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/128639
2001 Yamaha YZ426F Everything else about the ne w 4 2 6 is pretty much the same as the old 426 . As mentioned , the bi ke still ma kes awesome power o vera ll and handles as well as ever. It turns e x c e p t i o n ally well , headshak e i s almost non -existent, and the b ike just feels well balanced . For fast interme d iates and experts, though, th e YZ 's suspension is still a little on the soft si de and w ill most li kely ne ed to be stiffened up, b ut for every body else, the YZ 's suspens ion should be just fine . Slowing the 426 d own for the turns is c ak e. The fr ont disc is slightly larger in diameter, which , if nothing else, g ives the ri d er a mental edge over riders of the previous 426 . Starting the bike is always an issue w ith single-cylinder four -stroke MXers but, once you get the method down, (Left) The '0 1 VZ426F gets lighter and stronger titanium valves, and the result is a qu ic ker-revving motor, (Above) Externally , not m uch ha s changed except for the two-tone seat and new graphics. And the difference can be felt on the track. One of o ur t e st e r s , w ho owns and has been rac ing th e '00 YZ426 F all year, q u ic k ly noticed how S TOR Y BY K IT P AL ME R PH OT OS BY CHRIS J O NNU M y o u know , we would no t h a v e blam ed Yamaha one bit if th ey ha d simply slapped new decal s on th e 2000 YZ426 F and ca lle d it a 200 I. Th e 2000 muc h bett er the n ew 426 h it s when you open up the th rottl e. "T h ro ttle response fee ls mu ch bet ter ," he sai d . " Last yea r, th e 4 26 had a slig ht hesitation o ff the bottom , bu t not anymore . T he powe r j ust fee ls a 4 2 6 w a s so good t hat Ya ma ha co u ld have gotte n away with it , but knowi ng that Honda and other ma nufacturers are c u rre ntly wo rki ng o n t hei r own m idd leweight fo u r- st rok e m o t ocro sser s , lot m ore sna p py ." A nd we ag ree . The '01 426 is just th ey felt th e ne ed to cont inu e to keep a few ste ps ahea d of their cha llengers by improving upon the al rea dy-awesome YZ4 26F. But ho w? T itan ium val ves , that's how. The 2000 YZ4 26F wa s alre ad y one that - sna ppy. It h its harder and ru n s stronger off t he b ottom , which Yamaha sa ys has a lo t t o do with not on ly t h e titanium valve s and li ghter springs, b ut t h e changes to the accelerator pu m p , which now delivers more fuel off th e bo tt om . Fro m m id rang e on up , the ' 0 1 426 of th e q uickest rev v ing single-cylind e r fo ur - st r o k e s on the track, bu t Ya ma ha apparently felt that it wasn't quick e n o u g h. By going to more lig h tweight (a nd stronger) titanium feels identica l to the '00 426 , which is a good th ing , since the bike already delivered incredible power. But since the '01 is more r e sp o n s i v e o ff the bottom, it makes for a better bike on t he tighter tracks . No longer do you valves i n th e 2001 426 , Yamaha coul d also r un l ig h t e r -r at e valve springs, which , in theory, would comb in e to allow the moto r to run m o re freely and li ven up th rottl e res pon se. Engine • Valves are now constructed out of titanium and are 40% lighter than the former steel valves. • The valve springs have lighter tension. • The use of keyways on the right crank has been changed to a serration type. The crankshaft and drive gear have also been changed to reduce friction. • To reduce weight, the gearshift cam shape has been changed and is also thinner. • The clutch housing, side plate and springs have been strengthened. • The transmission's intemal shift lever features an integrated pin rather than a press-fit pin. • Carburetion settings have been changed, as well as the accelerating pump. • A new bend in the exhaust system's header pipe allows easy access to the oil filter. • New ignition timing has been made to improve starting performance. Forks • Nylon spacer added and bump rubber changed to improve bottoming feel • Revised damping settings Swingarm • A stronger material is used for the rear arm, and the thickness has been reduced to reduce weight. Shock • The pillow ball bearing has been changed to a needle bearing, and the bump rubber capacity has been increased to improve anti -bottoming performance . Fuel Tank • The fueling port has an added filler tube, and the shape of the seal inside the filler cap has been changed for improved reliability. Front Disc Brake • The disc diameter has been increased by 5mm to 250mm. • The front brake master cyli nder and lever are newly designed. The lever adjustment method is simplified and the lever ratio is changed. Yamaha m a d e m a n y other cha nges to t he 200 1 YZ 426 F , t o o , (an d they are l i st ed in the W hat's N ew s ideba r) , b u t m o st o f t hose have to wo rr y a bout keep ing you r mo me nt um up thro ugh the corners since t h e bike comes on s o much q uicker and harder no w . You can r ide thi s bike m ore like a t wo -stroke than ever before. c ha nges are p r ima r ily mi nor refin e - "T he fi rst thing I wo uld do w ith the m ents , ma in ly to increase d urab ili ty , im p ro ve ease of maintenance, and to [ol der ] YZ426 [and 4 0 0 1 was throw a bigger rear sp ro cket on it , usua lly tw o Air Box • The joint plate is now made out of lighter alum inum instead of steal. en hance rider comfort. B u t it's the teeth ," our testerjYZ426 o w ne r sa id . " Now , you don 't ha ve to d o that any mo re. " Clutc h Lever • The clutch lever has a less-dramatic bend. t i t an i um valves that really set t h e 2001 YZ426F apart from t he 2000 . 10 NOVEM B ER 15 ,2000' cue I e n e vv s Drive Chain • The chain is I mm shorter to reduce weight. Seat Cover • The seat is now a two-tone color.