@@TheMotocrossVault ...and thats a good thing! BTW, what do you think are the best looking dirt bikes between 1975 and 1985? The 1981 Suzuki RM 125 is still the best looking motocross bike I think I ever saw. Might make for an interesting video idea. :)
You put a lot of work into this and deserve lots of respect. Thank you! I was riding during the switch from 2 stroke to 4 in popularity. Had many Yamaha YZs because I loved the supple suspension. 1st 4 stroke I owned besides trail bikes was the 1999 yz400f. I was still riding a 2000 YZ426 when my group of friends had Suzuki and Honda 450s. They would stop all the time and talk point their fingers and look at maps on Southern California BLM trips. I was always the last to get my bike started again! I would get so worn out from restarting that bike HOT or after stalling. It was always a fiddly dance between choke and hot start, no throttle, TDC kick overs and one chance before blowing my knee out. I later learned to keep riding slow circles around when the other guys would kill their engines. I would avoid turning that thing off until I was home or out of gas. I held on to that bike as long as I could it was so quickly outdated. There was nothing so amazing as running that engine early on. It felt like the most modern thing available. The future of motocross seemed to live in the success of that bike even at the time. Also, it would stall if you tapped the brake before a turn and locked up the wheel so fast! Engine braking was very powerful. In low traction scenarios is was likely one couldn't even in bump start it while still moving. Pop the clutch and sliiiiiiide to a stop. I would often be sliding down a sandy hill , dead engine , trying to kick start again before the bottom! Great fun! Thanks for the memories. My foot arches will never be the same.
Man I absolutely love these videos!! Please don’t ever stop making these. I would love to see one on the KTM 500 to the 250/350/450! I can’t recall when they blew up in popularity/performance. Thanks for everything Tony!
You should do a video on the old school helmets. The bell moto-4, shoei vx-3, jt als-2 & als-1, Arai pro, moto-3 etc. That would be awesome! After the Fourtrax 250r of course!
Excellent video! This brings a lot of nostalgia back to my teens. At the time, I liked my buddy’s 2003 YZ250 smoker better than my 02 426F, but the 426 left the bigger impression on me. The Kickstarter clicking while finding TDC and the thud on kick when it would finally fire. The booming exhaust, it was like a big block muscle car of a bike. Wish I could find a clean, titled one by me to add to the stable!
Yeah I rip around the windy streets around me, head into the trails and rip some sand whoops and berms. Then head right out on the streets back home with no worries 🤙🏻
Thanks for the well put together history lesson here!! As A 1999 WR- 400 owner ( Bought mine used in 2004 ) I can attest to this being the most reliable bike I’ve ever owned. Mine has taken me literally almost everywhere & never missed a beat . Here’s to many more happy years of ownership. Enjoyed this Video immensely, thanks!!
According to Doug Henry, the YZ 400 was actually a 426. Maybe his race bikes were. Maybe they all were. If anybody here has a 98 model, I would love to know what your actual bore and stroke are from your own measurements.
Very long and very good Tony, big job on this one! ✌️The original Yz 400 is a modern classic, wow almost been 25 years. I loved a 2001 YZ 426 I rode in the California desert, very good overall. Would love to have one, but here it is 2022, and I still ride a dinosaur but cool Honda 500cc 2-stroke😁
My brother raced the 426 and i was his mechanic that year , he never complained about the bike bogging when he grabbed a hand full of throttle it never happened
i had a brand new yz400f in 99 , what a beast it was after riding a cr250 for 5 years, flywheel was super heavy in relation to how light the piston was, which gave it a weird powerband....im only 5'11'' 180 and hated the starting procedure, and the lbs, but i lived in hawaii and rode it in the summer heat like it was stolen and i never had a single issue mechanically.
Hard to believe the 4-stroke revolution started 25 years ago. Perfect time to look back. My 03 CRF450r would choke when I'd whack the throttle. Sometimes it would flame out as I launched into the air. It sucked. Then I'd kick myself senseless... But my prepped 05 is still one of the best I've ridden. My buddy's 2018 YZF250 is just as good (and better, indoors). My other buddy's 2018 CRF450r is too much bike indoors. 250f's are perfect. Way easier to ride than the 450's or any 2T.
Hell yeah dude! I owned a 02 yz426f too two years ago. A fast revving beast! Now i own a 04 525sx. Not as much rev.. But the grunt power is beyond retarded.
