[jayinwww]

I know their are many threads with this same topic out there. I have looked on the yamaha forums and they all bash the ds450. And on these forums they like the ds450. On neutral forums I see people mixed on what they actually like better.

What i have gathered so far from other users...

ds450 Issues - motors blowing up, clutch issues, ds450 are not number 1 in pro racing like the yfz is. The yfz has much more speed in 3rd gear. Does not perform well in the sand dunes.

yfz450 Issues - Always have to rebuild the engine ? Doesn't sound as mean as the ds450. This quad doesn't come with many of the upgrades the mx has.

As far as handling I hear a mix of yfz shocks are no way as good as the ds's making the yfz a ruff ride and not so easy on the back of the rider. Yet the ds 450 is higher off the ground making it more likely to flip over, this in return the yfz guys think the yfz handles better as the price of your back hurting after the ride.

Myself I ride mostly on the weekends. I don't ride too hard but I like to hammer on the throttle now and then. I decided to sell the can-am outlander I have (which is hard for me to do LOL) and get a racing quad because I realized I like speed more than mudding.

It just seems the yfz is more reliable or, people are just die hard yamaha fans. Parts are expensive for can-am in canada yet yfz parts are not. Another thing that sucks is no can-am store in my area has any ds's in stores yet the yamaha stores do. So i have to order it and wait a few weeks for it to come in. This worries me as maybe the ds parts in future may not likely be available?

As far as my can-am outlander i am selling, this quad was totally awesome. All the other quads I would ride with would be in awe as the sound of the can am was so killer ha. I also have a suzuki and I have had more issues with the suzuki over the can-am. But this is the outlander xt not the ds.

Another thing I noticed which I thought was humorous was whenever someone bashed the ds it showed they had never owned one in their quad sig history, and vise versa for anyone bashing the yfz and never owning one. Is thier anyone here who have had owned both?

What you guys think?

 

[Logan_999]

I don't know where you got ds motors blow up a lot from because if you keep it maintained you shouldn't have any problems with it but every quad does have a life to them and a point where you are going to have to fix things. Also just because the ds isn't the quad the champion in the pro class runs doesn't mean it's not a good bike... Go look at NEATV points and see what the top guys are running. The bike doesn't make the rider, put any of those guys on any bike and they will be going just as fast.

 

[cccutter]

I've owned 2 canams since 2009. not one engine failure. and they aren't stock motors either. ones a full rossier build and other is full motoworks build. key to this is PM. I change the oil after EVERY race or ride. any quad, you take care of her, she'll take care of you. only the early 09 and all 08 had clutch problems. ds was on top when chad wienen was on canam. now he's on the yfzr so now yamaha was number 1 last year. whats this tell you? its not the quad fully its the rider. the ds is comfortable. if you want popularity go with the yamaha. if you want a nice ride, go with canam. I've owned them all before.

 

[jayinwww]

I've owned 2 canams since 2009. not one engine failure. and they aren't stock motors either. ones a full rossier build and other is full motoworks build. key to this is PM. I change the oil after EVERY race or ride. any quad, you take care of her, she'll take care of you. only the early 09 and all 08 had clutch problems. ds was on top when chad wienen was on canam. now he's on the yfzr so now yamaha was number 1 last year. whats this tell you? its not the quad fully its the rider. the ds is comfortable. if you want popularity go with the yamaha. if you want a nice ride, go with canam. I've owned them all before.

I thought the engine in the ds-450's was a rotax?

 

[cccutter]

It is? Doesn't mean they blow up?

 

[54warrior]

I thought the engine in the ds-450's was a rotax?

Rotax motors that he had hopped up by Motoworx and Rossier.

People don't like Can-Am's because they are new/different. The 08/09 models had some issues, which were fixed. Unfortunately this gave them a bad reputation which has lingered. I found mine to be very reliable and had no complaints during my time of ownership. Maintenance was easy and the fit/finish and quality of the machine is as good as, or better than, "the big four".

The other factor is look at what all you get. You can buy a decked out race ready (MX or XC) for only a tad more than what a Honda or Yamaha will cost. Then you gotta dump another few thousand into those machines.

Buying a Can-Am instead of one of the other brands is a no-brainer if you ask me.

Sent from my Droid RAZR M using Forum Runner

 

[Rotor515]

Owned and raced 5 Yamaha s, both YFZ and YFZ450R. Same with 3 DS450s. Honestly the only difference in the new Yamaha and the DS is the DS handles much better, comes stock with more horse power (neither one has the bottom end of the old YFZ or the TRX450R) but the Yamaha is a little easier to get 55+ hp out of if your racing Nationals.
The only major engine problem I had with a DS is from an after market piston. It was a 13.6:1 piston and my son ran it hard for 27.9 hrs on that piston and the piston broke at the wrist pin.
Unless you weight more that 220lbs, the stock DS shocks are much more comfortable than the YFZ. We tried new Race Tech springs on the stock YFZ450R shocks and they still didn't match the stock DS shocks.
Wienen would have won last year regardless of which brand he was on, I'm not a Wienen fan but he is the fastest guy on a MX track for the last couple years.

