Cycle News is a weekly magazine that covers all aspects of motorcycling including Supercross, Motocross and MotoGP as well as new motorcycles
Issue link: https://magazine.cyclenews.com/i/1482492
QUICKSPIN I 2023 Yamaha YZ450F P96 Speaking of the front of the bike, the airbox's loud "tractor noise" is all but gone. You won't need to pack a set of earplugs anymore, as the bike's front end is much quieter than before. The exhaust, how- ever, has a much gruntier tone. Not in the same sense as the high-strung YZ250F, but a much throatier sound that feels fast. Perhaps the exhaust drowns out the airbox noise, but either way, we like it. Suspension is still top-notch. The SSS fork is arguably the best stock setup on the market, and new toolless compres- sion adjusters make it even easier to tune. The only change we made to the fork was going one click out to soften it as the track dried out later in the day and to help with the wheelies we mentioned earlier. The shock is familiar and perhaps a touch on the stiff side. Ride it fast, and it gets better, especially with some of the bigger hits on the track. With the new cockpit, the shock feels directly under the rider, which slightly exaggerates the shock movements and could played into that stiffer feeling. Ditch your preconceived ideas or complaints about the current YZ450F because this bike is now a distant rela- tive. The strong engine, blue plastics and plush suspension are about the only simi- larities we can think of when comparing the two bikes. Even then, the engine is much better, and the plastics are way thin- ner. The only complaint I had, if any, was pulling wheelies in every straightaway. But is that even a real complaint? Yamaha's goal of making the bike fast, skinny and nimble was certainly achieved. Did we say fast? Lucky for us, the updated Power Tuner App makes it easy to fine-tune the engine in either direction. The overall experience of riding at the GOAT Farm will be hard to top, and the brand-new YZ450F was undoubtedly the cherry on top. CN SPECIFICATIONS 2023 YAMAHA YZ450F ($9899 TEAM YAMAHA BLUE / $10,099 MONSTER ENERGY YAMAHA RACING EDITION) ENGINE Single-cylinder, 4-stroke DISPLACEMENT 450cc VALVETRAIN DOHC, 4-valves, titanium COOLING SYSTEM Liquid LUBRICATION Dry sump COMPRESSION RATIO 13.0:1 FUEL DELIVERY Mikuni, 44mm, fuel injection ENGINE MODES Yamaha Power Tuner App, fully adjustable STARTING SYSTEM Electric TRANSMISSION 5-speed CLUTCH Wet, multi-plate, single disc spring, cable-actuated FRAME Aluminum, Bilateral Beam HANDLEBARS Aluminum w/4-way adjustable bar mounts, rubber-mounted FRONT SUSPENSION KYB, Speed Sensitive System, spring fork, tool-less fully adjustable REAR SUSPENSION KYB, single shock, linkage, fully adjustable FRONT-WHEEL TRAVEL 12.2 in. REAR-WHEEL TRAVEL 12.4 in. FRONT BRAKE Single 270mm disc, Nissin caliper REAR BRAKE Single 240mm disc FRONT WHEEL 80/100 x 21 in. REAR WHEEL 120/80 x 19 in. FRONT TIRE Dunlop Geomax MX33F REAR TIRE Dunlop Geomax MX33 SEAT HEIGHT 38.0 in. WHEELBASE 58.3 in. RAKE / TRAIL 26.9° / 4.7 in. GROUND CLEARANCE 13.8 in. FUEL CAPACITY 1.6 gal. WEIGHT (WET, CLAIMED) 240 lbs. RIDER AIDS Traction Control, Launch Control COLORS Yamaha Racing blue / Monster Energy Yamaha Racing Edition