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/540890
VOL. 52 ISSUE 28 JULY 14, 2015 P51 2 0 1 6 YA M A H A Y Z 4 5 0 F MSRP: ..............................$8590/$8690 (Limited edition 60th Anniversary) ENGINE TYPE: ...... 449.7cc liquid-cooled DOHC 4-STROKE: ........ 4 titanium valves BORE X STROKE: ............97.0 x 60.8mm COMPRESSION RATIO: .................... 12.5:1 FUEL DELIVERY: ..Yamaha Fuel Injection (YFI), Keihin 44mm throttle body IGNITION: ......TCI (Transistor Controlled Ignition) TRANSMISSION: ............. Constant-mesh 5-speed; multiplate wet clutch FINAL DRIVE: ...................................Chain FRONT SUSPENSION: ........................ KYB Speed-Sensitive System, inverted fork; fully adjustable, 12.2-in. travel REAR SUSPENSION: Monoshock, adjust- able preload and rebound damping, 12.4-in. travel FRONT BRAKE: ........... 270mm rotor disc brake w/two-piston caliper FRONT REAR: ............. 245mm rotor disc brake w/single-piston caliper FRONT TIRE: 80/100-21 Dunlop MX52-FA REAR TIRE: .....120/80-19 Dunlop MX52 SEAT HEIGHT: .............................. 38.0 in. WHEELBASE: ................................ 58.3 in. GROUND CLEARANCE: .................. 13.0 in. FUEL CAPACITY: .......................... 2.0 gal. CLAIMED WET WEIGHT: .............. 247 lbs. COLOR: ...................Team Yamaha Blue/ White; Limited-edition 60th Anniversary Yellow/Black/White SPECIFICATIONS small bumps and square edges better than ever. Even with our 180-pound test rider on board, bottoming was not an issue. We also liked the lower foot- pegs. The cool part is that even though they feel lower, the pegs are not any more susceptible to dragging than before. We came away from our first ride on the 2016 Yamaha YZ450F very impressed, again. From what we can tell so far, right out of the crate, the new YZ is improved significantly over its predecessor, it handles better, suspension is still fantas- tic, and its turning capabilities continue to inch forward in the right direction. And the motor? What can we say other than it's just as good as before but easier to manage. Yellow or blue, the new YZ450F is a hit with us, at least for now. We're anxious to get this bike on more tracks and delve deeper into this bike's DNA. And, of course, we'll tell you all about it when we do. CN 2016 HIGHLIGHTS •Launch Control System (LCS) •Oversized front-brake disc •Updated chassis and geometry •Optional limited edition yellow/ black coloring FIRST THOUGHTS •Improve cornering •Smoother bottom-end engine performance •More powerful front brake •Better balanced chassis deep loam. With the YZ, you can attack these types of turns with a vengeance and with complete confidence knowing that the bike is going to do what you tell it to do; it goes where it's pointed. The YZ also likes the ruts. Over- all, when it comes to cornering, the YZ450F has come a long way in the last five years. The YZ's suspension is still one of the best in the business. We've been saying this for a long time now, but the Yamaha's KYB Speed-Sensitive System coil spring fork just plain worls. Air forks might be the rage right now and we certainly do get excited about all this spring-less technol- ogy coming down the pike these days, but the YZ's simple and proven SSS spring/oil fork is just so easy to tune and live with. You don't need a KYB suspen- sion technician with you every time you go to the track. You pretty much just set it and forget it (well, they do need to be bled once in a while, which is some- thing even the wife can do). Even though the rear shock has a lighter spring, the YZ still has enough girth to handle the big hits while soaking up the (Far left) New mapping and new exhaust and intake valve timing result in a more manageable power delivery. (Left) Yamaha joined the oversized front- brake disc wars.