Dirt Rider Magazine

coyotekiller

Since I have started seeing the early stages of a lynching party being formed over some of my thread jacking screw ups I thought I would start this thread in response to Paul's 3d thread.

Actually Honda was first on the scene with exceptional build quality and reliability. Then in the early eighties Yamaha began a quest to surpass Honda's reputation for exceptional build quality and they have been successful in at least equaling Honda. It is a rivalry that I was happy to see. For example, my 1981 Honda ATC250R is built with wonderful detail and quality. It has kept me amazed in working on it over the years with its craftsmanship. Likewise I owned a 1980 Yamaha IT425 and it was ok and a good bike but the build quality and craftsmanship of the parts is more akin to the Fords and Chevies of that era. Then skip forward to my 1985 YZ490 and the craftsmanship is MUCH better than the 1980 IT425. However, don't tell anyone I said this, it still does not match the craftsmanship that my 1981 ATC250R has even then.

There are two reasons that I am such a Yamaha fan.

1. I think the acronym You And Me Are Haulin A^$ is the coolest acronym I have ever seen.

2. I have a friend who is a Yamaha dealer and that is all he does. He won't expand to any other brand and I have been friends with him since he had the tiniest Yamaha shop on the face of the planet over 26 years ago and he has now moved into this MASSIVE complex for his dealership. He even sells Yamaha boats now but he will not sell any other brand. Anyway he is a motorcycle Shaman is what I call him. His knowledge of bikes is beyond even the Phd level. Any time I run in to something that I can't figure out I can give him a quick call and he instantly knows what the problem is and how to fix it. And he seems to have every update on every Yamaha ever built committed to memory and no I am not exaggerating in the least. At any rate, he has never even had to consult any reference material in all of the repairs, projects and daydreams he has helped me fix in over 26 years. He knows all about brand x too but his thesis was on Yamahas lets say.

That my friends is two very good reasons for being partial to one brand over another.

Now as for my sensitivity over my YZ490, I don't understand it. I know her place in the dirt bike food chain but I defend her like she was state of the art. I must be in love. LOL!!! At any rate in my circle of friends around here they all remove their hats in the presence of my YZ490. I had one buddy come by a few years ago who was a non-believer and refused to remove his hat so when we went for a ride I cut him off and roosted him out of a gravel filled corner. He is now the choir leader. LOL!!! But this is just in my little circle of friends. I don't have any plans for global domination. LOL!!!!!

PaulB14

Well stated my friend! I wasn't thinking of you or the mighty YZ490, in fact I have very fond memories of my own Yamaha from back in the day, when I commented on Dirt Rider's picture. It was merely a good-natured jab at the bike brand being used in the towing shot.

As for my own experience with a Yamaha, I can't write enough praise for the durability and dependability of the brand. After carrying me to countless victories (and filling an entire room with trophies), my trusty 1970/71 Yamaha JT1 60 mini-enduro went on to train my little sister, then each of my own children in the wonderful world of dirt bikes. After they grew out of it, 2 separate families (5 boys in 1 family and 2 boys in the other) reared up their boys on that bike. In all those years (about 30) I replaced the top end only 3 times, and the clutch just once.

Cheers,

Paul

TheFishGuy

I liked Yammi's MX bikes until I hopped on a Honda. The shorter wheel base on the CR is waaay more playful and enjoyable than the Yammi's IMO. After my CR, Yammi's just felt "sloppy" to me, again that's just me though. but don't get it twisted, KTM hands down for Enduro.

markyrocks

Since I was a boy I stared at pictures of Yamaha dirtbike s in magazines an dreamed of the day that I would own my own. Back then the yammi dbikes were always praised as the best. (Least if my memory serves me well) so either way they are or not that's my brand of choice. (Suzuki for street bikes) but to each his own. It only took me 20 years but I finally have a couple Yamaha's to call my own.

jake_p_3.

i am sorry i will always like green better. i have just formed an opion. every bike gets towed a time or too, but when you see the bike you like the least being towed you will always say "i told you _________ is the worst brand you can get!" but when you see your favorite brand getting towed you will say "they dont know what there doing they probably just ran out of gas." i prefer kawi suzi honda over yammy anyday but i will ride anything i can. if yammy is cheaper they you bet that will be my ride.

Stauny75

guys i am in possession of a top secrete list that i acquired from my mechanic. it has a list of brands and with each brand a list of common problems with a certin make or model. heres the brands that require the most work starting from least to most.

KTM

HONDA

YAMAHA

KAWASAKI

HUSKY

SUZUKI

coyotekiller

That list looks like I had guessed such a list would look. I bet there is also a sizable jump between Yamaha and Kawasaki too. Let us know Staun.

Stauny75

kawisaki and yamaha are almost interchangeable on the list believe it or not. but yamaha has had more sucsess with the 450 class than any other brand which puts it over kawi

coyotekiller

I guess that stands to reason since Kawasaki was even manufacturing aircraft in the war. So they have had some experience.

