Product Review: Tail Light Block-Off

HMF Tail Light Eliminator for YFZ450R

MSRP: $59.95

WHAT IS IT? HMF's Tail Light Eliminator for the YFZ450R allows you to remove your stock rear tail light and still protect the vital electronic components tucked behind it. When removed, the stock tail light leaves a gaping hole in the stock rear plastic guard designed to protect the battery and wiring harness. HMF's Tail Light Eliminator replaces the stock black plastic guard and completely surrounds the electronics to protect them from roost and rocks.

HITS: The Tail Light Eliminator is made of T6061 aluminum, so its extremely durable. The opening where the wiring harness exits the eliminator is lined with rubber to protect the harness from rubbing or being cut by the aluminum. It features full coverage to help keep mud and water out of the electronics in addition to rocks and dirt. The eliminator mounts quickly and easily, and HMF provides the mounting hardware.

MISSES: The only issue we can think of is the fact this guard is made of aluminum, so it does add a minimal amount of weight to the rear end and out at the end of a poorly supported sub frame on the YFZR. There are some carbon-fiber models out on the market, but they don't look as good as the HMF block-off in our opinion.

THE VERDICT: Every woods racer should have one of these to protect their vital electronic components from the nasty debris on cross-country tracks. The eliminator is a bonus for motocross racers to protect from your own roost and rocks and looks much better than the stock plastic guard. All it takes is just one rock or deep mud hole to ruin your day. Regardless of where you ride, if you're planning to remove your stock YFZR tail light, then you should buy this eliminator.

RATING: 1..2..3..4..5..6..7..8..9..10

Contact: www.hmfracing.com

Product Review: Chassis Skid Plate

B-Tek SKIDEZ Chassis Skid Plate

MSRP: $169.95

WHAT IS IT? B-Tek's aluminum, single-bolt ATV chassis skid plate system mounts with brackets that slide into the lower frame rails and hook the skid plate in place. Tested on the YFZ450R, a rubber spacer and a single bolt mount in the access port in the lower frame rail for the bottom steering stem nut. Included is an allen wrench for the mounting bolt.

HITS: The single-bolt system works flawlessly in that our test model has never come loose in a year of testing on rough motocross tracks. It's a much faster mounting system than other chassis skid plates, which typically use the 4 to 6 mounting bolts used for the stock plastic skid plate. The skid is cushioned where it meets the frame rails with half-inch adhesive neoprene padding. And the single-bolt system fits so well that you never have to worry about losing a corner mounting bolt and having a floppy skid plate.

MISSES: Occasionally the single-bolt rubber mounting system can be difficult to line up and can take a few minutes to actually secure the skid plate. It's easiest to mount the skid with the quad standing on its rear grab bar. You do have to remove the skid plate for oil changes on the YFZR.

THE VERDICT: The single-bolt SKIDEZ (Skid-ease) is an extremely well designed, solid part. It's held up well to bottoming on rocky, rutted motocross tracks, and the single-bolt system has never come loose on us. This is the future of ATV skid plates. It's available for the YFZ, YFZR, TRX, LTR and KTM 450 sport models.

RATING: 1..2..3..4..5..6..7..8..9..10

Contact www.btekperformance.com/

ATV Four Play Soft Bars

New Soft Bars fit stock Yamaha, KTM steering stems

The ATV-specific Generation II Soft Bars from ATV Four Play are now available for direct bolt-on to the stock Yamaha YFZ450R, YFZ450X and KTM XC and SX model steering stems.

These model-specific Soft Bars match factory specifications and bolt directly onto the stock Yamaha and KTM steering stems without the need for additional hardware or modifications. Previously, ATV Four Play’s Soft Bars were designed to complement their anti-vibe steering stems and work in conjunction with most other aftermarket stems.

ATV Four Play designed the impact-absorbing Soft Bars in 2007 to help reduce the harsh hits dealt to a rider’s upper body throughout the course of a race.

