This high-performance sport ATV was introduced for the 1987 model year and quickly became one of Yamaha’s signature off-road machines. Built around a liquid-cooled, two-cylinder two-stroke engine with a close connection to Yamaha’s RZ350-era performance image, it stood out from more utility-focused quads by emphasizing speed, responsiveness, and a race-oriented character. Yamaha positioned it as an experienced-rider machine from the start, and its early Baja success helped establish its reputation in desert racing and other competitive off-road circles.
Over time, it developed a strong enthusiast following thanks to its distinctive two-stroke twin layout, aggressive power delivery, and straightforward, tuner-friendly design. Yamaha’s own history materials describe it as a long-running, fan-favorite model, and it became especially notable as one of the most enduring two-stroke sport ATVs ever sold. In North America, it remained available through the 2006 model year, marking the end of its original production run there. The nameplate did not return as a separate revived production series, so its history is best understood as one continuous era that ran from the late 1980s into the mid-2000s.