YamaLink: voted a best part to buy of the year

Whoa, talk about a long break from the blog. Busy shipping parts out. Busy getting hearts broken. Busy testing out the 2009 yamaha lowering links. It's been a great 2008. Riders, magazines and even competitors like/love the YamaLink.

As with every year's end the usual "best of" awards are coming out, and the WR and YZ lowering link is capturing its fair share of accolades. Simply put....

"I bought a YamaLink. It did what it said it would. I can now touch the ground with both feet at a stop light. At age 55 on my first motorcycle, this is a good idea."

Thank you to everyone (everyone except the girl who broke our little guy's heart..)

Thumper Talk WR250 forum gone awry

A ThumperTalk forum member is having a few issues with the yamaha WR lowering link install, and as usual, other WR250R and WR250X riders are helping out with written comments and directing him toward our YouTube install video. And that's when things get odd/wrong/funny. Somehow we went from helpful and concise to hilarious and sarcastic. Sweet.

Yamaha WR fork question

Today's yamaha lowering link question comes from the far reaches of Australia....


Q: Quick question if you don't mind, is it absolutely necessary to lower the front? What would be the side effects of not doing this?


A: Okay, let's assume your stock sag is properly set for your weight right now at 3.9 to 4.1 inches (99mm to 104mm). Then you add the YamaLink.....the instructions read to reset sag at factory spec of 99 to 104mm for maximum lowering. If you do NOT reset sag and just install the YamaLink you will have too much sag in the back.

Which leads us to your fork question. If you do nothing to the fork your bike will turn very very slowly because the rear will be much lower than the front. Yes, it will be super stable, but it will ride like a chopper. So after resetting sag with the YamaLink slide the forks UP in the triple clamps, starting at approximate 6mm. Adjust until your Yamaha turns nicely yet does not headshake and it is still stable
but doesn't turn slowly.

Doing the forks takes just a few minutes. Retorque triple clamp bolts and you're done.

overseas orders shipping to US address issue

A lot of times we get orders from overseas and they want it shipped to their dad's house; example: student studying overseas coming home for the holidays. But if their non-us credit card's billing address doesn't agree with paypal or the credit card company, it can be a hassle to complete the order. But we have a way around that. Here is our reply to someone from Poland wanting a Yamalink yamaha lowering link shipped to Connecticut.

Whoa, that is odd. We get orders from all over the world.
By chance is your credit card near expiration or is it over limit?
Wait, I know: the credit card billing and shipping address is different.

So pay with your credit card and enter your billing info, and then we will
ship to Connecticut at the address you gave us in your name. And if you have
to choose $12 shipping because it's a Poland address, we will refund the $7
difference because it's only $5 shipping to CT.

Ducati Streetfighter

Absolutely nothing to do with yamaha lowering links but here is the bike that won Best of Show at the recent Milan gathering.

Ugly? Beautiful? Fast and torquey for sure!
The 2009 Ducati Streetfighter in non-S trim is about $15000 retail. The Ohlins-spec S model is about $19000.

Eastern Dirt Magazine yamaha lowering link review

Click HERE to visit Eastern Dirt Magazine's site. A great bunch of guys to work with who really jumped in with both boots to get their YZ450F setup very personalized.

You'll notice there is no YamaLink engraving. Eastern Dirt Magazine called us up right after we switched anodizing colors (it was almost a matte purple in the very, very beginning) and just before we started the engraving. Nevertheless, a great photo and writeup.

2009 yamaha yz250f yz450f

yamaha lowering link product update...

The 2009 YZF links are about done! And there's a big secret you'll have to email us about. It's super cool (that's our 13 year old nephew talking).

From Lynn, our WR250R Canuck pilot

yamaha lowering link WR250R install speed record...

Ok, Yamalink is in the 09 WRR!! Took me all of 20 minutes to get the link in, slide the forks, and then another 5 to adjust the sag.

So to cap it all off:

Rider: 5'4" @ 140lbs
Screwed in stock setting of the dial-out of the bottom of the shock. That gained 1 inch.
Installed the Yamalink. Gained another inch.
Slid the forks up 3/4 of an inch. Gained another inch.
Set the sag on the rear shock to 100. Gained another inch.
All said and done: Gained a total of 4 inches and I can touch with both feet easily on tip toes, one foot very steady on the ball. Double up I can touch both balls of my feet with an 80 lb rider.

One thing I notice is the handling of the bike. It corners well and sucks up the bumps easily without bottoming out, even at the lowest settings. When it was stock I found it a bit choppy, but nothing that made me feel like I had to keep my wits up. Once I get the 606's on it'll be much better off road too.

So yay to Yamalink for making this bike rideable for us girls who have no knees!

2009 yamaha YZ question

yamaha lowering link question....

Q: I’m purchasing a new ’09 YZ250F – is there a black link for the ’09? I see only ’08.

A: The 09 YamaLink is in the testing phase, and is a while off. As you know, the 09s are pretty darn new, and we're making sure the prototypes are spot-on before releasing them. The 09 YZF changed their rear suspension so it's making us go back to the drawing board from the 08 and older. Yamaha is slow to release their part numbers for the new stuff, but we have the OEM goods in hand.

WR lowering yamalink feedback

yamaha lowering link rider feedback...

So, here's my long overdue review of the Yamalink on my '06 WR250F...

Shortly before the link arrived, I had a very hard crash racing a hare
scrambles race and tried to tear my thumbs off. Although I was willing to
just suffer and see what happened, about the time I got the link installed
the boss dragged me to the doctor's and I spent the rest of the summer in
splints, casts, etc...


