Yamaha

-- Looking back at the December 2003 issue of Dirt Wheels -- The Kawasaki Mules, Polaris Rangers and John Deere Gators were tame, utility minded machines designed to help get chores done around the farm. Yamaha was the first to say, "Hey, why don't we make one of those  steering wheel machines with a more sporty attitude and able to get down the trail with the speed of a quad." After building it and testing it, they liked it and decided to sell it. For 2004 Yamaha added the Rhino to its line up and the off-road world was…

Hunter Lovelace hails from Muskoka Canada and likes to build brilliant old school custom ATVs. He took one of his old prized machines, a 1988 Yamaha Blaster, and decided to rebuild it better than before for his younger brother. A lot of the parts that Hunter installed are near impossible to find these days and give it a custom look and feel from the 90's! The mods include: Motor: Duncan / Paul Turner ported, decked and polished motor, 175 PSI compression running on VP C12, Pyramid reed valve, factory 7 air box,…

-- Testing this hot pipe on a YFZ450R -- By the staff of Dirt Wheels, photos by Daniel Gonzalez Another Yamaha YFZ450R exhaust test? You bet! Yamaha is a godsend in the sport ATV industry. They continue to produce the legendary YFZ450R, while the rest of the sport 450s have fallen off of dealer floors. That means that aside from the healthy number of Honda TRX450R projects out there, the YFZ450R is the only sport 450 we get our hands on every year to test and upgrade to our liking. We have been on an exhaust kick…

--  XT-R editions provide more features -- By the staff of Dirt Wheels The 2020 ATV and UTV models keep funneling in as 2019 comes to its inevitable end. Our feelings remain bittersweet that another year has rolled by, but the excitement of new and upgraded machines continually keeps our spirits afloat. Yamaha previously released their 2020 ATV models, but they held off for a few months to finish releasing all of their machines for the new year. All of their previous 4x4 ATVs stuck around for the new year with new…

-- Testing Teixeira Tech products -- By the staff of Dirt Wheels Yamaha’s YFZ450R is an excellent machine right off of the showroom floor, but there is always room for customization to suit your riding needs. We pilot our machines in areas where rocks and ruts are prevalent. We already roasted our stock plastic swingarm skid plate and weren’t content lifting the quad by the front GYTR bumper to get it unstuck. Fortunately, Teixeira Tech makes a steel/aluminum/poly swingarm skid, aluminum sprocket guard and a front…

-- Testing an electro-assist vehicle -- By the staff of Dirt Wheels Dirt Wheels doesn’t shy away from a challenge. Over the years we have placed some interesting machines in our magazine that may or may not be classified as ATVs or UTVs, but the title of the magazine is Dirt Wheels. Interpreted loosely, that means anything to have fun in the dirt. We like to push the envelope with new ways to enjoy off-road riding, and Yamaha came to us with a machine unlike any other that’s been in these pages. We felt it was worth…

-- Duncan Racing builds an awesome Banshee -- Photos by Pat Carrigan (Yeah, my photos are dark and out of focus, but Pat can fix them.) The iconic Yamaha Banshee has found a place in the hearts of thousands with its two-stroke, twin-cylinder, fire-breathing engine. They scream and sing over dunes, rip through the desert and are even seen looping around racetracks and negotiating tight trails. After an amazingly long run, Yamaha eventually ceased production of the Banshee in 2006 for the U.S. market. That means there…

-- Born on the bayou -- Travis Heltz has been reading Dirt Wheels and riding quads down in southern Louisiana for many years. His first quad was a 1993 Yamaha Blaster and then he moved up to a 1996 Yamaha Banshee. From there he graduated to a newer 1999 Banshee and then a 2011 Raptor 700R SE. So, for this year Travis bought a new 2019 Raptor 700R and then he decided to do something he always wanted to. His previous quads had all remained mostly stock, but for his new Raptor he went to work tricking it out with …

-- A letter from a Dirt Wheels reader -- Hi Dirt Wheels,     I'm Robby from Germany and I would like to present my modified Banshee. I bought it in 2013,  my first Banshee, after I sold my old 2006 Raptor 700. The Banshee was in a stock condition, but was not well maintained. At first I rebuilt the chassis and the plastic (they were painted very bad). At the next step I revised the wiring harness. In the end i could fill a 10 liter bucket with electrical garbage. The other improvements I did from time to time.  This is…

-- Built to beat Baja -- By the staff of Dirt Wheels We are fortunate enough to find ourselves around some of the most epic ATV builds in the business, and this Baja Yamaha YFZ450R is one for our record books. Pro-Am WORCS racer Ricardo Gonzalez wanted to switch gears and race the wilds of Baja Mexico with his team. They needed a machine built to handle a ton of abuse and last for hundreds of miles in the many different conditions that the course throws at the team. His long-time mechanic Kevin Avina was put to the…

-- Testing Yamaha's  180 horsepower kit -- By the staff of Dirt Wheels, Photos by Adam Campbell The exhilaration of speed is an addiction off-road addicts just can’t seem to shake. Yamaha is one manufacturer that fuels our passion for going fast with their pure-sport lineup of machines. They also have a dedicated team of engineers that keep the fire burning with go-fast parts under the title GYTR (Genuine Yamaha Technology Racing). We recently spent time in the vast Imperial Sand Dunes riding area known as Glamis in…

-- Drifting from the dirt onto the pavement --     Jeremy Othelet is a Dirt Wheels reader who lives in Margut, France. In his country ATVs can be made street legal with the proper equipment. As you can see here Jeremy has turn signals, mirrors and a license plate on his quad.     His Yamaha Raptor 700 is a good quad to make street legal, because it has enough power to cruise along at speeds above 70 mph. To improve the power Jeremy added a performance exhaust and intake system, fuel controller and hotter cam shaft.…