ex-Marty Moates, two-wheel-drive dirtbike owned by the USGP winner
2004 Yamaha WR450F 2-Trac
Frame no. JYACJ04W000010569
Engine no. J314E-015069
Marty Moates never repeated his stunning USGP victory, but after his racing career was over he transferred that drive and energy to other areas, including co-founding the hugely successful No Fear sports-clothing line. Though busy with his companies, Moates kept current on motorcycles, buying one of the most technologically advanced dirtbikes ever sold, the limited-edition, two-wheel-drive Yamaha WR450F 2-Trac.
Based on Yamaha's four-stroke enduro bike, the 2-Trac used a gearbox-driven hydraulic pump that fed high-pressure hoses running to the front hub, which contained a small hydraulic motor. When rear-wheel sensors detected a loss of traction, increasingly more power was fed to the front wheel. In effect, the bike was being pulled as well as pushed on loose, technical surfaces.
Yamaha tested the system in long-distance off-road rallies, including the grueling Paris-Dakar, and in 2004 offered WR450F 2-Tracs to the public for competition use. Expensive at over $20,000 and available only in limited series, the bikes were never marketed in the U.S.
Moates used his 2-Trac everywhere from MX courses to sand dunes to supermoto tracks. Included in the sale are three sets of wheels/tiresknobbies for off-road, paddles for sand and slicks for supermotard. Offered on a Bill of Sale.
Sold for
US$ 8,190
inc. premium
Category:
Motoring
/
Motorcycles
Auction terms and conditions