Anyway, some stats:

Me: 5'8", 160 lbs + gear
Bike: 2006 Yamaha WR250F, stock suspension

I originally set the race sag carefully on the bike when I bought it in the
Spring of 2007. I also shaved the seat so that I could get one foot down
reliably. As the suspension has worn in, I knew the bike was beginning to
run excessive sag, but I could get my feet down better when needed, and as a
novice rider (and too lazy to reset the sag when I could be riding), the
confidence factor seemed important.

Settings:
After my Summer hiatus, I finally got around to setting up the bike.
Measuring the race sag, I discovered that after adding the link I had 8
inches of sag; no wonder I could suddenly touch the ground! I reset the
race sag to 4 inches, more than recommended by Yamalink, but I wanted to
retain some lowering effect and I was running out of threads on the shock
body anyway. Given that I had added so much preload and that the bike had
been working pretty well as set, I added 4 clicks of rebound damping instead
of the recommended 2 and the 1/8 turn of high speed compression as
recommended. The shock was still topping out audibly when I compressed the
seat and let it go while standing by the bike, but you've gotta start
somewhere. Rode it and added 1 additional click of rebound damping.

Results:
As for suspension action, the difference is dramatic. I had the bike
working pretty well before the swap, I thought, but how the bike works now
is another experience all together. I rode 60 miles on it on Wednesday of
this week; it's now Friday and I'm still trying to get my head around the
difference. The route was well known to me and consisted of fast, fast
logging roads with some very rocky sections, ruts and washouts, waterbars
and some serious ledges, surfaces from hardpack to loose large rocks and
sand in hairpins; no slow speed technical riding on this ride. The
difference is so dramatic that it feels like another bike entirely. The
jackhammer sections are simply gone; the faster I ride, the smoother it
gets. The bike hooks up on the throttle noticeably better, both in a
straight line and in the sandy flat hairpins, yet still jumps predictably
off the water bars. Hard braking is stable and straight. I did no big
jumps (not my thing) but I experienced no noticeable bottoming whereas I was
before (probably due to excessive race sag setting). Steering is improved;
before I added the additional click of rebound damping I was climbing all
over the front of the bike to get the front to hook up in the fast flat
hairpins, but just that one extra click of rebound in the back pretty much
fixed that issue. I feel no "chopper effect", but again, that may be due to
the fact that I was running too much sag before the swap. The bike is much
more planted and holds pretty much any line I choose with much more
precision than it ever had before. I'm left thinking that I need to adjust
the forks some in order to really optimize the handling, but as it is it's
still better than anything I've ridden to date. I find that due to the
better handling, I'm needing to put my feet down far less, which of course
makes the seat height issue pretty much go away. I can hear it top out in
the air but it's working so well that I see no reason to make further
changes.

Conclusion:

Highly recommended. Can't say enough good things about it.

Just how good is the WR lowering link?

WR/YZ lowering link customer feedback of the day:

"If you're serious in the woods, you have to get it, and I do mean have to. The yamalink greatly increases the traction during braking (less skidding in the choppy roots and rocks) also adds traction climing, more travel is achieved quicker, it will eat up and make smaller choppy bumps invisible, you will corner better, be able to spin the bike around quicker.......the list goes on....."

officially the official yamaha lowering link of...

yamaha lowering link news, and it's good news!
The YamaLink will be on all the Yamaha WR250R, WR250F, and WR450F for a major...hold on, I can't say?? Not for a while?

What I am told I can blab is that there will be an entire fleet of blue bikes with the YamaLink lowering link. Sweet. Of course when we're able to divulge everything you'll be the first to know.

2009 yamaha yz lowering

YZ lowering link inquiry of the day...

When will the 2009 YZ250 and YZ450 yamaha lowering links be available?

Pretty soon. We are soliciting feedback about lowering amounts. There will maybe be one pure performance link and one for those inseam challenged.

We have finalized the price and appearance, though, so that's good news! (I believe grandpa would call that "cart before the horse")

WR250X WR250R quote of the day

yamaha lowering link comment from Thumper Talk forum...

I'm 5'10" as well. The stock lowering option is pretty
easy to do - it's been documented in detail on this
website. I added the Yamalink as well and have to
say its made a big difference in how the bike feels.

Seems like it feels a lot lightrer with the lower COG.

Plus that little extra cushion of being able to get your feet
planted down can really save your azz if/when you get
highsided up on a hillside.

yamaha lowering link question of the day from Spain

Q: Hello, I have a yamaha yzf 250 of 2006 and have two questions, the first one:
All that would lower the seat of my motorcycle (in cm) if I mounting
your yamaha lowering?
The difference between the blue and the black, alone this one in the
color? Or also are they of different measures?

A:
There is no difference between the blue and black. Just color.
Your YZF will be lowered a maximum of 4.45 cm = 1.75 inches. Most YZF riders
are simply raising the front forks in the clamps anywhere from .6cm to 1.2cm
to get a very balanced ride.

Magazines from outside the USA

A few overseas magazines sent us their issues featuring the WR250R/X and WR450F YamaLink. One in particular from Down Under is the equivalent of a super glossy, big, feature-packed magazine; think Dirt Rider meets Oprah's Magazine meets National Geographic. Incredibly well laid out and smartly written.

And all their decals are just as cool and huge!

Thanks to Fi and all the magazine reviewers!

how do I set sag?

Question of the day is one we get often. A fantastic site that easily explains sag is at http://www.tootechracing.com/suspension_tips.htm

yamaha lowering link question of the day from Joe

Q: Hello,

I recently purchased a yamalink for a WR250R; I haven't actually bought the bike yet :) How much can I expect to lower the seat height with the link and slipping the tubes up in the triple clamp?


