considering buying a 2010 YZ450F, asking advice :)

[cobrabrouk]

I'm looking at trading my 07 KX250 for or possibly buying a 2010 YZ450F.

 

Any body have any problems with this year or have any advice on what too look at on the bike.

 

I'm really just looking for anyone who knows if these bikes were lemons or has any flaws to them.

 

Help would be much appreciated

 

Thanks!!

 

ALSO, would I be better off selling my bike for $2400 and paying extra cash for a 2013-2014 450F? Is the technology between 2010 and 2014 that much more advanced to pay the extra cash?

 

Thanks!

[Keira2142]

Theres more flaws than you can poke a stick at. I rode a 2011 once. Just once. The bottom end was only usable where traction was plentiful, the hit was excessive. Turned poorly aswell, it never felt connected to the ground. Understeered everywhere. Oh and access to the air filter required ludicrous dissembling. 

 

The 2013 YZ450F was largely unchanged from the previous couple years but hte 2014 was pretty heavily redesigned. Haven't ridden one yet but I've heard that people are much more satisfied with the handling and hte bottom end, which lets face it is where most 450F riders spend the majority of their time, is now alot more usable. But htats just what I've heard, not experienced.

 

I'd stick with the KX.

[KJ790]

I would have to disagree, and this is coming from a lot more experience than one single ride. I have found the power to be quite useable, and with the GYTR programmer you can dial in pretty much any power curve you want with a push of a few buttons. Handling isn't too much different than the previous generation, the 2010-2013 model has slightly less front end push than the previous generation though.

 

I have found the 2010-2013 model to feel pretty heavy when pushing it around and putting it on the stand. I find this noticeable the most when trying to slow down for corners, but an oversized brake rotor helped with that. The centralized mass makes it handle like a much lighter bike and it is easier to whip and scrub than the previous generation of YZF, but still not as flickable as a 250 two stroke (though I have yet to ride a 450 that is).

 

All in all, I have found mine to be pretty good, reliability is rock solid. 185 hours of A class racing and the only failure was one fuel pump around the 100 hour mark. It has gotten a few pistons, cam chains, and I changed the crank at 165 hours just for piece of mind, but there was nothing wrong with the old crank.

[gofaster450]

I have owned and ridden my 12 for a year. I have been riding off road for 35 years and by default have owned several dirt bikes. The 2010-13 yz450 is a capable machine stock and with a few modifications can be made very capable. These mods are well documented (search engine relocate, flywheel weight, G2 throttle tamer, injectioneering throttle body mod to name a few). The mentioned mods are not mandatory but can change the characteristics of the bike to suite your riding style or conditions. The same can be said for any of the current offering of dirt bikes regardless of brand. 

 

In my opinion, the current offering of dirt bikes are more focused than ever before which means they excel for what the are designed for (in the yz 450 case that's motocross) and will need subtle modifications when a rider veers away from the motocross track. Like most forum information, you have to take everyone's input with a grain of salt (except maybe grey, he seems to be pretty spot on with his insight and information). Yamaha did the YZ450 a disservice by letting the bike go primarily unchanged for 3 years and the modern press (magazines, online) likes change, even though they might not be an improvement. The YZ450 became their poster child for their cause. Add to this misinformation the impression from folks that have "heard" or "have a friend" or  have spent a short amount of time on any bike that is different  from what they ride and you get the continuation of the myth that the 10-13's are flawed. They are not flawed but the are different. It's funny, KTM used to be the brand that was different by design and now that their design has become more mainstream, not so much. The press used to grill KTM for it's "different" handling, power characteristics, ergos and they were different, but the bikes were good. Same thing with the YZ450. If you clear your mind to what you think you know about the bike, ride it, adjust it to your style and conditions you will be rewarded with a stellar machine. When I purchased my bike new I had the choice between a CRF450, a KX450 and the YZ. I chose the YZ for its incredible stock suspension and durability. I knew that I was going to make some changes to any new bike to suit my conditions and those two characteristics were most important to me, I believe that both characteristics are pretty well documented to be correct.

 

One last thing, the difficulty in servicing the air filter is incredibly overblown. You do have to take the seat off (same as most other brands) and there are a total of 4 8mm bolts to remove which have very accessible. After that is done the filter could not be simpler to remove and replace. I have wrestled with more CRF450 air filters to know that it could be much worse. If servicing the YZ450 air cleaner is too difficult or time consuming for a person then any modern 4 stroke may be a poor decision for a person. They do require more upkeep than the old XR's and can be expensive to repair if upkeep is neglected.

 

 

[cobrabrouk]

Yeah I haven't actually rode the bike yet but the guy is telling me he has about 65 hours on it. 

 

How many hours are left before a rebuilt is necessary?? hes also saying he changed oil every 3-4 hours.... which everyone claims.