Every Toyota Twin Cam heads from 1980 to 2000s were by Yamaha,4AGE 16v and 20 v ,1JZ,2JZ,3GSE ,3GSE BEAMS,yamaha knew a thing about twin cam and 20 valve heads and they always sounded good to guess that was a Yamaha thing as they used to make Musical Instruments hence their symbol crossed tuning forks,great channel love all the MX bikes from 80s upto 2000s
THE 2003 ktm 520 sx with 4 speed, no linkage and tiny gas tank. The open class bike that was overkill, scary fast very quickly 0 to 60 in a blink , low end hit could rip ur arms outta the sockets, when u launched it off a jump the earth would shake when u landed and it felt like u were riding a 2x4 with the no linkage. And all bolts had to be retorqued tightened and or locktited after every ride u could rattle loose all the bolts in minutes and the bike would come apart easy making it very dangerous. The 2 quickest bolts to come loose the shift pedal and kick starter. Dont laugh its paid for im the original owner, and im keeping it , just gotta get it to start again , been a couple years LOL
I rode the first YZ400F quite by accident. My wife and I were riding on a Sunday out at the "river"(no water but lot's of sand, whoops, and hills) and we came upon a guy that was riding the 400 and had severely looped it and was pretty much out of it and hurt. We found a couple of his buddies with a pickup who rushed him to the hospital. I picked the 400 up and tried to "de-tweek" the bars, forks, etc and rode it out of the river bottom to another guy who had his truck and would take it home. Since I was riding a YZ 465 the 400 felt pretty tame and very easy to ride. The engine was friendly but not very strong but I felt it would be quite fun if I could get it out in the desert. Strange way to get a ride.....but you gotta take what ya git! LOL!
In my time as a motorcycle mechanic, from early eighties to early 2000, their was only 3 bikes that stunned me the first time I rode one, first GSXR 1100, first Honda fireblade, and YZ400. Awesome machine.
The YZ 400 was amazing to ride at the time. I really enjoyed the power and the steadiness. Unless you stalled it lol. I even remember the pro riders kicking the crap outta them when the 2 strokes went by. They’ve come a long was since then.
i brought a 2004 yz450f brand new, i do miss that bike it really was a monster, i could wheelie it in any gear, and there was nothing that felt bad about the bike, i loved how it used to blow blue flames out the pipe on de acceleration
Man I love this channel. You must have put a TON of work into this video and you did an incredible job! This is so interesting. Maybe a future long form video could be done on the mid 2000s sport quad boom. Some really great machines came out in that time and was pretty much over with by 2012. A really strange moment in power sports history that hasn’t really been explored yet
Proud original owner of a 2001 426f. Amazing bike and as reliable as a hammer. The best part of racing them early on was having guys say they could hear us coming up from behind them or complaining about the roost. Don’t ever stall it mid moto though! hahaa
My friends dad let me start riding his 01 426 when I was in.....8th grade. Rode that bad boy all the way through highschool and I don't ever recall any maintenance being done to it. 😂
One problem with the early YZFs was the Accelerator Pump was way too generous. Tim Ferry's mechanic posted a mod to the internet in 2000 or so where you drilled and tapped a purpose-casted tab in the FCR carb-body that allowed you to install a limiting screw for the AP pump stroke. I cannot remember the mechanic's name but his initials were BK.
Dude your such a knowledgeable cool OG motocross fan these videos are pure gold love the hour plus in depth and cool old photos, never stop the vault 💯
I'm bought a 426 brand new in 2000 got a lot of holes shots racing that bike I had to start down to one kick science. I would activate the decompression lever just a little bit on the start of the kick would always start within one or two kicks when it was hot
Tony I know you said you can't ride right now due to some med cond your dealing w/hopefully you get better soon. Anyway, I too grew up riding/racing MX.. had a bunch of bikes/ATVs etc. I'm now late 40s & have transferred to sport quads! Own a newer YFZ450R (amazing quad) & a '21 Raptor 700R-SE (biggest bore sport quad). The Raptor 700R you can chug around..its very comfy & fast when you want it. Check it out. May help get you back out there. God bless! -Ohio
I really enjoy listening to your videos and learning from them. Just wondering if you would do something on the XT 500 and TT 500. I'm a collector up in Canada. More info on these motorbikes would be awesome especially coming from your channel. Thank you
Love your work Tony ! Everything that you upload is what I want to see. During the 97&98 seasons with the works bike and the production YZF400 I bought every single magazine with them in it. At the track I loved seeing them go past (I was on a 125).. I wanted one more than anything. I got to ride a new 03 YZF450 4 speed. I blasted it up to top gear at my friends place and loved it, pulled the clutch in and knocked it down 2 cogs with the clutch in whilst standing up. Then I let the clutch out and kissed the front fender ! I saved it but rode it back to him and said "I better get off this death trap ! LOL !!
I've got an 04 aswell.......it's the quickest bike I've ridden off road....for sure. Just wants an extra gear. With an extra tooth on the front sprocket, top speed still isn't great....but it gets there damn quick!
Die hard hard two stroke fan. Nothing beats the smell, the powerband, etc. I'm big into trail riding, single track and what not. Currently own a 2005 KDX 220 built by Jeff Fredette and just picked up a 2022 Beta 300RR.
I had a 2009 YZ450F that I used for woods riding only & it was damn near perfect for me. I felt so comfortable on that bike. The smooth power delivery & great handing made it one of the only 450’s I would ride in single track. I did add the 06 ECU to give it some more hit. Bought it for $100 off eBay. I had a big tank, handguards, skid plate, rekluse, Seatconcepts seat, FMF exhaust & the whole for off-road. The suspension was awesome too. It worked great for off-road. I did get it setup it for my weight & off-road valving. I ended up going to a 350EXCF that was setup for off-road after that. I still miss that bike. Great machine all around lilt you mentioned.
