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T
henews that I’dbe
steeringaYamaha
WR450F upon my
triumphantreturntoADB
hadmepumped,but also
alittlenervous. I’llbethe
first to admit that,with
thephysicalbuild of apraying mantis, I
was alittleworriedhow I’dgo swinging
off thebackof aball-tearing 450.
The WR450F is abigbike, no getting
around that, and although I’ve got the
required height, weight is more of a
factor when you’re trying to thread a
123 kgmissilethroughthetrees.Myfirst
ride was abitofawake-upcall.Itwasn’t
the ideal location topopmy WR450F
cherry as it was rockledge after rock
ledgewithnoopen, flowing trails.
Ibattledwith theWR45 0 Ftheentire
time.Istalleditateveryclimb,couldn’t
steeritandthroughtighttreesIfound
the engine too abrupt. It dented my
confidencebut Iknew in thebackof my
minditwasn’t450Fterritory,these
things like going fast!
Tech Editor Mat Boyd assured me that
afewhourswiththeYa m a h a Power
Tuner would fix all myproblems. The
next timeIrodetheWR45 0 Fwascloser
towhatI’dcall450Fterritory–fast,
flowing trailswithsweeping corners.
HereIstartedtoenjoyridingthe
WR-F. It’s an incredibly stablebikeand
offers a smooth ride over rough trails.
Where I’d usuallybegettingknocked
around on a two-stroke,the Yammi
ploughed through, unphased.
By this stage thebikewasstartingto
lookmorelikeanADBGarage resident.
TeeNCee Graphics had decked out the
bikewithagreatlooking graphicskit
and I’d replaced the stockheadlight
withaSquadron Sports LED unit from
Baja Designs.Maintenance
The maintenance scheduled outlined in
the WR450F’s manual recommends an oil
change after the first 500km and then
every 1000km after that for competition
use. For trailriding, Yamaha recommends
every 3000km. However, Tech Editor Mat
Boyd recommended I do the oil more
regularly as dirtbike engines cop a lot of
abuse. Boydy recommends oil changes
every five hours so I used that as a guide
and didn’t have any problems.
Valve clearances never needed
adjustment and the air filter was cleaned
every one-to-three rides depending on
conditions. The simple maintenance makes
the WR450F an easy bike to live with.
Parts that required replacement were the
rear brake pads and the header pipe. The
header was badly bent after a rider, who I
will not identify, cartwheeled the WR450F
down a rock ledge.
The stock chain and sprockets were
showing signs of wear but did not require
changing in the nine months we had it.Power Tuner
Yamaha’s Power Tuner opens up an
infinite amount of engine adjustments.
It’s a plug-in that you can carry in your
hydration pack and make changes to the
engine’s power delivery on the trails or at
the track.
We spent a lot of time playing around
with mapping options for the WR450F.
Working from the recommended “Hollis”
map, we made countless micro adjustments
until we found a map we liked. More
changes had to be made after we fitted the
Akrapovic muffler but again it was a
five-minute job.
For Yamaha owners it’s a tool I highly
recommend investing in. The one device can
be used across Yamaha’s YZ-F and WR-F
range so if you’ve got a bunch of mates all
riding Yamahas, split the cost.
The Power Tuner retails for $421.99 and is
available from yshop.yamaha-motor.com.auhttp://www.adbmag.com JUNE 2017 | 81MAIN: Slow speed stuff
can be a challenge
- TeeNCee Graphics
kit looking mint - New headlight
from Baja Designs