Bottom line, both are good quads. If you get a DS make sure it is a 2010 or newer and if you get a YFZ I would recommend the fuel injected over the older one unless you like tinkering and turning wrenches.

 

[bad moose]

As far as duning, I have had no problem with my ds in the dunes. Several guys on here also dune, with no problems. I have only owned a DS but ride with a friend that runs a Yamaha. They are about the same, his does have mx gearing and a high comp piston. But I have no problems keeping up with him or passing him except on the top end where gearing takes over.

 

[Shoreracing]

Get a Canam. They are the only company that supports amatures at nationals.

 

[jayinwww]

Ok I have decided to get a Can-Am, I guess I just needed a bit more reassurance. Cheers!

 

[bad moose]

You'll like your decision. Just remember look for a '10 and up. It'll eliminate some of your worries.

 

[Jake881]

i have owned yamahas my whole life all makes models of sport quads, no doubt they perform and are good quads. my 450 ran for ever with good maintenance. Last year i switched to can am because i was tired of seeing every tom dick and harry on yamahas because they are "so fast", bar none best move EVER!!! i love my can am ride power handling its all bettter then yfzr imo. fuel milage not so much but its still close(who cares about that unless your long tripping it) i do like the can am power with gearing changed.

 

[canamdan]

Yamaha anything is more reliable than canam anything. I ride both and there is no comparison on reliability. The canams are quicker, but the tradeoff is parts breaking and/or wearing out much more often!!!!! My ds450 is at the dealer right now with a cracked block. $3800 to replace the engine cases and freshen the motor. Thank GOD I purchased the extended warranty!!!!

 

[Logan_999]

Yamaha anything is more reliable than canam anything. I ride both and there is no comparison on reliability. The canams are quicker, but the tradeoff is parts breaking and/or wearing out much more often!!!!! My ds450 is at the dealer right now with a cracked block. $3800 to replace the engine cases and freshen the motor. Thank GOD I purchased the extended warranty!!!!

Why would you ever pay $3800 to replace the cases and freshen the motor when you could get another motor for a lot less then that? I'd have to disagree with the reliability issues. I own two 2011 ds's and a 2013 and have been riding canam for close to two years now and haven't had any reliability issues other then burning out the clutch on one of my 2011's which was recent so almost two years of riding without any manufacturing problems coming about is pretty good to me...

 

[mike_h]

Yamaha anything is more reliable than canam anything. I ride both and there is no comparison on reliability. The canams are quicker, but the tradeoff is parts breaking and/or wearing out much more often!!!!! My ds450 is at the dealer right now with a cracked block. $3800 to replace the engine cases and freshen the motor. Thank GOD I purchased the extended warranty!!!!

Complete parts are approx. $1200! Man your mechanic must have a high labor rate!
I have an 08 and since I've corrected the few first year flaws I've had no real problems. If I would have done all known fixes before they became a problem I would have had no breakdowns to speak of.
No one can name any first year atv that hasn't had its issues.

 

[woodleymjamie]

Rotax motors that he had hopped up by Motoworx and Rossier.

People don't like Can-Am's because they are new/different. The 08/09 models had some issues, which were fixed. Unfortunately this gave them a bad reputation which has lingered. I found mine to be very reliable and had no complaints during my time of ownership. Maintenance was easy and the fit/finish and quality of the machine is as good as, or better than, "the big four".

The other factor is look at what all you get. You can buy a decked out race ready (MX or XC) for only a tad more than what a Honda or Yamaha will cost. Then you gotta dump another few thousand into those machines.

Buying a Can-Am instead of one of the other brands is a no-brainer if you ask me.

Sent from my Droid RAZR M using Forum Runner

How about the Honda 250r??? It dominated the podium when it 1st come out took what 13yrs for the othebrands to come out with something to run with it. I'm more partial to Kawasaki a i had a 04 400

Rotax motors that he had hopped up by Motoworx and Rossier.

People don't like Can-Am's because they are new/different. The 08/09 models had some issues, which were fixed. Unfortunately this gave them a bad reputation which has lingered. I found mine to be very reliable and had no complaints during my time of ownership. Maintenance was easy and the fit/finish and quality of the machine is as good as, or better than, "the big four".

The other factor is look at what all you get. You can buy a decked out race ready (MX or XC) for only a tad more than what a Honda or Yamaha will cost. Then you gotta dump another few thousand into those machines.

Buying a Can-Am instead of one of the other brands is a no-brainer if you ask me.

Sent from my Droid RAZR M using Forum Runner
[/QUOTE
Honda 250R took everybody what 13yrs to come up with a solution for it dominating the podiums but I'm more partial to Kawasaki i have a 04 kfx 400 after i bought a 440 big bore kit for $135 with a 12.5:1 high compression piston my friends 06 Bill Balanced edition yfz450r would only get me by ½ a bike drag racing but couldn't get close to me on the track or trail i bet every brand 450r there is except the Can am. Never had the chance to ride with a can am. I'm thinking about buying one cause a guy i know has an 08 ds450 that's not running he said it has an ignition problem