A: The rear of your WR250R will be lowered approximately 2 inches. As for the front....

One of the misconceptions is that there needs to be a 1:1 ratio of front and rear for a bike to be balanced. But changes to rake/trail affect geometry at a different rate than changes to the rear. With the WR250R, the front forks can be raised a maximum of 1.25 inches, but that is not necessary. Almost every R and X rider is raising their forks anywhere from 6 to 18mm (1/4 to 3/4 inches) and getting a very balanced ride without oversteer or headshake or slow steering. Of course each rider will fine tune based on personal preference.

unbelievably useless trivia of the day

A rider from New Zealand sent a follow-up email. Her email signature read "cats have 26 facial expressions, of which 23 are negative and intended to let other cats know they are willing to fight."

Sweet.

super simple question of the day

Q: Does your YamaLink use oem-size bearings or will I have to search for a replacement should the day come I need one? Thanks.

A: Every YamaLink uses Yamaha factory size bearings, seals and washers. While every YamaLink comes with a convenient grease zerk, you can rest assured any local Yamaha dealer will have or can get replacement parts.

With the postal service, NO means YES

Actual email to YamaLink WRF customer who asked for "no signature delivery" because she'd be at work; she was sent an Express package instead of the usual priority mail. No problemo, we told her, we'll triple check and make sure the USPS delivers it quickly and without a signature. Um, here is our email to her moments ago - almost apologizing yet somewhat peeved at the mail folk - when we read online that, well, you'll get the picture.....

I check "no signature required" and told the postal clerk "no signature" and she told me "it won't require a signature" and I (I'm running out of breath) write "no signature required" on the outside. Having said that, I see they left a notice at your home for a signature.

Did they actually require a signature after all that????

ThumperTalk is down, Thumper Talk is down

I bet the dirt bike online community is beside itself. As of 7:30am MST today, thumpertalk.com has been out of service. How in the heck will all the anonymous trolls and flamers get through the day without secretly belitting someone's choice of bike, gear or political affiliation?? In all seriousness, 99% of TT members are healthy contributors, but it's that 1% in any group, what with their whacky and emotionally charged perspectives that sometimes makes the day pass a little quicker for us who didn't eat paint chips while growing up.

Yamaha riders are always right

Jamie from the great Northwest placed a WRF YamaLink order yesterday for an 07, but he was hesitant. For a month! Why?

On our WRF order form we had the 2007 (his bike) grouped with the 05 and 06 for no reason other than, at the time, it was how our grubby little hands wrote the HTML on the page.

As 07 owners know, the 07 has an aluminum frame like the 08 and 09 (which were grouped together, separate from the 07). Without saying we did anything "wrong," Jamie's input was a wake-up call to make the quick change to the order form so that the 07 is grouped with the 08 and 09. Nothing earth shattering, but if one rider/customer hesitates then you know others will, too.

James Stewart on a Yamaha

From the RacerX site:

How-to stock WR250R/X one inch lowering moved

As of today we can safely say that 50% of WR250R and X owners and dealers are not aware of the stock one inch lowering

We have a picture tutorial on our site, but today it was brought to our attention by a Microsoft User Feasibility Engineer (what a title...) that the placement - below the order buttons - was not a good place to be because viewers zone out after hitting the order button.

So we moved the stock lowering instructions above the order buttons.

We are taking North Dakota by storm!

Unbelievable! We finaaaaly received an order from the great province, er, state of North Dakota. Something was definitely up with the Peace Garden State/Flickertail State/Roughrider State considering we've been in contact with every Yamaha dealer - all 3 of them. Is the entire state full of tall people or riders who don't mind getting their butts pounded by braking bumps?

Happily all those questions are moot since we shipped a yamaha lowering link off to Pierre.

*Crap! Pierre is the capital of South Dakota. Never mind. North Dakota goes back on the list along with Louisiana as the only states we have yet to ship to. Anyone know a Yamaha rider from either North Dakota or Louisiana??? We'll give 'em our just-made-up discount so we can brag to our friends at Pro Moto Billet that we've sold to every state, too.

A morning of usps.com shipping questions

Tuesday morning was THE morning for emails and calls about "where is my package"?

We ship every order via usps.com, and each order gets a specific delivery confirmation and/or tracking number. Convenient for you. Saves our ass.

Rider in Virginia called. Where is my order? The number told us it was delivered 5 days ago, but this customer insisted it was lost and wanted to know "what are you going to do about it?" That is code for "I want another yamaha lowering link sent right away." Usually when this occurs we find out someone in the family or office accepted the package, put it away and did not tell the real recipient their yamalink arrived. So where was their deliverd package? Sitting on the counter in another room.

The other shipping issue came from a rider in Italy. She ordered Wednesday morning. We shipped Wednesday morning. She receivede an international express tracking number. This morning she sends three emails saying we never sent it on Wednesday (even though the usps.com site proved we did) and that it was guaranteed in 6 busines days (even though the usps shipping time is an estimate of Monday-Friday shipping, she told us we guaranteed her 5 days including Saturday and Sunday). Right now it shows the YamaLink just arrived in Italian customs and is being processed, but sometimes you just can't win: she demanded we call customs and find out why it was "delayed" a day or two.

So now we have underlined our "estimate" info on our shipping and payment site. We do our best by shipping same-day but sometimes thing happen on the other end, say, in Italy, that are out of our control. In the end everyone is happy but sometimes the journey can be a bumpy one.

simple yamaha lowering link question of the day.

