| September 9, 2021
The blue bikes are back but are they better than ever?
By Ryan Nitzen | Photography by Kit Palmer
The year 2022 won’t be known as a year of changes when it comes to production motocross bikes. Only a few models receive what we would deem significant updates. Like many others, Yamaha is one of the manufacturers that left well enough alone with its two premier MX models, the YZ250F and YZ450F. Luckily for the blue crew, the YZ250F and YZ450F are already stellar motorcycles, so no great concern here that they weren’t significantly updated. Last year, the YZ250F won our annual 250F motocross shootout for the umpteenth time over the past decade, while the 2021 YZ450F slipped a few notches from the previous year, but our test riders were still impressed with the ’21 YZ450F.
The 2022 Yamaha YZ450F (left) and YZ250F return much like they were last year but with updated rear wheels and suspension settings.
For 2022, the YZ250F ($8499) and YZ450F ($9599) share the same shortlist of changes. Both get new rear-wheel assemblies and minor suspension updates, aka clicker changes.
The YZ’s rear wheels are said to be lighter thanks to re-worked hubs, sprockets and drive chains. As a result, Yamaha claims this all adds up to reduced “unsprung weight and driveline inertia, contributing to more agile handling.” However, Yamaha specs reveal both bikes weigh the same as last year, 234 pounds (wet) for the YZ250F and 245 pounds (wet) for the YZ450F.
The rims feature a new three-cross-spoke pattern (a first for Yamaha dirt bikes), which Yamaha says improves “impact absorption and feel.”
There you have it—all the changes to the new YZ-Fs, except, of course, for graphics. Beside traditional blue, the 250 and 450 are available with special Monster Energy graphics for an additional $200.
2022 Yamaha YZ250F
Technically, the 2022 YZ250F did get a few more changes than the YZ450F. While the 250 did get the same three-cross-spoke pattern as the 450, the 250’s rear rim is slightly wider than the previous 250 rim and is also fitted with a wider 110/90 instead of a 100/90 rear tire. The tire brand has changed, too. The YZ250F comes with Dunlop Geomax MX33 rubber versus the previous Bridgestone rubber. The 250’s rear wheel is now interchangeable with the 450, which is really handy for the serious amateur racer.
On the track, we’ll just have to take Yamaha’s word for it that the 250’s rear wheel improves impact absorption and feel. However, we couldn’t feel any significant difference, though we can tell you that the YZ250F certainly hooks up nicely out of the turns, which could have something to do with the slightly wider rim/tire or the different brand or a little bit of both. In case you’re wondering, the new wheels are not interchangeable with their off-road YZ-FX cousins because the FXs have smaller-diameter axles.
Depending on the terrain, you’ll no doubt notice improved rear-wheel traction due to the YZ250F’s slightly larger rear tire.
In the suspension department, the shock and fork come off the assembly line with different clicker settings but with some additional internal tweaks done to the already excellent Kayaba SSS forks. At least on our first day on the bike, we couldn’t feel a difference between the ’21 and ’22’s suspension, but we don’t really care since the previous suspension was already so good.
In general, all the things we love about the ’21 YZ250F—suspension, engine, handling, etc.—are back for ’22, as is, of course, Yamaha’s excellent Wi-Fi engine mapping system that you alter via your smartphone. We love the simplicity of this system and how you can easily share maps with your friends or download them through Yamaha’s website.
Quite simply—when it comes to the 2022 YZ250F, if you’re already a fan, you will be again.
2022 Yamaha YZ450F
All the same can pretty much be said about the 2022 YZ450F, a bike that hasn’t seen many changes for a couple of years now. We’d be lying if we said we could feel the difference between the ’21 and the ’22. They feel like the same bikes to us, at least during our early testing. But, again, we’re not disappointed in any way because we were already big fans of the ’21 YZ450F.
Last year, we said the YZ450F was an absolute beast of a bike that features some genuinely state-of-the-art technology. Well, all this still holds true for ’22. We love the YZ’s potent motor, the smartphone engine-tuning (mapping) capability, the YZ’s wide footpegs, the highly adjustable handlebars, its top-notch suspension (especially the forks) and close attention to detail. The Yamaha is well built; no argument there.
The 2022 YZ450F is still a beast but a friendly beast.
It’s not perfect, though. The YZ450F still has a big feel about it; it also feels taller and wider than most of its competitors, and some riders say it takes a little more effort to get it through the corners quickly than most other bikes in its class. And it has that loud intake noise that drives some people nuts.
Power, of course, is not an issue—it has tons of it. In fact, we found ourselves toning things down a bit, opting for a smoother map before our first day on the bike was concluded. You can download our favorite “Magic” map for the CN YZ450F that we came up with by clicking HERE.
Once again, the YZ450F is still an incredible motorcycle. Like the YZ250F, if you love the 2021 YZ450F, you will love the 2022 YZ450F.CN
Click here to read the 2022 Yamaha YZ250F & YZ450F Review in the Cycle News Digital Edition Magazine.
