The YZ450F has been a dominant bike since its debut in 2003. It was the first production bike to receive a reverse engine design for the first time in 2010 with TM being the only other maker following this reverse engine design. The entire design brief was to centralise as much weight as possible so that there would be little weight affecting the handling of the bike.
In theory, this was brilliant but Yamaha have been revising it with updates every few years for over a decade. They have been focused on making the bike lighter, slimmer, sharper and faster. Over the years the YZ450F has seen the introduction of an electric starter, and Yamaha Power Tuner App as well as adjustable traction and launch control.
The power of the YZ450F has always been extremely strong but it has always felt a bit heavy to steer around the track. Straight line stability was always the Yamaha's greatest attribute but getting it to steer in tight ruts was always a fight. For 2024 the YZ450F has not only a lighter
