Cycle News is a weekly magazine that covers all aspects of motorcycling including Supercross, Motocross and MotoGP as well as new motorcycles
Issue link: https://magazine.cyclenews.com/i/1151987
2019 YAMAHA WR450F R I D E R E V I E W P104 via a smartphone, like the YZ450F and FX. This means you can retune the motor while out on the trail, it's that easy to do (from past experience). The WR is a little finicky when it comes to starting. Sometimes you have to find that just- right amount of throttle to get 'er lit. You want to find that just-right combo quickly because there is no kick-starter and you don't want to abuse the battery. Suspension is impressive. We found the WR's SSS fork and shock to be dialed in for riders right around the 180-pound mark, but maybe a tad soft for a lighter and more aggres- sive rider. Out of the box, the WR KYB suspen- sion is smooth, plush, and works well over a variety of terrain and at many speeds. Yamaha recommends 105mm of sag, but even with the updated frame, as with the previous model, 108mm struck the right chord with us. The WR is a tall motorcycle, and weight needs to be emphasized on the rear wheel as much as pos- sible to aid in traction. Once the rear end has traction you can virtually put this bike where you want, whether you're on high-speed dirt roads, single track with tight corners or whoops. We had high confidence on the WR when pounding sharp- edge whoops and riding through rocks—no problem. The bike stays straight and planted. It's very stable. Even though the fuel tank is larger now, the bike doesn't feel any bulkier, but the bike still feels a bit on the large and tall side. Plus, the Yamaha is heavy, which isn't a big deal most of the time, but for lengthy hard riding, it'll wear you out sooner than if you were on a KTM 450 XC-F which is approximately 20 pounds lighter. We came away very impressed with the all- new WR450F. It's much easier to ride on the trail than before and can be ridden both aggres- sively and casually with great success. Suspen- sion is top-notch; it handles exceptionally well and is easy to ride while still offering tons of power. Based on reputation, the WR450F is bulletproof and wears well. Our main gripes? Unfortunately, it still feels a bit heavy, it's tall and comes without hand- guards or a green sticker—but still comes with a throttle stop and inner muffler! Oh, well. Noth- ing is perfect, but the WR isn't far off. CN S P E C I F I C A T I O N S ENGINE TYPE: .............Liquid-cooled, DOHC, 4-valve, 4-stroke, single DISPLACEMENT: ...................... 449cc BORE & STROKE: ...97.0mm x 60.8mm STARTING SYSTEM: .............. Electric FUEL DELIVERY: ...... 44mm Keihin EFI TRANSMISSION: .... 5-speed, wide-ratio CHAIN: .......................................O-ring CLUTCH: ...................Wet, multi-plate FRAME: .............................. Aluminum FRONT SUSPENSION: .................KYB, Speed-Sensitive System (SSS) coil- spring fork, fully adjustable REAR SUSPENSION: ...... KYB, single- 2019 YAMAHA WR450F ($9599) shock, piggyback, fully adjustable FRONT-WHEEL TRAVEL: ...................12.2 in. REAR-WHEEL TRAVEL: .....................12.5 in. FRONT TIRE: ...............Dunlop MX3X 80/100-21 in. REAR TIRE: ..................Dunlop MX3X 120/90-18 in. FRONT BRAKE: .. Single 270mm disc REAR BRAKE: .... Single 245mm disc RAKE: .......................................... 27.2° TRAIL: ....................................... 4.6 in. FUEL CAPACITY: .................... 2.2 gal. GROUND CLEARANCE: ............12.6 in. SEAT HEIGHT: ........................ 37.6 in. WHEELBASE: ..........................58.3 in. WEIGHT (WET, CLAIMED):....262 lbs. WARRANTY: .............. 30-day limited factory warranty