Making the YFZ450 ATV REALLY race ready - - ATV at Off-Road.com

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Making the YFZ450 ATV REALLY race ready

Publish date: Feb 1, 2004
By: Dean Waters
Source: ATV at Off-Road.com

As much as we talk about the new Yamaha YFZ450 being "race-ready", we had to ask ourselves if it was REALLY race ready? Look at any of the Pro Riders who are now on YFZ450's and you will see that they are still making a huge number of modifications. Many of you just threw down nearly $7,000 hard-earned dineros, and you can't throw down $7,000 more. So we wanted to go through the very basic mods that you DO need to make before you head out to the track for your first ATV race. You can go out to the practice sessions as-is, but if you want to enter the Novice or Beginner class for competition at your local track, you will need just a few things. This month we will go through the list and tell you how much it is going to set you back. Next month we will cover the full install. #1 - Number Backgrounds

You are going to need some numbers and number backgrounds. In some cases you are going to need specific colors, but in most cases standard 6" black numbers on white background will be fine. (True MX numbers are actually 5" tall, but are considered a 6" number - must be like a lumber measurement...) A set of three numbers should cost you under a couple bucks. We ordered white GYTR number plate backgrounds. You can get these from your local Yamaha dealer in white, black, or blue for around $28. The set has three pieces: a nose piece and two rear fender pieces. Remember, if track officials cannot see your number, you may not get scored. A felt pen and a paper plate do NOT cut it. #2 - Tether Kill Switch

Most tracks require a tether kill switch. This may not be the case in some Scrambles or Desert events, but you will definitely find this requirement at all MX tracks. Even if not required, they are a good idea from a safety standpoint. They "kill" the motor of your ATV if for any reason you are ejected or unseated substantially. A good idea, since many un-planned exits involve a rider going over the handlebars, making him or other riders on the track prime target for an ATV with a stuck-throttle. We ordered a kill switch installation kit from Baldwin Motorsports and a Pro Design kill switch The installation kit from Baldwin Motorsports simplifies the installation enormously and saves you from cutting into your nice new wire harness. The kit will only set you back $25 and is well worth it. While you're at it, get the Pro Design kill switch from Baldwin Motorsports for another $35. #3 - Nerf Bars

Most MX tracks require nerf bars. If you are desert racing you probably will not want or need nerfs because they can get hung up on rocks, bushes or other obstacles, but it will be a requirement for most any MX track and many Grand Prix and Scramble events. The purpose of Nerfs is to keep a rider's feet from accidently getting caught under a rear wheel, potentially pulling him off and causing serious injury. Even if you are not in competion, Nerf's are a good safety item to have for open riding. We ordered a set of GYTR nerfs. These are going to set you back $219. (You can get them from your Yamaha dealer when you get the number backgrounds.) The GYTR Nerf bars are made of aluminum with 1.5" Nylon webbing and meet AMA/ATVA regulations. #3 - Wheels and Tires

You do NOT absolutely have to have new tires and wheels, and could probably go with the stock setup for your first event or two. Yamaha did a nice job picking out and spec-ing the tires that come on the YFZ450. But that said, you are going to want to replace the stock setup with some lower-profile aftermarket equipment if you want to be competitive. For the MX track we ordered up a set of Douglas Ultimate beadlock wheels with Kenda MX tires. We went with the the 18 X 10.5-8 K533 Klaw in the rear and the 20x6-10 K532 Klaw in the front. We installed these on 10x5 Douglas Ultimate Conventional Beadlocks for the front and 8x8 Douglas Ultimate Conventional Beadlocks in the rear. We ordered everything from Rocky Mountain ATV. The front wheels are $135 each and the rear wheels are $125 each. On the rubber side the front tires are $36 each and the rear tires are $39 each. The complete setup front and rear will set you back about $670 and is the most expensive upgrade, but will make the biggest performance improvement. You could save yourself about $100 by going with Douglas Ultimate instead of the Ultimate Beadlock but I would not go with anything less than the Ultimate for a racing application. When we run the YFZ in the desert we will run the 22" Kenda Knarly on the rear and the 23" Kenda Klaw on the front mounted on the Douglas Ultimate. #4 ?? We are not going to talk about number four right now because we first wanted to get you on the track where you can start getting some experience under your belt. Summary Everything above is going to set you back a cool grand. You will not be ready to race against the pros but you will be legal and you will be on the track with a VERY competitive machine. Follow the links below and get your stuff on the way. Next month we will cover the installation.

• Contact Information

BaldWin Motorsports

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