New Yamaha

[giantjoe]

And his avatar... Maybe you should be timberScott?

[thirtyseven]

Right on, but I meant one of us local tree bumper log smackers, not someone with mad skillz.

It's a very good bike I MO.

[primerib72]

Congrats Howard! Welcome back to the blue bike club.....we have missed you!

There was a bit of hype that a yz300e smoker was coming in 2016 but alas it was just a rumor. Looked promising to say the least...an e-start full enduro yz300 2-stroke would be cool.

http://www.motoraid.com.br/motoraid/not ... yz300e-ser" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[malcolmzilla]

Oh so I should just take your word that it is then?

[axel99]

Look out KTM, this bikes suspension is quite good stock for single track riding and ergos are way better than KTM for us taller guys. The clutch and engine is like nothing I have ridden before it just pulls everywhere. I don't know what they have done to the clutch but the cable pulls better than my KTM and has real nice feel. Super fun ride

[Hendrix13]

Look out KTM, this bikes suspension is quite good stock for single track riding and ergos are way better than KTM for us taller guys. The clutch and engine is like nothing I have ridden before it just pulls everywhere. I don't know what they have done to the clutch but the cable pulls better than my KTM and has real nice feel. Super fun ride

Agreed, this bike rides awesome

[thirtyseven]

Oh so I should just take your word that it is then?

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Nope. First rule of off road riding.... NEVER LISTEN TO 37!

[malcolmzilla]

Log bumper, tree smacker, 45 minute break in report:

It's a pretty good bike!

E start / efi works great.
Snorty low to mid, more that the 250 XCW imo, surprising for a 250. Tractable, grab your handful...

Turns in really quick, 2 stroke like.
Stability at speed - hard to tell in snow...

Trans ratios seem great, stump pulling 1st for those "walking" situations. Scared myself by top of 4th in the snow....
Clutch not too heavy for a cable - clutch wheelies will be req'd.

Factory "euro mx" can, not too loud, but no spark arrestor evidently.

Tall bike - dropped in the big boy springs, fork oil level -15cc for break in, and set sag at 110mm to start, but seems relatively woods compliant for being new and untuned...

Appears all the WR harness drops are there (for tail light and (AC) headlight), looks easy to get at valves thru frame. Decent real estate to get at things. KTM style oil sump screen.

[thirtyseven]

After about 10 hrs on the bike the suspension settles in nicely, it doesn't sit nearly as tall now and doesn't feel like I'm riding a skyscraper through the trees. The power is stunningly good down low and linear up through the rpms. Revs faster than a XC 350 but is "thinner" the 350 has more everywhere.
Other surprises: suspension excellent, the stock 14 XC 250 rear is a little nicer out of rooty corners though.
Handeling: awesome, a lot of fun to turn this thing. Excellent standing, sitting both my XCs were better, I can't seem to get forward enough while sitting on the blue bike, when I do its great.
Clutch: for a cable it's really easy, no fatigue on the fingers and very smooth controlled engagement.
slow technical: I thought it would suck at this... it doesn't.

Disappointments: front brake, while it's very smooth and progressive, it just takes more effort than ktms.
It has valves.

things to get used too.... linear power and no 13 mm bolts/nuts etc.

[primerib72]

Disappointments: front brake, while it's very smooth and progressive, it just takes more effort than ktms.

Found that to be the same case for all my yammies. My issues were the steep twisty down hills were the front had a tendency to lock-up because you had apply a lot of pressure for more stopping power. After a separated shoulder and concussion I wised up and did an upgrade.....ss braided line and a Honda CRF master cylinder. Made a world of difference.

[twotired]

Disappointments: front brake, while it's very smooth and progressive, it just takes more effort than ktms.

You should have bedded them in, makes a big difference.

[thirtyseven]

Disappointments: front brake, while it's very smooth and progressive, it just takes more effort than ktms.

You should have bedded them in, makes a big difference.

Where were you when I needed you???

[twotired]

Where were you when I needed you???

Lifting weights in the basement.

[malcolmzilla]

Brakes just hold you back...

From EBC:

"Fitting New Disc Pads With New Brake Discs/Rotors

Although the brake disc/rotor surface will be perfectly flat when using a new rotor, it is still extremely important to “condition” the brake discs and match them up to your pads by driving gently for 200-300 miles . After this period, perform the heat bedding of organic pads as above in blue text.

