WR450F Clutch Problem Talk

[DYZFatCat]

I have been hearing different things about the delay of the WR450f. One of them is about it having clutch issues. I have heard this about the YZ450f as well. Would anyone that has a YZ450f that has problems or anyone that has reliable info please clear up these rumors, or truths for me. Thanks Damon

99' YZ400f(420 Kit, Loaded) For Sale

03' WR450f on Order

[ddialogue]

I have read a few posts on the YZF side about them having 'grabby' clutches. More than likely it's an issue with the WR as well. Would definitely explain the delays in shipments. My dealer was telling me December for my WR450 but is now telling me February.

[lewichris]

our dealer said march.

Chris

[x2smoker]

Man, am I ever glad I didn't wait. In July, a dealer in Rapid City promised a November shipment. Had I waited, I may be riding the old 2-smoker well into next season! Instead of waiting, I purchased the last WR426 to be found in the Twin Cities at a greatly reduced price.

I hope they get all the bugs worked out so we see some 450's on the trails soon!

[dirt4lunch]

I recently bought a YZ450F. I had those same concerns. So, I asked a buddy of mine who works at YAMAHA Corporate and test rides the bikes (tough job) and he told me that the first 1300 bikes from factory had problems. So, I asked the guys at where I bought my bike if they had ever heard of such a thing. Of course they said, "NO". I asked to see what number the bike was etc and they responded. So, what does this all mean? In short, I have a real grabby clutch. It's big difference considering I used to ride a DRZ400S. Does it affetct my riding? Not really. After 1st gear I was told that it is best to shift w/o the clutch on the YZ450F. Will I shift w/o using the clutch? Probably not. The bottum line is this. I can live with a grabby clutch. The bike is a blast to ride.

[ddialogue]

Dirt4Lunch,

There was a post on the YZ forum about a fix for the grabby clutch issue. The guy drilled six extra holes in the clutch boss (bringing the total number of holes from six to twelve) to increase the lubrciation. This apparently has fixed his grabby clutch issue.

[sabin]

Or you can order some 426 clutch parts to fix the problem. A lot of dealers on the yz side made this exchange free of charge...

[Jim_Patterson]

I don't have info on the clutch problem. I have this, on delivery. TWO dealers in Southest Michigan have received a letter from Yamaha saying that December deliveries will be delayed until Jan 2003. One dealer is mailing me a copy of the letter/bulletin. Yamahas website also calls out deliveries for Jan 03. Most dealers will likely get 1 bike initially. Next shipments would be Feb and March. If someone else has the first bike, yours could end up being delivered in Feb or March. All this of course is subject to further change.

[Motorod]

On my 2000 yz426 my clutch grabbed while using GTX 10w30 oil. I switched to the yamalube 4 cycle oil and it quit. Hope this helps. ? (This is my first time posting so I had to use one of these faces to see how it worked). In my RM 250 the oil did not matter which won I used. If you read the YZ manual it shows which oil to use. I believe the Yamalube is a non-detergent oil, and too slick of an oil will cause the clutch to be grabby. BTW my dealer told me in Aug. the WR450 would not be here till Jan.

[KRob]

This issue is addressed in the latest Dirt Rider with regards Doug Dubach's YZ450 and grabby clutch. He recommends enlarging the six holes in the clutch basket, and if that doesn't fix it completely he suggested replacing some of the plates with 426 parts. (He gives part numbers and everything. It's the January issue of Dirt Rider.) Who knows if the WR will have the same problem. We'll all wait and see.