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Our riding took place over the period of four days, in a wide variety of terrain conditions between the San Jose capital and Jaco Beach on the Pacific coast. Typically, our rides used mildly technical fireroads to link very technical trail sections. Some of the trails were a bit less challenging, and we also spent some time on smooth fireroads; even the occasional pavement jaunt was thrown in here and the·re. Soil conditions ranged from ice-slick grease, to loam, to rocks, to soft, deep gravel. About the only things missing were blue-grooved hard pack and dry sand. move his upper body over the front end. The tank still prevents one from getting his or her butt extremely far forward, but that's okay since these trails are typically better suited to corner carving than to power-sliding. Several aftermarket companies already sell clamps that make this same cockpit-lengthening change to older WRs, but they don't sell the new shorter-wheelbase frame that also shares responsibility for the thumper's newfound comering prowess. As for the motor, it's more fun on a good trail than a barrel of monkeys (I know, since we played with some apes in a Costa Rican zoo; the buggers stole the EASY water bottle from my fanny pack). It's got a hard Though I want to avoid getting overly specific here, I associenough hit to launch you out of a corner and rocket ate this category primarily with fireroads, the typical speciyou towards the next one, but not so much that the men of which is not the natural home for a WR400. True, back end slews back and forth when you crack the there are a lot of people (including myself) who have throttle. For this type of trail (my personal favorite), installed dual-sport kits on WRs, but unless they do so with there's not a motorcycle I'd rather have - four-stroke an eye toward simply connecting trails, they're kidding or otherwise. themselves. Simply put, the Yamaha is bored with easy Incidentally, these are exactly the trails that good conditions; the suspension feels stiff, the gearing is too low, . off-road clubs are likely to include in enduros, hare and the stock tank doesn't let you climb over the front end scrambles and cross-country races, since they want to for sliding through comers. An aftermarket fuel cell would seriously challenge and tax riders but don't want to allow you to run a stock YZ seat, and - although dry, develop bottlenecks. The author (left) and Paul Clipper on a Costa Rican smooth fireroads are the only place where the tank really bothered me - it's probably worth making the swap. version of supercross' much-hyped over-under bridge. DIFFICULT Fortunately, most Costa Rican fireroads are neither dry nor smooth, and are thus much more appropriate proving Our outings included a couple of really technical secgrounds for this particular Yamaha. We spent time dicing tions, including a singletrack with desk-sized vertical and adding a flywheel weight would also help, but only do amongst ourselves on deep-gravel dirt roads laden with sindrop-offs and handlebar-high ruts, and a two-mile-long, this if nearly all your riding takes place in these conditions. extremely steep, rutted ascent called Airplane; I also spent uous tums and serious elevation change, and here, the WR is the ideal steed. some time slogging through a rocky creek for photos. In the OVERALL really slow going, the WR400F can be a bit of a handful. The relatively light fiywheel makes stalling an ever-present MODERATE There's no way to make a bike that does everything well, so threat, and the lack of an electric starter means that's manufacturers have to make choices. Honda opted for the This is the context the WR is most at home in - trails that something you definitely want to avoid (though with the extremes with its XR400, which is better suited than the give the rider an intense physical workout but don't include hot-start button and proper technique, the bike is an easy stock WR to both very easy and very difficult conditions. anything absolutely brutal. Here, the bike is easy to nick starter). Most riders, however, spend the bulk of their time someback and forth between your legs through the trees, brakeThe threat of a stall - along with a slight hesitation just where in the middle, and in that context, the Yamaha is one sliding into turns and powering out. off idle - encourage the rider to keep the bike revving, but of the best bikes I've ever ridden. Perhaps more importantiy, The suspension is firm enough that the front end doesn't high rpms aren't conducive to good riding in slippery it's also one of the most fun. dive under heavy braking, but it still reacts readily to rocks rocks and roots. Neither is firm suspension, and the stiffish Normally, I'm a big fan of versatility, and there are'nt and ruts (high-speed compression) and G-outs (low-speed WR springs that handle faster trails with such aplomb many bikes more versatile bikes than the WR. What's more, compression). This suppleness is new, and is no doubt the aren't eager to react when you're slogging along at lower the WR's is extreemly good in the stuff that makes up about result of the friction-deleting measures made to the fork for speeds. 