Issue link: https://read.dmtmag.com/i/217512
m nce its he ear of nd in its 0R noet." he arust nings ny onm- ch, ose ne rafor per xich nd en on h is ers der ATV www.PowersportsBusiness.com for improved body maneuverability; updated styling; standard quick-release fasteners that were previously only available on SE models; new Maxxis tires that replace the previous Dunlops; a narrower seat; wheels with an inner rolled lip for better rigidity and less weight; and new heel guards that provide more space for riders to ride hard on the balls of their feet if they choose. "We focused on improving the overall comfort, especially in the choppy braking bumps, so we adjusted the suspension settings to be more compliant in that area; we came up with new tires that also affected the overall comfort and allowed it to slide easier and more predictably," Hollins said. "When you talk about the engine character, we beefed up or made the mid-range and bottom-end stronger, so that you could really roll the throttle on, accelerate out of the corners and control the machine better as you were going through the corners or up to a jump face." The new assist and slipper clutch reduces clutch-pull effort by reducing the number of clutch springs, while adding ramps on the clutch basket and pressure plate that puts more pressure on the clutch plates. This innovative design means that the more torque is put into the clutch, the harder the clutch plates are driven together. Off-throttle situations, when the tires are driving the clutch plates together rather than the engine, allow strategic slippage that prevents compression braking in situations like landing a jump or coming hard into a corner. "If you're on a machine that doesn't have this and you come into a corner and, again, it's even worse when you have a high-compression race motor, the minute you chop the throttle and let off the gas, that engine compression is actually stopping your rear tires," he said. P22x24-PSB15-ATV.indd 23 Powersports Business • December 2, 2013 • 23 The gas tank and seat are just two of the impressive design features on the 2014 YFZ450R. Maxxis tires are new for 2014 on the YFZ450R. "A lot of times you'll get the tires to lock up and they start hopping as you go into the corner, and that's where the term braking bumps comes from." The ergonomic changes, as well as development of the new Maxxis tires, were influenced from Yamaha's roster of factory racers, including multi-time QuadX Series champion Dustin Nelson. The YFZ450R's new tires were designed to lighten steering effort, while also improving steering precision — usually a difficult tradeoff. STAYING IN THE GAME While most other manufacturers have drastically slowed the release of new sport quad products or left the category altogether, Yamaha has maintained its presence in racing, with its factory riders and by making successive updates to its sport machine lineup. Steve Nessl, Yamaha ATV/side-by-side group marketing manager, said the continued investment in the sport ATV market is a reflection of his team's personal enthusiasm for the market, support from company management's highest levels as well as a bet that the historically unpredictable market segment is poised for a roaring comeback as the economy improves. Nessl went so far as to predict that, if market forces continue to improve, the segment could see its sales double in the near future. "Given where it's at right now — again, it's indicative of how hard it was hit — we can see it as much as doubling in the next 5 to 10 years relatively easily," he said. "Those are forecasts, and they're dependent on a lot of things, but this market … comes and it goes. It's very cyclical and Yamaha lives with it, through it, and bolsters it and continues to support it regardless." In the meantime, as sales remain far below pre-recession peaks, Nessl said that Yamaha has continually increased its sport ATV market share as the American economy has clawed its way out of the depths of 2008-10. "The market's not ideally where we'd like it to be, but when it starts to come back — and it will — we're in the best possible position to take advantage of that and continue to grow sport ATVs, sport riders and the sport in general," Nessl said. Hollins doubled down on the cyclical nature of the sport ATV market as the economy and government regulations have taken turns impacting the category. "We've been through this before if you go back to the mid-80s," he said. "We were introducing Banshees and Warriors and Blasters in '86 and '87 when the market at the time wasn't so good either, so this isn't something that's necessarily new or changed for us. We're part of this market, and we feel like we're invested in it more than any other manufacturer is or ever has been, and we don't want to see it go anywhere, so we're in it and we've always been in it." PSB 11/25/13 11:34 AM