Always remember not to contaminate your brake pads with any fluids or greases (even brake fluid) during the install process.

If you experience any vibration or serious loss of brake during this process, contact a professional motorcycle dealer for assistance .

Once your pads are 90% surface area bedded, on a safe road , use the brakes 10 times in succession stopping your motorcycle from 60mph to 20mph to get the brakes deliberately hot. This is particularly important with the organic versions (Kevlar® types, carbon based pad types and semi-metallic pad types). After this process, the pads should settle down and normal riding and brake performance can be safely achieved. "

[twotired]

I applied the following info from CRFstuff.com to my Husky last year and the brakes work so good on that bike, hoping for the same results on the Yamaha;

“Bedding in” or Burnishing Brake power is generated by the friction material on the pads transferring and bonding to the surface of the rotor. In order for this to occur, the friction material must first be transferred onto the surface of the rotor. This generally happens during the first 10 – 20 stops of a brake system and is referred to as “burnishing” the rotor and pads. When a rotor is cleaned, it will need to be re-burnished again.


To get maximum trouble free and fade free performance from your new brake pads or new pads and rotors it’s necessary to break them in properly. This process is often called “bedding in” or burnishing, which is the process of gradually warming up your brakes through repeated brake applications to transfer pad material to the rotor for a nice smooth working surface.

Please note that the average week end play rider may never apply enough loading to the brakes to experience fading due to improper bedding in. But if you do ride aggressively and want the most out of your brakes, it’s well worth the 15-20 minutes it takes to properly bed them in.

Most modern full size off road bikes come equipped with good quality sintered metal pads, which require bedding in for maximum safe performance. Smaller play bikes may have organic pads, which bed in pretty quickly just from normal riding, but usually aren’t found on larger off road bikes as they are not up to the task of repeatedly stopping a 400 lb dirt bike and rider at high speeds.

Why You Need to Bed in Your Brakes….. The reason for bedding in your brakes is 2 fold. First is to create a nice smooth working surface between the pads and rotors. Granted, they may appear to be smooth right out of the box, but when viewed under magnification, the pad and rotor surfaces are actually quite rough, resembling a series of hills and valleys. When mated together new, only the tops of the hills touch! So the first part of the bedding in process is to smooth those surfaces out. This occurs through the first 5-10 medium force brake applications described in further detail below. Brake pad material is transferred to the rotor surface and fills the valleys in the rotor dramatically increasing the contact area.

The Bedding in Process The basic process of bedding in pads and rotors is to accelerate your bike up to 40-50 mph (about half throttle in 4th or 5th gear) and bring the bike down to about 5 mph by applying the brakes at about 60-80% stopping power. Cruise back to your starting point to allow some cool down time between braking runs. Do this about 10-15 times and gradually work your way up to applying maximum braking force without locking up the tires or coming to a complete stop.

It’s important that you do not bring the bike to a complete stop using the brakes during the bedding in process. If the bike comes to a complete stop with extremely hot brakes, it’s possible to transfer a large amount of pad material to the rotor in a small spot, resulting in uneven transfer thickness on the rotor. This can lead to pulsing and inconsistent brake performance due to the changes in friction coefficient. (if this happens, you’ll be able ot see a dark discoloration in the shape of the brake pad on the rotor) Left unchecked, hot spots can develop that will permanently damage the rotor. If you catch it early, you may be able to remove the excess pad material by dressing the rotor with medium grit sandpaper (800-1000 grit) followed by a thorough application of Bra-Kleen. Keep in mind that the proper amount of pad material that is transferred to the rotor is very small, approximately .002-.004” and you can’t really see it, other than a slight grayish discoloration. What’s important is that the discoloration is consistent on the rotor surface.

Do it Right, Do it Once! Read through the information above to make sure you understand the bedding in process and then make plans to properly bed in your brakes. Plan to spend about 15 to 20 minutes and make sure you have a safe place to do it. You’ll need a large area where you can safely and repeatedly accelerate up to 40-50 mph and then stop quickly. Make sure you have plenty of run out room in case you induce severe brake fade or boil the brake fluid and lose your brakes. That shouldn’t happen if you follow our instructions, but you should still be prepared for it just in case.