90 percent of my riding and I would put up with it the other 2000. None of this is to say that the WR can't be made to work 10 percent of the time. I've yet to ride the new Suzuki and Moving the handlebar mount forward was also an well in the really gnarly stuff. It just takes a committed rider KTM, but as it stands now, the Yamaha is at the top of my improvement - especially for tall riders like me - since it who isn't prone to mistakes; softening up the suspension list of off-road bikes. opens up the rider compartment and allows the rider to Though Costa Rican riding is among the best in the world, sometimes it's outclassed by the scenery. That's the Pacific in the background, but the Carribean sea is Just a few hours to the east. conditions. Granted, bigger displacements are preferable in many situations. Granted, there are people who will never mind sacrificil)g f1ickability in the name of oomph - no matter what the conditions. Granted, 26cc isn't really that big of an increase anyway. Nonetheless, I wasn't heartbroken upon learning that Yamaha hadn't performed the YZ's piston-enlargement surgery on the WR. Anyway, the WR got the other YZ changes (see "Updates" box), and though each seems relatively minor on an individual basis, they add up to a noticeably improved motorcycle. introduction, Yamaha continues to perfect size for an off-road thumper. make the same updates that are I've always found bigger four-strokes made to its MXers. This was all true to be a bit of a handful in technical of the two-stroke WR250, but it is off-road conditions, and not neces- especially so for the four-stroke sarily because they have brutal WR400. power. No, the power gains netted by "But wait," I can hear you squawk- the YZ were primarily in the bottom ing, "Why didn't the WR get the new end and midrange, theoretically good 426cc displacement that was granted areas for boost on an off-roader. the YZ for 2000?" Firm (but supple) suspension powerful (but manageable) motor: Excel rims standard same price as last year: now sold in California Too loud without baffle: no hclndguards: weak handlebar: kickstand pushes out left heel: air intake squeals like a Costa Rican howler monkey What bothers me is the inertia creat- A valid query, to be sure, and the ed by big engines; for example, answer - emissions concerns wreaks of compromise. Still, I'm not sure bigger is always better, and am in fact convinced that four liters is the KTM's 400 and 520 thumpers share 12 FEBRUARY 2. 2000' cue precisely the same weight, but the big-bore feels much heavier than its 400cc sibling - especially in technical I I!! nevvs Suggested modirications: Aftermilrket tank and YZ seat: aluminum handlebar: handgunrds: qUIeter exhaust (SllCh as a droop snoot) CN SPECifiCATIONS 2000 YAMAHA WR400F Displacement. . . . . . . . . . ... 399cc Engine type Liquid-cooled. sin9le-cylinder four-stroke Bore x stroke 92 x 60.1 mm Compression ratio 12.5:1 Carburetion. . 39mm Keihin FCR wi accelerator pump Valvetrain .. . . . 5-valve head wi dual chain-driven cams Ignition . CDI wi throttle-position sensor Transmission . . Constant mesh 5-speed Starting system. . . . . . . . . ... Kick wi decompression lever Exhaust system. . . Single header with aluminum silencer Clutch. . . . .... Dry-sump lubrication Fuel capacity. . . . . . . . . .. " 3.2 gal. Frame Oil-carrying double-cradle Wheelbase. . . 58.3 in. Overall length. . . 85.3 in. Overall width .32.2 in. Overall height. . . . . . .. 50.6 in. Rakeltrail 27.8°/115.3mm Seat height. . . . 38.5 in. Front tire . ... 80/100-21 Dunlop 739FA Rear tire.. . .. 110/100-18 Dunlop 739 Front suspension ... 46mm telescopic fork, coil springs. oil dampers , , .8 in. travel Rear suspension Swingarm. New Monocross, coil spring, oil damper, 12.4 in. travel Front brake. .... Power-assisted Nissin hydraulic wi 245mm drilled disc Rear brake Power-assisted Nissln hydraulic wi 220mm disc Final drive O-ring chain Claimed dry weight . 240 Ibs. List Price. . . . . .. $5949