VOLUME 57 ISSUE 37 SEPTEMBER 15, 2020 P65
T
he 2021 WR450F gets a major
overhaul for the new model year.
The company's premier en-
duro bike features a new 449cc, liquid-
cooled, four-stroke, electric start en-
gine with an all-new compact cylinder
head, redesigned combustion chamber
shape and steeper valve angles. The
forward-positioned downdraft intake
with rear exhaust powerplant houses
a higher compression piston with low
friction rings attached to a longer con-
necting rod.
The wide ratio, five-speed trans-
mission has been refined to provide
smoother shifting, and a more effi-
cient crankcase breather system has
been adopted to decrease pump-
ing losses. In all, the lighter, more
compact engine produces increased
power across the entire rpm range
for stronger and more linear pulling
power, says Yamaha.
The latest evolution of Yamaha's
lightweight aluminum bilateral beam
frame has been redesigned with new
wall thicknesses and flex charac-
teristics that, Yamaha says, provide
improved cornering performance,
traction and bump reaction to give
the rider more confidence to push
harder in any off-road condition. Other
chassis components such as engine
mounts, top triple clamp and front
axle, as well as the KYB suspension
with enhanced compression and re-
bound characteristics were refined to
reduce weight while, Yamaha claims,
improving handling and performance.
Brakes have been updated, as well.
The 2021 WR450F will be available
from Yamaha dealers in September in
next-generation Team Yamaha Blue
for $9799 MSRP. CN