 

I have a completely rebuilt top and bottom end in my KX250. 1 hour max on them.

[zeuszuki]

Don't pay any attention to the comments by Keira2142, the statements are flawed. He comes from Australia ad for the last 5 years YZ450's have won the Mx1 championship! , he's obviously in touch :-/

A friend of mine has a 2010 @ 200 hrs, doesn't use a drop of oil, valve clearances have never moved, runs like a dream. The key to these bikes ( and any bike ) , set your suspension up correctly , this model definitely has a sweet spot ;-)

[Mtrain730]

Far from a expert but I realy like my 2012 all it has is a heavy fly wheel I race and trail ride. Tough too get to air filter come on it takes about 3 minutes. People will complain about any thing. I'm 32 and just started racing and am finishing mid pack on my second race day ever. So if the bike handles that bad how did I beat plenty of the other brand brand bikes. I'm not saying its perfect but horrible handling I don't think so. It's bone stock except for the fly wheel

[Keira2142]

I would have to disagree, and this is coming from a lot more experience than one single ride. I have found the power to be quite useable, and with the GYTR programmer you can dial in pretty much any power curve you want with a push of a few buttons. Handling isn't too much different than the previous generation, the 2010-2013 model has slightly less front end push than the previous generation though.

 

I have found the 2010-2013 model to feel pretty heavy when pushing it around and putting it on the stand. I find this noticeable the most when trying to slow down for corners, but an oversized brake rotor helped with that. The centralized mass makes it handle like a much lighter bike and it is easier to whip and scrub than the previous generation of YZF, but still not as flickable as a 250 two stroke (though I have yet to ride a 450 that is).

 

All in all, I have found mine to be pretty good, reliability is rock solid. 185 hours of A class racing and the only failure was one fuel pump around the 100 hour mark. It has gotten a few pistons, cam chains, and I changed the crank at 165 hours just for piece of mind, but there was nothing wrong with the old crank.

 

 

Remind me, how much is that GYTR powertuner? Yeah... not cool. I haven't ridden a YZ450F any newer than the 2011 I rode. One ride was all I needed to know it was worse than useless. I find it very difficult to believe the 2010-13 models had LESS front end vagueness than the previous generation, very difficult.

 

The best way to describe its handling is a two stroke light front end feeling, tryng to turn 240 pounds of pudge. Not a good result.

 

 

Don't pay any attention to the comments by Keira2142, the statements are flawed. He comes from Australia ad for the last 5 years YZ450's have won the Mx1 championship! , he's obviously in touch :-/

A friend of mine has a 2010 @ 200 hrs, doesn't use a drop of oil, valve clearances have never moved, runs like a dream. The key to these bikes ( and any bike ) , set your suspension up correctly , this model definitely has a sweet spot ;-)

 

While we're on the topic of flawed statements, how about it lay yours to waste? Lets start:

 

1. I'm from Australia... Seriously mate? THAT makes me wrong? You're from new zealand, do you bang your sheep?

 

2: You mean to tell me that bikes that are having a couple hundred thousand dollars thrown at them to set them up exactly for the rider instantly makes the production bike goodt? Why don't we ask cobrabrouk if he plans on spending a couple hundred thousand on his bike?

 

3: Should everyone in America believe the KX450F is a good handling bike because villipoto has taken it so high? Nope, out of hte box it understeers from centre out, easily fixed by a clamp offset change though. But thats over three hundred dollars that shouldn't have to be spent on that.

[KJ790]

Remind me, how much is that GYTR powertuner? Yeah... not cool. I haven't ridden a YZ450F any newer than the 2011 I rode. One ride was all I needed to know it was worse than useless. I find it very difficult to believe the 2010-13 models had LESS front end vagueness than the previous generation, very difficult.

 

The best way to describe its handling is a two stroke light front end feeling, tryng to turn 240 pounds of pudge. Not a good result.

 

 

 

While we're on the topic of flawed statements, how about it lay yours to waste? Lets start:

 

1. I'm from Australia... Seriously mate? THAT makes me wrong? You're from new zealand, do you bang your sheep?

 

2: You mean to tell me that bikes that are having a couple hundred thousand dollars thrown at them to set them up exactly for the rider instantly makes the production bike goodt? Why don't we ask cobrabrouk if he plans on spending a couple hundred thousand on his bike?

 

3: Should everyone in America believe the KX450F is a good handling bike because villipoto has taken it so high? Nope, out of hte box it understeers from centre out, easily fixed by a clamp offset change though. But thats over three hundred dollars that shouldn't have to be spent on that.

You can pick up the tuners for $199 new or less if you get one used. That is less than any exhaust pipe, cams, or engine mods that most people do to their bikes.

