It’s not that surprising that the Yamaha YZ450F is the best-selling bike in its class—because it’s that good. The 2015 version was the hands-down winner of our 450-class MX shootout, our test riders falling in love with the YZ’s outstanding suspension, solid handling and insane power, having the most dirt-throwing power in its class (at least until the late-arriving 2015 KTM 450 SX-F Factory Edition emerged on the scene well after shootout season was over).
Ever since the YZ450F got a complete overhaul in 2010, Yamaha has been fine-tuning the bike with every passing year and this year (2016) is no exception. As much as we liked the 2015 version, it wasn’t perfect. For example, we penalized it for lagging behind in the front-brake department and it still failing to jump on the launch-control bandwagon. Plus, some of the other bikes turn better than the YZ, which is something the YZ has struggled with ever since 2010. Luckily, Yamaha addressed all of these faults for 2016.
But first, you probably noticed that our 2016 Yamaha YZ450F test bike doesn’t look like your traditional YZ—it’s yellow instead of blue! Don’t worry, Yamaha still offers the bike in its traditional blue color scheme but to commemorate the company’s 60th anniversary, Yamaha is also offering the bike in limited-edition yellow and black, which it has done before in the past to celebrate other milestones in the company’s long history. In the early days of motocross, YZs in the U.S. at least, like the ones Bob Hannah and Broc Glover rode, were yellow. Problem was, so were Suzukis. Wanting more of their own identity, Yamaha eventually switched to primarily white coloring (like they already were in Europe and Canada and nearly everywhere else in the world for that matter) for the YZs before switching again to all-blue in 1996 to go along the company’s new corporate look. The 2016 Limited-Edition 60th Anniversary Yellow version looks sweet but sells for slightly more than the traditional blue version, $8690 (yellow) versus $8590 (blue). What’s a hundred bucks when it looks this pretty?
Yamaha made a number of revisions to the 2016 YZ450F. We’re glad to see that they have finally incorporated launch control that Yamaha simply calls its Launch Control System (LCS), which alters the engine’s ECU (mellows out initial throttle input) for better traction and rear-wheel control off the gate. You’ll notice that the LCS button on the handlebar looks identical to that on the Kawasaki KX450F, the bike that got the launch control ball rolling a while back. The YZ’s LCS works in the same manner as the Kawasaki’s: you press and hold the button until you see a red light start to flash—LCS is now engaged. The system remains engaged until you click into third gear, that’s when the ECU mapping returns to normal. We tested the system on a concrete pad and found that it works quite well. You still have to do some throttle/clutch work yourself, but the LCS certainly makes it easier to get that just-right throttle/clutch combination and helps you get consistently off the line quicker and smoother.
Yamaha also joined the oversized front-brake rotor wars, tossing away the previous 250mm rotor for a 270mm pedal-style disc. The smaller disc actually worked okay on the 2015 YZ, but we quickly got spoiled by the larger-diameter discs on the other bikes. The difference on the track is very noticeable and a big improvement over the former front brake. It’s way more powerful but luckily just as predictable as before.
Yamaha joined the oversized front-brake disc wars.
The 2015 YZ450F motor made incredible power, especially off the bottom. In fact, the 2015 YZ exploded off the bottom, which had its advantage and disadvantages. For 2016, Yamaha wanted to tone down that hit just a bit, making it more manageable for the average rider. To do this, the YZ got revised intake and exhaust cam profiles and timing. Yamaha’s goal was to smooth out bottom-to-mid delivery without sacrificing any power and they have seemed to have met that goal. The Yamaha still yanks hard when you first open up the throttle but not quite as dramatically as before, which, really is a good thing—at least for most people. Justin Barcia might like the previous harder hit better, but he’s Justin Barcia and we’re not. Very few are. The new power delivery, which makes the bike easier to ride, should appeal to a wider range of riders. From mid range on up, the YZ feels just like it did before and that is F-A-S-T! No surprises here.
Yamaha did change the YZ’s ECU base mapping a bit from the 2015 YZ; it’s said to be richer in certain areas. Of course, the YZ’s ECU mapping can be easily altered—by you—via Yamaha’s GYTR Power Tuner (sold separately for $279.95). On this day, we stayed with the stock mapping. The GYTR Power Tuner is a very useful tool; it might not be as simple to use as swapping out couplers, but it’s pretty darn close, and far more “fine-tunable.” It’s worth every penny. The YZ has plenty of power on tap—that’s not the question—but getting that power to the ground efficiently can be (with all 450s actually), and the Power Tuner will help make that happen with the YZ.
It still has plenty of power but not quite as explosive off the bottom as before (we like that).
Other changes to the YZ’s motor are relatively minor. Yamaha made revisions to the clutch boss and shift stopper arm to provide smoother clutch engagement and more precise feel. Yamaha says that some tweaking to the five-speed transmission also results in improved shifting while under a load and reduced chances of missed-shifts between first and second gears. All we can say so far is that the Yamaha nailed every shift all day long on our first ride, but we didn’t have any real gripes with last year’s tranny.
Yamaha also made improves to the water-pump impeller to improve “pressure distribution.” We assume this means more efficient cooling.
Yamaha, however, did make a fair amount of changes to the YZ’s chassis to attain a more balanced feel and to improve front-end bite in the turns. First of all, Yamaha went to a significantly softer spring rate in the back (58Nm to 56Nm). The idea here was to get the back end to settle down more for a lower and more level ride. This alone, however, changed the geometry of the front end, so to compensate, the triple clamp offset was changed fairly significantly, from 22mm to 25mm, while also increasing trail, effectively pulling the forks closer to the rider. Despite all this, wheelbase remains the same at 58.3 inches.
Yamaha didn’t stop here. It altered the flex characteristic of the YZ’s aluminum Bilateral Beam frame by widening the frame spars at the swingarm pivot area 12mm and installing new top motor mounts. The mounts are now 2mm thicker and shaped more like a “V” rather than a “Y.” According to Yamaha and one of its test riders, Travis Preston, the motor mounts play a huge role in how the bike handles and feels.
Yamaha paid a lot of attention to the YZ’s chassis with emphasis on turning.
Also, they also managed to drop the height of the footpegs 5mm without actually relocating the footpeg mounts themselves. This move was for both rider comfort and to achieve a slightly lower center of gravity.
The net result is definitely a more balance and better cornering YZ450F. The Yamaha was already a solid-handling machine, but the flatter more settled positioning gives the YZ an even more planted feel, especially when braking hard over bumps while entering turns. There seems to be less movement overall—not quite as busy feeling—as before, which is a good thing. This lets you concentrate more on the upcoming turn where—as you already know—races are won.
Speaking of cornering, the YZ still doesn’t carve through a turn as sharp or as precise as either the Suzuki RM-Z450 or KTM 450 SX but it’s certainly in the same ballpark. The YZ, which is again fitted with Dunlop Geomax MX52 tires, still turns well. The front end seems to dig in and stay on its intended course a little better than before, and it still loves the big berms and 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. Overall, when it comes to cornering, the YZ450F has come a long way in the last five years.
New mapping and new exhaust and intake valve timing result in a more manageable power delivery.
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 works. Air forks might be the rage right now and we certainly do get excited about all this spring-less technology 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 suspension 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 something 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 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 footpegs. 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 fantastic, 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.
SPECIFICATIONS
2016 Yamaha YZ450F
| 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, adjustable 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 |
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