Cycle News Staff | June 29, 2018
Since the early 1970s, the Japanese motorcycle manufacturers have been pushing the progression of motocross bikes at an incredible rate. Yamaha has often been at the top of the list for new bike development. They were the pioneers of the Monoshock rear suspension system back in 1975 (when all the other brands were still coming with two shocks.) In 1998, they were the first brand to come out with a competitive four-stroke motocross bike. This bike basically revolutionized the sport of MX and caused all other brands to follow suit in the following years. All this history and innovation should make the 2019 Yamaha YZ450F First Test an exciting one
2019 Yamaha YZ450F First Test
Test rider Ricky York blows up a Cahuilla Creek berm on the 2019 Yamaha YZ450F. Photos: Kit Palmer
In 2010, they added fuel injection and flipped the engine around in the YZ450F to help handling and power delivery but had some mixed reviews from riders. Some loved the bike, while others felt the bike handled worse than its previous design. For the following years, Yamaha has been working out the kinks and proving that new design was a step forward.
For 2018, the YZ450F was redesigned, once again (2018 Yamaha YZ450F First Test). The bike gained an electric start, along with a new frame and engine. The Yamaha performed well but still was not a shootout winner.
For 2019, Yamaha went back and instead of reinventing the wheel, they took what they already had and fine-tuned it. (Read Cycle News’ 2019 Yamaha YZ450F First Look for all the changes). They worked with the R&D test department and addressed any complaints or issues from the previous model. On paper, the list of changes look minimal, but on the track, the small changes are very positive and noticeable.
Improved stability And Traction
Yamaha didn’t make huge changes to the 2019 YZ450F, but the changes they did make really make a difference–for the better!
We’ve had the 2019 Yamaha YZ450F in our possession for about a week now and already have a good feel for what the new YZ has to offer.
Most of the test riders have praised the Yamaha SSS forks since their arrival back in 2006. Many other bike manufacturers have bounced back and forth from air to spring forks the past few years (most of them ultimately going back to old-school spring design). Thankfully, Yamaha stuck with their tried and true spring forks that have been a class favorite from the start. For 2019, Yamaha kept the same spring rate from the ’18 but went with stiffer valving in the front and rear. The stiffer valving aids in keeping the bike more balanced, level, and not so busy feeling at higher speeds in the roller style bumps. The KYB units have a beautiful way of finding balance between small-bump comfort and cushioning the hard impact landings.
Test rider Tyler Rosa on the new YZ450F. After getting a major overall in 2018, the 2019 YZ450F gets some more tweaking.
Along with the stiffer suspension, they also went with a thicker front axle bracket, and thicker front and rear axle wheel collars—doesn’t seem like much but they really do make a difference. Yamaha techs explained to us that they had been testing the thicker collars for quite a while and they made a noticeable difference in increased front-end rigidity and traction. Like we said, on the track this was quite noteworthy.
Riding the 2019 back to back with the 2018, made the last year’s model feel soft and spongy. Almost like trail bike suspension, while the 2019 setup feels tight like a well set up race bike in stock form. Since the backward-designed motor in 2010, the 2019 is the most precise and best-handling Yamaha YZ450F to date.
Other Refinements
New front and rear axle wheel collars make a noticeable difference in handling.
To go with the stiffer suspension changes, Yamaha also went with a 16% stiffer seat foam. Last year’s model was so soft that I often felt the seat base every time I would seat bounce a jump. The added density of the new foam feels much better and seems to cure that issue. (We will see how well the foam holds up as we add more hours on the bike.) It’s pretty amazing how seemingly small things like seat foam can make a big difference for the better. A great example of this is in MotoGP where a slight reshaping of the fuel tank instantly resulted in two straight victories for Jorge Lorezo after a year-and-a-half winless dry spell. There is a lot to be said about being comfortable when you’re racing a motorcycle, either on the pavement or dirt.
Engine performance is identical to the ’18 model, with the exception of the 49-tooth rear sprocket (up one tooth from last year). This was noticeable on the track and makes the bike pull a little harder out of the corners and feel a little peppier. Last year, a couple test riders complained about getting their boots hung up on the right-side number plate. Yamaha addressed this with a retention tab at the lower front portion of the plate. I didn’t notice the tab while riding, which is good because that means my boots never got caught on the number plate to raise any concerns.
New seat foam greatly improves the overall feel when aboard the 2019 Yamaha YZ450F.
Yamaha offers the YZ450F in two colors: Team Yamaha Blue with flat blue rims and in White with black rims. I personally love the Team Blue color. The bike looks clean and the blue wheels give the bike a unique “race team” look. One of my absolute favorite features of the bike is how easy it is to tune the engine. Yamaha is the only motocross bike to offer a free wireless Power Tuning App. This lets you adjust fuel and timing for different power levels, log settings from track to track, log runtime for maintenance, diagnose codes, and even share custom tunes with your friends.
The Initial Verdict?
Steering has improved over the recent years with the YZ450F. It’s pretty darn good now.
So far so good. The 2019 Yamaha YZ450F might not be radically changed from last year’s model, but the refinements make incredible improvements in all the right places. Sometimes it’s not about going back to the drawing board but tweaking and fine-tuning the bike you have. Props to the Yamaha R&D team for developing and pushing this bike to make it the best version to date. I am looking forward to riding the Yamaha against all the 450s for the 2019 shootout. I have a good feeling the blue bike will be up in the front of the pack. CN
By Ricky Yorks
The YZ450F is still available in two color options.