I bought the new 1999 YZ 400 and kept it for 2 years. Should have held on to it for years more, as it was reliable as hell. As for the reverse-motor models....I always wonder how Yamaha would have fared had they simply fuel-injected the 2009 motor (with mods) and used the 2010 YZ 250F chassis, which was well liked.
In 2001 I,had a brand new CR 250, they were a rocketship that year. I got the hole shot on a sand track, Full gate. A guy on a 426 was right on my ass though
When my next door neighbor brought home his 99 yz400, I remember him and my father drooling over it in the back of his truck, when they noticed a dent in the muffler. After a brief questionnaire amongst themselves, a mildly angry trip back to dealer was in order. Just to find out it was in fact supposed to be there. 🤣 Man what an incredible bike, thing literally didn't know I was on it when he let me ride it. Memory recalls it being like a tractor, tracked straight, didnt stop unless you stalled it. Good times. Thanks Tony.
I have looked forward until this video and it didnt disappoint! Excellent explanation of the small details as well, interesting stuff! The difference between 1998 and 2022 is very small compared to 1998 from 1974! We have reached the "roof" perhaps, well there are these EV bikes coming out now like Varg but range seems very low. When battery technology gets better I guess everyone will swap over to EV........sadly enough.
So well done. Even the slow pan and zooms across the still pictures. Well done Tony. Great work. I have learned so much about a hobby that I thought I knew about already. Great job.
Suzuki LT500R "Quadzilla" or Honda TRX450R or Yamaha Raptor 660/700 (I heard it was originally designed for the 426 engine before they went to the Grizzly 660... resulting in it being so top heavy and the intake woes of the first gen?) Lol.
Uh...Nope, those first few years of the fart bikes they did NOT race open class, they raced in the 250cc class with a HUGE displacement advantage because they still sucked when it came to power. The open class was removed and the 250cc 2t class was replaced by the 450cc fart class and the 125cc 2t class was replaced by the 250 fart class.
Could you or anybody tell me Tony? The 99-2000 changed the lower triple you showed the picture but you said they changed and moved the front tube back?’ (I presumed was the rake angle 27.8-27.2) but,, did Yamaha change the frame or was it done with the angles on the Yolks/Triple clamps 🤔 I really would like to know but wouldn’t know who would possibly know ?? Please help
Growing up in that era. I was on 65s and 85s in the early 2000s. The 4 strokes sounded terrible. Looked terrible. Smelled terrible. They were heavy, and loud. A handful of years later, “think pro circuits first years on 4 strokes with Villopoto”. All of a sudden they looked way better. Sounded way better. I knew they were here to stay in 2003 when Kevin Windham straight took it to Carmichael.
The 4-strokes came from road racing technology, and forced on the MX industry by the EPA, (and so is the evolution of high speed MX tracks),. You can ignore the cause/effect, results and facts all the way to communism son, and you will. Free enterprise, (how the USA started), economic fascism, (what we have lived with), and communism, (what we are becoming wi8th the take over of our industries.), can not exist together for long,--and it won't. It is time we learned the differences,---or communism wins, and we won't have the brains to reject it.
Not me, I refuse to drive electric bikes I will continue repairing parts for the gas, bikes, the rest of my life. I will even make my own gas if I have to.
I just got myself a Yz426 2000. I had a KTM 525sx before. Now 426cc is less and on paper the 525sx should be faster and feel faster.. RIght? Nope. THe 525sx has a grunt, Smooth powerband and the Yz426f just hits like a monster. THe powerband actually feels like a 2 stroke to be honest. It's like the Yz426f tries to mimic a 2 stroke powerband. Results= Scary fast.
Would really like to see a in depth riding comparison between an 09 and a new 23 YZ 450. Fuel injection, electric start, backwards motor. I would love to hear what riders of all skill levels think and also which bike is easier to work on.
Once again, thanks for taking us back! Used to read all the articles back when I was 10-13 lol. Seeing these out on the trail or at a track was super intimidating at the time.
I’m not sure the exact year but I know they offered a yellow steel framed YZ450 I know because I almost bought one but the 4 speed stopped me and I ended up with a Honda. My Honda was an 06 but I got it in 05 and I know the Yamaha was a year or two older they had it marked down $1800 compared to the new one.
I had a 2001 426 & it had no bog & was the loudest 4 stroke I loved it you should of tried it because I’m shore it was a lot better then the 2000 was because was a lot better then some of the two strokes you talk about don’t get me rong I’m a two stroke guy myself but that 426 awesome hard to start until I mastered it tho put hole in my moto x boot We had Cole hills 100s of feet hi hear really steep & it would fly up the hills in 3 Gear pretty much so that’s no bog at all no clutch just blame like it was flat ground
Jumping on the four strokes made me realize how horrible at braking I was. I'd chop the throttle where I would on my 125 and have to give it gas before I got to the turn.
Oh bro I remember that Austin powers Yamaha ad from my childhood, this kid would bring motorcross magizines to school and we would dream about someday having a bike. Great video Tony 👍
What part of WY? I live in Rock Springs for 20+ years and enjoyed the best riding in the world. Dunno what came over me but I moved out for a job and miss Wyo every day.
