VOLUME 56 ISSUE 42 OCTOBER 22, 2019 P115
PROS
•EXCELLENT KYB SUSPENSION
•WIFI AND POWER TUNER APP
•POWER IS STRONG AND
CONTROLL ABLE
•LIGHTWEIGHT FEEL
CONS
•ERGONOMICS NOT IDEAL
FOR SOME
BY THE NUMBERS
ACTUAL WEIGHT
(FULL FUEL): 248 LBS.
MSRP: $9399
YAMAHA
YZ450F
of tuning ability, and now it comes stan-
dard with a free app. Well played, Yamaha.
As for its standard form, the Yamaha
powerplant is quite a ripper. It joins the
Honda and the Kawasaki on the ag-
gressive end of the spectrum but with a
smooth and predictable spread of power.
And if you'd like a little less hit in one area
or a little more snap in another, just pick
up your smartphone.
Suspension and handling received
high marks from our testers. The Kayaba
suspension was updated with firmer
damping, front and rear, with efforts made
to maintain the initial plushness that the
Yamaha is praised for. Indeed, the overall
package remains smooth and compliant
through the small bumps with excellent
action everywhere else, but even those
who called the suspension the best in
the class admitted it wasn't by as wide a
margin as past years. It seems Yamaha is
creeping toward overall stiffer settings on
its suspension. This lends to strengths in
some areas of handling, but result in the
suspension being praised by most instead
of all our test riders.
Handling was described as agile and
predictable, and despite the wider feel of
the Yamaha, it was also called lightweight.
Even having 12 pounds over the KTM, the
Yamaha has a very light feel, particularly in
the air (it goes to show how little the scale
number can mean, and how vital engine
character can be in the weight feel). "It
feels very light and nimble thanks to the
updated chassis and motor," one tester
explained. "The Yamaha surprised me,"
another said. "I didn't like how wide it was,
but it also felt really agile. It felt the light-
est."
Ride Review:
2020 Yamaha YZ450F
https://magazine.cyclenews.com/i/1174582-
cycle-news-2019-issue-40-october-8/86
