2006 YAMAHA TTR50 TEST

BASIC INFORMATION

Retail Price: $1149.00.

Transmission: Automatic (three-speed).

Engine type: Four-stroke.

 

TTR50 PURPOSE

Let’s not sugarcoat it. Yamaha developed the TTR50 with one purpose in mindto get a major cut of the sweet money that Honda has been making for years with their CRF50, XR50, Z50 and Q50. No harm. No foul. The purpose of any manufacturer in developing a new bike is to achieve market share. The off-road 50 market has been dominated by Honda since day one and, truth be told, the CRF50 has been the largest selling off-road bike in the world.

 

Yamaha, with the release of their version of a 50cc play bike, has not only become an instant competitor in an extremely successful segment of the motorcycle industry, but they also tried to put all the pieces of the puzzle together to knock Honda off the throne. How so? Yamaha’s market research told them that little kids, sis and mom don’t know how to start a bikethus every bike in Yamaha’s play bike stable, from 50cc displacement up to 250cc, has electric starting. Before the TTR50 came to fruition, the blue crew was lacking a strong mini bike that a youngster could ride. Now, children who barely know their A,B,Cs can ride a Yamaha just like their hero Chad Reed. And, best of all, they can start it without dad’s help.

 

TTR50 STRENGTHS

Push button: At the press introduction for the 2006 TTR50, one point was repeatedly driven home by Yamaha’s marketing department; the bike has an electric start. We must say that the electric start is a brilliant idea. Why is Yamaha so focused on push-button starting? These models were designed to allow neophyte riders to ride a bike without worrying about the hassle of kick starting it. When it comes down to it, no group of people would benefit more from an electric start than preteen kids who lack the leg muscle and balance to continually kick start a bike. For parents, who in the past had to constantly help their child fire the bike to life, the hassles are over. Less trouble translates into more fun for both dad and little Billy.

 

Keystone models: Yamaha has created a bike that will not only get very young kids riding, but will lead them to the next Yamaha in the line as they grow. When the TTR50 rider gets a little bigger and wants more power, he can move up to the TTR90. When he is even taller and looking for more speed, he can hop up to the TTR125, and so on and so forth until he buys a YZ450F. It’s a basic marketing concept, but one that you can’t use if you don’t have a full line of productthe TTR50 was Yamaha’s missing link.

 

Cosmetics: Do you remember when play bikes looked like retro aliens with ugly color combinations? No more. The TTR50 is a mini-mini version of their YZ250. The bike looks great.

Geometry: If any mini bikes suffer from goofy head tube angles, a stinkbug back end, or unusual handlebar setup, the TTR50 isn’t one of them. It’s a mini bike that has the same characteristics of its bigger and more expensive brethren, only slimmed down. Shifting is also seamless, power delivery strong but not overbearing, and the general package is topnotch.

 

Accessories: Yamaha knew that the TTR50 would be the subject of lots of hop-up interest. But rather than wait for the aftermarket to get on the job, they turned to their own in-house aftermarket companyGYT-R. Big bore kits, tall bar kits, performance exhausts, and tall seats are just some of the options available to those who want to turn a child’s beginner bike into an advanced-level pit bike capable of 30-foot doubles. Thus, the TTR50 is a multifaceted machine that extends their target market beyond three-to-five-year-olds.

 

TTR50 WEAKNESSES

Weight: We love the electric start and how simple it is to use. What we don’t care for is the 15 extra pounds it has compared to Honda’s CRF50. By simple math, it’s easy to understand that an electric starting bike would weigh more. We’ve accepted this fact, but 15 pounds? That’s a lot of weight for a child just entering Kindergarten to lift up.

 

WHAT DO WE REALLY THINK?

The 2006 Yamaha TTR50 is the only 50cc bike that has an electric start, making life easy for both Junior and dad. The TTR50 is all-new from the ground up, using years of Honda experience as a starting point. Yamaha did their homework when creating the TTR50, and they have scored an

A-plus on our test.

 For more 2006 Bike Tests go to Top Ten Stories