Debating on a four stroke, give me your options!

[orangyktmthing]

Hey all! I have been kinda wanting something newer to me and have an opportunity to trade my yz for a yz426 that has a bunch of stuff done to it. I posted to the yz four stroke section to see what they have to say about the bike and want to know what your options are on it......I wish I could buy one of each, but with just purchasing a house (awesome deal, thank god for a shi**y housing market! 250K house for 157K, yay!) I can only have one bike.....for now. My wife is confused why I would get rid of my bike that I have poured money and sweat...and sometimes blood...into, but thats my nature! The 426 would be turned into a wr (pulling my 3-5, 18" wheel, steering stabilizer and stuff like that). The thumper is already ported, punched out to a 444cc with a wiseco piston, cammed, piped (would stick a quiet core in, loud fart pipes always annoy me). The maintenance doesn't scare me, I'm pretty mechanically inclined, but I don't want to spend more time working on it than riding it. The other thing is that my yz already has an extended range tank on it and I think that it might factor in with weight being about the same as the thumper. Another thing is the overheating factor, I run engine ice in my yz and am wondering even with the engine ice, will the 426 have a tendency of boiling over with the tight, single track that I run usually. Thanks for all the comments and suggestions guys! The yz folks have always been very informative!

[BDubb106]

See if you can ride it and find out if thats what your looking for. Im assuming your trading a yz250 (current bike)? Im a two stroke guy so my opinion is biased even though I own a 08 yz450f I rarely ride it ... but get what you think will be more fun. Dont know if it matters to you but resale value might be a consideration if it were my decision, youll def have a little more maint. but nothing too extensive if your dirtbike savy whatsoever which im assuming you are. Over heating may be a problem but there is alot of good tips and tricks avail on this site to help you out with that issue.

Edit: just read your signature... what year is the 426?

[orangyktmthing]

Thanks for the reply, the 426 is the same year.....2000. I can tear down my 250 with my eyes closed, so I don't think that the 426 is going to be much more difficult to do (I guess I can attribute that to working in a bike shop for the last ten years!)

[BDubb106]

Well my suggestion would be like said before to see if you can arrange a ride and see if your going to like it as much or more as your 250... your right, they arent any more difficult just a little more involved when maint. time rolls around. My only concern is if the bike was maintained as well as your 250. But I guess thats the risk of a used bike. Just make sure if you do decide to go with the 426 you go over it with a fine tooth comb before you ride it hard.

[orangyktmthing]

That is some good info! I was planning to take a look at it within the next week or two and give it a ride. One thing that I hear is a "must do" kind of like a topend on a smoker is to change the timing chain, which isn't that expensive (like thirty bucks or so). My wife agreed to let me have one room in the basement to use as a "bikeshop", so no more working in the cold! I sure am lucky!

[chadzu]

does the 426 have the 450 ex cam in it?

I would consider it a must have on these early bikes. It totally changed my 250f when I put the auto decompression cam in it.

The 426 is a nice bike, its going to feel heavy after a yz, but that may not bug you at all. Ride them both and decide.

[arnego2]

Hi there

my input is also quite biased, I bought a YZ250 last year as my yz450F kinda strangled my love fore riding. Funny is that I try to sell my yz450 but as I have it in a shop people seem not to be so interested as they were when I rode it.

So now I gonna get it back from the shop and ride trying to sell it that way. One thing which bothered me on the YZ450 is the heat it develops. It need speed to cool it down.

In short I would not do that.

What brought back some of the love is an old RM125

regards

Arnego2

[orangyktmthing]

That is one thing about the heat that I just can't wrap my mind around and might be one thing that is a negative about the bike. Another thing is the amount of time and money that I have in the 2 stroke (A TON). The cams still have the manual decompression on it, but I know the routine about starting the bike with it.

[shrubitup]

I've got a single track dedicated YZ250. That said, I just bought a YZ250F (used) which arrives later this month. I need to know what the differences are besides reading about it. IMO, a big-bore thumper may not be ideal for single track. I rode some super freaky new 09 and 10 model Husqvarna TXC250's on Sunday and they were very good. I'm a fat ass and they both pulled me up some steep rooted out single track no problem. I don't think the 250Fs get as hot as the big bore either but I could be wrong.

I bought the 250F to enjoy compression braking and smokeless exhaust for a change.?

Basically, I will have both for a while and then make my decision before summer. If you can have both at the same time for a while that would be best IMO.

[bloodline]

If your idea of single track involves a lot of first gear riding, the 426 will have overheating issues.