Expanding the Soft Bar line to work with stock Yamaha and KTM steering stems gives riders an affordable way to reduce fatigue – and lap times – without the expense of an aftermarket anti-vibe stem. The Soft Bars’ Progressive Dampening System and its cone-shaped, vertical urethane bushing provide superior vibration reduction compared to other handlebar assemblies.          

ATV Four Play re-designed the mounting system to further reduce vibrations for ATV use. By avoiding the use of handlebar clamps, the Soft Bars eliminate the associated metal clamping joints, which can amplify otherwise subtle vibrations emanating from today’s sport quads. However, adapters are available for riders whose steering stems utilize the traditional motorcycle-style handlebar clamp system. And the Soft Bars also work with a wide range of aftermarket steering stems.

Color options are now available in black, orange and red anodized components. All aspects of the Generation II Soft Bars are rebuildable. Constructed of T-3 2024 aluminum tubing, the light weight Soft Bars include all hardened and zinc-plated hardware with attached grease zircs and foam bar pad.

The overall bar length is 31.5 inches with 10.5 inches of usable handlebar space in a 7/8-inch diameter bar. The Soft Bars weigh in at a mere 4.5 pounds and are available in the popular 12-degree bend, which is similar to the original Honda CR high bend. Retail price for the Soft Bars is $325.

To purchase a set of Soft Bars call 330-289-1423. See more of ATV Four Play’s products online at ATVFourPlay.com

Race Safer Pro nerfs - redux

New for 2010: TPR Race Safer Pro nerf bars

This off season, Tarantula Performance Racing finished designs for the new Race Safer Pro nerf bar and heel guard combination for release at the start of the 2010 season.

TPR set out to create a more secure platform for ATV racers. For 20 years, nearly every ATV nerf bar manufacturer has accepted the industry standard flat nerf bar design. TPR's new Race Safer Pro nerfs drastically improve rider safety with some simple and effective changes to the standard nerf bar design.

THE BAR

The Race Safer Pro nerf bars feature five specially designed outer bar bends. The front of the nerf bars mount between the a-arms and engine mounts, where the bar extends outward on each side away from the quad before two slight bends direct the bar towards the rear of the ATV. The bends near the front mount tuck the nerf bar close to the front wheel – minimizing the chance of another ATV’s wheel becoming stuck and causing a crash – without impacting turning radius or suspension travel.

The third, and most important, bend changes the angle at which the outer bar runs parallel to the lower frame rail. The Pocket Bar bend change in degree pitches the outer bar up towards the rider. The Pocket Bar bend protects the rider from the wheels of a competitor by reducing the possibility of another ATV wheel reaching the rider’s lower extremities. The Pocket Bar bend drastically improves upon the industry standard flat nerf bar design.

The fourth and fifth bends shape the heel guard. These bends simplify the design to help save weight, but they also allow for a strong, durable mounting system. The aluminum nerf bar tubing slides into the foot pegs, which are constructed of T-6061 aluminum. The nerfs then mount to the stock rear fender bracket or frame depending upon the model.

THE PEG

Foot peg teeth on the TPR Race Safer Pro nerfs are angled five degrees in toward the quad. The angled teeth work in conjunction with a rider’s natural standing position to prevent the rider’s boot from sliding unintentionally towards the edge of the extended peg. The pitch of the pegs increases as they extend away from the frame to offer the rider a solid, secure platform. For Yamaha’s new YFZ450R and YFZ450X, the Race Safer Pro foot pegs are one inch lower than stock.

All mounting points on the TPR Race Safer Pro nerf bars align precisely and eliminate the often frustrating extra steps required when installing other nerf bars. The nerfs utilize factory hardware for installation, but the additional hardware required for some ATV models is included.

THE NET

Nylon netting on the Race Safer Pro nerfs is stitched and riveted for added strength. The front netting wraps around the lower frame rail, and the heel guard netting threads through a mount included with the nerfs. TPR’s netting fixtures also differ from most other designs and were developed so the netting tightens at each mounting point when pressure is applied.

