Yamaha YZ450F
Riding the Yamaha feels different than the rest of the Japanese bikes with its layout, electric motor and supple suspension - that translates to fast.
Under most circumstances, upstanding men such as us would scorn any sneaky, undermining behavior, but as it relates to this particular case we found nothing but delight in the mischievous
Yamaha. The YZ-F's bag of tricks includes its motor, ergos, exhaust and suspension - a deviant through and through. The odd thing is how much we like the way it misbehaves.
Our testers paired the Yamaha with the Kawasaki as the two smoothest machines in the test, but no one mistook the vastly different motor characteristics. Our least experienced rider, and heaviest, found the bike sluggish with its relative lack of low-end tug, but the speedier pilots were able to utilize the upper-rpm powerband. What everyone did agree on in terms of the motor is that it is deceptively fast.
Again, the eloquent Sun lays it out in easy terms. "Somebody might think that it doesn't have enough power on the bottom, but in many ways it delivers the right amount of power at the right time in the turn and delivers more as you exit. Consequently it takes much less energy to ride the bike," he said. "The YZ-F's more of a revver even though you don't have to get it up there before it delivers the power."
While the
Yamaha wasn't blowing anybody's socks off on Day 1 of our test, a few minds had been changed by the time we closed the petcocks for the final time. Three of five riders picked the YZ-F's motor first. Is it coincidental that the same ratio voted the Yamaha best overall? We'd say not. Motor is what 450s are all about. After all, these are the new open-class bikes.
Not only does it have a misleading motor but everyone thought for sure it would be the quietest in our emissions test. Perhaps just looking at the tiny exhaust opening in the muffler influenced our brainwaves, but it was a unanimous consensus among the testers. We could have argued day and night about which barks the loudest (Kawi), but the Yamaha seemed to be a shoe-in for the silent-but-deadly award. As it turns out, the Yammie will pass AMA rules for motocross and supercross racing, but just barely at the legal limit of 99 dB. The Honda and Suzuki are both quieter, but Blue's exhaust note is much different from the remaining trio in that it whines more than it barks. The comparison is much like a contrast between a zingy Ferrari and the throaty roar of an overbuilt Mustang.
Our testers got a whole new appreciation for the Yammie once we hit the abusive chatter of Glen Helen's National track. The smaller bumps are where Yamaha's Kayaba suspension really shine.
After riding the perimeter-framed Honda and its two copycats, Yamaha's unique take on the aluminum chassis was refreshing and enjoyable. Many riders felt the YZ-F's frame is the slimmest between their legs which contributes to a light, nimble feel in the air. The bike tips the scales at 232 lbs, which is less than the Suzuki (235) and Kawasaki (236) but slightly more than the ultra-light CRF (229). The biggest difference between the three is where the Yammie carries its weight.
Engineers made a concerted effort to reduce the weight on the front end by lightening the triple clamps, upper fork tubes, wheels and brake rotors. It worked because with a full tank the Yamaha has eight more pounds on the back of the motorcycle - the highest weight ratio placed on the rear wheel out of all the bikes. The goal was to produce a lighter-steering machine, but what most of our testers found was that it put more turning influence on the rear wheel. Not everyone prefers that setup, but it was very suitable to our faster riders.
"The first thing I noticed about this bike is that it's a rear-end turning bike," noted Zalamea. "I love that. With Comp Edge's intermediate-to-hard terrain I felt like the front end wanted to wash out on me in off-camber or hard-pack turns, but the straights and whoops were really stable."
Our novice also noticed the long feel of the Yamaha. By no means raked out, and with less than a half-inch more wheelbase than the other bikes, the sensation stems from the low handlebars, roomy ergonomics and a front fender that seems to stretch out in front. The ProTaper handlebar raises the grips 8mm compared to last year but it still sits down in the rider's lap more than the threesome of Renthals on the others.
The soft setup on the Kayaba suspension drew rave reviews for its plush action. Utilizing its entire stroke, the fork and shock compliment one another and helped boost the YZ-F's rating once we took it to the choppy, bone-jarring Glen Helen circuit. The first day seemed to favor the stiffer suspensions of the CRF and Suzuki with a relatively chatter-free track and big jumps - which our notes reflected as several riders commented about bottoming the YZ-F. However, what Glen Helen lacked in big air it made up for in big braking bumps. Soaking up the abusive obstacles is what these Kayabas do best. Fortunately it still provides enough bottoming resistance to let a rider get away with minimal tinkering and more riding.
With the most weight bias of our foursome placed on its rear wheel, the YZ-F steers effectively with the rear end. But, as Chuck Sun demonstrates, hoist yourself over the bars and that front end sticks.
A really well-balanced package," says our Hollywood stuntman, Zalamea. "If you're like me and don't like to change your clickers too often, then this suspension is for you."
"When I first rode it I thought the suspension may be too soft," sums the 190-lb Sun. "But as the track got rougher the suspension was ideal for my speed, and I think a pro can get along with it too. Basically when you're not thinking about the suspension and you're doing more (on the track) and you want to keep riding, that's kind of an indicator that good things are going on."
The
Yamaha certainly has a lot of good things going on as it handily won the overall crown. It took us the full test to sort out the true nature of this Blue beast, but once we did we were sure happy with the results. Not only does the Yamaha serve the widest variety of riders, but it has the most distinct feel of the Japanese squad. It only took top honors in one category but again YZ-F wiled its way into the shootout win. There's nothing deceiving about the fact that a unique feel and top-level product is a damn good combination.
Overall Rank: 1st
Categories Won: Motor
Yamaha YZ450F Notepad:
Blue plastic looks haggard on short notice
No sight window for oil level
Bolt sizes have been standardized for easier maintenance
Optional white plastic gives a little variety
Highest MSRP at $6999/$7099 (white)