If your idea of single track is a narrow path thru the desert in 4th gear, nothing to worry about.

I say keep the YZ.

I own a WR450 and just got a YZ 125. I'm going to sell them both and get a YZ250 eventually. I'm having a lot of fun on the 125. Sometimes I miss the power but I don't miss the weight, starting it, the weight, did i mention the weight?

[BASSic]

I had a 01 YZ426 so I can comment from my experiences. I did a lot of first gear technical stuff in mid-90 degree weather and never had an overheating problems. I only used regular coolant, but did have it jetted properly so that helped.

I loved my 426 but after riding any 250 smoker or a newer 450, the 426 felt like a tank. On long fire roads or high speed desert-type riding the 426 is extremely stable which I liked, but if you're turning a lot the top-heavy weight will really wear you out fast. The YZ250 is much easier to whip around and still makes a ton of power.

I ended up trading my 01 426 for a 03 YZ250 and I'm very happy with the smoker. The 426 was near bulletproof and had some snappy power, but I don't miss the weight.

[06yz]

I had a 01 YZ426 so I can comment from my experiences. I did a lot of first gear technical stuff in mid-90 degree weather and never had an overheating problems. I only used regular coolant, but did have it jetted properly so that helped.

I loved my 426 but after riding any 250 smoker or a newer 450, the 426 felt like a tank. On long fire roads or high speed desert-type riding the 426 is extremely stable which I liked, but if you're turning a lot the top-heavy weight will really wear you out fast. The YZ250 is much easier to whip around and still makes a ton of power.

I ended up trading my 01 426 for a 03 YZ250 and I'm very happy with the smoker. The 426 was near bulletproof and had some snappy power, but I don't miss the weight.

How much more heat is that big bore going to be?

MAX!!!

[Butta]

That is some good info! I was planning to take a look at it within the next week or two and give it a ride. One thing that I hear is a "must do" kind of like a topend on a smoker is to change the timing chain, which isn't that expensive (like thirty bucks or so). My wife agreed to let me have one room in the basement to use as a "bikeshop", so no more working in the cold! I sure am lucky!

I think the 450's cam chain is like $14 but the 2000's are $35 from South Seattle Sports Plaza (they have a great discount usually). You're right, it's good insurance. I would also put in a HotCams exhaust cam so you have the decompression system for easy starts. They're great bikes, but it's also a 10 year old machine that WILL require maintenance. It's not difficult, but $-wise it can start to get aggravating dumping twice the value of a bike into new parts.....

[orangyktmthing]

If the bike is jetted properly (the guy has the fmf jet kit in it, I think that dynojet makes it...), then it really shouldn't make that much heat than stock. I think that I might junk that and put a jd kit in it due to knowing that they work better and the support from james dean. I just am riding the fence on this one, I love my smoker, but I just want something different due to riding two strokes for all of my life. Decisions, decisions! Damn it! Why does my yz have to be in perfect shape and a great ride?!

[shrubitup]

Stop mixing oil and then use the excuse that it blew up because it's so unreliable and that you need reliability instead.

[moto2000]

As long as you're somewhat cognisant of having air flowing thru your radiators or shut it off instead of extended idling, you shouldn't have overheating issues. I've never boiled over or lost a significant amount of fluid with my 426. I don't think jetting would make it any worse, unless it was way lean, and then it run like crap to begin with anyhow....

I'd be more concerned about how the original owner took care of it and if you're inheriting someone else's can of worms.

Edited March 10, 2010 by moto2000

[orangyktmthing]

The major dilemma of any used dirtbike comes into play......... I think that is the only thing that is hindering my thought pattern now. I bought my yz as a destroyed hunk of machine and went through it with a fine tooth comb and ended up replacing everything from the crank up (thank god for the semi-slow salesman who continued to race it when there was an air leak and the piston disintegrated taking everything out with it!), but hell, I did get a great deal on it and it is a great bike now........ or do I do the big bore on the 250 and keep it?

[orangyktmthing]

By the way, there is a yz hybrid for sale in the detroit area if anybody is interested! An aluminum frame 125 with a ktm 200 put in it and it does look sweet! I think they want 2500 for it.......

[shrubitup]

Big bore is definitely the cheapest option since your bike is dialed for you now and you know its condition too.

[orangyktmthing]

That keeps ringing in the back of my mind, although it might be a minute or two before I actually have a chance to do it with the amount of time that I get to ride my bike. After two years, I have logged about 20 hours and compression is at 215psi. I sure do hate having a full time job/full time student and all the other responsibilities that come along with being an adult!