Color-matching foot pegs are available in three color options. The pegs and nerfs are available in textured black, blue and red and also are available in a standard polished aluminum finish.

To order a set of Race Safer Pro nerf bars, contact Tarantula Performance Racing at 330-273-1123.

YFZR - First-year Champion

YFZ450R takes Quadcross title in its first production year

Yamaha posted this short video on YouTube about Dustin Nelson claiming the Quadcross title last season on the YFZ450R in its first year of production. That says a lot about a machine's performance, reliability and potential when the defending champ can go out on a brand new quad and still take the title. Check it out.

The 2010 Quadcross season kicks off March 14 at Glen Helen Raceway in California. Will Nelson repeat?

Update - TPR project YFZ450R

Here's a quick update: We conducted the studio photo shoot for the TPR project YFZ450R Saturday and then hit the track for a quick photo session for some action shots.

We're in the process of lining up our model for the ATV Scene Girl photo shoot, and we're getting ready to conduct the video ride review with ATVOnDemand.com.

Look for a final announcement on the TPR project YFZ450R quad build by Tarantula Performance Racing in the next couple of weeks.

Soft bars by ATV Four Play

We're using a lot of brand-new products on the TPR project YFZ450R motocross build, including a set of Soft Bars from ATV Four Play.

A set of ATV Four Play's Generation II Soft Bars adorns the TPR project YFZ450R.

ATV Four Play has helped win countless championships with their a-arms. They clearly know how ATV suspension should work. So it made perfect sense to complement the MGC MX long-travel a-arms we're using with a set of their new Soft Bars. The bars were introduced last year to help cushion the hard impacts motocross riding can deal to a racer's upper body.

The bars work much like your typical quad shock. An allen-head bolt can be tightened or loosened to stiffen or soften the bar travel on each side. The bushings used are a cone-shaped polyurethane. The Progressive Dampening System ensures the resistance increases the more you tighten the allen head and as the bar moves through its travel - just like an ATV shock.

The Soft Bars are designed to mount directly to an aftermarket steering stem. In addition, ATV Four Play offers two more bar sets with differing mount positions in order to fit the stock Yamaha YFZ450R stem and the stock KTM stem.

The view from overhead shows the 12-degree bar sweep, which feels very comfortable and is similar to the CR high bend bar.

The Soft Bars are made of T-3 2024 aluminum tubing and billet T-6 6061 aluminum. The pivot areas are sealed, but one great aspect of the bars is they feature grease zircs to maintain the life of the pivot bushing. The bars retail for $295.

ATV Four Play's Generation II Soft Bars - quad engineering at its best!

We haven't ridden the TPR project YFZ450R on a motocross track yet to provide a review of the bars, but we'll be getting ready to conduct our test video with ATVOnDemand.com hopefully in the next few weeks. And ATV.com will be running a series of stories on the project quad, including a complete ride review, this fall.

Our next post will feature the Tarantula Performance Racing MX-Series front bumper and a set of TPR's new Race Safer nerf bar and heel guard combo. Stay tuned...

Twin-Air maintenance kit

Twin-Air sponsored the TPR project YFZ450R with their Pro Flow filter mount kit and one of their dual-stage foam filters. It's always a good idea to have a back-up filter, so we bought a second filter from Twin-Air along with their filter maintenance kit.

Twin-Air's filter maintenance kit includes contact cleaner and dirt remover along with their filter treatment. They even throw in gloves and two tubs to stay clean while getting the job done!

Air filter maintenance can be a messy pain in the butt, yet keeping a clean air filter is one of the most important elements of riding when it comes to performance and engine longevity. Twin-Air understands both of these facts well, and their filter maintenance kit achieves both.

The kit includes contact cleaner and granular dirt remover. The kit comes with disposable plastic gloves to keep your hands clear of the corrosive elements in the cleaners and the super sticky filter oil. Plus the kit comes with two tubs; a "dirt remover" tub for cleaning dirty filters and an "oiling" tub for applying oil to a clean filter.

We haven't ridden the quad yet, so we haven't gotten the chance to get our filters dirty. But we'll run down the oiling process real quick.