Question: Do you need to preload the suspension when tightening the shock's lock nut?

Answer: The spring is already preloaded by the shock collar and therefore does not require additional preload before tightening the lockring.

nuuuumb hands

Rode a road bike yesterday for a few hours. Great in every aspect except it vibraaaaated so damn bad that my hands went semi-numb, and 24 hours later they are still tingling!

A 1000cc V-twin with state of the art everything....except counterbalances, obviously.

WR250R/X question of the day

Two questions occurred to me with respect to the use of lowering links:

1. It would seem that a lowering link would add squat to the bike, in direct proportion to how much lowering was done. Is this correct? If so, does anyone feel the R needs more squat (or less squat)? How about the X?

2. Increasing the leverage on the rear shock as a Yamalink is said to do: Would moving the rear axle back have a similar effect?


Our reply:


Leverage increases when sliding the axle back, but not by much. Doing this will change the amount of lowering and travel 1/8-1/4 inches on most off road bikes because the swing arm arc gets longer and does increase the leverage.

I believe the "squat" your referring to is when it hooks up; the longer links do give you a better hookup/squat but all that still depends on the amount of rear race sag one is running. Less sag usually equals plusher ride with more squat as the suspension is riding in a less progressive part of the travel.

yamaha lowering link install and report from first timer

Finally rode the WR with the YamaLink today for the first time after installing it.

Preliminary results and observations:

1. I do not have to remember to kick my leg up extra high as I swing it over to avoid kicking the left rear turn signal.

2. On the street I did not notice any difference. I did not measure before and after, so I really do not know what the actual amount lowered is, except point one above.

3. My son did a little street riding tonight. He rides a lot better than me and races mountain bikes, so he has way more experience than me. He says it corners better. He says it feels like the back is digging in through the turns and that this is good news.

We will be at Bass Lake, riding Miami Creek and 007 this weekend. So I will get a chance to test it a little myself.

Installation was a snap. My son forgot to bring his stand over, so we used a bucket. I balanced the WR while he did all the work. I found it to be a much easier install than he did.

random email has nothing to do with yamahas

Email sent regarding babysitting a friend's 5 or 6 year old daughter because the parents have work-related things they can't get out of....so I was their absolutely truly desperate last choice. You can see why by reading:


does Ella know how to go potty all by herself?

i have never changed my nephews' diapers when they were kids.

i take it Ella does not wear pull-ups or any of that stuff?

if she drops a turd in her pants I ain't touchin' it.

yamaha lowering link writeup on Thumper Talk

A YamaLink rider posted a great writeup with photos on ThumperTalk....proving once again that our customers are better riders, writers and photographers than we are. Sigh.

we can't take the credit...

Sometimes the usps.com folk get their act in 5th gear ASAP, and deliver the goods (still doesn't make up for the 3 week "priority" mail fiasco they did to us last month; I could've drove to New York and hand delivered the yamaha lowering link).

"Just a quick not to say thank you for the Yamalink for my YZ 125. Its a very nice piece indeed. Your customer service is phenomenal- shipped over the week end? Arrived on Monday? Ordered on Friday! WOW.

I'll let you know how I like the link when the bike is built back. Im making a "hybrid" of sorts. Ive taken a 2003 YZ125 and used your ink in the rear along with a 18" rear rim, trials tires, heavy flywheel weight, high compression top end, 12/51 gearing and the forks up 7 mm to make a trials/trail bike.


Thanks again for an exceptional buying experience!"

A Cat hat, but not the cool one

Gonna buy a Cat (as in Caterpillar heavy equipment industry) baseball hat. I don't want to say why cuz my best friend will think it's because Matt Damon from Bourne Ultimatum fame was photographed in one. Whatever.

Then this link was sent to me as a joke about my feverish Cat hat hunt.
I dare you NOT to spit your coffee all over the keyboard when you look at this. Double dare.

CAT HAT

long yamaha lowering link answer of the day

Okay, here goes our non-BS, non-marketing input.

First, a lowering link or performance link is not for everyone. We don't recommend them for the following riders:

1. BIG jumpers/ditch bashers/anyone who thinks a Superman Seat Grab Backflip is part of a warm-up before a "real" ride. Why? A properly designed link will have an increased leverage ratio thus making the wheel travel easier through the arc which means the bike will be more plush on the smaller stuff like braking bumps and holes and square edge. In turn, big jumpers/ditch bashers/guys named Pastrana will find the wheel travels too easily through the travel path thus making their landing not as predictable from 40 feet up. STAY AWAY from lowering or performance links.

2. Heavy riders who need a heavier spring to begin with. Go back to the increased leverage explanation. If you're sagging out a stock spring you're surely going to sag out a YamaLink equipped bike.

3. Riders who will NOT set sag on a stock bike or reset sag with a link or if they gain/lose weight. We've sold hundreds upon hundreds of YamaLinks, and if the rider sets sag properly and tunes the suspension (go in about 1/8 on the high speed compression for more aggressive riding and the rebound 1 or 2 clicks) they love it. We've had 2 returned. One rider admitted accidentally adjusting the slow speed compression (the flat blade shock adjustment, not the big knob as required) all weekend long, while the other rider never gave a reason. We gave them both their money back....and we will do the exact same for you.


So why do some who have putzed around on a link not like them? Any of the above combinations. Or the bike was their buddy's bike which was not set up properly and it almost "killed them" on some big jump or it headshook violently or it would not turn.