@@tomnekuda3818 from the age of 13 in 1986 in Casper, then northern Colorado in 92-99, then back to Casper for a few year's, the back to CO in 2002 for a year, then in Lander since 2003- now. Wouldn't live anywhere else but Lander. It's small enough to be friendly, and close enough to bigger town's if you need something immediately. And most importantly, the wind isn't bad here. And it stays greener here than anywhere else in the state... Rocksprings is too brown, and windblown for my liking. Plus the meth problems were bad down there, don't know if that's the same or not these day's. I got hurt and disabled in the fall of 2003, so I haven't been in the workforce since then. We haven't had much of a winter yet, so it'll probably snow till June this year...lol where are you now?...
Excellent video. The amount of time in research and making this video must have been staggering. Thanks for the excellent video. I enjoyed it very much
The bike that changed the game had a 400F was a beast but heavy as hell... It's kind of like Ford going to ohc on their V8s and boom game changed forever Even though Ram and GM are still knuckle dragging
It was like Riding a 4 stroke race Quad easy to jump & ride now there on another level & very exspesesive to blow up first time I actually seen a motor blow up not just cease up blew the bottom cases of the motor completely apart
I love your videos bud. I have watched all of them lol. I'd like to request a video on the history of the Yamaha open class bikes. Like the YZ465 and YZ490. Please.
The hot start was on the 98 carb aswell. It had the decomp lever (basically used for finding tdc) all the 98-2001 I’ve seen personally all have had identical carb with slightly different jetting.
Also from my experience there wasn’t much of any difference in power between the 98 400 and the 426. I’ve owned several, 400s 426f, wr400s and wr426s. I think a lot of what you noticed was all in tuning. If the suspension is sprung properly the weight isn’t really an issue at all. Honestly riding my 1998 it felt lighter than my buddies 2021 yz450f.
Dont talk down on husaberg like that they made 4 strokes they most likely the only reason other brands started making em after winning so many enduro championships!
Husaburg was amazing and well ahead of everyone else for sure in four-stroke design. That is why KTM bought them to help jump start their four-stroke race department.
great video Tony, watched the entire way through. Understand how much effort goes into these but would love to see a similar video on the updates on the ktm 4 strokes for mx.
"I'm not going to get hugely in depth..." Proceeds to make a nearly 90 minute video. Tony, we love this content. Please never stop.
Lol thank you. Sometimes I start talking I don’t know when to stop
@@TheMotocrossVault ...and thats a good thing! BTW, what do you think are the best looking dirt bikes between 1975 and 1985? The 1981 Suzuki RM 125 is still the best looking motocross bike I think I ever saw. Might make for an interesting video idea. :)
@@pdbordelon had a 83 cr- in the winter it was kept in the living room just to look at...
I think he was talking about EVERY year, not the overall evolution.
@@pdbordelon1981 Maicos, 1979 KX250,1982 RM250
An amazing master class on the YZ450f !!! Any parts retailer staff should study this video. Well done Mr Blazier, it was a well worth 87min watch.
You put a lot of work into this and deserve lots of respect. Thank you!
I was riding during the switch from 2 stroke to 4 in popularity. Had many Yamaha YZs because I loved the supple suspension. 1st 4 stroke I owned besides trail bikes was the 1999 yz400f. I was still riding a 2000 YZ426 when my group of friends had Suzuki and Honda 450s. They would stop all the time and talk point their fingers and look at maps on Southern California BLM trips. I was always the last to get my bike started again! I would get so worn out from restarting that bike HOT or after stalling. It was always a fiddly dance between choke and hot start, no throttle, TDC kick overs and one chance before blowing my knee out. I later learned to keep riding slow circles around when the other guys would kill their engines. I would avoid turning that thing off until I was home or out of gas.
I held on to that bike as long as I could it was so quickly outdated. There was nothing so amazing as running that engine early on. It felt like the most modern thing available. The future of motocross seemed to live in the success of that bike even at the time.
Also, it would stall if you tapped the brake before a turn and locked up the wheel so fast! Engine braking was very powerful. In low traction scenarios is was likely one couldn't even in bump start it while still moving. Pop the clutch and sliiiiiiide to a stop. I would often be sliding down a sandy hill , dead engine , trying to kick start again before the bottom! Great fun!
Thanks for the memories. My foot arches will never be the same.
Man I absolutely love these videos!! Please don’t ever stop making these. I would love to see one on the KTM 500 to the 250/350/450! I can’t recall when they blew up in popularity/performance. Thanks for everything Tony!
Thanks! Will do!
You should do a video on the old school helmets. The bell moto-4, shoei vx-3, jt als-2 & als-1, Arai pro, moto-3 etc. That would be awesome! After the Fourtrax 250r of course!
I saw Doug Henry run the 400 in 97. I remember being amazed at the sound. It was so odd to see and hear at the time.
