mxwizard said:
I had an 01 for a year and i did not have any problems with it nor has my friend who still has his 01. I might be different as far as the linkage goes for us in that we tracks and desert here in So Cal. I have heard some of the same things about suzuki and kawasaki as not being built to the quality of honda and yamaha.
I have to admit that when I dune ride, the bearings are fine--the dry dirt and sand dont usually find their way past the rubber grease seal. But I live in WA and it rains up here a
lot. I have less fun trailriding because I am always thinking....oh, have to pop a wheelie over that puddle, or I have to go around that puddle.
When I talked to Eric Gorr this morning about the crankshaft on my Zuki RM (
http://www.eric-gorr.com ), he told me that the Suzukis' have a better bottom end. And he stated that the Yamahas' are crap in comparison. So unfortunately that kind of contradicts what I said before about the Yammis being better in my opinion.
I think I would still go with a Yammi just because of availability of parts. Everyone carries neat stuff for Yammis.
If you want a truly informative answer, ask us riders which bikes handle the best, then call up some bike shops and ask them what bikes are easiest to maintain. You might even E-Mail Eric Gorr--he
does have extensive knowlege in this area.