 

I find it quite amazing that you were able to definitively conclude without a doubt that the YZ450F has all of these handling issues with one simple ride on a bike that was not set up for you. How do we know that the front tire that was on that bike was meant for the terrain you were riding on? How do we know if the suspension was set for you? Sag? Spring rate? Valving? Not a single person in the world can jump on a bike and take it for a spin without adjusting anything and determine anything meaningful about the handling of that bike.

[grayracer513]

Don't you get it? He rode one once, and that one, however it was set up, sucks, so they all do.  Really very simple.  Let him have his opinion if he wants it.

[zeuszuki]

Remind me, how much is that GYTR powertuner? Yeah... not cool. I haven't ridden a YZ450F any newer than the 2011 I rode. One ride was all I needed to know it was worse than useless. I find it very difficult to believe the 2010-13 models had LESS front end vagueness than the previous generation, very difficult.

 

The best way to describe its handling is a two stroke light front end feeling, tryng to turn 240 pounds of pudge. Not a good result.

 

 

 

While we're on the topic of flawed statements, how about it lay yours to waste? Lets start:

 

1. I'm from Australia... Seriously mate? THAT makes me wrong? You're from new zealand, do you bang your sheep?

 

2: You mean to tell me that bikes that are having a couple hundred thousand dollars thrown at them to set them up exactly for the rider instantly makes the production bike goodt? Why don't we ask cobrabrouk if he plans on spending a couple hundred thousand on his bike?

 

3: Should everyone in America believe the KX450F is a good handling bike because villipoto has taken it so high? Nope, out of hte box it understeers from centre out, easily fixed by a clamp offset change though. But thats over three hundred dollars that shouldn't have to be spent on that.

You misunderstood me, Yamaha has won the Mx1 class in Aussie the last 5 years and the fact you come from Aussie I would assume you would be in touch with this fact.

As far as the $200,000 thing, the team ( CDR ) would have no problem spending that and more on their campaign . The bikes not so, I know the 2012 champion quite well, you know ....Josh Coppins , the New Zealander. You would be surprised at how little the bikes actually had done to them, the motors are strong, the handling needs refinement for a rider at that level.

You are of course entitled to your opinion.

My opinion is based on real world facts and long term ownership , both of which will depict an educated overview.

[pudracer]

You misunderstood me, Yamaha has won the Mx1 class in Aussie the last 5 years and the fact you come from Aussie I would assume you would be in touch with this fact.

As far as the $200,000 thing, the team ( CDR ) would have no problem spending that and more on their campaign . The bikes not so, I know the 2012 champion quite well, you know ....Josh Coppins , the New Zealander. You would be surprised at how little the bikes actually had done to them, the motors are strong, the handling needs refinement for a rider at that level.

You are of course entitled to your opinion.

My opinion is based on real world facts and long term ownership , both of which will depict an educated overview.

 

I was talking to Josh recently too and asked him his thoughts and recommendations on upgrading etc (i have a YZF450 2010 from new) and he told me a few small mods ( all well documented) and told me his 2013 was his most favourite bike he has ever raced.  He also said that they didn't touch the engine on his bike he won the 2012 MX1 Oz title on. 

 

Good enough for me...

Edited October 28, 2013 by pudracer

[Keira2142]

I was talking to Josh recently too and asked him his thoughts and recommendations on upgrading etc (i have a YZF450 2010 from new) and he told me a few small mods ( all well documented) and told me his 2013 was his most favourite bike he has ever raced.  He also said that they didn't touch the engine on his bike he won the 2012 MX1 Oz title on. 

 

Good enough for me...

 

Are you insane? Do you realise its in Josh's contract to say his bike is the best? He has a LEGAL OBLIGATION to talk it up. And there is also not a chance in hell the engine was unmodified. If you buy that, then by all means buy the bike because you're clearly too stupid to be able to comprehend its flaws anyway.

 

 

Don't you get it? He rode one once, and that one, however it was set up, sucks, so they all do.  Really very simple.  Let him have his opinion if he wants it.

 

Yeah, its completely crazy to ride a YZ450F, hate it, and as a result of that hate assume that I hate all the other several thousand, IDENTICAL production bikes. You just got 100 intelligence points, go here to claim your prize: http://niceone.com

 

 

You can pick up the tuners for $199 new or less if you get one used. That is less than any exhaust pipe, cams, or engine mods that most people do to their bikes.

 

I find it quite amazing that you were able to definitively conclude without a doubt that the YZ450F has all of these handling issues with one simple ride on a bike that was not set up for you. How do we know that the front tire that was on that bike was meant for the terrain you were riding on? How do we know if the suspension was set for you? Sag? Spring rate? Valving? Not a single person in the world can jump on a bike and take it for a spin without adjusting anything and determine anything meaningful about the handling of that bike.