Excellent video! This brings a lot of nostalgia back to my teens. At the time, I liked my buddy’s 2003 YZ250 smoker better than my 02 426F, but the 426 left the bigger impression on me. The Kickstarter clicking while finding TDC and the thud on kick when it would finally fire. The booming exhaust, it was like a big block muscle car of a bike. Wish I could find a clean, titled one by me to add to the stable!
You can always grab a state of the art 58hp '22 YZ450F an keep it forever! That's my philosophy anyway.
That clicking sound really is incredible finding tdc. Will never sell my 01 street legal yz426f 💪🏼
@@frankiemarchese2978 What do you do with it? Trail ride? Surely it can't be very good on the street for much?
Yeah I rip around the windy streets around me, head into the trails and rip some sand whoops and berms. Then head right out on the streets back home with no worries 🤙🏻
I bought California plated WR426. Unmolested for the most part. Diamond in the rough.
Thanks for the well put together history lesson here!! As A 1999 WR- 400 owner ( Bought mine used in 2004 ) I can attest to this being the most reliable bike I’ve ever owned. Mine has taken me literally almost everywhere & never missed a beat . Here’s to many more happy years of ownership. Enjoyed this Video immensely, thanks!!
According to Doug Henry, the YZ 400 was actually a 426. Maybe his race bikes were. Maybe they all were. If anybody here has a 98 model, I would love to know what your actual bore and stroke are from your own measurements.
I have a 2000 wr400f. The motor is stamped 399cc.
We laughed at henry at broome tioga riding that wierd sounding bike....little did we know what was to come!
Very long and very good Tony, big job on this one! ✌️The original Yz 400 is a modern classic, wow almost been 25 years. I loved a 2001 YZ 426 I rode in the California desert, very good overall. Would love to have one, but here it is 2022, and I still ride a dinosaur but cool Honda 500cc 2-stroke😁
My brother raced the 426 and i was his mechanic that year , he never complained about the bike bogging when he grabbed a hand full of throttle it never happened
i had a brand new yz400f in 99 , what a beast it was after riding a cr250 for 5 years, flywheel was super heavy in relation to how light the piston was, which gave it a weird powerband....im only 5'11'' 180 and hated the starting procedure, and the lbs, but i lived in hawaii and rode it in the summer heat like it was stolen and i never had a single issue mechanically.
Had a new 99’ YZ 400f, fun bike but hard to start.
Hard to believe the 4-stroke revolution started 25 years ago. Perfect time to look back. My 03 CRF450r would choke when I'd whack the throttle. Sometimes it would flame out as I launched into the air. It sucked. Then I'd kick myself senseless... But my prepped 05 is still one of the best I've ridden. My buddy's 2018 YZF250 is just as good (and better, indoors). My other buddy's 2018 CRF450r is too much bike indoors. 250f's are perfect. Way easier to ride than the 450's or any 2T.
That's crazy to think that it was 25 years ago now ! I just turned 50 last Saturday.... So half of my life ago.. Mind blown !!!
@@scottyd2262 happy 50th!
Stay in the saddle!
I'm right behind you.
Hell yes 🤘 I’ve been waiting for this topic …Im the proud owner of a 2002 YZ 426
Hell yeah dude! I owned a 02 yz426f too two years ago. A fast revving beast!
Now i own a 04 525sx. Not as much rev.. But the grunt power is beyond retarded.
426💪 Beast Bike🤘
Love this maby because of my age 50...?
Do some VOR 503 or Veramati or just mote special bikes
Cheers from Sweden
I feel fucking old. In 2000, I was 11, watching some dude rip around my local track, cleaning clocks with a 426. He flew so high.
Every Toyota Twin Cam heads from 1980 to 2000s were by Yamaha,4AGE 16v and 20 v ,1JZ,2JZ,3GSE ,3GSE BEAMS,yamaha knew a thing about twin cam and 20 valve heads and they always sounded good to guess that was a Yamaha thing as they used to make Musical Instruments hence their symbol crossed tuning forks,great channel love all the MX bikes from 80s upto 2000s
2002 426 is a hell of a bike!
Yes it is! Yamaha had the best motor. Better then honda
THE 2003 ktm 520 sx with 4 speed, no linkage and tiny gas tank. The open class bike that was overkill, scary fast very quickly 0 to 60 in a blink , low end hit could rip ur arms outta the sockets, when u launched it off a jump the earth would shake when u landed and it felt like u were riding a 2x4 with the no linkage. And all bolts had to be retorqued tightened and or locktited after every ride u could rattle loose all the bolts in minutes and the bike would come apart easy making it very dangerous. The 2 quickest bolts to come loose the shift pedal and kick starter. Dont laugh its paid for im the original owner, and im keeping it , just gotta get it to start again , been a couple years LOL
I rode the first YZ400F quite by accident. My wife and I were riding on a Sunday out at the "river"(no water but lot's of sand, whoops, and hills) and we came upon a guy that was riding the 400 and had severely looped it and was pretty much out of it and hurt. We found a couple of his buddies with a pickup who rushed him to the hospital. I picked the 400 up and tried to "de-tweek" the bars, forks, etc and rode it out of the river bottom to another guy who had his truck and would take it home. Since I was riding a YZ 465 the 400 felt pretty tame and very easy to ride. The engine was friendly but not very strong but I felt it would be quite fun if I could get it out in the desert. Strange way to get a ride.....but you gotta take what ya git! LOL!