Another reason is the misconception that you need to lower the forks the same amount as the rear. Not true. It can't be done on a Yamaha anyway due to the fork taper. Changes to the rake/trail affect geometry at a different rate than changes to the rear. The best most balanced bikes are lowered in the front anywhere from 5 to 10mm (6mm is approx 1/4 inch) based on terrain and setup and riding style. YamaLink equipped bikes, or bikes with a Kouba Link or Devol or Storm, can be made to handle as good or not exponentially better than a stock setup!

Add this to the reason some say don't get a lowering link. "Uh, you lose travel." Not true. A properly designed link will actually get you MORE travel because the wheel has the increased leverage to go further into the arc. "Okay, but now I'm bottoming easier." Which we say "did you adjust the high speed compression and turn in your rebound to combat the extra stored energy? Do it and get back to us and let us know what you think.

We've built links for many non-short riders and racers who "get" the fact that a link with increased leverage ratio will make their bike more planted in corners and allow them to carry more speed into, through and out of corners. There are pro mx and gncc/worcs/hare scramble/isde racers on teams of all sizes who use aftermarket links because they realize having a bike that soaks up the chop and teeth rattling tundra that also allows their bike to carry more corner speed is very, very important. Think about it: when your hands are covered in blisters and you're so tired you can't even drink water, would you rather have a bike that gets you through rocks and roots and chop smoothly...or would you rather ride a stiff board in hopes you are prepared for that gigantic triple....the one you would've rolled anyway cuz you don't dare get it out of 2nd gear for fear of racking your nards cuz you can't hold on?

Hope this helps you. We realize there are many on forums who will praise a lowering link, and a few who will light a bigger fire to say their opinion. We at YamaLink don't have the time to patrol the boards and right the ill-informed, but we truly enjoy answering questions from riders like you who want to be educated. When the black YamaLink arrives, have your shop install and set up sag for your weight with gear. Then play with the compression and rebound for a day, and decide if you should take out a little sag. And don't hesitate to call or email for any tech tips, okay?!!

yamaha lowering link for Alex's 09 YZF

Yes, the 09s are out, and yes, we brainfarted. Alex inquired about his 09 YZF and we started spouting pre-08 info.

His bike will be lowered in the rear 1.25 inches, not 1.75 inches.

A little embarrassing, but we'll rectify the minor faux pas with a website update....and make everyone write on the chalkboard 100 times "The 09s are out, the 09s are out."

going outside is uncomfortable

Out of all my nosy neighbors, there is one directly to my left. Mary. She's super fit and each time I run or exercise she's out there too. In fact, when I'm driving into town to get my beer on I see her and her big super ugly dog exercising more.

I spoke to her once and it was very uncomfortable. She has a drawl and she's methodical in her actions which are two of my top twenty peeves (the other 18 include slow drivers, my mom in outlet track suits with cursive writing on the back, old people who think everyone should give them leeway cuz they survived the Big War...of 1812, fake blondes with fake laughs, small talk and slow-moving post office lines).

But now she has her 70-something boyfriend living with her! The thought of two 70-something people spending the remainder of the golden years should be heart-warming. No. He sits on the patio all morning long reading which makes it difficult for me to walk out and cinch up the shoes to go on my run because they want to make small talk (see above list of partial pet peeves). Thank god they're not in track suits cuz I'd go postal very quickly.

lowering link needle bearings and $20 tweezers

Scott called because some needle bearings fell out of his WR250R/X YamaLink during shipping. It happens. The fix is to take your finger and just move the fallen bearings back into place.

Or you can do what Scott told us he did: used his wife's $20 tweezers!! I hope he didn't tell her, and I hope he doesn't laugh too hard each time he goes in for a kiss, and her eyebrows smell like Bel-Ray grease.

Reply to "how do you warm up your Yamaha"

On ThumperTalk....

Choke on. Idle at higher rpm, obviously, for about a minute. Choke off. Ride slowly for a few minutes.

Put goggles on and spend too much time making sure the strap is lined up perfectly straight (always start bike next to truck window so I can view the goods). Then bury my elbow into the ribs until I hear the beautiful "pop pop pop" of the rev limiter. Hit rear brake and come to sliding stop. Take off open face helmet and unzip Evel Knievel jacket.

*don't pay attention to the last paragraph: my 10 year old nephew gave me a sip of his fruity sugar drink and I'm not myself.

yamaha lowering link country podium

After holding the #3 spot for orders dating back to early July, Australia has been overtaken by the United Kingdom, and by just one YamaLink!

Not surprisingly, the US has the #1 spot, but in terms of non-domestic orders the countries of Canada, England/UK/Great Britain and Australia are having us fill out customs and international express forms galore. Thank you!

Singapore is coming up strong, though, as is the country of Hawaii (there's a joke in there for the Yamaha rider/customer from our 50th state who called yesterday).

New Yamaha wr yz lowering link color

At least 20% of customers would say, "ya know, I think a glossy black would look good on my Yamaha," and seeing as how Yamaha offers some models in black and white it only made sense. Same price as the blue. Same great suspension action.

Black will be available for the 2009 WR and YZ (and YZF, of course). We'll have them as options for 2002 through 2008 in a day or two.

Balls are too big, and they're hurting my back (and "Jason Bourne's", too)

Back pain. If you'd had the unfortunate experience of trying to ride or move with back pain, you can feel - no pun intended - this post.

At first I thought my lower back pain was from lifting YamaLinks into the back of the Tacoma. Kind of a high bed, but not that bad. Then I thought it was from my Jason Bourne super secret government assassin workout program, what with its crazy amount of running and dodging cars and jumping through glass windows and wearing thick wool sweaters. Nope.

