Adam Booth | July 27, 2017
2018 Yamaha YZ450F First Test – Yamaha showed the world the all-new 2018 YZ450F motocrosser just last month and had everyone–especially us–curious as to how it would perform off the stand and out in the dirt, because Yamaha made a ton of changes to it. In this case, all-new truly means all-new. The engine, chassis, bodywork, and even tuning technology underwent change from 2017. (Click here for details.) We just spent our first day with the 2018 YZ450F at Glen Helen Raceway. The track was prepped deeply, making it loamy, which, in many places, eventually formed into plenty of ruts and bumps to give us a good first-day feel.
2018 Yamaha YZ450F First Test
After getting a major overhaul, the 2018 Yamaha YZ450F seems to have kept all of its good traits while making many of them even better. Photography by Adam Booth
The addition of electric start–which we greatly welcome–added weight, of course, so Yamaha found other areas to compensate for that, keeping the YZ450F within a few pounds of what it weighed last year (approximately 236 pounds dry). Unfortunately, the YZ wasn’t the lightest 450 in the class, far from it. There isn’t a kick-starter for back up, that’s why Yamaha overbuilt the entire starting system which includes using a powerful lithium ion battery to help insure a quick start all the time. At Glen Helen, the YZ’s electric start worked flawlessly all day. The engine always lit quickly, even in gear.
The first noticeable difference when sitting on the 2018 YZ450F is how much narrower and sleek it feels compared to the 2017. A big complaint with the YZ in the past has always been its width–too much of it–and it now feels much better. The seat and rear fender are also lower, too, changing the feel of bike when sitting, and allowing a little more clearance when riding and standing. Shorter riders will notice and appreciate this change more so than taller riders.
2018 Yamaha YZ450F First Test
More blue, same weight.
The YZ450F is known as a powerhouse. Now even more so. According to Yamaha, the 2018 engine tops last year’s engine by three horsepower. With lots of power comes “responsibility,” so Yamaha worked hard to make the 2018 engine more user-friendly through a number of engine changes and ECU settings. For our day at Glen Helen, the track, as we said, was cut deep and loamy, which allowed us to actually experience the YZ’s additional horsepower. Overall, the power rolls on predictably and smoothly, noticeably more so than in 2017, but then builds into a very robust mid and impressive top-end rev out. The 2018 engine pulls farther and harder than last year without question. Our testers noticed that it was possible to pull each gear further before shifting, yet it still has plenty of power down below for those who don’t like to rev 450s and would rather short shift them.
New this year, a free App, to go with your smartphone, allows you to change the maps very easily through a WI-Fi connection to the bike. There has been some online buzz about fear of hacking, but the system requires a password, and adjustments can’t be changed unless the engine is off. It is very easy to switch to any of the three alternative maps that come pre-loaded in the App; you can also create your own maps and share them with your friends if you want.
2018 Yamaha YZ450F First Test
Loam is the YZ’s best friend. The YZ’s powerful motor loves the soft stuff.
Speaking of the pre-loaded maps, they are noticeably different. The alternative maps include one for “Linear Torque,” one for “Smooth Linear” and one for “Hard Hitting (Loamy).” This is something that we are anxious to try out a lot more later on in our testing, but found–at least on this day, on this track–that the standard map was the most versatile.
The KYB suspension received stiffer spring rates for 2018, and we thought that the stock settings worked well with the recommended 100 millimeters of sag at Glen Helen.
We were also impressed by the way the YZ turns, which was not one of the YZ’s strongest points when it got it’s major overhaul (“reverse engine”) in 2010. However, it’s been getting better every year since then.
With just one day aboard the 2018 YZ450F we are confident this all-new bike is an improvement over the previous model. It is narrower, feels more nimble through the corners and in the air, and has improved power delivery (and more of it). Plus, it has electric start! Unfortunately, the YZ is going to remain one of the heaviest bikes in its class, though it is still in the ballpark with the other three Japanese-made 450s. However, they all have to do some serious dieting to catch up to the ultra lightweight KTM and Husqvarna 450s.
Keep checking back for our full test of the 2018 Yamaha YZ450F and upcoming 450 MX comparison.
2018 Yamaha YZ450F First Test
The YZ still isn’t the lightest bike in its class, but that doesn’t mean that it can’t be thrown around and made to do what you want it too–like scrubbing.
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