yz490

[buzzardman]

Hey I'm getting ready to get a yz 490 and don't know much about bikes.  Is looks mint in the pics, but is this a good model?  It is a little older but that is what I can afford and I like the looks of it.    Any input?


cjtarpley@msn.com

[HondaATC]

Have you ridden bikes much before? An open class 2 stroke isn't really the best thing to start out on. Heavy, hard to start, hard to tune, hard to ride without getting killed...

[Fox17]

yea, if its your first bike, a yz490 is gonna be too much bike. you dont understand the power and troque that monster has. i would recommend a wr or some kind of 4-stroke for a first bike.

[buzzardman]

thanks for the input,  ummmm I guess I should have given a bit more of my history.  I'm 34 yrs old now.  When I was a teen I lived on a dirt bike and my quad.  but not since then.  I'm also 6 ft 6 in tall and 350 lbs, so the size of the 490 didn't scare me too much.  I'm sure it can kick me right off if I don't take it easy at first but my main questions were on the reliablility of the bike and if there was any know tempermental problems or engineering issues with it.  Hard to start and hard to tune?    Is it hard to start because of the displacement, ie,, need a lot of kicking power, or is it hard to start because of inheirent problems with that model?    As far as the tuning,  I sort of figured I would take it to my local Yamaha dealer cuz I figure they would have to reset the suspension for my tubby but so while they were doing that they would tune it up.  Does this sound feasable?   

Are parts easy to get???   Are parts more expensive than other models?   Does this bike have the "wicked power band" like the 250's and 125's have? Or can I trail ride if I re sproket for it?   

thanks,
Clay

[Fox17]

ok, given your size, it might be a good bike. if you get it, be very careful. and heck yea it has a power band if its like a CR500. id say the reliability is like any 2-stroke. it will have to be rebuilt every now and then im sure. it might be hard to start cause of the displacement. the CR500s are. and the yami shop would do a great job at tuning it.


id get a XR400 if i were you.  i recently did and i love it. my dad is 6'6" and weighs 275 (i know thats a big difference) but it stands up with him on it through the first 3 gears! and never needs anything. just a thought.

[HondaATC]

thanks for the input,  ummmm I guess I should have given a bit more of my history.  I'm 34 yrs old now.  When I was a teen I lived on a dirt bike and my quad.  but not since then.  I'm also 6 ft 6 in tall and 350 lbs, so the size of the 490 didn't scare me too much.  I'm sure it can kick me right off if I don't take it easy at first but my main questions were on the reliablility of the bike and if there was any know tempermental problems or engineering issues with it.  Hard to start and hard to tune?    Is it hard to start because of the displacement, ie,, need a lot of kicking power, or is it hard to start because of inheirent problems with that model?    As far as the tuning,  I sort of figured I would take it to my local Yamaha dealer cuz I figure they would have to reset the suspension for my tubby but so while they were doing that they would tune it up.  Does this sound feasable?   

Are parts easy to get???   Are parts more expensive than other models?   Does this bike have the "wicked power band" like the 250's and 125's have? Or can I trail ride if I re sproket for it?   

thanks,
Clay

I'm not sure what year your talking about, but all of them (earlier ones, seemed worse) to have problems with detonation due to the head dome design. You need to lower the compression with a double base gasket or the better solution is to have the head redomed with a deeper dish and wider squish band to keep the fresh mixture from getting along the side of the cylinder and combusting before its suppose to. Thats the main thing with tuning, a lot of people try and screw with the carb to get them where they wont run so crappy from the detonation and end up frying the piston or making it so rich it just blubbers a long. Its hard to start from the displacement. Most 4 strokes have a decompression release and there is not any on of the open class 2 strokes. Its definitely do-able but you gotta learn the technique. Your tall enough so you wont have a problem holding the bike up while trying to crank it but thats a big deal for me and other shorter riders. The power band on a 490, hehehe is about 10x worse then a 250. Its a light switch. Stuttering and fixing to quit or screaming and fixing to lurch into the middle of a pine tree.

[Zilla_Kid]

i agree with what hondaatc said,i have a 1982 YZ490,and it is very hard to start when its cold,but it flys when shes warm

[buzzardman]

Thanks fellas,
Yeah, Ive done some other reading now on the pre detonation thing and that's what is said to do is use a double gasket.  I think this bike sounds like me a little, ( hard to get going but when you do, WOW!)  LOL  So I'm gonna get it if I can work it out with the current owner.  I figure my local Yamaha shop would already know about the pre detonation thing and be good at getting it right.  So if ya see a yz490 up at croom in a couple of weeks screaming across the field with a tall fat guy hanging on for dear life and screaming "make it stop, Make it stop",  that would be me. LOL