Industry News

SHOCKING FOUR STROKE COSTS PART 3

YAMAHA DEALER, DALLAS TEXAS

By Rick Sieman

I called a Yamaha dealer in Dallas Texas about my son’s 450 Yamaha. I played the part of a crusty old dirt biker, which I guess I am, and tried to get some information  about what a repair bill would cost. The people in the service department were actually quite friendly and very honest.

“Yeah, I got my son a 2007 450 Yamaha motocrosser.  He rode it down the street  and it ran okay.  He got it home and took it for a ride.  After about an hour, it started out backfiring and knocking. He brought it home and I checked it out.  It was knocking in the top end and the bottom end.  I’m a decent mechanic and have an old YZ250 and I’ve been riding for 30 years or so and work on my own bikes. The guy we bought it from had about 15 hours on the 450.  I'm not a great mechanic, but I can do reasonable work.”

The service man:  “Well, the guy you got the bike off  probably had more than 20 hours on it, but actually the bike at 20 hours is probably near the end of its service.  For example, these new four strokes are pretty much temperamental bikes. Take the 2010 450. You have to put new circlips in the top after every ten hours of  racing.”

I expressed amazement at what he said:  “You mean that if you buy a $9000 bike, by the time you're out the door, and after 10 hours of riding, you just take the motor completely apart and put new circlips in?”

“Not completely apart, Sir. You just have to take the top end apart. Look, the new pistons are so thin that they are little more than ring holders. These new bikes turn such outrageous RPMs that they don't have much of a life span. Everything is light or thin. You know … titanium valves and stuff like that.”

I protested.  “Wait a minute! I bought the Yamaha because my friend bought his son a Honda it had titanium valves that scattered in this bike and he had rebuilt the entire motor because of that. Do you mean to tell me that the Yamaha also has titanium valves?”

“Yep I'm afraid so.”

I continued:   “While I realize it's impossible for you to give a price on something over the phone, but if it's a worst-case scenario and I'd have to do the top end and the bottom end, what’s it going to cost and a ball park figure would be just fine?”

 “Well, it's probably going to cost to around $2500 or so for parts and labor.  You've got 87 bucks for one intake valve and $83 but the for the other two and then you get two exhaust valves at 80 something dollars for each one.  The head alone, without the valves, is $677. Figure about a grand for a completed head, with gaskets and such.”

I continued:  “I'm a pretty fair mechanic, and if I did for myself I could save  a few bucks. I mean, if I could bore it out and put in piston rings, I might be able to save a lot of money.”

“That's going to be a little bit tough, Sir, because the barrel has a liner and can't be bored. You could put another set of rings of the standard size, but that's it. If the barrel is shot, well, you're looking at a new one and that would add some bucks for the cost to rebuild.”

“You mean to tell me that the new bikes are all like this? What if I got a 250 stroke instead of a 450 stroke? Would that be a more reliable bike?”

“No sir.  The bottom line is all these new four stroke racers are nothing but hang grenades. They make their power with crazy RPMs and light parts and pieces.  If it's a good bike you’re looking for, to play ride and have fun on a motorcycle, you’re better off getting a 2008 or 2009 YZ two stroke or KX, something like that.”                                       

Astonishing! The motorcycle industry as we know it has changed, and for the worse. You're not buying a new bike nowadays, you’re buying a fragile pile of crap. Sad but true.

This is Matt again, and as you can see, Rick found an honest bike shop in Texas that told him the truth.  The shocking truth of what it costs to race, or just ride a new Japanese four stroke motorcross machine.

This, to us at superhunky.com, goes beyond the pale of any rational thinking by the big Japanese factories. What are they trying to accomplish? The demise of the dirt motorcycle as a recreational item, soon relegated only to the well heeled, or factory backed rider?

Next in the series we'll give you, the concerned dirt rider, the costs of rebuilding a 250cc two stroke MXmachine, with a 500 thrown in just for fun.

It will be an eye opener. Please stay tuned.