Cycle News is a weekly magazine that covers all aspects of motorcycling including Supercross, Motocross and MotoGP as well as new motorcycles
Issue link: https://magazine.cyclenews.com/i/128607
of their chain roller kits and chain guides. All of the pieces are CNCmachined from solid plastic and have been race proven by the likes of Ty Davis so you know they take abuse with a smile. The trade-off is a little more chain noise, but we've learned to live with it for the increased durability. The 2000 YZ426F comes with a roomier cockpit via different triple clamps, and we attained the same layout on our '99 by installing one of Applied Racing's adjustable upper clamp kits. Super-strong Pro Taper bars were bolted into the clamps and Acerbis MX handguards were added for the sake of versatility and the safety of precious little fingers. Since the year-old stock graphics were hammered, Acerbis also supplied a set of their clean 2000 YZ graphics to update the looks. The makeover was complete. Out on the track or trail, our '99 YZ426F rips with authority. With the stock exhaust in place, the bike is noticeably faster. With the White Brothers Round Series exhaust system in place the bike is in a djfferent league from a stock 400. There's simply more power throughout the rpm range, with the addition of some always-useful bottom-end power. This extra oomph down low is especially helpful on the more technical trails and tighter MX tracks. As for the suspension performance, we got just what we asked for from TMR. On motocross tracks, large jump landings and big hits are handled without a whimper as the strange "thunk" sound from the front forks on full compression has disappeared. The action in the rear is topnotch and handling rough chop out of rutted corners and huge landings are a few of its strong points. The suspension action isn't perfect for all conditions (and no bike or suspension set-up ever will be), but is much better than stock and certainly a great compromise for handling both off-road and MX conditions on the very same weekend. Hey, this was a magazine project bike and we could have thrown numerous catalogs and dollars at it, but creating an unobtainable masterpiece was not our intention - we, instead, wanted to create a bike that was an economical alternative to the 2000 YZ426F. Our transformed 1999 YZ400F is sweet and draws attention wherever it's roosting or resting. The bottom line was just under $1750 and that was with a few extra goodies thrown into the mix. We figure you could merely add the Wiseco 426cc kit and get the suspension dialed in on your '98 or '99 YZ400F for well under $750.00 and still be up to par with the 2000 model. Then, 2000 YZ426 owners will have nothing on your bike except monthly payments which you can gladly leave for the Jones's. eN • • • • Full-Color, Limited-Edition Signed Prints Printed on Heavy 100 lb. stock Only 250 in each series Ready to frame • Signed & Numbered Print $105. 00 • Unsigned Print $30. 00 • CA residents add 7.25% sales tax • Includes Shipping (U.S. only) cue I e n e _ os • APRIL 5, 2000 19