In my time as a motorcycle mechanic, from early eighties to early 2000, their was only 3 bikes that stunned me the first time I rode one, first GSXR 1100, first Honda fireblade, and YZ400. Awesome machine.
All Iconic Game Changers!! I have the 1st Gen GIxxer 1985 GSXr-750 & '86 1100 - I always wanted a Ist Gen Cbr900rr -Cheers 👍
The YZ 400 was amazing to ride at the time. I really enjoyed the power and the steadiness. Unless you stalled it lol. I even remember the pro riders kicking the crap outta them when the 2 strokes went by. They’ve come a long was since then.
i brought a 2004 yz450f brand new, i do miss that bike it really was a monster, i could wheelie it in any gear, and there was nothing that felt bad about the bike, i loved how it used to blow blue flames out the pipe on de acceleration
amazing! the more in depth the better. love these deep dives. love seeing the evolution. what they change, why they change it, etc.
Man I love this channel. You must have put a TON of work into this video and you did an incredible job! This is so interesting.
Maybe a future long form video could be done on the mid 2000s sport quad boom. Some really great machines came out in that time and was pretty much over with by 2012. A really strange moment in power sports history that hasn’t really been explored yet
Proud original owner of a 2001 426f. Amazing bike and as reliable as a hammer. The best part of racing them early on was having guys say they could hear us coming up from behind them or complaining about the roost. Don’t ever stall it mid moto though! hahaa
I was one of those riders that heard you coming and complained about the roost lol
My friends dad let me start riding his 01 426 when I was in.....8th grade. Rode that bad boy all the way through highschool and I don't ever recall any maintenance being done to it. 😂
One problem with the early YZFs was the Accelerator Pump was way too generous. Tim Ferry's mechanic posted a mod to the internet in 2000 or so where you drilled and tapped a purpose-casted tab in the FCR carb-body that allowed you to install a limiting screw for the AP pump stroke. I cannot remember the mechanic's name but his initials were BK.
Brian Kinny 👍🏻
I've been looking for a YZ400 or a 426 to use as my secondary bike that I won't worry about as much as my kx250f
Dude your such a knowledgeable cool OG motocross fan these videos are pure gold love the hour plus in depth and cool old photos, never stop the vault 💯
I'm bought a 426 brand new in 2000 got a lot of holes shots racing that bike I had to start down to one kick science. I would activate the decompression lever just a little bit on the start of the kick would always start within one or two kicks when it was hot
Tony I know you said you can't ride right now due to some med cond your dealing w/hopefully you get better soon. Anyway, I too grew up riding/racing MX.. had a bunch of bikes/ATVs etc. I'm now late 40s & have transferred to sport quads! Own a newer YFZ450R (amazing quad) & a '21 Raptor 700R-SE (biggest bore sport quad). The Raptor 700R you can chug around..its very comfy & fast when you want it. Check it out. May help get you back out there. God bless! -Ohio
Thanks I love quads and I have been thinking about getting another one!
I really enjoy listening to your videos and learning from them. Just wondering if you would do something on the XT 500 and TT 500. I'm a collector up in Canada. More info on these motorbikes would be awesome especially coming from your channel. Thank you
I might in the future yes
Love your work Tony ! Everything that you upload is what I want to see.
During the 97&98 seasons with the works bike and the production YZF400 I bought every single magazine with them in it.
At the track I loved seeing them go past (I was on a 125).. I wanted one more than anything. I got to ride a new 03 YZF450 4 speed.
I blasted it up to top gear at my friends place and loved it, pulled the clutch in and knocked it down 2 cogs with the clutch in whilst standing up. Then I let the clutch out and kissed the front fender ! I saved it but rode it back to him and said "I better get off this death trap ! LOL !!
STOCK Titanium footpeg in 2004.....what happend for them to go to steel?
I went from a KX500 to an 04 YZF450 and I genuinely think the YZF was faster!
I've got an 04 aswell.......it's the quickest bike I've ridden off road....for sure. Just wants an extra gear. With an extra tooth on the front sprocket, top speed still isn't great....but it gets there damn quick!
Loved the video! Think I’m gonna start looking for an 05 or 06 450f here soon. I love 5 speeds, steel frames and carburetors
So thankful for somebody with such great attention to detail and so generous with sharing their knowledge!
Put an 85 Honda 200M in a white 2019 Ridgeline!!
Yea, I laughed at the guy on the XR250 in my class one night at the Red Bud night track about 3 decades back.
Then he passed me. :)
Funny we always laughed at the people I out rode /run on my 600xr on the short or the long practice track
I remember riding my buddies 98 for the first time, loved the engine in the woods but it was a tank compared to my CR 250. Nice job on the video.
Die hard hard two stroke fan. Nothing beats the smell, the powerband, etc. I'm big into trail riding, single track and what not. Currently own a 2005 KDX 220 built by Jeff Fredette and just picked up a 2022 Beta 300RR.
