meter and maintenance logs, and
the YZ is easily the most electroni-
cally advanced bike of this year's
lineup.
The KYB suspension on the
Yamaha is hands down the best
in class. Every rider felt comfort-
able right off the bat and the new
finger clickers on the fork make it
easier than ever to make adjust-
ments. Its cloud-like feel offers a
plush cushion on top to absorb
smaller bumps but ramps up pro-
gressively to take big hits in stride.
No one felt uneasy going long on a
new jump or charging into a rough
set of braking bumps. The suspen-
sion on the Yamaha is confidence-
inspiring and works exceptionally
well in various conditions.
The Yamaha is five pounds
lighter than the next Japanese
bike; every rider can feel this. At
241 pounds, it rivals the Austrians
and tips the scales at the same
weight as the GasGas. This makes
the Yamaha feel ultra-nimble
and certainly aids in the overall
power-to-weight ratio. While the
bike feels agile in the tight stuff,
this lightweight nature contrib-
uted to some headshake at higher
speeds. Both our tracks featured
faster sections where the bike felt
nervous and twitchy. We couldn't
completely shake this issue,
which meant some of our guys
didn't feel comfortable opening
the bike up to its true potential.
Again, two of our faster riders
ranked this as their top pick due
to its potent motor and comfort-
able suspension. Others noted
that the bike felt too fast, and they
could only hang on for a few short
laps. Even with a few key updates
for 2025, the YZF is still just two
clicks out of first place.
P112
SHOOTOUT I 2025 450CC FOUR-STROKE MOTOCROSS SHOOTOUT
