Tell me everything you can about the YZ490

[Charlie_Hustle]

I currently own a 2001 YZ125. Tell me what to expect from a YZ490. Thanks in advance.:)

 

[100 c.i.]

I currently own a 2001 YZ125. Tell me what to expect from a YZ490. Thanks in advance.:)

FFast, hard to start, and will shake the heck out of you. I owned 1984, but would recommend a newer generation 250.

 

[CRazy250]

its made by yamaha and has 490 cc's.........besides that expect insanity.

 

[deathpunk]

head needs mods to help with the pinging. Impossible to jet correctly. 60 horsepower when running correctly. big, old design dating back to the early 1980s. Pre 85 bikes have a 4 speed. vibrates LAMF. Shockingly, yamaha factory racing efforts with nearly stock bikes yielded impressive results against the incredibly trick honda cr and kawi kx 500s. But chances are, your name ain't broc glover, ricky johnson, doug dubach etc.

god help you.

 

[2 strokes for life]

Air-cooled, big, well suspended (for its time), great bottem end and even better top, heavy, and lots of performance parts.

 

[oilspot]

I was restoring an 87' 490 but traded it off for a milder bike (I'm new to dirtbikes). There's an excellant group on yahoo with a load of people that know a lot about 490's and the tricks to making them run right.

 

[VintageDirt]

head needs mods to help with the pinging. Impossible to jet correctly. 60 horsepower when running correctly. big, old design dating back to the early 1980s. Pre 85 bikes have a 4 speed. vibrates LAMF. Shockingly, yamaha factory racing efforts with nearly stock bikes yielded impressive results against the incredibly trick honda cr and kawi kx 500s. But chances are, your name ain't broc glover, ricky johnson, doug dubach etc.

god help you.

:rotfl: That just about covers it. :rotfl:

 

[XRpredator]

head needs mods to help with the pinging. Impossible to jet correctly. 60 horsepower when running correctly. big, old design dating back to the early 1980s. Pre 85 bikes have a 4 speed. vibrates LAMF. Shockingly, yamaha factory racing efforts with nearly stock bikes yielded impressive results against the incredibly trick honda cr and kawi kx 500s. But chances are, your name ain't broc glover, ricky johnson, doug dubach etc.

god help you.

I was gonna use a tad bit more tact, but that's pretty spot on.

 

[cleopatrisha]

you'll regret buying an early 80's yz490

I know not to buy a yz490 made in the early 80's hard starting, vibration, impossible to keep jetted, yamahop at high speeds and less than reliable.in fact early 80's 490's was voted one of the top ten worst dirtbikes of all time by off road magazine. if you must, buy one that has a 5 speed transmission built after 1985.

 

[2strok4fun]

vehy-brey-shuhn. Enough to scare me away from other big bore 2-strokes.

as stated, head needs attention for deto concerns, also exhaust port reshape.

 

[Lorin]

Owned a 92 WR500 for 3.5 years. Points right on: mucho vibration, head mod necessary, gobs of torque and top end. I actually modified mine extensively: increased bore from 490 to 515, 39.5mm Keihin carb, fmf pipe and had noleen do some work on the cylinder porting and head. Ran great, especially in Colorado, etc.... that said, I rode a friends 250 2-stroke for a month and the decision to move up was made. The newer 250's just handle better, and the power is hard to beat as well. FWIW, I get in more trouble with the power delivery of my 03 yz250 than I did with the wr500. Much snappier, and quicker. I think your money would be better spent on one of the many 250, 2-strokes available out there today.

 

[chillrich]

I owned an 85 YZ490 and agree with all that has been said. One thing I would like to add is that I had issues with my flywheel key shearing off. This made starting even more difficult and the last time it started it went in reverse, a very strange feeling on a bike.