2019 YAMAHA WR450F
R I D E R E V I E W
P96
WR450F to get its fresher-upper.
The new WR shares many of
the same off-road ingredients that
set it and the 2019 YZ450FX apart
from the YZ450F, like having an
18-inch rear wheel, wider gear
ratios, larger fuel tank, tamer en-
gine mapping, softer suspension,
O-ring chain, skid plate and a kick-
stand. But the WR takes things
a little farther when it comes to
trail friendliness compared to the
FX; the WR's suspension is set
up even softer than the FX's, has
a spark arrestor, lighting a radia-
tor fan, odometer/multi-function
enduro meter, steel rear sprocket,
and more generator power.
Like the FX, the WR450F is
California-red-sticker certified, not
green sticker as you would think,
despite it having a tamper-proof
black box and no Wi-Fi mapping
connectivity (like the YZ and FX
have), and it still comes off the
showroom floor with a throttle stop
and inner muffler! Weird. Yamaha
tells us this bike was designed to
meet EPA and CARB noise and
emissions requirements for off-
road use, but certification has not
yet been issued.
(Above) The 2019 WR450R is an all-new motorcycle that gets many of the same upgrades as
the newer YZ450F and YZ450FX. (Below) Seat layout is slightly lower and flatter.
