First Ride: 2010 Yamaha YZ450F

By: ChrisWorden

Posted: 10/01/09

6624 Views

0 Comments

Tags:

creek

Rating:

Vote it up!

Words and Photos: Chris Worden

It was just 10 years ago that I bought a '98 Yamaha YZ400F, my first bike, one that I would ride more laps on than any other machine I've owned since. I felt so unique because I was the only guy at the track with a four-stroke motocrosser. It sounded and looked strange, people didn't know what to think of the thumping beast. Now, of course, the sight of a four stroke motocross bike is commonplace. As in '98, Yamaha aimed again to stir the pot for 2010 with a new look and feel to engine component management.

Our first look at the 2010 Yamaha YZ450F

After our initial look at the machine, we were very curious to swing a leg over it and see how these new design ideas translated into functional riding benefits. We'd seen the Canondale-esque engine design before, but never had it been in a bike with race-proven components and a storied history of competition. A week later my new test rider Joel Nelson and I were on a plane to Maryland. It was our turn to take a spin on the new machine.

It didn't take many laps around the famed Budds Creek Motocross track to realize that these new design characteristics do translate into a different overall feel. The new rearward-slanted engine as well as the bilateral frame truly puts the center of gravity much lower than the '09 model. It's like having a ballast between your boots (this is a good thing), think of a low slung weight that helps you dive the bike into turns and helps maintain stability at high speeds. This took a while to get used to, but once we got the feel for it, diving the bike into big, rutted out turns became much easier. Handling on the YZ450F is superb, but different; you have to get used to it.

Take a lap around Budds Creek aboard the new machine.

Here are a few of our testing notes:

Suspension - We were very happy with the feel of the plush suspension on this bike. We didn't change a thing from the minute we finished our first few laps, clickers were still in stock position. Our test rider Joel attempted to bottom out the shock and fork a number of times down Henry's Hill but didn't have any luck. "The forks and shock are so progressive." claimed Nelson, "I just can't seem to over jump this thing!"
Engine - This bike comes on hard! The power curve is relatively smooth, but in its stock EFI settings the majority of the usable power is at the bottom and mid-range. This, of-course, can be altered a few ways; different chain/sprocket ratio, adjustments to the EFI settings (you'll need to buy the control module, when available, price is approx. $290) or purchase a progressive throttle body.
Brakes - The front brake on this bike is great. Budds was a great place to test these binders, too, there's a lot of high speed downhill sections with off-camber turns following which require you to get on the breaks hard.
Ergonomics/Riding Position - The new frame/gas tank combination really forces the rider forward. If you've spent any time on Yami's from the last few years you know that the seat had a major slump in it, this one is about as flat as it gets and forces the rider into a much more aggressive seating position than the previous model, which we liked.

The cylinder head is now turned around and the EFI system and airbox now sit up front. To accommodate the new intake design, Yamaha has reduced the size of the gas tank (1.6 gallons vs. last year's 1.85 gallons) and slid it underneath the seat. The new airbox sits below the fill cap on the tank and stays clear of the dust that is kicked up from riding the bike. After a number of laps around the track, we saw no evidence of dirt buildup on the dual-stage filter.

Of the revisions to the suspension, the changes in the rear of the bike seem to be the most drastic. Now that there’s no airbox to accommodate in the rear of the bike Yamaha has been able to line up the rear shock directly down the middle of the machine, which leads to a smoother more balanced feel to the rear end. The shock also benefits from a larger “piggyback” resevoir, as well as a larger piston (from 46mm to 50mm in ’10).

One of the main things that the Yamaha staff wanted to reinforce was that the new design, specifically mass centralization leads to a bike that easier to ride. From our limited experience at Budds we’re sure that they are right, though we look forward to getting the bike out on the track in Southern California where we are more familiar with the terrain.

Overall, we left Maryland very impressed with Yamaha’s new YZ450F. They made a number of big promises with these new design elements, and we’d say that the years of testing and development on this bike delivered on those promises.

2010 Yamaha YZ450F Specs

Engine Type: 449cc 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
Ignition: CDI
Transmission: Constant-mesh 5-speed; multiplate wet clutch
Suspension/Front: KYB Speed-Sensitive System, inverted fork: fully adjustable, 12.2-in travel
Suspension/Rear: KYB Fully adjustable single shock; 12.4-in travel
Brake/Front: Hydraulic single disc brake, 250mm
Brake/Rear: Hydraulic single disc brake, 245mm
Tire/Front: 80/100-21-Dunlop D-742FA
Tire/Rear: 120/80-19-Dunlop D-756
L x W x H: 86.3 x 32.4 x 51.6 in
Seat Height: 39.3 in
Wheelbase: 58.7 in
Ground Clearance: 15.0 in
Fuel Capacity: 1.6 gal
Color: Blue/White ($7,990); White/Red ($8,090)
**Wet Weight: 245 lb