20 Year Story of the YFZ450

20 Year Story of the YFZ450. 2024 marks the 20th anniversary of the legendary Yamaha YFZ450, YFZ450R since 2009. The YFZ is the longest running high performance sport ATV in history that revolutionized the sport when it was released over two decades ago. In this video we hear from Yamaha's product development, testing and PR staff that were responsible for the development and roll out of the machine. Plus, the story of its first test and a first hand accounting of how Yamaha, the media and a top racer of the time teamed up for its first surprising race debeaut in 2003.
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[@Coolkitty639]

Yamaha thanks for keeping sport quads alive!!!!

[@ATVonDemand]

We second that!

[@DUNEATV]

Yamaha, thank you for all the fun I’ve had on quads since my 1989 Banshee! ✌🏻

[@sbz666_]

My parents bought me a new 2008 YFZ450 and I still have it to this day. I am the only owner and it has $10k+ in upgrades with still more to come. It's my baby and I absolutely love everything about the bike. I love the geometry, I love the gearing, I love the power curve. And I love Yamaha for continuing to manufacture it. They are single-handedly keeping the sport quad market alive which is a great boon on them but a serious shame to HON, SUZ, KAW, and all the other manufacturers who've forsaken the sport quad market. And the lack of competition has unfortunately stifled the growth and research of these machines, YAM has been putting out the same YFZ since 2014. I really wish the other manufacturers would come back to the sport quad game and give YAM a reason to improve the YFZ!

[@ATVonDemand]

We bet your machine would still be competitive today. SXS Sales. Are taking ahead. At least a couple of those manufacturers would benefit from coming back

[@vintagetrikesandquads4012]

I remember seeing the YFZ on the showroom floor for the first time in 2004. It was so cool. Then soon thereafter the TRX came out, and 2 years later the LTR. It was a great time to be in the sport quad market--a 2nd golden age. I ended up getting the LTR first, but have since gotten the fuel injected YFZ. It was sad to see all the other manufactures drop out by 2014, but I'm glad Yamaha stayed in the game. I wish Honda and Suzuki would get back into it, but SXS have taken over for now.

[@ATVonDemand]

@@vintagetrikesandquads4012 It was arguably the most exciting time to be into sport ATVs. Honda and Suzuki have the most to gain by coming back.. We think if there was more hype from new machines , more people would be buying new sport ATVs. 🫰

[@mikeking7388]

Crazy to think the SXS has taken this away. Riding a sxs is absolutely nothing like riding a sport quad or dirt bike or even a utility quad. They should all building these things still

[@FeatheredDino]

Yanaha is single handely keeping sport quads alive, and that's great. Right now I own my 3rd Raptor. At the same time, I wish the other manufacturers would bring sport quads back! YFZ's and Raptors are great, but variety is the spice of life.

[@ATVonDemand]

Agreed. We need some competition for Yamaha. They want it as well.

[@OdysseyOffroad]

That's so awesome I love hearing stories like that. Those were the good old days, can we go back please. 🙏🏻

[@ATVonDemand]

No doubt!

[@doc_teamwaxoffroad]

Regardless what anyone says, The 400EX was a long way from a let down in 99. I have owned 3 YFZ's and still have 1.. overall great machines..

[@ATVonDemand]

@@doc_teamwaxoffroad 400EX is a great trail machine but it wasn't quite the replacement for the 250R some people were hoping for.

[@MichiganQuadTrailsTales]

Great Story!

[@ATVonDemand]

Glad you liked it. We'd like to see a couple of those old machines come back. All of them were fun to ride.

[@JacksonOffroad25]

400ex and letdown should never be in the same sentence lol one of the most fun and reliable machines all time. Not great at anything but good at everything. YFZ obviously smokes it when ridden well but the 400ex is an amazing machine

[@ATVonDemand]

We completely agree about it being one of the most fun and reliable sport ATVs! It being a letdown comes from the perspective of it not being better on the track than a 250R. Racers of the time were looking for a production nachine with a modern engine. Love our 400EX. Can't wait to do some more mods to it.

[@myguitaryourface5160]

😂 that's not true 400ex,s are junk,old outdated garbage,frame is brittle motors are junk too

[@mikemorrison6564]

Currently got 2008 yamaha yfz450 had it for 3 yrs so far got some high performance parts on it 😁😍👌

[@ATVonDemand]

Still an awesome machine that's capable of competing.

[@michaelb5622]

My first ATV (after years of riding dirt bikes) was a new 06’ YFZ450. Really wish this segment would make a comeback, would have loved to own a KTM 525XC.

[@ATVonDemand]

We're with you!

[@DizzyDub]

anybody else see the guy flying off the quad at 10:54 🤣🤣🤣

[@e5m956]

Looks like he's doing the Karate Kid Crane Kick...

[@RunGMCSyclone]

I remember when the 400ex came out, the Raptor660 and the YFZ was a very cool time to be a kid in highschool and have such awesome machines to oogle over. This year I got back into quads after not owning any for the last 10+ years and I love my YFZ450R. I even did a MX 6 race series in MO and got 2nd in the beginner class. Basically a child hood dream to race MX, so allowed me to check something off the bucket list. #SAVESPORTQUADS

[@ndiaz0417]

Still have my 2006 YFZ450. For me it’s a special machine.

