Yamaha YZ450F. With its 100% new chassis, engine modified and "connected" or its electric starter, the new Yamaha YZ450F 2018 is undoubtedly one of the big new cross this vintage. We tested it and approved! Twenty years ago, Yamaha made a sensation by launching its 400 YZF of 55 horsepower in the cross country market. The 426 YZF 2000 then followed suit before giving way to the final cubic capacity of 450 cm3 in 2003. The bike will evolve over the years to radically cut with his heirs in 2010: the famous inverted cylinder replaces the engine 5 valves at the end of life on the 450 YZF.
And it's still this bike that we're talking about today, but after a change in 2014Yamaha has really taken things in hand! This Yamaha YZ450F 2018 marks the beginning of a new era, the chassis is redesigned from A to Z, the engine retains the same principle, but its design is deeply revised and modernized. It was not so much to put our excitement slider to the max! And that will not make sense by discovering the field of madness in Ottobiano reserved for the first test of this Yamaha YZF 2018 2018, between sand and earth, watered and perfectly prepared.
Yamaha 450 YZF 2018 Test: A little more lightness!
The first eye contact with the new Yamaha YZ450F 2018 is positive. Difficult to remain objective on this point, but we must recognize that the blues have made a great aesthetic effort on their latest high-end cross. The line of the Yamaha is refined, plastics are less "disjointed" than before, less "gross foundry". The new Yamaha YZ450F may seem a bit stale in the eyes of fans of racing parts, but the simple fact that the rims are anodized blue gives it a Factory dimension is simple and effective. Then my eye is attracted to the welds of the new aluminum frame, and here we must admit that some competitors master the art of welding aluminum (mass production) better than Yam.
You will no doubt have noticed, there is more kick on this YZ450F, which is the luxury of an electric starter. We salute the performance performed by Yamaha, which, despite the arrival of this new device, does not weigh down his 450 (112 kg full facts). However, is not it better to have a mechanical solution in case of battery failure? That remains the question.
Yamaha 450 YZF 2018: The cross 2.0
If Yamaha becomes the second Japanese manufacturer to propose the magic button, the company at the tuning fork does not take less "pole" with this very first motocross bike "connected"! A smartphone and an application allow you to connect to Wi-Fi Yam. Here you are able to adjust your engine according to your desires and able to accurately track the hours of operation of the bike for optimal maintenance. The more advanced can go far enough in their search for settings while the less sophisticated can have "generic" curves. And if with your friends you ride all Yamaha YZ450F, you can also exchange your settings between smartphones! We do not stop progress, but rest assured, if you do not want to hear about all this, the bike starts and rolls anyway!
Yamaha 450 YZF 2018: Slimming cure welcome!
But this time, it's time to start our first try of the new 2018 Yamaha YZ450F, and no need to ride long to appreciate the change. The bike is perhaps not the finest Jap 'but its ergonomics makes a good forward spectacular! Everything is more natural, the bike fits ideally between the legs, the driver less "picked up" on board thanks to a raised cockpit, a handlebar.
No longer need to search the user manual of the 450 Yamaha cross 2018, this one becomes definitely intuitive. And his new chassis will quickly show us on the field, the bike undoubtedly gaining ease of control. The whole thing is lively, much more agile, you throw yourself into the turns without restraint. The rear wheel "draws hell", while the fork cash the (much) too long without flinching.
Still, there may still be a little better to go. Our circuit of the day to be beautiful "caviar", from the appearance of the first holes we feel a certain firmness of the front gear, and it would almost start to "brew". The fork is a little firm at the beginning of the race, but it is probably more towards the agreement fork / shock that it will be played. The Yamaha YZ450F 2018 works much more on the rear than on the front. Some damping preload adjustments and / or fork leg height would erase this feeling "chopper". But believe me, it's almost anecdotal next to the pleasure we had to discover this new Yamaha YZ450F 2018.
Yamaha 450 YZF 2018: She is nice... Finally!
Renowned for its lack of engine smoothness, the Yamaha YZ450F also corrects the shot in a very nice way. This mill becomes much more exploitable at low speed and remains linear at the beginning of the mid-regimes. Would the famous inverted cylinder have found the way of wisdom after 8 years of existence? It would seem ! Do not panic anyway, we have a Yamaha YZ450F in the hands, and a clutch in the bends forcefully ejects us to the exit, while remaining on a human scale.
In summary, we take the test game of this new Yamaha YZ450F 2018, and we can now afford to attack more than in the past. The excuse is that you almost have the feeling of lack of elongation at times. Add to that a contained inertia and a feeling to the gas handle excellent, and you understand that nothing comes to spoil the pleasure to ride on this famous Yamaha YZ450F!
Appraisal: It was better before? No, not this time!
Sincerely, the Yamaha 450 YZF has not always been my favorite. The fault of a very bulky stencil and an engine not easy. But forget this, because the 2018 vintage changes the game! No more huge bike feeling between the legs, or elitist motor, instead of a motorcycle finer and docile. Unanimously, this new generation is a great step forward for the high-end Yamaha cross, as a sign of a new era that begins for the brand. The bike is more compact, more maneuverable and more precise. The engine is usable with a better range of use between low and mid revs. In short, we do not suffer, we dominate the bike even more when the slight disagreement between the front and rear has been reviewed. Evolution is good, but it is not free, We will even feel it pass, the price of the Yamaha YZ450F 2018 increases of 500 €, or 9 199 € (to 25/07/18). By Arnaud Vibien, Yamaha photos - Yamaha YZF 2018 Test by moto-station.com.
More:
More compact template
Moto finally human
Docile engine
Maneuverability and precision
Starter
Motor settings via application
Less:
Firm fork
Front / rear tuning
Price + 500 €
Yamaha 450 YZF 2018: Practical
Yamaha YZ450F Price: 9 199 € (on 21/07/2017)
Color: blue
Availability: Ready since end of August 2017
The Yamaha YZ450F competitors:
- Suzuki 450 RM-Z 2018
- Husqvarna 85 TC 2018
- Honda 450 CRF 2017
- Kawasaki KX250F 2017
Yamaha YZ450F Technical sheet
Engine: Single cylinder, 4-stroke, 4 valves, liquid cooled; 2 camshafts in the head; 449 cm3; bore 97 mm x stroke 60.8 mm; Keihin electronic injection; electric starter; 5-speed box; compression ratio 12.8: 1 Power and torque NC
Part-cycle: Aluminum frame with side beams, double cradle; Inverted fork Kayaba diam. 48 mm, travel 310 mm; single-shock Kayaba AR suspension and tie rods, travel 317 mm; front brake 1 floating disc diam. 270 mm / caliper Nissin 2 pistons - rear disc diam. 245 mm / Nissin caliper 1 piston; front tires 80 / 100-21 - AR 110 / 90-19
Dimension: Length 2 185 mm; width 825 mm; height 1 285 mm; wheelbase 1,485 mm; seat height 965 mm; ground clearance 335 mm; fully loaded weights 112 kg; 6.2 liter tank (manufacturer's data).
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