Step one: Fill the oiling tub with Twin-Air's filter oil.

Steps two and three: Remove your new/clean filter from its storage bag and set it in the oiling tub.

Step four: Immerse the filter completely into the filter oil.

Step five: Make sure the filter has an even coating of filter oil. You may have to rotate the filter in the oil or turn it upside down.

After squeezing, not wringing, the excess oil out of the filter, cover the filter and let it dry for about two hours. Then you're ready to install and ride!

Repeat setps one through five for your spare filter. Squeeze the excess oil out and put the spare filter back into the storage bag it shipped in and keep it in a cool place out of direct sunlight. Now you'll have a spare filter you can throw on after a moto or a particularly muddy or dusty day of riding.

Powder coat - 'chameleonization'

There is a God, and his name is Capital Powdercoating! I picked up the parts for the TPR project YFZ450R we chose to have powdercoated from Capital Powdercoating in Suffield (Portage County) Tuesday, and the color is simply amazing.

Capital Powdercoating, on Congress Lake Road in Suffield, Ohio, did an amazing job powder coating the ATV Four Play and DWT parts for the TPR project YFZ450R. Capital also did some miscellaneous brackets with a "shattered glass" coat that makes the parts sparkle in the sunlight.

Capital sponsored the build by coating the beadlock rings for our DWT Champion in a Box wheels, the ATV Four Play MGC MX A-arms and a few miscellaneous brackets, including the front engine mounts. The pictures here on the blog don't do the color justice. Twisting the parts in the sunlight makes them appear alive!

A close-up look at the ATV Four Play a-arms shows the "shattered glass" and cross fade from orange to blue. Below are the DWT beadlock wheels from their Champion in a Box kit.

One of the trickest aspects is the coat on the a-arms, which fades from ATV Four Play's orange to blue with a shattered glass coat that shimmers in the sun like the mid-day ocean. R.H., the owner of Capital Powdercoating, coined the term "chameleonization" to describe the custom powdercoat job.

The custom fade is available to all Capital Powdercoating customers, and its surprisingly affordable.

For the TPR project YFZ450R, we only opted to have a few parts powdercoated rather than strip the entire frame and engine cases and other parts. After all, this quad is going to be ridden, so we didn't want to go over the top like the Spyder Quad knowing the parts are going to get blasted by roost and the power washer.

The makings of a pro-level front end: Fox Float X Evol shocks, ATV Four Play MGC long-travel MX a-arms, DWT Rok N' Lok beadlock wheels and Maxxis Razr MX soft-compound tires.

Until Tuesday, I had been worried that perhaps the TPR project YFZ450R would look too plain, but this quad is sure to catch your eye. The colors are incredibly trick, and they're also going to stay looking good for a long time. Capital Powdercoating has been painting ATV parts for years, and their stuff is known to hold up.

Capital Powdercoating really gave our parts some shimmer and shine. This quad is guaranteed to attract attention.

The color combination featured on our parts is custom, but it's also available to the public. Capital Powdercoating can strip and powdercoat your parts for an incredibly low price. The custom colors are somewhat more expensive, but they offer an affordable method to grab the attention of a potential sponsor, and that's priceless.

The TPR project YFZ450R is nearly finished!

You can contact Capital Powdercoating for your next custom paint job at 330-388-2597.

Fox Podium X - install

The Tarantula Performance Racing project YFZ450R build continues this week with the addition of our Fox Podium X rear shock.

The install begins with the removal of the stock rear shock on our 2009 Yamaha YFZ450R project quad. The rear shock on the YFZR can be easily removed by removing the lower linkage arm bolted to the frame, unbolting the shock and dropping it out through the swingarm. The first step is to loosen the top shock mount bolt.

Here, we loosen the top shock bolt. Yamaha's engineers put some thought into this quad, as many of its parts can be removed easily without un-bolting a ton of other parts, including the rear shock.

Next, we unbolted the lower linkage and removed the lower shock mount bolt.

