FIRST RIDE
P72
2014 YAMAHA YZ450F
wraps low around the entire cylinder before exiting out the right
side of the bike like it did before,
but the tip of the muffler is now 7.1
inches closer to the center of the
bike. The factory race bikes have
already been using this design
for a while.
One of the biggest gripes people – including us – had with the
previous YZ450F was how it felt
between your legs. It was wide
and bulky toward the front where
the radiators literally hang out.
Yamaha redesigned that whole
area, reducing the distance between the widest part of the radiator shrouds by 14mm (7mm
each side). While they were at it,
Yamaha made access to the now
larger air-filter element easier
(there are less parts to remove,
including the fuel tank) and reduced that distinctive "sucking"
noise from the airbox that really
annoyed some riders.
By pulling back and lowering
the fuel tank, Yamaha was able to
cleverly hide the fuel cap under
the seat, giving the rider a perfectly smooth surface to slide up on.
To give the bike a more "planted" feel in the turns, some chang-
