2000 Yamaha WR400F
Yamaha's press IntnKluction for the
2000 WR400F took place in Costa
Rica - a great riding area for a great
bike. This car·to·bike photo was taken
in the surf town of Jaco Beach, where
the intro was based.
By CHRIS JONNUM
PHOTOS BY JOE BONNELLO/YAMAHA
J
ust four days after my wedding, and
there I was lounging poolside at the
Costa Rican Jaco Beach Resort, my
eyelids being propelled steadily towards
one another by that perfect trio of a justcompleted physical workout (heh, heh),
a pink umbrella drink and a Musak rendition of "Stairway to Heaven".
nOh, Tulip-toes: I whispered softly,
too tranquil even to engage my voice
box, "This is simply wonderful. What
shall we do tomorrow?"
Phoooof-pah.
"I'm sorry, Blossom-breath, I didn't
q4ite catch that. What did you say?"
Phoooof-pah.
"Bless you, Lily-lips. Do you have a
cold?"
VAMAHONEVMOON
The blast
was at such a decibel
level that I was launched from
my plastic divan, and as I attempted
to settle the waves in that aforementioned umbrella drink, my bugged-out
eyes and ringing ears hurriedly took in
the scene around me. Though I was
indeed a newlywed, it appeared that
the discourse I had just been holding
was not with my lovely bride, but a
2000 Yamaha WR400F; said bike had
VWOOOOOOOOM-BAH!!!
10
FEBRUARY 2.2000'
c· U
c
I
D
n
•
VII'
S
just been
brought to life by
Mechanic Marco following a
long struggle initiated by his
overzealous washing of it. The waterlogged WR's initial reluctance seemed
to have brought about a vindictive
mood in Marco, and now that the blue
beast was revived, he was chastising it
with several earth-shattering (and
reverie-interrupting) blasts of the
throttle.
Though updates to the new WR tend
more towards refinement than revolution, the bike remains special in the
eyes of many, and Yamaha wanted its
introduction to the press to reflect
that. PR honch Terry Beal was convinced that the ideal locale for introducing the off-road thumper to the
motorcycling press was Costa Rica
(the fact that he's a surfer being
entirely coincidental, of course), and
he was able to sell the powers that be
on the idea.
