Yamaha
YAMAHA
PREVIEW '85
OFF-ROAD RIDING IMPRIESSIONS
Wave goodbye to the yellows, say hello to the red and whites.
Yamaha’s dirt-bike lineup for ’85 is quite different from what we’ve come to expect from that company over the years. Historically, Yamaha has offered a complete line of motocross and enduro models, plus some four-stroke Singles and a few low-priced, two-stroke fun bikes. But several of these familiar models aren’t in the line for ’85. Yamaha cites a changing market as the reason: Sales of the more family-oriented three-wheelers have been climbing, while interest in enduros and playbikes has fallen. So, in an attempt to keep pace with the shift in the market, Yamaha is introducing a couple of new models, both of them spin-offs from bikes of days past. One is an allnew TY350 trials bike, the other is a fattired playbike called a BW200, which is similar to an early-Seventies Suzuki.
No longer in the lineup are the YZ60, the IT250, the IT490 and all of the usual low-priced playbikes. The IT200 is still around but is virtually unchanged for ’85. The YZ80, YZ125, YZ250 and YZ490 incorporate many changes, including new red-and-white graphics. Junior riders have two models to choose from—the PW50 and the PW80. Fourstroke-Single fans disheartened by the departure of the XT250 will be pleased to learn that there now is an XT350 in the lineup. They’ll also be glad to know that the XT600 has different and better tires, and that the TT600 has been blessed with a few long-overdue improvements, including a stiffer suspension and a front disc brake.
If you were expecting a liquid-cooled Open-crosser from Yamaha, though, forget it; the YZ490 is still air-cooled. But suspension changes common to the 490, 250 and 125 YZs have significantly improved the big banger. The rear suspension has the same leverage ratio and linkage arms as used in ’84, but the Yamaha-made shock is new. And because there now is a linkage connecting the rear brake pedal to a bypass valve in the shock’s reservoir, the compression damping is radically decreased whenever the brake is applied. The result is a rear wheel that stays on the ground more often when braking hard into whooped or choppy turns. Yamaha calls this arrangement the Brake Actuated Suspen-> sion System, or BASS.
Up front, the 43mm KYB forks on the three larger YZs are externally unchanged. But internally, there are new damper-rod assemblies that locate the adjustable compression-damping blowoff valves higher in the rods.
Broken spokes and collapsed wheels were common on ’84 YZ models, so the Z-spokes on the new YZs are 0.5mm larger in diameter, the spoke nipples are steel, and last year’s hollow-bead DID rims have been superseded by stronger Takasago rims. A hydraulic disc brake with a stainless steel rotor is standard on the three larger YZs this year, attached to a new Z-spoke hub. Also, the air filters have been refined for easier maintenance, and the clutch arm on the 125, 250 and 490 YZ engines pivots in a redesigned case-half that supports the actuating arm with an additional bearing surface so that the clutch lever finally has an easy pull.
These changes are just a few that have helped make the YZ490 in particular a better motocross bike than it was last year. There still is some heavy engine vibration present, but the bike no longer has the too-soft suspension and too-rich carburetion of the ’84 490. The power delivery is just explosive enough, though, to make the bike comparatively hard to ride. At lower revs the power output isn’t all that impressive for an Open bike, but about halfway through the rev range the engine virtually explodes into the powerband. The front wheel leaps into the air, the rear tire paws violently for traction and the back of the bike wags back and forth. Riding the bike a gear higher than normal, using the mild portion of the power, is the hot ticket for anyone other than experienced Pros and super-fast Intermediates.
The 490’s refined suspension helps the YZ turn with precision, even when entering a whooped downhill turn. Jumps are handled easily and comfortably, and the bike has no unusual tendency to bottom. The BASS rear suspension makes the rear brake feel weaker than last year’s (although it’s identical), but much more progressive and controllable. The difference in feel is due to the rear tire following the bumps instead of hopping across the tops of them.
