Hi im having some trouble deciding between two quads, the 2005 yfz450 Special Edition or 2005 the troy lee edition predator 500 i like the predator because of its suspension and i know if i get the yfz aftermarket suspension is out of the question because of the price, both quads are in the 7 k area i have been riding quads since i was 4 years old and im 15 now im a pretty expirienced rider, i do alot of dune riding and local dirt riding not really into tracks that much but i find them fun also if ne one out there has any info about the stock horsepower rating for the yfz or the tld pred plz feel free the add that. i dont know if the tld pred has more horse power than the standard one plz help me!! the guy at Chapparal Motorsports told me it had 50 horse power but it also carries alot more weight thank you


Eric

yfz

YFZ!!!!!!!! my friend knows A LOT about and bike and works on bikes for ppl. you know the trucking company called KNIGHT? well the owner has him work on his bikes and lets him take them out too lol. but anyway he went to do some normal matainence work on someone's predator like change oil and filter and that kinda of stuff. the bike is pretty much brand new. he started to change the oil and when he tried to take off the oil drain plug screw the engine CRACKED!!!!! he said a chunk of the engine around the bolt broke off!!!!!! i know i will nvr get a predator lol. he has had trouble with other predators too i just forget.


Steven

I won't go into which is better, faster, quicker.yada, yada ,yada...one of your main questions should also be which has more readily available parts closest too your riding,home, racing areas...I think you know the answer.

I would say go for the TLD500, I got mine for $5399 otd for an 04' so it was
a lot cheaper then the yfz. I would like to have a yfz also but it is really made for racing which I am not going to be doing. The 500 is a blast to ride and is more comfortable to me. I have heard a lot of people complain the yfz is not to comfy for long rides due to the thin seat. You always hear about how fast the yfz is but that is not the only reason you buy unless you want to race. For the price difference you could put extras into the 500 that would make it comparable to the yfz and still cheaper. Plus the TLD looks better IMO. My 04' catches everyone's eyes with it's black on orange color which is rare on these bikes. Basically both bikes are nice you just have to go with what you like best.

I went YFZ, and did not have much quad experience...pretty much one weekend...I may get another one for when My Kids are in town, but they may just have to pay for them, and store it with me

YFZ

Go for the Troy Lee 500.
Be the only kid on the block with something other than Yamaha or Honda.

Get the Predator. I just bought one a couple months ago for my wife (an 04 TLD for 5399 OTD from san diego house of motorcycles), and one of my best friends bought a YFZ so of course I have ridden both quite a bit. Granted, the YFZ is somewhat quicker (the yfz had been piped and jetted, but a pipe on the predator woke it up quite a bit) but the stance on the yfz totally, totally sucks, the suspension is mediocre and the seat is just plainly a piece of crap.

Here's what happens when you ride the yfz...first thing you notice is that you feel like you're about to go over the handlebars, because the stock bars are so darned low to the bike. Then, after half an hour of riding, your a$$ feels like it's being beaten with a two-by-four. I'm not kidding. So naturally, you stand up on the pegs to alleviate some of the whipping you're getting and guess what? The first time you have to stop or slow down, you're REALLY goin over the bars. Plus, there is no way to "grip" the bike with your knees because yamaha persists in making really skinny bikes. (i'm 6'2", 205). Not that there is a whole lot of grip-area on the Predator, but at least you can ride it without having to buy an aftermarket steering stem first. Also the stance on the yfz is too short ad too narrow....very tippy, just like the stock raptor.

The next-generation steering on the predator is really nice...it's one of the nicest-handling bikes i've ridden of that size.

Now, take this for what it's worth, because I ride a DS650 and that thing is so comfy you can ride for hours on end with no pain in the rear. Most people only think about which bike is the quickest or the fastest, and the DS is not the quickest for sure. BUT....ask yourself how much of your day at the dunes is spent drag racing, and how much is spent doin everything else...duning, jumping, sliding out, roosts, wheelies, etc. There's a reason why guys win the baja 1000 on comfortable bikes like the DS.

Last time I rode with my friend on his yfz, we went on what i considered to be a standard ride in the dunes...out about an hour nonstop. On the way back he damned near had tears in his eyes from the beating his bike was giving him. I offered to swap rides with him but after 20 minutes I couldn't take it anymore and had to trade back. It took us a long, long time to get back to camp, what with him putting along and me having to wait for him every mile or so.

Yeah it's great to drag race, but stopping riding every 15 minutes to give your butt a rest sucks. Especially for the people you're riding with!

I don't think that the extra couple grand for a yfz is worth it. Just my 2 cents...

good to know you and the DS still exist, cute doggie.
sorry back to topic.

Hey Harvee!

long time no talkie! i'm still sitting at the base of olds, waiting for you to push-start your raptor and beat me up the hill! hahahahaaaaa!!!

No hard feelings man...we had some good fights didn't we?

hopefully get to meet you someday...

-Elsensei

buy whichever one is cheaper...but ahh...my question is...why are you going to buy it at Chapparall??? Call Sunwest Sports...they are in Corona...thay have been dealing big time..... you can get the 500 for less then 5500 out the door...