XTZ to come standard with upside down forks
 

A little birdy from Yamaha told me yesterday that the XT660Z's will be coming with upside down forks soon.:smilies0349:

Interesting, although the question is more "good ones, or 'cosmetic' ones?"

Putting better quality springs in the current suspension (and especially the rear) would be a good start.

USD forks will certainly draw visual appeal, but like uberthumper, I have my doubts as to whether there will actually be any tangible improvement in quality? In my experience �budget�, non-adjustable USD forks perform no better than RWU damper rod forks, and in many cases are worse than RWU cartridge type forks.

The woeful first attempt at the suspension on the original Yamaha FZ8 is a good example of how style (and cost cutting) over substance doesn�t always work when it comes to forks (and shocks). Replacing the FZ6s perfectly acceptable RWU forks, with the latest must-have USD forks on the cheap, resulted in a bike that handled worse than the one it replaced. Yamaha realised the error of its ways (3 years later mind) and has upgraded the forks (and shock) on the 2013 FZ8 due to a universal panning of its suspension.

I may be wrong � I hope I am, but ever the pessimist, I can�t help but think that any USD forks Yamaha fit to an XTZ are likely to be of the �budget� variety. We�ll just have to wait and see I guess�

Are they planning to update the whole bike or just 'bling it up ' a bit?
I honestly think if they put some serious effort into it they could have a serious seller on their hands but a major upgrade usually comes with a major price increase.
While im on the soap box Yamaha need to address other issues like Cush drives made of cheese, various bearings with no grease in etc etc.
Thanks for listening.

A retrograde step imo. I'm yet to be convinced that usd forks are any better than gaitered right-way-up units for ordinary mortals. They are far more vulnerable to damage and a real prick for seal deterioration due to dried mud and dings in the back from rocks. :angry1:

Wish List con't.
 

Along with the USD forks, how about :

1. Chain guide
2. Adjustable rear brake pedal
3. Adjustable clutch lever
4. A 6th GEAR!
5. Get rid of the hump and give us a "banana/bench" style seat



Not asking for the world, just some refined improvements!

I'm with madmax on this,

his list plus mine;

brake pedal with flipper,
reposition side stand behind pegs to improve clearance in ruts etc(keep bending mine)

ciao

why did the bean counters at yamaha not do a 660z world crosser? imho. would have been a popular choice if the right additions were made

lower it by 2inches while your at it
and shave 40kgm off the weight

if it goes the way of the others a worldcrosser 660 would be 18kgms heavier

the new gs 800 adventure weighs substatially more than the original 1200 . jesus
the adventure bike market is going the wrong way

and put the bloody thing in a wind tunnel

With the exception of the usd forks, I'm with you on the rest. That would do me just fine.