So what was the big news when yamaha came out with the first mx 4 stroke, when KTM ..

[DoctorRzed]

Just wondering why it took so long and why when the introduction of the yz400f caused such a bang. Liquid cooled 400cc + bikes have been around far before the yz400f, such as the KTM400. Even husqvarna had some advanced 4 strokes early 90s

[dylans503]

this is america dambit

[DoctorRzed]

too bad Honda Yamaha Suzuki Kawasaki etc are not american.

[DoctorRzed]

cannondale was pretty much the only USA worthy dirtbike. ATK is american made but there motors are often from other comp such as rotax, maico, etc.

[Ttoks]

Just wondering why it took so long and why when the introduction of the yz400f caused such a bang. Liquid cooled 400cc + bikes have been around far before the yz400f, such as the KTM400. Even husqvarna had some advanced 4 strokes early 90s

the YZ-F 400 was the first four stroke to compeditivly compete with two strokes, the KTM LC4 400 was never intended to compete with 250 mx bikes, same storey with the early husky TE's they were created pretty much as a reliable duel sport engine, the LC4 is still alive today as the KTM 690, 6'000 miles between oil changes, the big thing for a YZ400 was it's win at vagas in 98' it pretty much proved that four strokes can beat two strokes, and things have just gone from there.

[DoctorRzed]

I could understand that but, did anyone ever modify, shed some weight off these bikes prior to the yz400f and attempt to break through the 2 stroke dominance? My first MX bike was the yz400f unfortunately I never grew up on a 2 stroke. And after a good 6 years of the top of the line thumpers I have decided to ride the 2 stroke haha.

[dylans503]

too bad Honda Yamaha Suzuki Kawasaki etc are not american.

ya i know there chinese...ktm is french...and we americans dont like french

[txmxer]

I dont know if your kidding dylan, but they're japanese; ktm is austrian.

[dylans503]

lol ya i know,

they come from Australia, thats why there orange

👍

[Ttoks]

I could understand that but, did anyone ever modify, shed some weight off these bikes prior to the yz400f and attempt to break through the 2 stroke dominance? My first MX bike was the yz400f unfortunately I never grew up on a 2 stroke. And after a good 6 years of the top of the line thumpers I have decided to ride the 2 stroke haha.

i don't think so, none of them had any factory support like the yamaha did to do well in mx events, the most out there thing i've seen profesionaly is a heavily modified DR-z 400 winning the aussie thumpernats (mx series) in 2001-2002 against the yz 400's, if i remember right shane watt's competed in the same series on an XR650R around the same time.

[Esten831]

cannondale was pretty much the only USA worthy dirtbike. ATK is american made but there motors are often from other comp such as rotax, maico, etc.

I don't know about worthy,it was a total POS.

[DoctorRzed]

I don't know about worthy,it was a total POS.

I meant worthy by heading in the right direction. Alu Framed, Fuel Injected. It would have been nice to see them stick around and see how they would evolve. I thought they were pretty neat bikes, but yea they did have some serious problems. 👍

[long arm]

I could understand that but, did anyone ever modify, shed some weight off these bikes prior to the yz400f and attempt to break through the 2 stroke dominance? My first MX bike was the yz400f unfortunately I never grew up on a 2 stroke. And after a good 6 years of the top of the line thumpers I have decided to ride the 2 stroke haha.

I think that was the big thing though, the YZ400F was the first REAL, fully supported, 400mxer. Anything can be modified to do things it wasn't built for but this bike was purpose-built to bring down 2 stroke dominance.

I still ride a smoker though 👍

[140rider]

lol ya i know,

they come from Australia, thats why there orange

👍

Dylan. Say this out loud: I am we-tod-id

btw yall smokers ftw. I dont care what you say a smoker of the smae displacement(even less) can beat a racing 4t with equal riders.

[Dirty Sanchez]

compeditivly compete

uhhhhhh....... wut?

[2StrokeLifer]

KTM is based in Austria in Europe not Australia.

[purplehayes]

what do you think about Lexx slip-on silencer instead of stock?

[Sheriff245]

Actually the first rider to qualify for an SX main was Lance Smail on a KTM.

However, 12 years ago KTMs weren't much more than a novelty. They were few and far between, so people didn't talk too much about them.

[Wandell]

As stated, the YZF400 was the first four stroke engineered and built for MX. Prior to that four strokes were heavy, underpowered, slow bikes built for trail riding/play riding. I grew up in the 80s and during that time it was not uncommom for for someone to show up and race a modified four stoke. Usually it was a Honda XR500 that he stripped down and modified. Usually that guy would wind up finishing last. I can understand you younger guys not being able to understand how heavy and slow four strokes were in the 80's when you grew up with YZF400's, YZF250's and CRF450's. But believe me, comparing a 2010 CRF450 to a 1984 XR500 is like comparing a 2010 Corvette Z06 to a Model T Ford.

[dylans503]

KTM is based in Austria in Europe not Australia.

are you kidding me?

all 3 post i was joking...👍

good lord....