WHAT'S
NEW
FOR
2016LIGHT
TOUCH
UFO supplies the licence
plate holder, which formspart
of the lightingkit and includes
a brake light circuit.HEADLIGHT
Not everyone loves the UFO
Stealth headlight but it's
lighter than Yamaha's WR one
and features LED stripsJ
ust over a year ago, Yamaha
introduced the YZ250FX to the
world via a launch in the land of
Lord of the Rings – Queenstown,
New Zealand. That followed the
launch of the all-new WR250F a month
earlier in NSW and showed the world
what Yamaha was going to do every time
it released a new model.
In an effort to corner the enduro and off-road
market, Yamaha now builds several versions of
each model to suit different appetites, using the
same proven platform. The YZ450FX is the
cross-country version of the WR450F enduro
released late last year.
The YZ450FX has borrowed the fi ve-speed,
wide-ratio gearbox, engine mounts, electric
start, 18-inch rear wheel, sidestand and
bashplate from the WR450F while the YZ450F
was just pillaged for its muffl er (if you ignore
the engine, chassis, suspension and ergos).
So, the only things unique to the YZ450FX
are its enduro-spec suspension, the ECU and
the non-anodised rims. So does that make
much of a difference? You bet your bottom
dollar it does! It’s amazing how much of a
difference small changes have made to the
newest of these triplets.
So if your blood bleeds blue, why should or
shouldn’t you pick the YZ450FX over the
YZ450F or WR450F?
WHY IT’S BETTER
SUSPENSION: Of all three machines, the
YZ450FX suits my riding ability, weight and
speed down to the ground. With gear I tip the
scales at 100kg, and my speed would be that of
a decent trailrider.
I compete in the Clubman class when I put
the race face on and the thought of doing a
three-hour cross country makes my body ache.
Most of the riding I do is on the trail and the
slightly fi rmer suspension set-up, achieved via a
different shim stack and damping, helps the
YZ-FX sit up a little more in the stroke under
my weight.
It’s not as fi rm or twitchy as the YZ450F, and
doesn’t lumber like a lounge chair on wheels
like the WR450F does. Despite running the
same shock as the YZ-F and WR-F, the
slow-speed compression, rebound and
high-speed compression damping on the FX
have all been adapted for enduro racing, not
trailriding (see sidebar).
The fi rmer damping means the spring rate
was probably okay for my weight.
As for the twin-chamber 48mm USD KYB
fork, it also has been adapted for enduro racing.
Slight adjustments to the compression damping
clickers stiffened up the front-end, which
rewarded those willing to push it a little harder
than they would a WR450F.
70 | APRIL 2016 http://www.adbmag.com.au