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
1 999 YAMAHA WISECO YZ426F Just because a Yamaha VZ400F isn't up to Y2K specs doesn't mean it's ready for the sale block. The aftermarket has had trick parts for the YZF since its conception, so beefing up your 1998-99 Yamathumper is a lot cheaper than buying a new model. It's a lot easier than it sounds as well. By so to speak. Here's how to do it plus a little more to give you the edge. The first thing you have to do is deal with getting those 26ccs of displacement into your motor. Wiseco has this handled with their new 426cc kit. The total cost of this modification is rather economical at $355.39 (parts only), and involves a new, 3mm-larger piston, the boring and replating of your cylinder, and a gasket kit from Cometic. While our bike was down at White Brothers having the kit installed, the devious Gary Jones couldn't resist throwing on an early version of their new White Brothers Round Series exhaust system. The muffler on this exhaust is round (unlike their E-Series systems, which are oval), and also includes a peautiful, tapered, stainless-steel header that allows you to change the oil without having to loosen it up like CAMERON COATNEY PHOTOS BY KIM FONG or once-content 1998 and '99 YZ400F owners, news that the bike would be released as a YZ426F in 2000 was a real bummer. Sure, some owners just ran out and put down their deposit on a new one and kept right on smiling, but the rest were left standing in a state of disbelief. Could those extra 26ccs make that much of a difference? What am I going to do? For many riders a viable alternative to buying a new 426 is spending some cash on your existing mount to keep it up-to-date, fresh and set up for you. Hey, you may not feel comfortable buying a new ride right now (ie., your wife or girlfriend said no), but who says you can't drop a little cash to "keep up with the Jones's," F TMR Fork Mod $139.00 TM Designworks Chain Roller Kit TMR Fork Bottoming Cones $199.95 Acerbis 2000 YZ Graphics $54.95 TMR Shqck Mod $149.00 Acerbis MX Handguards $25.00 TMR Shock Bottoming Cone $64.95 White Brothers Stainless Steel Head Pipe $169.95 White Brothers R Series Muffler $244.95 Cometic Big Bore Top End Gaskets $38.95 Wiseco Piston (4649P12) $131.49 Millennium Technologies Boring and $184.95 $54.90 Total $1749.19 Cometic Gasket 800-752-9850 Acerbis 800-659-1440 Applied Racing 800-853-0555 TM Designworks 541-535-1612 White Brothers Nikasil Plating 800-854-1899 Tom Morgan Racing 520-453-5061 Applied Racing Top Triple Clamp w/Mounts $152.20 TM Designworks Chain Slider $79.00 Wiseco Piston 800-321-136~ TM Designworks Chain Guide $59.95 Millennium Technologies 920-893-5595 18 APRIL 5, 2000' cue • e you do with the stock header. Another sweet feature of this exhaust system is that a screen-type spark arrestor can be added with the removal of three bolts for those days when you feel like trail riding. After getting back those extra ponies, you might want to consider updating the suspension and setting it up for you and your riding conditions. Besides, your bike has at least one season on it and if you haven't changed the oil by now, it's got to be working overtime. For these duties, we turned to Tom Morgan Racing, who tunes the bikes for two of the few privateers to make a 250cc Supercross main event this year, Heath Voss and James Povolny Jr. We asked Tom to set up the suspension for a 190-pound, Vet Intermediate who rides about 60-percent motocross and 40-percent So Cal trails. The rider was generally happy with the stock settings but wanted a better resistance to harsh bottoming for moto anGl a little more plushness in the initial part of the travel for trail riding. TMR stuck with the stock nevvs spring rates, but altered the valving at both ends and installed his hydraulic bottoming cones in the forks, which replace the stock rubber bottoming system. The shock also got a new bottoming cone internally and a massive rubber shock bumper externally that makes the stock version look like a saggy marshmallow. Since this bike was getting plenty of trail use, we were eating up the stock chain slider like mad. If you trail ride your YZ400/426 then you know the soft, stock versions don't last more than several rides. We turned to TM Designworks for one of their indestructible chain sliders, which carries a solid three-year warranty. While we were at it, we got one