[@ATVonDemand]

@@ndiaz0417 it's still one of the fastest.

[@jamiesmo91]

I just purchased a 24 yfz450r here in Australia. Did have an 08 yfz. But loving the yfz450r 🤘 Great vid as always ATVondemand 👌

[@ATVonDemand]

Glad you enjoyed the video! Congrats on the new machine.

[@justinmochi7323]

What a fantastic video. No other manufacturer would be willing to put out a video as real as this. I'm praying that all this press the yfz has been getting is a tease that it's getting an update

[@ATVonDemand]

Thrilled you liked it. We'd like to see some YFZ updates as well.

[@mikeking7388]

Long time dirt biker, I bleed Yamaha. Picked up a new YFZ this year. What a fun unit to ride. Last sport quad I had was a 2006 400ex. upset I’ve waited so long to get a YFZ

[@ATVonDemand]

Congrats on the new YFZ!

[@ATVonDemand]

Do we ever remember the excitement surrounding the release of the Yamaha YFZ450 in 2003! If you have any cool YFZ450 stories let's hear them! Thanks to Yamaha and John Pellan from ATV Scene for participating.

[@josephhamilton5185]

The 400ex is definitely no “let down” lol

[@herlemaggard69]

I remember seeing ads for it in my 4wheel&offroad mags. I was 11-12, was nice to dream

[@ATVonDemand]

@@herlemaggard69 It's good to have dreams.

[@toneychess8810]

I remember getting my first one in 04 and my 25 came in last week. Probably my last one as it will take me to my racing retirement.

[@ATVonDemand]

Enjoy it!

[@TeamLouieTv]

Anyone feel like SXS killed the sport?

[@ATVonDemand]

They played a role. Most of the manufacturers got stuck with leftover sport ATVs in the 2008-2010 recession while Polaris grew with the roll out of SXS tha appealed to more affluent people. The other manufacturers smelled the money and chased it abandoning the sport ATV segment. SXSs hurt dirt bikes and jeeps as well. There's still a demand for sport ATVs but most manufacturers can't see it over Polaris' money pile.

[@sethanderson9931]

You need to do a video about the banshee sometime

[@ATVonDemand]

We'd love that, if there are still any people at Yamaha who helped develop it.

[@mgp1016]

More history content, please!

[@dylanp9211]

Man I wish suzuki, can am, kawi and honda even polaris outlaw 450mx still made there 450 motocross quads. The atv motocross scene was so much better then still want a can am ds450mx since John natalie won a championship on his motoworks canam in 2012 I believe. Wouldn't mind a suzuki ltr 450 either. All the companies still make modern motocross 450 motors for there dirt bikes which have lots of power these days all they'd have to do is build a new frame! Well besides canam but they could build and updated motor. I'm wanting a new 2025 crf450r dirt bike or possibly even a new 2025 yz450f dirt bike as those 2 are the best new 450 motocross bikes for this year according to the shootouts, I'm also really liking the new Beta 450rx motocross model such a cool looking new motocross machine and with the new triumph motocross machines andddd ducati desmo 450 so awesome for motocross. But I'm considering a beta 450rx as well new so not as good as a new crf450r or yz450f but I'm really wanting 1 of the 3 machines, 25 crf450r - 25 yz450f- 25 beta 450rx, then to complete the garage I really can't decide if I want a used suzuki ltr450 - or a used Canam Ds450xmx !!!! Be the perfect garage with 2 of those in it! New motocross dirt bike and used moto Quad ❤

[@ATVonDemand]

We'd go with the LTR. The Can-Ams were problem prone. As the dirt bikes go, it's a great time to be a dirt bike rider, that's for sure.

[@brandonfoley8070]

This is awesome gotta love yamaha but wish they would make some updates on the 450 again. Interesting because honda came out with their 450 in 04 as well

[@brandonfoley8070]

04 was a little before my time but I do know that polaris and honda offered a 450 and 500 at that time, maybe a little after this quad was introduced. How was the launch of those quads compared to this?

[@SQUARE1SpeedChannel]

I bet alot of the guys at that plant spend much of their off time at Bull Creek Golf Course 😆 I used to play there often just down the road from that facility 🤙🏻

[@ATVonDemand]

Interesting. We'll have to ask.

[@yukichan9729]

Do a review on the new raptor 700

[@dylanp9211]

Saw a sweet cannondale at 15:12 those are awesome quads better than there bikes for sure the cannondale 440 moto was amazing awesome looking quad with power

[@ATVonDemand]

@@dylanp9211 Good eye!

[@kdcustoms1272]

I wish they could bring banshees back. The price of used ones is absolutely ridiculous.

[@KonnerLeedy]

👍

[@ATVonDemand]

👍

[@4bearsi678]

Add reverse on a XC model and stop revolving design around sand dunes and MX racing as an excuse to do some RD! Then you’d sell even more!

[@ATVonDemand]

Maybe, but they sell out every year. Dirt bikes, SXS, street bikes, rebated on all. YFZ450R and Raptor, nope.

[@e5m956]

So boring with only one manufacturer making one though...

[@nivbooskila]

Thank you Yamaha just thank you for keep making sport quads, @ATVonDemand Thanks for this great vid