I had a 2009 YZ450F that I used for woods riding only & it was damn near perfect for me. I felt so comfortable on that bike. The smooth power delivery & great handing made it one of the only 450’s I would ride in single track. I did add the 06 ECU to give it some more hit. Bought it for $100 off eBay. I had a big tank, handguards, skid plate, rekluse, Seatconcepts seat, FMF exhaust & the whole for off-road. The suspension was awesome too. It worked great for off-road. I did get it setup it for my weight & off-road valving. I ended up going to a 350EXCF that was setup for off-road after that. I still miss that bike. Great machine all around lilt you mentioned.
I bought the new 1999 YZ 400 and kept it for 2 years. Should have held on to it for years more, as it was reliable as hell. As for the reverse-motor models....I always wonder how Yamaha would have fared had they simply fuel-injected the 2009 motor (with mods) and used the 2010 YZ 250F chassis, which was well liked.
In 2001 I,had a brand new CR 250, they were a rocketship that year. I got the hole shot on a sand track, Full gate. A guy on a 426 was right on my ass though
Well done tony little long but very good job on the details your really good at what you do
When my next door neighbor brought home his 99 yz400, I remember him and my father drooling over it in the back of his truck, when they noticed a dent in the muffler. After a brief questionnaire amongst themselves, a mildly angry trip back to dealer was in order. Just to find out it was in fact supposed to be there. 🤣 Man what an incredible bike, thing literally didn't know I was on it when he let me ride it. Memory recalls it being like a tractor, tracked straight, didnt stop unless you stalled it. Good times. Thanks Tony.
I have looked forward until this video and it didnt disappoint! Excellent explanation of the small details as well, interesting stuff! The difference between 1998 and 2022 is very small compared to 1998 from 1974! We have reached the "roof" perhaps, well there are these EV bikes coming out now like Varg but range seems very low. When battery technology gets better I guess everyone will swap over to EV........sadly enough.
PLEASE DO THIS WITH THE YZ250F
I will
I hear since 97 4stroke
So well done. Even the slow pan and zooms across the still pictures. Well done Tony. Great work. I have learned so much about a hobby that I thought I knew about already. Great job.
You make some of the best videos. Thanks for what you do I sure enjoyed the video very interesting.
I appreciate that!
Masterpiece Presentation
thank you
I would love to see a review on the 1989 cr 125, I have one and love learning about it.
Suzuki LT500R "Quadzilla" or Honda TRX450R or Yamaha Raptor 660/700 (I heard it was originally designed for the 426 engine before they went to the Grizzly 660... resulting in it being so top heavy and the intake woes of the first gen?)
Lol.
Uh...Nope, those first few years of the fart bikes they did NOT race open class, they raced in the 250cc class with a HUGE displacement advantage because they still sucked when it came to power. The open class was removed and the 250cc 2t class was replaced by the 450cc fart class and the 125cc 2t class was replaced by the 250 fart class.
Could you or anybody tell me Tony? The 99-2000 changed the lower triple you showed the picture but you said they changed and moved the front tube back?’ (I presumed was the rake angle 27.8-27.2) but,, did Yamaha change the frame or was it done with the angles on the Yolks/Triple clamps 🤔 I really would like to know but wouldn’t know who would possibly know ?? Please help
Growing up in that era. I was on 65s and 85s in the early 2000s. The 4 strokes sounded terrible. Looked terrible. Smelled terrible. They were heavy, and loud. A handful of years later, “think pro circuits first years on 4 strokes with Villopoto”. All of a sudden they looked way better. Sounded way better. I knew they were here to stay in 2003 when Kevin Windham straight took it to Carmichael.
The 4-strokes came from road racing technology, and forced on the MX industry by the EPA, (and so is the evolution of high speed MX tracks),. You can ignore the cause/effect, results and facts all the way to communism son, and you will. Free enterprise, (how the USA started), economic fascism, (what we have lived with), and communism, (what we are becoming wi8th the take over of our industries.), can not exist together for long,--and it won't. It is time we learned the differences,---or communism wins, and we won't have the brains to reject it.
Not me, I refuse to drive electric bikes I will continue repairing parts for the gas, bikes, the rest of my life. I will even make my own gas if I have to.
I just got myself a Yz426 2000. I had a KTM 525sx before.
Now 426cc is less and on paper the 525sx should be faster and feel faster.. RIght?
Nope. THe 525sx has a grunt, Smooth powerband and the Yz426f just hits like a monster. THe powerband actually feels like a 2 stroke to be honest. It's like the Yz426f tries to mimic a 2 stroke powerband. Results= Scary fast.
I've got a '03 525exc & I'm looking at picking a YZ426f - They sound like a lot of Fun! & Cheap to buy!! 👍
Would really like to see a in depth riding comparison between an 09 and a new 23 YZ 450. Fuel injection, electric start, backwards motor. I would love to hear what riders of all skill levels think and also which bike is easier to work on.
Once again, thanks for taking us back! Used to read all the articles back when I was 10-13 lol. Seeing these out on the trail or at a track was super intimidating at the time.
