450 Yfz 2015
The Yamaha YFZ450R is the best-selling 450 sport ATV in the world. Not only has it outsold the competition for multiple years, it's also continuing to rack up championships. In fact, the YFZ450R has won the last three AMA National ATV championships, as well as hundreds of local championships along the way. Nearly race-ready right off the showroom floor, the YFZ-R is built to perform right from the word go. We recently spent a few days in Glamis riding Yamaha 450 and Raptor 700 SE models. The annual trip is midweek as to avoid the crowds, but the recent holiday had definitely taken its toll on the typically smooth terrain. While the YFZ450R is an incredible machine, the YFZ450R SE offers customers a chance to be just a little different than the rest. The unique SE color, graphics and cool GYTR bumper are just enough to stand out in the crowd, especially if that crowd happens to all be wearing the ever-popular Yamaha blue.
DOLLARS AND CENTS
The YFZ450R SE costs an additional $200 over the standard YFZ-R model. At $8999, you're buying a 9000-dollar quad, but let's face it, the $8799 standard model is a 9000-dollar quad as well. Compared to the competition, the Honda or standard-model Can-Am will save you $1200 off the top, and a KFX is still $700 less as well. While these machines cost a little less to get into, you really have to look at the bigger picture with the current 450 market. Of those mentioned, the slightly pricier Yamaha is the only one with an MX, race-ready, 49-inch-wide suspension system. For motocross, desert or dunes, this wider track width is the industry standard and will cost you thousands in A-arms, shocks and axles to upgrade too. The Yamaha not only comes at a race-ready, 49-inch track width, but it also features topof-the-line KYB shocks. These shocks are adjustable for high-/low-speed compression as well as rebound. The Yamaha's shocks are truly as good as it gets on a stock machine. In all fairness, the Can-Am DS450X mx comes with really great upgraded shocks and a wider, MX-ready front end. The difference being that the MX version of the DS is $9699, making it $1900 more than the standard model.
HOW FAST IS THE YAMAHA?
The Yamaha flat out rips. It's not a stupid, throw-you-back-on-the-seat kind of power, but it's fast. Yamaha's fuel injection delivers crisp, usable power that is always there when you need it. The super-smooth power curve is great everywhere, but it really shines on the track. The YFZ-R can make an average rider look fast and a fast rider look flawless; it's just really that much easier to ride than the competition. Power comes on smoothly, the transmission shifts like butter, and it doesn't wear the rider out.
WHAT ABOUT PUTTING IT TO THE GROUND?
The YFZ-R's assist and slipper clutch really improves shifting feel and fights fatigue with a claimed 25-percent-lighter clutch pull. Yamaha's slipper clutch also drastically reduces the oft-dreaded fourstroke engine-braking characteristic, improving cornering and improving bump absorption under braking. It is not a stretch to say that the YFZ-R puts the power to the ground easier and more efficiently than any other stock machine we've ever ridden.
DOES IT TURN?
The YFZ-R turns really well with the ability to stick a corner or just as easily drift around it with the right amount of throttle. The Maxxis tires work pretty well on just about any terrain or type of dirt you might find at the track. While the tires work really well in groomed dirt, they are still predictable and fun to ride in the sand dunes. Only on the biggest and steepest dune climbs did we ever find ourselves wishing for a set of paddles. The wider track width/stance and lower center of gravity noticeably improve cornering as well. We tend to bang out around a hundred berm shots in a typical photo shoot, and the YFZ450R can be thrown harder into a dune face or berm than you would dare on any other stock ATV. It stays level and planted, even when you hook a little bit of extra additional traction.
HOW'S THE SUSPENSION?
The YFZ450R suspension is unbeatable for a showroom stock machine. When the YFZ450R came out in '09, the suspension was great but had a few flaws in valving, etc. Over the years Yamaha has continued to test, tune and improve the OEM setup to the point that they are at today. With the help of racer/test rider Dustin Nelson and a handful of other talented test engineers, Yamaha has really got it beyond good. The '14 or '15 YFZ-R stock setup is very comfortable being ridden by a fast intermediate to a local pro level. In fact, we've ridden many project builds that were not on the same level, even with thousands of dollars worth of help from the aftermarket. This is impressive in itself, but even more so when thinking of how much work/money it took to race ATVs in the recent past.
HOW ARE THE BRAKES?
Braking feel is excellent. Both front and rear feature ventilated rotors and brake lever. The Yamaha parking brake system allows for simple removal, leaving you a sleek and desirable clutch perch versus the clunky, awkward perch found on most other brands.
WHAT ABOUT COMFORT?
The YFZ-R is comfortable and enjoyable to ride, even for hours at a time. Suzuki started the T-shaped seat back in the late '80s on the LT-250R, bringing it back again with the late LT-450R. They were on to something, and Yamaha was not afraid to borrow and improve upon it. The YFZ-R's seat is not big and ugly like the early LTs, but it really gives you something to lay into when trying to readjust bike position with your rear end or inner thigh. The seat is king, but the overall ergonomics are impressive as well. Anyone up to about 6 feet tall will find controls, bars, and seat-to-peg height about perfect. If you are 6 feet or taller, a taller stem or lowered pegs will make the mighty R that much more comfortable.
HOW IS WORKING ON IT?
We typically just perform basic maintenance on our loaner machines, but we had the pleasure of building our last year's loaner into a WORCS machine. Yamaha has added tool-less fasteners for attaching all the YFZ-R's plastics. They have also redesigned electrical and battery mounting, allowing it to remain on the machine when removing plastics for easier basic maintenance or repairs. Quick and easy plastic removal really improves cleaning efficiency, as well as making nearly any repair a little easier.
WHAT'S IT LIKE ON THE TRACK?