It's from my big balls. The inflatable balls that are supposed to be good for your back. I use them to sit at this trusty ol' HP 531w computer (purchased 7 years ago, and it's slower than a scooter with a flat rear tire and water in the carb), and I think they're making me slouch to the point my vertebrae are all jacked up. There's no way the government is going to accept my application with a bad back!


I took some air out of one ball but it didn't work. 12psi is too much. 10 psi not enough. You'd think 11 would be just right. So I put more/less air in the other ball but no such luck. , but obviously not all balls are created equal. I've fiddled with both balls non-stop over the past few days trying to get the feel just right but I'm about to give up and go back to a chair.

If anyone has any tips on what air pressure I should have my balls set at please email me. Seriously.

Seinfeld "The Mentor" turns into "Elaine's Dance Kicks"

During last night's dinner of so-so tasting non-wild salmon and leeks (in my defense the kitchen was new and I had no idea how the food would cook, blah) it was mentioned that this certain someone had a mentor at work. You know, someone who tells someone less experienced the career path they should take.

"You mean like the Seinfeld episode," I said in my best monotone voice, the voice which is always a warm-up to thiiiick sarcasm.

This certain someone, while not defensive, did mention the positives of having a mentor: the way you should stand in the hall so the boss thinks you're smart, the way you should fake laugh at meetings so the boss thinks you have a sense of humor.

Alright.

Unfortunately I could not find a video on YouTube about the Seinfeld Mentor episode, but I did fine something equally as hilarious. Enjoy.

Coolest city name we've shipped to....

Read more about Jimboomba
...or just repeat it over and over and over to your coworkers.

"So, uh, (insert your name HERE), what'd you think of the meeting/what should we get for lunch/how was your ride this weekend?"

"Eh, it was Jimboomba."

Coming to America and staying at a Clarino...

Remember that classic movie, "Coming to America." Where there was a restaurant with altered golden arches. McDowell's, I believe it was called.

*If you're sensitive to swear words, plaid uniforms or anything related to Soul Glo, do NOT click the start of the video.



Anywho, there's a reason for posting a funky video from Eddie Murphy's prime: A Yamaha WR250X rider/customer sent us a quick email about a recent stayover....

"The hotel I stayed in was cheap and clean, but kinda sketchy. It was called "Clarino" and had huge letters on the top floor of the building that were illuminated at night. I thought, "hmmm, it's so similar to Clarion." Well, upon walking to my room, there were "Clarion" floor mats and other Clarion signs throughout the hotel. So, this place was obviously a Clarion hotel previously, but who ever purchased it simply switched the large letters on the top of the building to read "Clarino." I was looking forward to the advertised pool, hot tub, and workout facility. Ok, there were some treadmills, that seemed ok and one lady was in there using one, but the multi-use strength machine was so rusty, broke down, and unusable, I thought I would contract tetanus just by looking at it. Oh, then the pool room was locked with a notice posted by the city stating that the facility was deemed unfit/unsafe for public use. Awesome to the max."

Millville National Prediction: Ben Evans

I have a bold prediction for the Lites class in two weeks. Making his AMA pro debut, newcomer and former Loretta Lynn's/Canadian outdoor winner phenom Ben Evans will make the top 10. And seeing as how Canard won't be there, if by chance Ben gets lapped he should at least be allowed to finish. Kidding, Trey.

Blue Ribbon Coaliton membership giveaway starts now...

This is being posted in the WR Yamaha Thumper Talk forums within moments of each other. The first US resident to answer the question will receive a Blue Ribbon Coalition Gift Membership (which includes a subscription to their magazine). There is no catch other than to answer this….

According to the BRC site, when was the Blue Ribbon Coalition born?

Based on the Thumper Talk time stamp, I’ll contact the first correct answerer via PM to get their mailing address, and we’ll submit the info on the sharetrails.org site.

According to the BRC site, you will be sent a welcome packet with your membership card, pin, decals, and a helpful booklet of information about grassroots advocacy. This may take up to six weeks, so please be patient. You should also be receiving your first issue of BlueRibbon Magazine within 4-6 weeks.

Thanks!

yamaha wr yz lowering link Blue Ribbon Coalition giveaway

We posted it on two Thumper Talk Yamaha WR forums.

yamaha wr yz lowering link aid

Coming soon to a theater down the street from a theater near you....a surprise! A cool one if you're a Yamaha owner who likes to get all the facts.

yamaha wr yz lowering link NOT found in 4 US States

We have been fortunate to have customers in every US state but four.... Louisiana, Alabama, North Dakota, um, I forget the other one.
This concludes today's totally useless YamaLink trivia.

funniest email ever about a YamaLink

We read this once, twice and maybe four times throughout the night, and each time we laughed even harder than the previous time!

"Thanks for the speedy delivery! I installed the YamaLink the day it arrived.. Great product! I'm now able to take off my wife's high heels and touch the ground! She still has my balls for buying the WR250R, but she had those on our wedding night!"

yamaha wr yz lowering link to the competition

I'm sure Bill Gates has a MacBook, and I'm sure Pepsi has a few empty Coke cans laying around. Now you can add one of our friendly competitors to the list: they ordered an 08 WR YamaLink. Same person who left a naive-sounding voicemail a few months ago placed the order. Heck, they didn't even ask for dealer pricing.

Gotta love reverse engineering.

yamaha lowering link WR450F Thumper Talk 2

Hey guys,

I'm 5-9 (well, almost) and ride an 07 450. The bike is great for me EXCEPT when it's tip over time in the tight technical stuff, or even just trying to make a low speed crawling turn. 99% of my get offs are in first gear turning around on a narrow trail.

