been blinded by something....
Pit Row
I'm not bashing the Yami by no means just wondering if their's a fine line between how the bike works based on rider skill.
I don't think so when there are 4 other manufacturers to choose from.
"It's almost like they've been blinded by something.... "
Perhaps from Stewart crashing, even Davi went down in a turn with a bump in it. I am beginning to wonder.
The problem now is that, even if the bike is totally fine and the issues it has have been blown way out of proportion (this is likely to a certain extent)... the reputation it has now must surely be hurting Yamaha's sales. Look at the "Which 2012 450 would you have thread", small sample I know but I don't think anyone said the Yamaha. In reality the bike may be fine but so much of it is psychological and let's face it, if you're putting down thousands on what is for most of us a weekend toy, then you partly want to believe it's the best and that it's going to transform you as a rider.
I think a lot of people would warm to the bike if it wasn't so big (big as in wide). The Honda has arguably the most dodgy handling stock of any bike out there. But a lot of people have warmed to it because it's light and more importantly (I know the YAM is the 2nd lightest) feels light. As a result people from amateur level upwards have pooled their knowledge together over the last 3 years and gradually come up with the fixes that make the CRF perform significantly better.
If the bike doesn't sell in vast numbers then this process ^^^ will surely struggle to happen.
Now Suzuki is also pulling away from having a factory effort. Wonder if the factory Suzuki will see a similar lack of development progress as yamaha seems to be having.
Who knows. The Suzuki hasn't changed much since RC's days and 3 different riders have won outdoor championships on it, so Yoshimura already has a huge base to start from.
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