The YFZ-R has been bred for the motocross track, but it's equally as good in off-road situations. We raced a few WORCS races on the YFZ-R in both stock and modded-out form, and our test rider even won a National Hare and Hound desert race on it. The power delivery is perfect on a motocross track. It's not overpowering, but has plenty of pull to get over the largest jumps on any quadfriendly SoCal MX track we could find. Besides the 49-inch track width, longtravel suspension and great handling, the real beauty of riding the YFZ-R is that it doesn't wear you out. The suspension is stable and forgiving, the power comes on with electric-like delivery and the clutch action is superb. Dropping a gear while entering a corner doesn't cause excessive unwanted engine braking, and traction remains undisturbed.
HOW ABOUT THE TRAIL?
The YFZ-R comes stock with a wider 49-inch platform compared to the rest of the field. In super-tight, wooded, XC-type situations, you might even find it a little too wide. In XC-racing situations, top XC racers find themselves narrowing up the YFZ-R with aftermarket A-arms, much like motocrossers have been doing with wider suspension on the rest of the 450s. While this XC application will add costs similar to widening an MX quad, the YFZ-R is still a great trail machine for any and all of the trails we ride out on the West Coast. The YFZ-R's decent-sized fuel tank and EFI fuel efficiency also give you the range needed to conquer the longest of rides.
IS IT THE ULTIMATE DUNER?
Yamaha sport quads have the duner segment pretty well-covered. As for stock machines, the big-bore Raptor 700 features not only a super-torquey, dune friendly power curve, but it is also one of the most comfortable machines you could throw a leg over. When the dunes are in good shape, the Raptor 700 is an easy choice for all-day dune enjoyment. When the dunes are a little on the beat side, such as our recent Yamaha SE trip following Presidents' Day weekend, you will really appreciate the wider, longer-travel and more refined YFZ-R suspension package. When the dunes are anything but ideal, the YFZ450R is the machine to be on. Even after a good wind, it is really a matter a 1-inch-taller stem and long-travel A-arms with Elka Stage 5 shocks. The Roll Design arms are incredibly strong, increase travel, and add caster and camber adjustability. The Elka Stage 5s are really dialed out of the box, as they developed specs directly for the roll setup with Dustin Nelson and Josh Row. The rear axle is super tough and did not need to be replaced, and the stock brake lines also worked just fine. We added a Precision damper for added control and reduced fatigue, and a set of Flexx bars and handguards for superior bump absorption and a really comfortable/familiar sweep. The Yamaha engine performance was easily improved with a set of dropin cams from Hot Cams, a full-system exhaust with a MegaBomb header from FMF and an MSD ignition to re-tune the fuel curve. We removed the stock airbox lid and replaced it with a pre-filtered/vented Pro-Tec model. This basic performance setup is capable of both holeshots and victories at just about any level of MX or offroad racing.
WHAT DO WE REALLY THINK?
We love the YFZ450R. It's almost completely race-ready off the showroom floor, and it is proving to be super reliable. In stock form, it's as comfortable at an MX track as it is on local trails or the biggest of dunes. We did a complete build on it for WORCS and a few National Hare & Hounds, but it would truly be competitive with just a set of nerf bars and a solid rider. This is by far the most capable stock 450cc machine that is available today.
SPECS
YAMAHA YFZ450R
ENGINE/TRANSMISSION
Engine typeLiquid/oil-cooled, Ti 5-valve, DOHC 4-stroke
Displacement ………………………………………….449cc
Bore x stroke ……………………………95mm x 63.4mm
Compression ratio ………………………………….. 11.8:1
Lubrication system ……………………………… Dry sump
Induction …………………………………. 42mm Mikuni EFI
Starting/back-up ………………Electric push-button/none
Starting procedure …………..Turn on key and hit button
Choke location …………………………………………….N/A
Air filter:
Type ……………………………………………………. Foam
Access ……..Release seat and 4 clips; remove 1 bolt
Transmission ……………………….. Fully manual 5-speed
Reverse procedure……………………………………..None
Transmission pattern …………………………1-N-2-3-4-5
Drive system …………………………………………….2WD
Final drive ………………………………………………. Chain
DIMENSIONS/CAPACITIES/WEIGHTS
Fuel capacity ………………………………………… 2.6 gal.
Wheelbase ………………………………………………… 50"
Overall length/width/height …………..70.7"/48.8"/41.9"
Seat height …………………………………………….. 31.9"
Ground clearance ……………………………………….. 4.5"
Claimed wet weight ………………………………….405 lb.
ROLLING CHASSIS
Frame …………………………………….. Steel round tube
Suspension/wheel travel:
Front ……….Dual A-arms w/adj. hi/lo comp./reb./prel.
piggyback shocks/9.8"
Rear ………….. Swingarm w/adj. hi/lo comp./reb./prel.
piggyback shock/11.0"
Brakes/actuation:
Front …….Twin-piston hydraulic discs/right-hand lever
Rear …………………….. Hydraulic disc/right-foot pedal
Parking ………………………………….Left-hand lever/lock
Tires:
Front ……………………………. 21×7-10 Dunlop KT351
Rear …………………………….. 20×10-9 Dunlop KT356
DETAILS
Lighting:
Front ………………………Two 30W Krypton headlights
Rear ………………………3.9/0.5W LED tail/brake light
Instrumentation …………… Temp/fuel/neutral indicators
Colors …………………….. Blue, white/red, SE Black/red
Minimum recommended operator age ……………….. 16
Suggested retail price ……………… $8799; SE, $8999
Contact ……….Yamaha Motor Corp., (800) 962-7926
Source: https://utvactionmag.com/machine-test-2015-yamaha-yfz450r-se/
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