Yamaha Blaster

The Yamaha Blaster is a compact all-terrain vehicle produced as an entry-level machine manufactured in Japan and sold in the United States from 1988 to 2006. Because of the Blaster's initial low price tag, it sold in large numbers for many years from its inception in 1988 all the way to present day where enthusiasts are still buying and building monster blasters that compete with modern day four-strokes. Its two-stroke engine is easily modified by enthusiasts and a large aftermarket now exists for the quad. A range of add-ons are readily available from simple bolt on modifications and suspension parts to complete aftermarket frames and larger displacement engines.

Yamaha Blaster YFS200

Manufacturer	Yamaha
Production	Japan
Successor	Yamaha Blaster yfs200
Class	Compact ATV
Engine	195cc Single-Cylinder Air-Cooled 2-Stroke
Bore / stroke	66 mm x 57 mm
Compression ratio	6.6:1
Power	17 Horsepower (stock)
Torque	8.9 Foot-Pounds
Ignition type	CDI
Transmission	6-speed sequential gearbox with manually-operated wet-plate clutch
Suspension	Independent Double Wishbone, 7.1” w/ 5-way Preload Adjustment (front) Swing Arm, 7.1” and Threaded Preload Adjustment (rear)
Brakes	1988-2002 Mechanical Drum, 2003-2006 Dual Hydraulic Disc (front) 1988-2002 mechanical disc, 2003-2006 Hydraulic Disc (rear)
Tires	AT21 x 7-10 4/156 bolt pattern (front) AT21 x 10-8 4/100 bolt pattern (rear)
Wheelbase	43.3” (110 cm)
Dimensions	L: 68.3” (173.5 cm) W: 40.7” (103.4 cm) H: 40.9” (103.9 cm)
Seat height	29.13” (74 cm)
Weight	306 lb (dry) 324 (wet)
Fuel capacity	2.7 gallon
Oil capacity	650ml
Turning radius	6’

The heavily finned, air-cooled Blaster engine has roots from a water-cooled machine (Yamaha DT200), as evidenced by the plugged water pump casting on the right side of the engine. The Yamaha DT200 engine shares the same engine case and side covers. The history of the engine in its water-cooled form can be traced directly back to the DT200 and RD/RZ125LC (shares an identical bottom-end and crank cases but uses a different stroke crank) and the Australian market WR200. It is possible to use parts from all of these bikes and build an all-Yamaha water-cooled Blaster engine, or one can simply swap the engines since the engine mounts are nearly identical. They actually used to sell a liquid cooled head and radiator that was a direct bolt on to the Blaster from Golden West Cycle. Not many of those kits were sold due to the high price, poor cost efficiency, and lack of a critical water pump.

In 2002, Yamaha engineers redesigned the rear tail light housing into a multi-functional tail light and brake light.

For the 2003 model year, the Blaster was updated with a re-styled front nose, the headlight assembly was moved down from the handlebars to the nose, and a significant amount of weight (*amount needed*) was removed for greater performance. The junk problematic mechanical front & rear drum brakes were replaced with hydraulic disk brakes to boost stopping power, reduce weight & mechanical complexity, and simplify maintenance.

Because of U.S. government emissions requirements, the Blaster was discontinued for 2007 and was replaced by the entry-level Yamaha Raptor 250cc, which uses a cleaner-burning, less powerful four-stroke engine. The Blaster is closer in performance to the Yamaha Raptor 350cc or the Honda trx300ex.