Yamaha WR400F

However, shortly after disappearing out of the showrooms and blowing riders away with it's explosive power, it wasn't long before words of discontent started being voiced as the WR developed a reputation for being a pig to start when good and hot. Something that came as no surprise to all those who had owned the grand-daddy of Yamaha's big-bore off-roaders, the XT/TT500.

However, as with the XT, the biggest impediment to starting that WR tended to be the person sitting on it. Provided you don't keep wrenching the throttle open every time you kick it, and you take the time to learn the knack of bringing a WR to life, it's not that bad. Really!

Anyway, 1999 saw Yamaha modify the carby so that starting became a little easier and a lot less sweaty, but it wasn't until 2000 that things really started to come together for the WR.

Gone was the humpy-backed 12-litre fuel tank, replaced by the 8-litre item found on the YZ.

There were other changes too, some of which included mods to the suspension, chassis, carby, ignition, engine and wheelbase. Yamaha also got to grips with improving the quality of the thing.

It was interesting in 2001 because the WR400F was joined by the WR426F, sold alongside each other until the 400 was dropped in 2002.

The 400 gained titanium valves, a new exhaust system and another round of engine and carby modifications to make hot starting easier.

RIDING THE THING
The thing that impressed so many riders right from the start was the power. The WR had an engine with a serious set of aggots swinging between its legs. The short-stroke 399cc liquid-cooled, DOHC, five-valve engine revved to a spectacular 11,000rpm.

Some riders felt that most of the power was upstairs, and although midrange wasn't bad, the engine didn't have the easy-going nature in the lower registers of something like the Honda XR400. This may or may not be true depending on what you've ridden before.

This doesn't mean that a WR isn't fun to ride. It just means that you really have to be on it and up it to get the best out of it. As a fire-road terrorist, the WR400F is still a force of nature.

As far as handling goes, the WR is more than good enough for most people.

Weighing in at about 123kg with a tank of fuel, it's nice and light so novices and weekend trail players don't feel intimidated. On the trails the WR is agile and easy to flick about.

Not that this means it's unstable, because it's not. Rattle up to a corner, line it up, throttle off, get right up the seat and stuff it in with absolute confidence before dialling the revs up and leaving with the front-wheel light and the rear driving hard.

Yamaha has had the suspension thing pretty much sorted for some time and the WRs are no exception.

Having said that, if you were to ride the earlier pre-2000 models back-to-back with the post-2000 machines you'd definitely find the latter have a better quality ride and are easier to use.

Coupled with the slim YZ feel, weight distribution feels good and the front-end lifts easily and controllably as the midrange hits, making monos a way of life.

Brakes are well up to the job, with a 245mm disc at the front and a 220mm disc at the rear.

WHAT DO I LOOK FOR?
The WR is a tough unit, however, like all off-road bikes, it needs a religious diet of clean oil, especially since it's likely to spend a lot of its time with the engine screaming and its ring hanging out. The word from those that know is that it should be changed after every ride. Ignore this advice at your peril.

If you're inspecting a used WR, check the colour of the engine oil and get some idea of how often the oil and filter have been changed. Have a look at the air filter as well, always a good indicator of the standard of maintenance.

Heavy and long-term abuse will make the cam chain begin to clatter.

Replacing the chain is easy and good insurance. However, be aware that top-end noise at high revs can be the super-short skirt piston touching the head, or even the result of the conrod stretching.

Because the thing thrives on revs and it's such good fun to hang it on the clutch on take off, the poor old clutch cops a bit of grief. Clutch slip, or plate warp, is easy to detect and once again not a big or expensive job to fix.

While on the subject of clutches, mud can build-up behind the clutch actuating arm, especially on the early models. This prevents the arm from operating through its full range of movement.

There have also been reports of the hollow kick-start shafts breaking when tough blokes try starting the WR without using the manual handlebar mounted decompressor. Should this happen it's unlikely the damage will be limited to just the shaft.

Steering-head bearings and wheel bearings, which came from the factory with very little grease, suffer from the usual ravages of water, whether through drowning or jet washing.

Still on the subject of water, if the bike is misfiring or just not running smoothly it may be that the accelerator pump in the carby has crap and water in it.

Another common off-road problem is neglected suspension linkages that end-up wearing-out through lack of grease maintenance. Give these a good check for loose movement.

It's amazing how people tend to overlook these simple yet critical components that make such a difference to the way a motorcycle handles.

Lastly, check the obvious things. Does it look clean and cared for? Look for evidence of serious crash damage. Does it steer straight and turn in both directions easily? Do the brakes have plenty of meat on the pads? Does the chain have plenty of life left in it and does it look like it gets cleaned and lubed after a ride?

Which model do you buy? The later the better in terms of development, quality and ease of starting. However, if you can find an early one and it's in good condition, it's still a hell of a motorcycle.

MODIFICATIONS
Besides the usual trail-ready weight loss and paint protection items, the obvious areas are the muffler, the air filter and the jets, which can release three to four more horses throughout the range.

Suspension is another area where dollars can achieve good results so a phone call to a suspension expert will result in good advice for the kind of riding you want to do.

If you're the sort who likes to save a dollar or two on things like brake pads, don't. Once again the word is that the OE (Original Equipment) items are the best. (part number for OE front pads is 5MV-WOO45-01).

Some owners have also told us that Race Tech's Gold Valve can improve fork performance in 1998-99 models, and do a lot for the shock.

Replacing the top triple-clamp with one from a 2003 WR250F will move the handlebars up and forward, a mod popular with owners of early WRs.

If I owned a WR I'd be doing all the above as well as lacing a set of Super Motard wheels onto standard hubs. After all, you can turn a great dirt bike into a great road bike but you can't turn a great road bike into a great dirt bike.

SUMMING UP
The WR400F is a stand out trail bike for those that have some experience and like a fast bike. It has more than enough of everything to still be competitive and, providing it's been cared for with regular oil changes, will have plenty of life left.

By Rob Smith