VOL. 50 ISSUE 29 JULY 23, 2013
P75
Though it didn't
get major changes,
suspension is
still one of the
YZ450F's best
features.
the high-speed damping on the
shock. These settings gave the
bike a more balanced feel, especially setting up for the corners,
and seemed to work well at a variety of tracks.
Cornering is improved, but
there is still some work to be
done. The slimmer layout, better centralization and lighter feel,
for sure, make the Yamaha a bit
more comfortable and confidentinspiring in the turns. It's still a
point and shoot bike and continues to work best in the tight,
technical turns. Less countersteering is needed than before
and it stays in the ruts better and
longer. In faster, sweeping turns,
or bowl turns, though, the Yama-
ha's front end starts to feel a little
too light and "floaty" and not as
planted as we would have liked.
We found ourselves having to
get way up on the "tank" to get
as much weight over the forks
as possible for the fast, sweeping flat turns to make things work
properly. This way, you can also
control the back end a little bit