Yamaha’s YZ250 for ’85 has several engine refinements in addition to the suspension and chassis changes outlined previously. Among them are the use of fiber reed-petals for better engine response, and an external-flywheel YZ60 ignition—a common hop-up procedure on the ’84s—as standard equipment. Moreover, the frame and swingarm have more gusseting for strength, and thinnerwall tubing for weight-reduction.
On the racetrack, the ’85 YZ250 has an entirely different personality compared with the ’84; the engine revs quicker and higher and the midrange power is stronger. There is less low-rpm power, though, which can make the bike more difficult to ride on slippery surfaces. But the increased midrange power is great when the ground is sandy or loamy, and the higher-revving engine means you’re less apt to get outrun on long start straights.
Then there’s the new YZ125, which is out to change the ’84 bike’s reputation for being the slowest of the Japanese 125s. The ’85 YZ125 has new powervalve porting, along with a different pipe, a new ignition curve, fiber reed-petals and a new silencer. And, indeed, the new YZ is noticeably faster than the old one, although whether it’s as fast as its competition will only be determined on the> racetracks this coming season. But there’s no doubt that the YZ125 is a vastly improved machine. Same goes for the YZ80, which hasn’t been at the top of its class in recent years. But a host of refinements to the ’85 model, including numerous porting, pipe and ignition hopups, plus a new primary ratio and some stronger gears, promise to put the new YZ80 into the hunt.
New types of off-road models don’t pop up often, so Yamaha’s introduction of two of them—the TY350 and the BW200—in one year is a bold move, even if neither is actually new. Both bikes are an attempt by Yamaha to generate new interest in dirt-biking at the entry level. The most conventional of the two is the TY350 trials bike, based on Yamaha’s TY250 offered in Europe last year. The 350 version uses YZ490 crank halves to give the massive flywheel inertia needed for exceptional low-rpm chugging, and a typical quick-steering, shortwheelbase chassis for the kind of close-quarters maneuverability that only a trials machine can offer. Whether or not the buying public is any more interested in trials bikes today than they were eight or nine years ago, however, is an unanswered question.
It also remains to be seen if people will respond to Yamaha’s other foray into new waters, the BW200. “BW” stands for “Balloon Wheel,” according to Yamaha, seeing as how the bike is fitted with fat, balloon-type low-pressure tires like those on threeand four-wheel ATVs. And, in fact, the motorcycle itself is intended to appeal to much the same audience as ATVs by being a non-intimidating, non-gofast, purely recreational two-wheeler oriented toward family fun.
Powered by a 200cc four-stroke Single, the BW won’t rip your clothes off with sheer acceleration, but it will keep you grinning all day. With a seat height of just 31.3 inches and a dry weight of only 243 pounds, a rider doesn’t have to be 6-foot-7 and an accomplished weightlifter to deal with the BW. Suspension travel is 6.3 inches at both ends, although the fat tires make the BW feel like it has more suspension than the figures indicate. The bike has a few steering quirks compared to a conventionally tired motorcycle, but after a brief familiarization period, the rider can get on with the task of having a good, old-fashioned blast. And while the fat-tired BW always feels a bit odd on hard ground, it is far better on soft terrain, such as sand and mud. The machine might not be much for racing and serious trail-riding, but Yamaha’s BW200 nonetheless has all the earmarks of a world-class funbike.
Meanwhile, dual-purpose fans will be interested in the XT350, a four-valve, four-stroke Single. In essence, the XT350 engine is a bored-out XT250 engine with an improved oiling system, larger crank bearings, more clutch plates and heavier clutch springs. But even though the 350 engine got new camshaft specs designed for low-speed torque, the big-bore, short-stroke 350 is happiest when it’s revving. The power output definitely is stronger than the 250’s but the change isn’t as dramatic as the displacement increase would indicate.
So as you can see, Yamaha’s dirt-going lineup for 1985 is indeed less complete than it has been in recent years. But while every traditional off-road category is not represented with at least one model, a couple of new categories are being explored with new machines. And in the end, that kind of exploration might be just what is needed to promote growth in the off-road marketplace.
