VOL. 50 ISSUE 28 JULY 23, 2013
(Above) Pretty much the only thing
not changed on the 2014 YZ450F is
the price.
(Left) Although there might still be
some room for improvement when
it comes to cornering, the new
YZ450F is for sure a much better
turning machine.
es have been made to the aluminum Bilateral Beam frame, most
notably the steering head pipe
being moved 10mm closer to the
rider, which places more weight
bias on the front wheel. In addition,
the front axle is larger in diameter,
and the front wheel is fitted with a
new Dunlop MX51 FA tire.
Changes to the motor include
larger valves, a new piston, revised cam profile, new ignition
timing, and fuel-injection map-
P73
have been modified; the gap between second and third has been
tightened and the ratio between
third and fourth is wider. Ultimately, Yamaha wanted to make the
bike's most used gear - third –
broader, so there is less shifting
and less work.
Suspension was already one
of the bike's strongest points,
so Yamaha pretty much left well
enough alone. It retains its wellliked SSS Kayaba fork and Kayaba shock, though the shock's
reservoir has been relocated to
make room for the new exhaust
system. Yamaha said it considered air forks for the YZ but
chose to stay with its proven and
simpler SSS spring/oil design.
ping, and running less oil capacity. (Suggested oil-change interval
has been reduced to seven hours
from 12 hours – most people we
know never go more than four
hours anyway, so we don't think
that's a big deal.) The five-speed
transmission has also been modified for easier gear changes.
Yamaha's main goal with the
new motor was to make the power more useable than before, as
it was already a strong mill but
lacked some torque and usability. TIME TO RIDE
To enhance the engine/power Yamaha introduced the new
changes, the transmission ratios YZ450F to the media at the pris-
