2018 Yamaha YFZ50 vs. 2018 Polaris Outlaw 50: By the Numbers

Derrek Sigler
by Derrek Sigler
If you are looking for a new ATV for your youngster, you’d be smart to consider both the 2018 Yamaha YFZ50 and Polaris Outlaw 50.


I go to my local dealership quite a bit and often take the kids with me. For them, it’s better than going to the toy store. There’s cool riding gear, and rows of amazing machines. I get the excitement. I mean, I still get excited when I walk in and I’ve been doing this for decades. Imagine the look on your kid’s face come Christmas morning when they find a sweet new ATV under the tree with the big, red bow? For the littlest riders out there aged six years and up, there are a few really cool machines. Let’s take a look at a couple of the newest, the 2018 Yamaha YFZ 50 and the 2018 Polaris Outlaw 50 – by the numbers.

2018 Yamaha YFZ502018 Polaris Outlaw 50
Price$3,049$3,099
Engine49cc air-cooled SOHC 4-stroke49cc air-cooled single
DrivelineChain DriveChain Drive
TransmissionCVTAutomatic PVT Forward
Wheelbase32.7 in33.0 in
Overall Dimensions (LxWxH)49.2 x 32.3 x 30.3 in48 x 31.5 x 28 in
Weight220 lbs (curb weight)278 lbs (dry weight)
Front TiresAT16 x 6.5-716 x 6.5-7
Rear TiresAT16 x 7-716 x 8-7
Ground Clearance3.5 in4.0 in
Fuel Capacity1.5 gal1.2 gal
Front SuspensionSingle I-arm; 2.4 in. travelSingle A-Arm with 3 in. Travel
Rear SuspensionSingle shock swingarm; 2.0 in. travelMono-Shock Swingarm with 3 in. Travel
Front /Rear BrakesDrumDrum

49cc of Raw Power!

There are a lot of similarities between these two machines, the biggest being the engines. Both run on a 49cc, air-cooled, single cylinder, four-stroke motor. Both machines are fed fuel through a 12mm carburetor and have a CVT automatic transmission with forward only. To keep your little speed demon in check, both machines have a tethered kill switch and a speed limiter that you can control.

2018 Yamaha YFZ50 Profile

Final drive for both units comes from a chain-drive system. Both units have electric start, and the Yamaha has a kick-start for back up in case your miniature off-roader somehow drains the battery.

Comforts and Clearances

The 2018 Yamaha YFZ50 has appearances mirroring the bigger YFZ450R. It has inspired suspension with 2.4 inches of travel in the front riding on a single A-arm, and 2.0 inches of travel out back riding on a swingarm, much like the sporty big brother. It has 3.5 inches of ground clearance for riding down trails and across the yard.

2018 Polaris Outlaw 50 Profile

The Outlaw is very similar with 3.0 inches of travel front and rear. The front also rides on single A-arms and the rear is also on a swingarm setup. The Outlaw, named after the sport ATV Polaris used to produce, has 4.0 inches of ground clearance. They both run on 16-inch Duro tires and steel rims.

Weight for the Yamaha is listed at 220 pounds wet, and 215 for the Outlaw dry, so they’re pretty even. The Outlaw carries 1.2 gallons of fuel versus the 1.5 gallons the Yamaha carries, giving it some extended range.

The 2018 Yamaha YFZ50 comes in Yamaha white and blue and retails for $2,099. Find out more at https://www.yamahamotorsports.com/sport-atv/models/yfz50 or your local Yamaha dealer.

Yamaha ATVs

The 2018 Polaris Outlaw 50 comes in Avalanche Gray and either Pink Power, or Lime Squeeze. It also comes with a whip flag and a matching youth-sized helmet. They retail for $2,099, too. Learn more at https://atv.polaris.com/en-us/outlaw-50/ or at your local Polaris dealer.

Better hurry, though. Youth models never sit on the dealer showroom floors for long and with the holidays approaching, they’ll be gone before you know it.

Derrek Sigler
Derrek Sigler

Derrek's love for all things ATV started when he was a mere 11 years old, growing up on his family farm. His mom gave him and his sister a choice - get a horse, or a three-wheeler. The sister wanted the horse, and Derrek wanted the ATV. Luckily he won out, and was soon burning up the trails on a Yamaha Tri-Moto 200. By the time he was 14, he had saved enough of his own money by working on the farm and in his folks restaurant to buy a new 4-wheeler. That happened the day he and his mom were driving past the dealership and saw 1987 Banshee. His mom had no idea what he was buying, and he never looked back. He's been riding ever since, and been writing professionally for many years. He has ridden all over North America and been behind the controls of just about every machine out there. And yes, he still has his 1987 Yamaha Banshee.

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