Yamaha

-- Yamaha first introduced its Warrior 350 back in 1987. The production run lasted for 20 years, so there has been many sold in that time. The four-stroke engine was virtually bullet-proof and has proven to  offer Warrior owners with a long, trouble-free life. Therefore, there are plenty of these machines still out on the trails today. However, as with any older quad, they could use some refreshing to get back to the same shape of their younger days. Or, it doesn't hurt if they get the major make-over treatment. That was the…

-- Big power and big fun are always on tap, By the staff of Dirt Wheels -- Have you ever heard the expression, “Legends never die”? Well, that has been Yamaha’s sport quad mantra for years. Back in the 1990s they didn’t let the Blaster, Banshee or Warrior fall into the depths of despair like Honda, Suzuki and Kawasaki did with their sport quads. That was a hard time for sport quads. Even though big sales numbers weren’t there, Yamaha continued building them for the masses. That is still the case. Yamaha is…

-- Not all 3-wheelers were Hondas -- Adam Cook is a Dirt Wheels reader in Ohio. He has owned many quads and a few dirt bikes over the years, but one of his favorite machines in this 1985 Yamaha Tri-Z 250. There's just something about riding a 250cc two-stroke that feels good, no matter how many wheels it has. The engines are simple and easy to work on, and that sudden blast of power is just plain addictive. You quickly learn how to work the shift lever to always keep the revs in the fat part of the power band. This…

-- TD RACING SPARK PLUG CAP CLAMP -- TD RACING PRESS RELEASE: A common issue with high performance four stroke motorcycles and ATV’s is heat build up during extreme conditions. Added heat to an engine during this time can create an opportunity for the spark plug cap to loosen or “pop off” creating less than optimal performance. At Tw1sted Development Racing we came up with a solution to mitigate this potential risk. We have developed a device that will keep constant pressure on the spark plug cap preventing it from…

-- SUMMIT OFFROAD is a good place to check out when refurbishing your older quad on a budget. They have a wide variety of used ATV parts as well as new. They also provide good deals on engine rebuild kits that include cylinders matched to new pistons. The Dirt Wheels crew was checking out their list and here are a few items you might be interested in, if you have a Banshee, Suzuki LT80, Honda TRX300, Raptor or Grizzly 660. Yamaha Banshee YFZ350 cylinders with Wiseco piston kits Includes everything shown in photo…

Yamaha employees have worked hard as volunteers over the past ten years to clean up trails so we can continue to enjoy our favorite sports.

-- YES, IT'S INCREDIBLY FAST -- Here is one of Tyler Clark's Banshees. This twin-cylinder, 2-stroke Yamaha is far from stock. In fact, there may not be one stock part on it. First of all, the chassis is made by Stellar Machine & Performance. The custom swing arm and A-arms are made out of titanium, and it has Fox shocks front and rear. The key to this beast is the Redline Racing 24DM engine with Mattoon Machine billet cases and Crankworks billet crank, custom domes and porting. It is reported to be 745cc which…

A reader built this custom Yamaha Blaster with a liquid-cooled Yamaha YZ250 two-stroke dirt bike engine in the frame!

-- It says YFZ250R right there on the gas tank and the engine certainly looks like a two-stroke. Is this a secret new prototype that Yamaha is testing and will start selling soon? That might be a logical assumption until you start looking closer at the engine. Hmmm, it says TRX on the clutch cover and the cylinder sure looks the same as that on Honda's 250R. Okay, the mystery is solved when J.D. Kimbrough provided us with some info about this quad. This is his 2005 Yamaha YFZ450. However, he took the four-stroke…

-- MORE POWER, SUSPENSION & VISUAL FLASH -- Blake is a Dirt Wheels reader who grew up near the Oregon Dunes. He still vividly remembers the first time he saw a chromed/polished/powder coated Yamaha Banshee there. He knew he had to have one of those custom 2-stroke screamers. Before reaching that goal however, his tastes began to change and he found himself preferring a 4-stroke instead. After Blake got hold of a 2005 Yamaha YFZ450 he set out to turn it into a show bike. However, he never intended for it to be…

-- A manual-shift Yamaha that works! By the staff of Dirt Wheels -- What do you do if you already have a high-powered Polaris RZR XP 1000 punched out to 1100cc? If you are Brian Carle, you buy a stick-shift Yamaha YXZ1000R to add to the stable. He is fortunate to live where he has plenty of room to drive. He stays with his trusty RZR for slow and technical outings and turns to the YXZ for faster, more open conditions. He lives in a rural desert area and has many opportunities to hit the trails, and he is often out on…