2006 Yamaha YZ450F

I was really enjoying the first 2006 YZ450f I bought from my pal Curt. It was nimble, it was fast. It was pretty nifty.

The only thing I wasn't too keen on, was the black powder coated frame and rims. That, and it was just...worn. Everytime I worked on it, I found a mismatched bolt here, or a broken fastener there...little things, but things that kind of grated on me.

Then one day, right after Curt finally got me the title, and I was preparing to transfer it into my name once and for all, he calls up and says "Hey, you should see the 2006 Anniversary Edition on Craigslist!"

I took a look, and it was damned near literally brand new. 12 hours, and amazingly clean. Bone stock.

I thought about it for a day or two, called up another buddy who had expressed interest in Curt's bike before I bought it, arranged to pass it on to him and went up and bought the new bike from Craigslist guy.

He had blue plastics on it, as he had taken the yellow 50th Anniversary stuff off "to save it". Fine.

It was really, really new looking. I've had plenty of bikes over the years, and this one was ridiculously clean.

Story was that he had bought it from a friend who had ridden it twice then downsized to a 250f. This guy then rode it all of about two times, and put it in the garage. There it sat for three years, not being ridden at all. A new baby comes along and Craigslist-wife says "Sell it".

Mine.

Perfect.

Or nearly perfect. It's stock perfection was now it's biggest detraction.

I had a totally tricked out one I was getting rid of, in exchange for a totally stock one.

Hmmm. What did I just do?

No matter. I had sold two bikes, and two collectable WW1 German Luger pistols to generate the funds for this project, and I still had a grand left.

A short trip to the Wide-World-Web, and that cash was GONE!

Soon packages started to arrive, and just as soon, bolts and packing material were flying all over my shop.

I had been working with Fusion Graphix, a local graphics shop to make some one-of-a-kind shroud art, and it arrived at the same time. Bolt. Bolt. Screw. Screw....

Viola!

I added a Pro-Circuit T-4 exhaust, a Rekluse Z-Start Pro auto clutch, RG3 suspension, ASV levers, a 50 tooth rear sprocket, Stainless steel filter, MSR skidplate, Trail Tech kick stand (I'm getting old), and an hour meter.