However
I would like to recommend that everyone get them an ATC200X, 250R or
350X. Slick examples of these are still around and they sell for under
$1000 here so they would probably pay you to haul them off in other
parts of the country. The reason I make this recommendation is that the
level of detail and finish that Honda put into my 1981 250R just amazes
me. I don't know if this level of finish was all inclusive on Hondas
from that era or not but mine is a mechanics dream for quality. When I
first traded for her she was a garage queen but my nephew took care of
that but she still looks great and runs great even after raising a kid.

coyotekiller

Jake wrote-"i am sorry i will always like green better. i have just formed an opion.
every bike gets towed a time or too, but when you see the bike you like
the least being towed you will always say "i told you _________ is the
worst brand you can get!" but when you see your favorite brand getting
towed you will say "they dont know what there doing they probably just
ran out of gas." i prefer kawi suzi honda over yammy anyday but i will
ride anything i can. if yammy is cheaper they you bet that will be my
ride."

HOW DARE YOU!!!!! jk I hope one day that Yamaha has the biggest contract for you after you saying that!!!! LOL!!! Jake I am not brand loyal except where there are real benefits of one brand over another such as the two reasons I listed so you won't get any argument from me. I will give a bit of advice. Don't give your loyalty away for free to any brand of any product. Always know why you are loyal to a brand or you will be like the brainless hardley fans who have turned obsolete junk into the coolest piece of jewelry in the USA. If you are brand loyal to kawi cause you like lime green that is great. But that lime green is exactly the price to buy your loyalty.

daggit

From my personal experience and from what I have read. The Yamaha is as reliable as the old XRs. I owned 2 and never had an issue. And I abused them with neglect and hard riding.
They would be my first choice if reliability was why I was buying a bike.
Plus the 2006 suspension is still better than anything they have today

coyotekiller

Fish wrote="

I liked Yammi's MX bikes until I hopped on a Honda. The shorter wheel
base on the CR is waaay more playful and enjoyable than the Yammi's
IMO. After my CR, Yammi's just felt "sloppy" to me, again that's just me
though. but don't get it twisted, KTM hands down for Enduro."

I do have an appreciation for the agile Hondas. If I rode tight trails with lots of obstacles i would much prefer Honda's signature but for the faster type of riding I do on my 490 then give me my YZ490 as she is the best I have rode. Of course My experience on different bikes is very limited and I have never rode one of the new school bikes at all. So my statements are actually not very useful except in judging 1980s Hondas, Yamahas and Kawasakis. I hope to get to ride one of the new bikes someday so i can see for myself just how far we've come.

PaulB14

oh, so it's 1980's bike eh? Then I have to put in a vote for my 1980 Suzuki RM400; my absolute favorite bike at that time in my life....

If you want to get back into the 1970's, the favorite bike award (for motocross) goes to my 1972 CZ 250, while the all-time "most reliable bike on earth" award goes to my 1977 Suzuki PE250. I still own the PE250 and it still runs despite gross neglect from a guy I loaned it to for 5 years. Talk about bullet proof...

I wish I could go back in time and change my mind about selling both the CZ and the RM. I think I'll use these two bikes as a learning lesson and NOT sell my current favorite bike of all time, the KTM 300...

coyotekiller

Yup, thats all anyone can afford around here is the old iron that I ride with. From what I've gathered on this forum is that used bikes are MUCH higher here in Oklahoma and its probably why guys that even own bikes are few and far between. There is a good supply of quads amoung the kids but it is rare to find a kid that would rather have a bike. Of the friends I occasionaly ride with there is a RM500, XR350, XR500, XT500 and I heard a buddy of mine got a YZ125 but I don't know if he will ever steal it from his kids to go riding or not.

jake_p_3.

ck-

"HOW DARE YOU!!!!! jk I hope one day that Yamaha has the biggest contract for you after you saying that!!!! LOL!!! Jake I am not brand loyal except where there are real benefits of one brand over another such as the two reasons I listed so you won't get any argument from me. I will give a bit of advice. Don't give your loyalty away for free to any brand of any product. Always know why you are loyal to a brand or you will be like the brainless hardley fans who have turned obsolete junk into the coolest piece of jewelry in the USA. If you are brand loyal to kawi cause you like lime green that is great. But that lime green is exactly the price to buy your loyalty."

i like kawi because they put work into all of there bikes. they make changes to each bike every year. they change there 250,100,100,85,65,and 450 every year. yammiha hasnt changed there 250 and 125 2t since 2006 i beleive. the only thing they did is slapp on bng's (bold new graphics) since 06 to 2012. the kawi's also make more power then yammy in the 250 and 450 class. and with a little work the handeling can be great. actully my favorite color is yellow, and that isnt why i like suzy.

jake_p_3.

i would definatly ride blue for the right price though.

coyotekiller

Those are excellent reasons to be brand loyal. BTW you did know I was kidding you right? I put jk meaning joke not Jake. I wasn't kidding about the Yamaha contract though.

jake_p_3.

yeah i know but i just thought i might clarify. i have more reasons, but thoose are the best ones.

coyotekiller

those reasons are good enough that if my #2 reason for loyalty to Yamaha ever changes for some bizarre reason, which would have to be an event of Biblical proportions, like a nuclear attack on the Yamaha shop, then I would take a serious look at Kawasaki for a new home. So I think they are great reasons to be green.

NZrider

Hey Jake, how is kawasakis 125 and 250 2 stroke development coming along?

sure maybe yamaha havent updated them but at least they kept the full sized 2 stroke option alive. on top of this they continue to develop all their other models.

mikewayne

Its a really good and informative post and is really refreshing took back to those old days of healthy rivalry and brought out such a good vehicles and bringing fun to all the consumers.

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