P112
2020 450 MOTOCROSS SHOOTOUT
SHOOTOUT
O
nce again, big blue steals the show.
The YZ450F is the winner of our 450
shootout, and certainly not because
Yamaha cooled their heels after winning last
year's test. The tuning fork team got to work
fine-tuning just about every aspect they
could think of on the YZ, poring over every
detail right down to the footpegs. "When
you change one thing, even as small as an
engine mount, you have to consider how
it affects frequency of the entire chassis,"
said Yamaha Tech Steven Tokarski. It seems
that's what Yamaha did, making tiny tweaks
everywhere, and we do mean everywhere
to the YZ (there's too much to name here,
but find all the details in our 2020 Yamaha
YZ450F Ride Review). In the end, Yamaha
found the right frequency to stay on top in
our 450 shootout, if only by a hair.
While the Austrian duo might win for the
most tunable suspension, the YZ wins in the
versatility contest in the engine department.
Two engine maps, switchable by handlebar
control, are only the beginning. The Yamaha
features built-in WiFi that can connect to
your smartphone, and through the free
Yamaha Power Tuner app, you have ac-
cess to more maps, and the ability to tune
your own torque curve. The app also tracks
your hours, your YZ's maintenance sched-
ule, and runs engine diagnostics. You used
to have to shell out big money for this type
YAMAHA
YZ450F
1
st
Place
