Is yamaha really going aluminum?

[MXP1MP]

check out this link, not a good pic but you can see it's the aluminum frame yamaha has been testing with the YZ250. Pic quality isn't that good, but it looks like the cylinder and ingition are different too.

http://www.cyclenews.com/ShowStory.asp?HeadlineID=5531

 

[Sayntmatt]

mmmm not sure about the frame it looks like the normal one to me?? Agreed though the cylinder and ignition do look different! The ally frame that they used on the 250 looked fatter than that. Have Yam ever tried an ally twin spar frame like the Hondas and now the Zooks??

 

[marcusgunby]

Still looks like a 96YZ to me but im not a Yam fan.

 

[dirt bike dave]

Originally posted by Sayntmatt
Have Yam ever tried an ally twin spar frame like the Hondas and now the Zooks??

 

http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=www.eric-gorr.com/images/yzm-81.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.eric-gorr.com/twostktech/ad_2tunvd.html&h=189&w=269&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dyzm%2Bphoto%26svnum%3D10%26hl%3Den%26lr%3D%26ie%3DUTF-8%26oe%3DUTF-8%26sa%3DN

Tried to find out more about this twin spar Yamaha, but I think it was a works bike.  Looks just like a Honda.

BTW, Yamaha reportedly ran an aluminum frame on Bartolini's YZ426 a year or so ago, but it looked like the standard frame.

 

[marcusgunby]

The factory GP YZs have ran alloy frames a few times over the last few years.

 

[Sayntmatt]

Thanks for the pic Dirt Bike Dave! How old is that yam in the pic??

 

[Rider 007]

If memory serves correctly, I believe Yamaha began experimenting with aluminum frames in the GP's back in the '80's.

 

[BonChance13]

anybody remember the YZM 500 from '87?

 

[Camstyn]

That was a cool bike!!!

 

[MxKid512]

FWIW, Everts ran the works 426 with the aluminum frame the past few years. When the 450 came out, they kept the stock steel frame. Everts liked the stocker way better than his works alloy frame (to rigid)

 

[kdxmadman04]

that bike in the pic is a 2005 yz 125 and its a steel frame

 

[Sayntmatt]

My appologies MXP1MP, it seems your source was right about that yam having an ally frame.

Here is another link to it........
http://www.dirtrider.com/rmz450debut/#

 

[MXP1MP]

That's a better pic, it looks different than the one they was running on the yz250 last year there's an absense of the cast holes. But parts of it still look casted and the headtube looks like a kawie's. The motor from the right show's the new cases too, I like how the clutch pull has gone inside the case plus the pipe sure is different. I suspect it's just a test bed bike, but who knows for certain.

 

[baxterj787]

That twin spar YZ frame was a Japan only project from 1991-1992. From what I remember, the bike also had a...unique... head design that was somehow filled with nitrogen, giving the engine a variable compression ratio.

I was surprised to see how similar the 97-99 Hondas were in appearance. Too bad the Yamaha version was shelved.

The old YZMs were different animals. Water-cooled, power-valved, aluminum frame, VERY trick subframe/airbox combo, etc... Again, what could have been.

 

[whitesands26]

Yup...Yamaha is most likely going aluminum....Looks like all those proud Yamaha owners that like to blab about the steel verses aluminum issue and like to bad mouth Honda are going to get a nice helping of humble pie when they discover Yamaha was actually WAAAAYYY BEHIND in the development curve and now are playing follow the leader (Honda) just like suzuki will be doing...

Bad part for yamaha...Honda has much....MUCH more experience building aluminum framed MX bikes and it appears as though Yamaha will go through some difficult times trying to get it right....

Funny thing is the new Suzuki 4 stroke looks like a Yellow Honda...lol