2019 450 MOTOCROSS SHOOTOUT
P106
SHOOTOUT
experience, which is thanks to Ya-
maha's Power Tuner smartphone
app. In it, owners can easily adjust
the YZ450F's engine mappings,
as well as keep track of its hour
meter and maintenance schedule
without taking any sort of notes.
Oh, and it can all be viewed while
sitting on the couch, even if the
bike is in the garage downstairs.
Better yet, the Power Tuner app is
com pletely free on iOS or Android
devices, saving hundreds of dol-
lars over buying add-on tuners like
that of the Kawasaki.
There really isn't much not to
like about the YZ450F, except for,
perhaps, its thin seat padding. At
times you can feel the sides of the
airbox while sitting.
any chatter better than any of
its com petitors. The rest of the
travel offers plenty of support in
resisting bottoming, meaning the
YZ's suspension achieves the
best of both worlds. Tipping the
Yamaha into a corner presents
an im proved feel in com parison to
its predecessor, partly thanks to
its revised suspension, but mostly
because of the increased rigidity
of the front end. It's confidence
inspiring. So much so, that you can
run the YZ deeper into corners
than the rest, and still manage to
make it out on two wheels.
Engine performance feels no
different on the '19 YZ450F, which
isn't a bad thing. The powerband
is broad, coming on strong at low
rpm and continuing to pull all the
way to its redline. The larger rear
sprocket increases the liveliness
of the YZ at corner exit, help-
ing im prove acceleration and
drive forward with more steam. If
we were nitpicking, a higher rev
ceiling for top speed might help
the Yamaha on the wide-open
straightaways, but the YZ holds its
own against any com petitor.
Part of what placed the YZ
above the bunch is its owner's
In the end, the Yamaha was
chosen as the winner for be-
ing the most com plete and best
all-around package of this year's
450cc shootout. Straight off the
showroom floor, the YZ is power-
ful, well balanced, and user friendly.
Most of all, it's ready to line up at
the starting gate straight out of the
box. If it were our choice, the 2019
Yamaha YZ450F would already be
parked in the garage. CN
1
st
Place
GEAR ID'd
GEARSET: FOX - 360 MURC
HELMET: FOX – V3 MOTIF
GOGGLES: SCOTT – PROSPECT
BOOTS: FOX – INSTINCT
