Yeah, the number one selling Sport Quad in 2004 has been improved upon.

What could possibly need changing? Apparently there were more than 80 little things to keep the Yamaha engineers busy...

It seems that Yamaha has been closely watching what we and other YFZ owners have been busy tinkering with for the better part of a year.

For example, in our head-to-head shoot-out with the Honda 450R, the only category Honda won outright was comfort - and that's a big one, especially for recreational riders that do actually sit down for long periods of time. We apparently aren't the only ones that noted that. Yamaha has added 15mm of high-density foam to the seat for 2006, and changed the handlebar-to-footpeg-to-seat positioning slightly.

Building up Off-Road.com's 2004 Wide-Open YFZ has been one of the most exciting and successful projects our ATV staff has ever taken on - and now you can buy one nearly like it right off the showroom floor. You're welcome! (Where's our R&D fee?)

For our serious racing demands, we put on aftermarket adjustable long-travel shocks and linkage, ported the head, added a new crank and rod to bring it to 449cc, swapped out for a flatter handlebar and longer steering stem, relocated the brake resevoir, raised the chain roller, slapped on new graphics, and have thicker seat foam waiting in the shop right now.

Guess what? Now you can write one check and take it all home for yourself in one afternoon. Heck, with Yamaha's financing, you can probably exhange enough pop cans for the down-payment! Plus, you'll have a very cool LED taillight. We're jealous.

In addition, the new YFZ will include:

AND two new color/graphic schemes.

MSRP $6,999.

Plus, a Bill Ballance edition that come tricked-out with even more GYT-R accessories - MSRP $7,449, available in September.

How they had time to do all that while radically updating the 2006 Raptor 700R, we'll never know. I would suspect there are some tired engineers in the blue corner these days! But also some very excited marketing personnel, hundreds of dealers anxious to get their showrooms full, and thousands of shoppers glad that they hit the new ATV market right about.... NOW.

Congratulations, Yamaha. Now we'll have to really WORK to pick our ATV of the Year.

But we thank you for the challenge, and look forward to the first ride on the 2006 Raptor in just a couple weeks.

And by the way, readers - stay tuned for more important announcements from the Dealer Meetings being held in Vegas June 12 - 13.

You may be surprised at the full 2006 line-up - and plans for beyond....