The pure sport ATV that revolutionized the four-wheeled off-road racing industry recently turned twenty years old! Dirt Trax was there when the original YFZ450 was launched in 2004 and we were honored to be a part of its 20th anniversary celebration.
Yamaha celebrated this milestone of its prized YFZ450R in style bringing in past and present racing champions to its impressive, state of the art Newnan, Georgia factory for a birthday party aptly suited for the undisputed King of the Pure Sport Quads.
Ever since the YFZ450 first stormed onto the sport quad scene in 2004 it has dominated not only in visibility but on ATV racing tracks, trails and podiums around the world. As with everything Yamaha does, considerable and extensive research and background planning went into the development process to create a product truly worthy of its future track and trail racing success and dominance.
In conjunction with original prototype testing at YMC Japan well before the 2004 launch, YMUSA test-pilots, along with factory racing pros and Yamaha ambassadors, Dustin Nelson and Kory Ellis, were brought in to test the higher engine-power spec, providing first-hand real-life racing experienced feedback that would ensure this iconic vehicle met and exceeded customers’ expectations.
Ultimately, the result was an ultra-light, trail-capable racing sport ATV like nothing the industry had seen to this point. Over the coming years and decades, Yamaha would make regular customer-focused tweaks and enhancements to the YFZ450R platform, making it next to impossible for any other OEM to compete with.
YFZ Podium-Proven Performance Over the Years
- 43 Overall Pro Class Championships in GNCC, ATVMX and Quadcross
- Over 280 Pro/WXC class overall wins in GNCC, ATV MX and Quadcross
- Over 240 podium sweeps in GNCC, ATV MX and Quadcross
- 12-time champ, Traci Pickens, was GNCC’s first WXC Champion on a YZZ (2005)
- 9-time Champion, Bill Ballance, was GNCC’s first XC1 Pro Champion on a YFZ (2004)
- 8-time Champion, Chad Wienen, was ATV MX’s first ATV Champion on a YFZ (2012)
The People and the Passion
DirtTrax has worked with several of Yamaha’s ATV and SxS front end staff, such as Steve Nessl, Patrick Biolsi and Travis Hollins for the better part of 25 years and their passion for the Yamaha brand and products still remains as strong, if not stronger, than ever before.
As we toured the massive 1,350,000 square foot YMMC manufacturing facility where nearly 4.5 million Yamaha ATVs, SxS vehicles, Golf Cars and PWCs have been made over the years, we got the opportunity to see first-hand that the passion amongst Yamaha employees runs deep on the factory front lines as well.
During a mid-day autograph session with Yamaha past and present racing champions, YMMC factory workers were invited to meet the racers and collect autographs on a commemorative poster and the line went on for over two hours.
We learned that of the 2,400+ employees at the YMMC manufacturing facility, more than 500 of them have been Yamaha employees for over 10 years further emphasizing the passion Yamaha has been able to create from the ground up. When a company is able to inspire a culture of real passion, dedication and care, the end result delivered to the consumer will almost always be superior.
Congratulations Yamaha on twenty successful years of the YFZ450. Here’s to the next 20 years of racing podium dominance.