I’m not sure the exact year but I know they offered a yellow steel framed YZ450 I know because I almost bought one but the 4 speed stopped me and I ended up with a Honda. My Honda was an 06 but I got it in 05 and I know the Yamaha was a year or two older they had it marked down $1800 compared to the new one.
I had a 2001 426 & it had no bog & was the loudest 4 stroke I loved it you should of tried it because I’m shore it was a lot better then the 2000 was because was a lot better then some of the two strokes you talk about don’t get me rong I’m a two stroke guy myself but that 426 awesome hard to start until I mastered it tho put hole in my moto x boot
We had Cole hills 100s of feet hi hear really steep & it would fly up the hills in 3 Gear pretty much so that’s no bog at all no clutch just blame like it was flat ground
Great video man, thankyou. Nostalgic hearing about the old early 2000s bikes. And very interesting as well.
Jumping on the four strokes made me realize how horrible at braking I was. I'd chop the throttle where I would on my 125 and have to give it gas before I got to the turn.
Yes Tony started watching again lastnight. Could you do something on the Maico Thanks.
Okay yeah i guess electric bikes are i think noveltie bike's ridden in the yard and not to far from the garage
You forgot to mention in 2001 that they changed the counterbalancer key to a pin.
My 05 was the best bike I've owned. Absolute beast
I love this channel, but i hate four strokes
Only thing you’re looking at is front guard/fender
Thanks that was well done!
Sometimes, shorter is better.?😢
Oh bro I remember that Austin powers Yamaha ad from my childhood, this kid would bring motorcross magizines to school and we would dream about someday having a bike. Great video Tony 👍
Machine that ended it all?! 😩
First! YES!! LOL...from Wyoming USA 🇺🇸 🤠
What part of WY? I live in Rock Springs for 20+ years and enjoyed the best riding in the world. Dunno what came over me but I moved out for a job and miss Wyo every day.
@@tomnekuda3818 from the age of 13 in 1986 in Casper, then northern Colorado in 92-99, then back to Casper for a few year's, the back to CO in 2002 for a year, then in Lander since 2003- now. Wouldn't live anywhere else but Lander. It's small enough to be friendly, and close enough to bigger town's if you need something immediately. And most importantly, the wind isn't bad here. And it stays greener here than anywhere else in the state... Rocksprings is too brown, and windblown for my liking. Plus the meth problems were bad down there, don't know if that's the same or not these day's. I got hurt and disabled in the fall of 2003, so I haven't been in the workforce since then. We haven't had much of a winter yet, so it'll probably snow till June this year...lol where are you now?...
Excellent video. The amount of time in research and making this video must have been staggering. Thanks for the excellent video. I enjoyed it very much
The bike that changed the game had a 400F was a beast but heavy as hell... It's kind of like Ford going to ohc on their V8s and boom game changed forever Even though Ram and GM are still knuckle dragging
Love the way you do these videos... great info. I learn so much...lol.. Sound like I know what I'm talking about.
It was like Riding a 4 stroke race Quad easy to jump & ride now there on another level & very exspesesive to blow up first time I actually seen a motor blow up not just cease up blew the bottom cases of the motor completely apart
Very nice video!!
I like to see same video all manufactures 4t
Greeting from hungary!
I use to ride a 500 tt back in the 70s at the age of 14 and that is when Yamaha statred to build a big thumper!!!!
I listen to your podcast and love all the content. It would be really interesting to hear your thoughts on TM motorcycles
Good vid
Well it's not a FourTrax 250R retrospective. but I still love it.
PLS DO A REVIEW ON THE HONDA CRE BIKES. I CANT FIND MUCH ABOUT THEM
I love your videos bud. I have watched all of them lol. I'd like to request a video on the history of the Yamaha open class bikes. Like the YZ465 and YZ490. Please.
I will be doing that in the future
I had an 02 250f, 09 250f, 10 450f and now on yz250 smoker
These videos are most enjoyable - thank you!
The hot start was on the 98 carb aswell. It had the decomp lever (basically used for finding tdc) all the 98-2001 I’ve seen personally all have had identical carb with slightly different jetting.
Also from my experience there wasn’t much of any difference in power between the 98 400 and the 426. I’ve owned several, 400s 426f, wr400s and wr426s. I think a lot of what you noticed was all in tuning. If the suspension is sprung properly the weight isn’t really an issue at all. Honestly riding my 1998 it felt lighter than my buddies 2021 yz450f.
You should do one of these for the crf
I will be in the future
450 jusqu’à 2009 c'etais une véritable plaie
Great Overview,thanks Tony...
Awesome video! Been waiting for this one.
Dont talk down on husaberg like that they made 4 strokes they most likely the only reason other brands started making em after winning so many enduro championships!
Husaburg was amazing and well ahead of everyone else for sure in four-stroke design. That is why KTM bought them to help jump start their four-stroke race department.
I know you get probably get a lot of request, but would you ever make a video on the Honda 400ex.
Probably yes
great video Tony, watched the entire way through. Understand how much effort goes into these but would love to see a similar video on the updates on the ktm 4 strokes for mx.
Noted!