5 INITIAL THOUGHTS: 2018 YAMAHA YZ450F

YMA_iK_18_YZ450-5113 Feature

Story Shane Booth | Photography iKapture

The 2018 Yamaha YZ450F is one of the most anticipated releases of the new year. It’s an all-new YZ and we had an absolute blast riding the bike at the Australian Media Launch in Coolum, QLD.  Check out 5 of our most notable features on the new model and stay tuned for more on the new YZ450F.

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  1.  The Magic Button:
    It never missed a beat all day, sounded strong and never like it was struggling to fire up the YZF.
  2. The Choke:
    The new choke on this bike is activated by pushing the choke button in as opposed to pulling it out on most other bikes and to turn the choke off you actually just rotate the throttle in reverse slightly. Pretty cool.

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  3. The App:
    The new iPhone app is very cool to use and gives you some great information about the bike and allows you to record plenty of info about each track session and save it for your records. The adjustability is another step forward from the previous power tuner too, worth spending some time learning what it can do if you plan on purchasing a new YZ.
  4. The Plastic:
    There is plenty of new moulding going on in the plastics, they are wafer thin in some places but strategically placed bracing that is moulded in keeps the fenders from flexing too much. The front plate is the thinnest I’ve ever seen, a weight saving move, but does the job.

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  5. The Feel:
    There is no doubt it feels like less YZ underneath you than the previous model, including a slimmer feel through the shroud area.