A more inseam challenged friend of mine recently turned his KTM 450 into a low rider by having the suspension internals modified to accomodate not only his stature (5-6) but his weight (135 soaking wet). I sat on his bike, planted both feet on the ground, and new I finally had to do something about the seat height on my bike.

I had 3 options: cut the seat, have the suspension professionally lowered, or install a lowering link. A couple guys on the forum steered me away from lowering the seat. I've done this for my son's bike and have seen others do it to their 450 and I just felt it would cramp me up in the cockpit and wouldn't achieve the results I was looking for. Didn't want to spend 600 plus to have my entire suspension redone - the suspension capability on the 450 is within my weight range, it was just the height of the bike.

Dan sent me the Yamalink and it was a snap to install. Ten minutes for someone who knows what they are doing, 20 minutes for me. His instructions were very thorough. I reset the sag, adjusted the rear compression and rebound, and raised the front forks a bit also. Took the bike on a two day ride last weekend and would say it is about 80% there. I need to tweak the suspension a bit more to completely dial it in.

Two comments:

1. I LOVE getting my feet on the ground!

2. The customer service from Dan is top notch. He's sent me emails explaining exactly how all this works and because I don't understand the engineering mumbo jumbo (hey, I'm an accountant) he dumbs it down for me. He's also spent a lot of time on the phone as well. AND he always seems available. Wow!

Okay, #3. Before talking to Dan I didn't have a real sound understanding of the dynamics of the suspension and how it all works together, but he's walked me through it so many times now that I think I finally got it...but if not I'm sure he'll explain it again.

Nice job, Dan! Great product and even better customer service!

yamaha lowering link install report Thumper Talk

From the great members of Thumper Talk's Yamaha WR250R/X Dual Sport forum:

I set aside a couple of hours today to install my Yamalink that I ordered.I had seen the video and had a simple set of instructions without photos that came with the link. Well the install took 30 minutes without any hassles. The quality of the piece is superior to the Ymaha casting that you remove. I had previously raised my forks 5/8" in the triple trees and figured on not changing it for the present time.

Riding impression.............besides giving me more footprint (which is nice) the Yamalink is very beneficial in other areas. Highway cruising between 65-75 mph feels much more stable and safe.The suspension soaks up expansion joints and other road irregularities. It feels like the link put my suspension right on the working part of the curve, it also gave me the confidence to do some compression and rebound dampening. A short ride off road displayed better manners, it was much easier to plant a leg and power slide a quick u-turn when needed. Bear in mind that I have no plans to race etc,etc. I simply am working towards making this a safer and quicker bike. To sum it up I am very pleased with my Yamalink, one of those rare purchases that you make that is "spot on"

Yamaha lowering link question of the day

Q: Why don't you build a triangular lowering piece for the WR250R and WR250X like you do for the dirt-only models?

A: Our extensive ride testing told us that the X and R can be lowered a max of 2 inches without compromising overall handling due to the forks maximum lowering amount. Since the bike can be lowered 1 inch from Yamaha, we decided to build a connecting rod that gave another inch. Yes, we could've built a relay arm for the X and R just like we did the WR-F, but it would've added a lot of cost for the buyer/rider ($145 versus nearly $280). In addition, our informal surveys of WR X and R riders told us "we have the inch option on our bike, let us use it, and give us the other inch." Seeing as how 2 inches is the most you want to go for optimal handling on the WR250R and WR250X we saw no need to produce a 2.5 - 3.5 inch rocker/relay arm.

80mph yamaha wr250x wheelie

Not us. We can't wheelie 8 feet.

Someone named Misty and her not-so-sneaky friends

Remember the days before Caller ID, when you could prank call a friend's parents or order a truckload of cole slaw on their behalf?

We're cleaning out our phone messages and came across a funny one. Believe it was left a month ago.

Someone named Misty said, "...I'd like some information on your mo-tor-cyyyy-cle lower-ing links." If you read that paraphrase in a tone that pretends to not know what a motorcycle lowering link is, it's even funnier."

Our Caller ID listed the small town where Misty called from.

The next two days we received similar calls from bike shops. Asked for some basic information. Never placed orders, but they were specific about the years of Yamahas in need of lowering. Now, I'm a bettin' man, and I'd bet the new Yamaha YZ450F that Misty knows the callers.

We never returned Misty's call. Beside not wanting to get into games, we figure she's busy calling other companies from her cell phone and disguising her voice as a naive and curious would-be parts buyer. And we're too busy shipping out YamaLinks. Go figure.

For the record, the most cole slaw we ever ordered was 22 pounds. Mike Wilson's mom was not very happy!

WR250F feedback on yamaha lowering link

Found this posted at ThumperTalk about the WR250F YamaLink.


HI! I just got a Yamalink too for my wr250 and I'm freakin happy with it! Don't cut the kickstand until you get your suspension where you want it--we cut mine after the link but before fixing sag and it turned out we didn't need to cut it (but it's not that bad).

Yamalink has been awesome answering all my techie questions too, dont' hesitate to ask!

Here's how I lowered the bike before YL
shaved at lesat 1 1/2" from the seat
moved forks up in the clamps about 15 mm
softened sag to 4 7/8" (I know...) and softened comp
I could touch with tip toes, had to concentrate to get my leg over the back to get on

I popped on the Yamalink, I can get the balls of my feet down.

Without fixing anything I rode around an mx track, the front end was bouncing around, so we stiffened the back comp, that made it much better.

