About The Yamaha ATV...

It is a vehicle which can be used on snow, mud, and assorted slippery conditions which a two-wheeler couldn't be used. It also provides more maneuverability than other configurations.

Do you want to "meet" one of the most popular and reliable manufacturers in the world producing ATVs?

Let's start with a few facts about their history and products. First of all, all of you know that Yamaha produces not only Yamaha ATVs, but also one of the best motorcycles, snowmobiles and other vehicles in the world.

The history of Yamaha began in the 1955. The engineers from Yamaha put on market their first motorized product- YA-1 Motorcycle. It was produced and sold in Japan. The Yamaha ATV history began much later- not until 1984. Are you curious what the first Yamaha ATV was? In fact it was the first ATV that was sold in the United States. Its name was the Tri-Moto.

When it was put on market it quickly became very popular. As you may suggest it wasn't as reliable or good- looking as the current Yamaha ATV. It featured a 123cc two-stroke engine, Autolube oil injection system, CDI ignition, a snorkel air intake and a five speed transmission.

Although it was a bit unaccomplished, it was quite decent for its time. You see, since then Yamaha ATVs are even better and they are raising to a higher level with every new Yamaha ATV. After the great success of the Tri-Moto, the engineers from Yamaha produced their next model- the Tri-Moto 225DX.

Do you know that this particular model was the first ATV to feature shaft drive and an electric start in the world? Both these features proved instantly popular in the marketplace. This 4-stroke model also featured Monoshock rear suspension and telescoping front forks.

Next comes the Yamaha ATV called the 59cc Tri-Zinger. In fact it was the first Youth ATV that Yamaha put on market. It featured shaft drive, fully automatic transmission, adjustable speed limiters and a tethered emergency stop switch. One really good thing in this Yamaha ATV was that parents could easily control the unit or adjust the engine. Thus the rider could safely learn how to drive.

Now you will read a few things about the first 4 wheel Yamaha ATV was the Moto-4. It had a 196cc 4-stroke engine. You can see that the volume of the engine was increasing. And this tendency won't stop here. Have a look at the next model Yamaha ATV. Tri-Z 250. It is said to be the first high performance Yamaha ATV. It featured YZ-based, liquid-cooled, 250cc 2-stroke engine.

The Tri-Z 250 also possessed front and rear hydraulic disc brakes, air-assist front forks, Monoshock rear suspension and a low center of gravity thanks to the under-seat fuel tank. Sounds impressive, doesn't it? But it was only the beginning. We are still quite far from the real beauty and charm of Yamaha. The "beasts" haven't come yet. Be patient!

The next Yamaha ATV model that will be looked at is the Warrior. Its putting on market was absolute success for Yamaha! It was the first electric start sport ATV ever made. The statistics showed that it was the world's all-time best selling Sport ATV! It had a few new features like 350cc 4-stroke engine, 6-speed transmission with reverse, adjustable long-travel suspension and hydraulic disc brakes on the front and rear.

Are you convinced now that over the years Yamaha ATV has raised their level in the performance? Are you interested to know which the first ATV that has a cargo bed? This was the Pro Hauler. It also featured a 230cc 4-stroke engine, locking rear differential, sealed drum brakes, reverse gear and an optional thermo switch-controlled electric cooling fan. It was well known that the "Turf" model had turf-tread tires and a Lo Range only transmission for commercial applications, while the standard Pro Hauler model featured a Hi-Lo Range 10-speed transmission and all-terrain tires.

The Grizzly 600 Yamaha ATV: It brought a new standard of performance, comfort, and ease of use to the Utility ATV market. It was also very popular because of something different. It featured a high torque 595cc engine, which was the largest engine ever placed in a utility ATV, at the time! And we don't stop here! Yamaha impressed everyone in the ATV world with the revolutionary Ultramatic transmission! Among the "firsts" on the Grizzly 600 were also automatic engine compression braking and push button On Command 2WD/4WD selection. So, you can easily conclude that it was the best ATV for that time!

And the next version of the famous Grizzly 600- Grizzly 660 was put on the market in 2002. It combined all the great features of the previous Yamaha ATVs, and of course there were many others that were added- features like liquid-cooling and the first Yamaha Independent Rear Suspension system. The 2002 Grizzly 660 also raised the bar for Utility 4x4 ATV performance and convenience by sporting the first Push Button Front Differential Lock feature.

So, you have finally reached the end of this article. Hopefully it helped you to convince yourself that Yamaha are in a class of their own. There are many Yamaha ATVs with excellent performance and perfect appearance on the market. And they deserve our compliments to them!

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Or, read about Polaris ATV, and Honda ATV.