2019 450 MOTOCROSS SHOOTOUT
P104
SHOOTOUT
After missing a podium position
in last year's shootout, Yamaha
had a year to take the YZ back
to the drawing board, make per-
formance-minded revisions, and
come back prepared to duke it
out with the rest of the 450cc
class com petitors. The Itawa
manufacturer focused its en-
ergy on im proving the YZ450F's
handling, most notably increas-
ing the rigidity of its front end at
the axle collars, brackets and
lugs as well as tinkering with
suspension settings. The boys
in blue also increased the YZ's
PROS
•Excellent suspension
•Powerful yet controllable power
•Free power tuner
smartphone app
CONS
•Thin seat padding
IMPORTANT NUMBERS
Actual Weight (full fuel):
249 lbs.
MSRP: $9299
Yamaha
YZ450F
seat foam density by 16 percent
and upped the size of the rear
sprocket by one tooth (from 48
to 49 teeth). The changes aren't
much, but they are enough to take
the YZ450F to victory in our 2019
shootout.
There's no single quality that
took the YZ to trium ph, but if
there's one that stuck out, it'd be
the KYB Speed Sensitive System
(SSS) front fork. Despite stiff-
ened valving settings, the forks
are incredibly plush at top of the
stroke, enabling the bike to float
over rough racetrack without
1
st
Place