I was fighting the softened suspension(yay! going faster!), so we put the sag at 3 3/4" MUCH BETTER, brought the back end up so bike wasn't choppery.
Also, the spring is right for me, and the forks are set at stock, so far.

I went to the Oregon dez, had an awesome time, the bike handled SO MUCH better. I had a friend who is an expert rider, who rides the same places I do and is close enough to my weight ride my bike to feel out the suspension and he said it felt smooth and he was happy to ride it(he wouldn't tweak it too far from what it was). He was also surprised the link did not "seem" to affect suspension travel(you know how everyone say a link sacrifices suspension performance) --I told him to bang the whoops .

So, I thought the link was cool "just" to lower the bike, BUT it allowed me to set up my suspension better, and y'all know when your suspension is set up right for you you go FASTER--I even bottomed out my front forks so now I get to stiffen those up. WOO! It also seemed to lower the center of gravity. So a LOT more perks than just getting feet down!! IN a few weeks I'm going to go ride in the western Oregon mountain stuff (where you soften up your suspension and what I ride most) so I'll see how the sag, etc goes. I might try putting it at 3.5".

Hope that helps!!

PS, I got a "mom was freakin fast" from my son, and my husband said "wow I didn't have to wait for you forever" (after a straight 10 miles stretch of trial)==so that made me super happy!

yamaha wr yz lowering link Let's Make a Deal(er)

New "dealer" page set up on the main site. Hopefully it'll answer some questions (we always get the same two from dealers: do we need to fill out an app, and....guess what the other is.) and get more YamaLinks into the world. Our dealer network grows each day, and we appreciate everyone's patronage from the consumer and retail side!

9 out of 10 college graduates prefer Yamaha lowering links...

This is so very unofficial and not even close to what marketing types call a "trend," but the past two days have seen all our WR250R and WR250X purchases come from students or employees of US 4-year kolledges, um, collejes...damn. Schools. People who go to school!

University of Idaho Vandals.
Purdue Boilermakers
University of Nevada-Reno
School of Hard Knocks (hopefully these riders read the install instructions or we'll be playing "fix the screwed up YamaLink order.")

yamaha lowering link install video complete WR YZF

Monkey Flip Productions just finished our WRF, YZ and YZF 125, 250, 426 and 450 YamaLink install video.

Click HERE to view the footage.

Thanks to Steve and everyone who helped on the video!

where is the Yamaha WR250X??

Head hurts. Remember we went to a party last night. Woke up. Head hurts bad. And where the heck is our Yamaha WR250X??? Not stolen, but one of our so-called friends "borrowed" it without asking. Guess that's what happens when you pass out before anyone else.

WR250X versus a 180hp Suzuki Hayabusa. Guess who won.

While we don't condone street racing or breaking the speed limit or wearing sandals with socks or drunk dialing....

We just witnessed a ballsy WR250X rider try to outgun a Hayabusa in a drag race! The Suzuki rider had his head cranked to the left wondering "what is that little moped doing" before twisting his throttle just a tad. Gone.

But you've gotta give it up to the 250X pilot for toeing the line against one of the baddest bikes on the planet. It'd be like me trying to make Forest Griffin tapout.

yamaha lowering link and UPS

UPS is making a pitch to YamaLink in hopes we use Big Brown for overseas orders. They admitted it's difficult to beat usps.com for domestic shipping....and we have a feeling they're going to be surprised how well usps does with their International Express; $24 and you get shipping and tracking and insurance.

But usps doesn't do so well with large(r) orders to a few countries. They've actually returned a big box to us 3 weeks later because they sent the YamaLinks to Ireland instead of Iceland. So UPS was called up. Unfortunately it cost almost $200. Maybe the UPS corporate sales team can give us a way better deal.

yamaha lowering links and a new logo

Exciting, exciting! Our new YamaLink logo is almost complete. The designer used to work for a shoe company hq'd out of the Portland, Oregon, area. To say she's got da mad design skillz is like saying Martha Stewart is pretentious.

How'd we land a designer with her skillset? Heck, it's not like we have the coin to hire someone of her caliber: she is the relative of a friend's sister whom we met at a BBQ. What would take us weeks or forever to do, she came up with via doodle on a leftover Easter-themed napkin!

"How about something like this," she asked while holding up the drawing.

Swoosh, that's it!

yamaha lowering link....we're not in Camden!!

Today we were supposed to be headed to Camden, New Jersey, one of the nation's most dangerous cities.

Thankfully the trip was canceled. Now I'm sure Camden is a great place, and more than likely we would not have been murdered on the way to the dealership. We think.

Alas, a YamaLink for an 05 WR is headed to a nicer part of the Garden State via usps.com priority mail. Waldwick, NJ, is a beautiful area (we're just pulling that part out of your butts cuz we haven't been back to NJ since our overnighter in Elizabeth...whew).

yamaha lowering link magazine pic

This comes from a magazine test on the WR250R/X Yamaha lowering link. It'll be out in the September and November issues. Notice the blue chain (goes with the bike's blue sprocket). As the test reviewer told us, "it's pretty schmick."

yamaha lowering links and Monkey Flip Productions

Monkey Flips Productions is producing another kickass (can we say that on blogger?) install video, this time for the WR F dirt model YamaLink. Steve will receive the rocker in a few days and work his magic. Riders are telling us it is taking them about 10 minutes to install, but the videos are such a hit...and Steve picks out really good music that don't cross that weird line of old TV show stuff like CHiPs or Charlie's Angels.

We'll post it on the main site when things are complete. Woo hoo (we said that in Erik Estrada's voice, btw).