The link knuckle, shown to the left, simply rotates back and out of the way so the stock shock can drop out through the swingarm. You have to remove the link arm, shown at right.

After removing the linkage arm that connects to the frame, you can remove the top shock bolt and drop it down through the swingarm. We had to wrestle a little bit with our Motoworks SR4 exhaust system by pulling on it slightly to wiggle the shock out of its upper mount. For the most part, the rear shock un-bolted very easily.




With the stock rear shock removed, the Fox Podium X slides easily up through the swingarm. Again, there's a bit of finagling required to get the shock lined up and in the upper mount. But again, our new Fox shock installed just as easily as the stocker was removed.




We did have some clearance concerns with the Fox shock. The reservoir on the stock shock has about 1/4-inch clearance to the exhaust. And Fox attached the reservoir for our Podium X to the shock body in the same location as the stock reservoir with the compression adjusters on the bottom. Fortunately, the reservoir on the Podium X actually has more clearance than the stock reservoir.

The camera angle is deceiving, but the reservoir on our new Podium X rear shock (at right) actually has more clearance for the Motoworks SR4 exhaust than the stock shock reservoir (left).

After sliding the upper shock bolt in place, we re-installed and connected the lower shock links before tightening the upper shock bolt.

Lining up the lower shock link (top) after installing our Fox Podium X rear and torquing the bolts to spec (bottom).

We used Loctite throughout the TPR project YFZ450R build for peace of mind knowing everything will stay intact while racing.

We expect the addition of the Fox Podium X rear shock will greatly improve the handling of the TPR project YFZ450R. We also added an RPM Dominator II axle to hold up to the bigger and faster hits the quad will now be capable of withstanding thanks to the new Fox suspension.


The build will continue with the addition of ATV Four Play's MGC MX long-travel a-arms and a set of Fox Float X Evol front shocks. Keep the TPR project YFZ450R blog bookmarked to stay up-to-date as we get closer to testing the build with ATVOnDemand.com.

Now that's a pro-level rear end set-up! Thanks to RPM, Fox and Galfer.

Heaven for your hands - grips and guards

The wrenches are spinning on the TPR project YFZ450R.


We've started replacing the stock parts on the Tarantula Performance Racing project Yamaha 2009 YFZ450R motocross build with performance products from our sponsors. In this post, we'll show you how we upgraded our hand protection and comfort with some parts from Cycra and Spider Grips.




The YFZR comes stock with a decent set of aluminum Pro Taper handlebars, which are much stronger and have a lower, race-oriented profile compared to the stock bars most quads once rolled out of the factory with. We're sticking with the stock bars until we have to replace them out of necessity. But we wanted to improve our grip and add some protection for our mits.

First, we stripped the stock grips and removed all the controls and switches to add our Spider SLT grips. We sprayed the inside of our grips with brake cleaner to install them. The brake cleaner helps the grips slide on, but it also corrodes the rubber grip and helps it adhere like glue to the bars.



Next, we added a thin layer of eletrical tape where all the controls and lever mounts attach to the bars. The tape keeps the bars from getting scratched through metal to metal contact.




We also left all the levers "loose" on the bars, so they remain tight enough for riding but will rotate rather than break during a crash. The electrical tape helps here by allowing the controls to spin rather than snap.

Our Cycra Stealth handguards offer adjustable mounting options for optimal protection by mounting either over or under the levers. We mounted our guards over our levers. The guards bolted on easily and provide a wide coverage area without cluttering up our handlebars.

The Cycra guards add some style and protection to the TPR project YFZ450R handlebars.

The Spider hand grips are a much more comfortable option than the stock grips and help reduce vibration. And the Cycra handguards fit the looks of the YFZR well while helping protect our hands from roost. Both products will help us ride harder, longer.

We'll be cleaning up our quad even more throughout the week with the addition of front and rear Galfer brake lines, a parking brake block off, RPM Dominator II axle, CV4 silicone coolant hoses and a Hinson clutch cover. Check back for updates as we continue building the TPR project YFZ450R.