WHY IT’S NOT BETTER
NO ADR: Not being able to ride this thing on
roads is a major drawback. Unless you ride only
on private property or live in states with rec rego
(Victoria and Tassie), this bike will be
impractical. As a race bike it is a great thing,
but without registration it is illegal to ride this
bike in state forests.
It’s a shame because I feel as though it is
better than the WR450F, even for the average
punter who prefers to sit down rather than stand
up and is thinking about the beer rather than
the bush.
KEEPING COOL: Of the 15 or so bikes at the
launch, not one boiled all day. However, the
mercury never eclipsed 24 degrees and we were
regularly in and out of water with minimal
slow-speed, air-restricting riding.
A thermo fan fi tted would help with your
peace of mind when grinding out slow, humid,
muddy sections in northern Australia. That
being said, it is one more thing to break and a
little more weight to carry.
BLISTER BUSTERS: I know I have soft hands
from pounding on a keyboard all day, but the
half-waffl e handgrips that come standard on the
YZ450FX are rock hard and uncomfortable. I’ve
always hated half-waffl e grips and, as a
trailrider, never understood their appeal as, in
my opinion, the half-waffl e grips don’t offer
more grip or better wear than softer options.
I would prefer to see Yamaha go with softer,
more comfortable grips, especially if this bike is
going to be used in events such as the
Australian Four-Day Enduro.
SEAT SHAPE: I struggled with the shape of the
seat and found it hard to get to the front of the
bike. This could also be a result of the wide
shrouds. The natural shape forced me to the
middle of the seat and it felt like I was sitting in
the bike, rather than on top and up the front of
the bike. If I was buying the YZ450FX I'd opt
for a fl atter and possibly taller seat.FAVOURITE TRIPLET
The YZ450FX is the pick of the bunch for me
and, according to Josh Coppins, who was
instrumental in developing the bike, an
excellent motocrosser as well. The YZ450FX
offers the best engine of the 450 Yami triplets
and the best suspension setup for the typical
Aussie bloke (let’s face it, we’re bigger built
than riders in most of the nations these bikes
are designed for, except the USA).
A lack of ADR compliance is a big let down,
but with states like NSW on the verge of getting
rec reg (see p16) and sales of cross-country
models on the increase, we may not have to
wait too long before this bike is legal to ride in
the bush in a third state.BULK BIN
The only difference in
measurements between the
WR450F and YZ450FX is the
weight. The YZ450FX weighs
119kg (wet), while the ADR'd
WR450F weighs 123kg (wet).MODEL WR450F YZ450F YZ450FX
Front wheel travel [mm] 310 310 310
Springrate [N/mm] 4.5 4.7 4.5
Rebound damping setting [notch] 9 8 9
Compression damping setting [notch] 12 8 9
MODEL WR450F YZ450F YZ450FX
Rear wheel travel [mm] 313 315 313
Springrate [N/mm] 56 56 56
Rebound damping setting [notch] 10 12 12
Fast compression damping setting [notch] 1-1/2 1-1/8 1-5/8
Slow compression damping setting [notch] 11 10 8You can now get
three Yamaha
"motocrossers
with lights"
SUSPENSION SPECIFICATIONS
74 | APRIL 2016 http://www.adbmag.com.au