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/1540780
2026 YAMAHA YZ450F ($10,299) ENGINE TYPE 4-stroke, single COOLING SYSTEM Liquid VALVETRAIN DOHC, 4-valves DISPLACEMENT 450cc BORE X STROKE 97mm × 60.8mm STARTING SYSTEM Electric COMPRESSION 13.0:1 FUELING Mikuni fuel injection, 44mm TRANSMISSION 5-speed, CLUTCH Nissin, hydraulic FRAME Aluminum FRONT SUSPENSION KYB SSS Coil Spring Fork, fully adjustable REAR SUSPENSION KYB Coil with linkage, fully adjustable FRONT-WHEEL TRAVEL 12.2 in. REAR-WHEEL TRAVEL 11.6 in. FRONT WHEEL 21 in. REAR WHEEL 19 in. FRONT TIRE 80/100-21 Dunlop Geomax MX33F REAR TIRE 120/80-19 Dunlop Geomax MX33 FRONT BRAKE Hydraulic disc, 270mm REAR BRAKE Hydraulic disc, 240mm WHEELBASE 58.1 in SEAT HEIGHT 38 in. FUEL CAPACITY 1.6 gal. WEIGHT (WET, CLAIMED) 243 lbs. my boot. I'm sure there will be good aftermarket solutions for this, but it did take some get- ting used to. I'm also still not crazy about the Yamaha seat shape and foam density, but the new seat cover does do a better job at holding the rider in place. Manufacturers face a tough challenge: creating a faster bike that can be detuned or a slower bike that can be "tuned up." Either way, not everyone will be satisfied. The 2025 YZ450F wasn't a bike that needed more power; I found myself detuning it every time I rode it. Now, with a smoother power curve, I can ride the new YZ450F longer, faster, and feel more comfortable doing so. Yamaha addressed my two biggest complaints by offering a more refined engine feel and improved high-speed stability in the frame and suspension. This bike still ranks among the top 450s, but it should now appeal to a broader range of riders. CN P98 RIDE REVIEW I 2026 YAMAHA YZ450F vided good feedback through- out the day. Yamaha was one of the last manufacturers to use cable-actuated clutches, but it finally made the jump to hydraulic. Even going back- to-back with the '25 model, it was hard to tell the difference. The engineers did a great job at keeping the lever pull nearly the same from cable to hydro. I prefer the finer point of en - gagement with cable clutches, but the hydraulic unit on the Yamaha didn't hinder my rid- ing experience in any way. If you are an absolute, no-doubt die-hard cable clutch user, I don't think you'll have a big issue changing over to hydrau- lic with the Nissin unit on the Yamaha. My only complaint with the new YZ is the footpeg mounts. They stick out too far from the frame, and I ended up stand- ing on the mounts instead of the actual pegs multiple times. This forced me to take a half- step away from the frame to get a good bite from the peg to The YZ450F offers a white, red and black color option. The 70th Anniversary Edition is worth the extra $200.