 

My god... An intelligent post on thumepr talk. I salute you. NO sarcasm, I liekd your post. Response time:

 

That is $200 that shouldn't have to be spent to get the powerband of the bike less retarded.

 

the bike I rode was 100% stock, including the tyres. In fact I put the first scratch on it (sorry Tom). If I remember correctly, they come with 404s. Interemdiate to hard, whcih is exactly what this track was. I've found SSS (Seriously Slick Shit) To be, not only kick arse right out of hte box, but much more flexible in terms of rider weight. I'd be a good 20 pounds over hte weight recommendation, so the first thing I thought of after 3 laps on this freight train of a bike (it couldn't turn unless it was on rails), was that I had much too much sag. Got back, had the owner measure it, 103mm by memory, nothing like enough to cause the understeer in the degree I'm talking about.

 

I've never ridden a four stroke motocross bike that felt so wrong so quickly. Its handling characteristics were directly opposed to eachother: Lightweight front end on a four stroke. Four strokes are supposed to handle front end heavy, yet this thing felt like I was on a 250 two stroke. Very, very bad.

 

Thats my 100% unbiased experience. I did not spend a cent on this bike. If you fork out about 10 grand for a bike, are you gonna be chomping at the bit to acknowledge all of its flaws? No is the answer. Whether you realize it or not your brain is deliberately ignoring things lead you to the conclusion your bike is a piece of shit.

 

 

You misunderstood me, Yamaha has won the Mx1 class in Aussie the last 5 years and the fact you come from Aussie I would assume you would be in touch with this fact.

As far as the $200,000 thing, the team ( CDR ) would have no problem spending that and more on their campaign . The bikes not so, I know the 2012 champion quite well, you know ....Josh Coppins , the New Zealander. You would be surprised at how little the bikes actually had done to them, the motors are strong, the handling needs refinement for a rider at that level.

You are of course entitled to your opinion.

My opinion is based on real world facts and long term ownership , both of which will depict an educated overview.

 

Yeah, sure you know Josh. No really, I believe that you know a million air professional factory rider personally  ? ?

 

Lets see I'll do this one quickly: The motors really aren't all that strong, they have little midrange, a good handling bike is a good handling bike thats really all there is to it, and your long term ownership is exactly what renders your point of view 100% mute (see above).

 

If you seriously believe your 2010-2013 YZ450F handles well, ride it back to back with an RMZ set up for someone similar to you, see what you think of it then.

[grayracer513]

It's "millionaire", and "moot".

 

Look, we all know you don't like it.  We all also know that you don't have any idea what's in Coppin's contract beyond something about him getting paid to ride.

 

We also know, because you told us, that you don't have any time on the bike with which to form any really evaluations of anything beyond its as-delivered state, and I'm certain that your own bike has undergone any number of tweaks and adjustments to make it suitable for you.  Very few people leave bikes totally stock.  Your opinion is on record, and I think more or less anyone can make their own determination as to its worth. 

 

To respond to the OP, as KJ790 mentioned, the fuel pumps have occasionally been a source of trouble, but not even close to epidemic.  Other than that, nothing stands out as a weakness, and their reliability is on a par with the reputation established by the previous generations of YZF's.  The fact that the bike has no thermostat and that the EFI compensates for low temperatures by enriching the mixture has sometimes lead to fuel contamination of the engine oil when the bike is ridden in extremely cold whether (like with snow), but again, no serious problems have arisen from that.  The only other thing I've seen reported involves bikes that have been very severely thrashed by lots of big air and sloppy landings.  Cracks have developed in the frames on some ( I only know of 3, the one KJ bought included).  The ones reported formed at the area under the air filter where the main spars meet the steering head assembly.  Note that KJ had his repaired and it's been fine since.  If the bike you're looking at hasn't been used by some Twitch wannabe, you probably don't have a reason to worry about it. 

 

The handling is different, but an RMZ is different than a CRF, which is different than a KXF, too, and there are people around who either love or hate any one of those.  The people that hate the '10-'13 YZ450 are the ones who refused to adapt to the bike and instead have tried to make it act like their CRF or KXF, or whatever.  But it is true that there are now more YZ450's on the track than there have been in some time, and that more of them are posting top ten finishes.  Maybe those guys are all wrong?

 

It's a high quality bike that is uncommonly customizable as to its power delivery characteristics, and comes with some of the best suspension ever put on any stock MX'er.  The only one who can tell you whether you like it or not is you.

[Keira2142]

It's "millionaire", and "moot".

 

Look, we all know you don't like it.  We all also know that you don't have any idea what's in Coppin's contract beyond something about him getting paid to ride.

 

We also know, because you told us, that you don't have any time on the bike with which to form any really valid evaluations of anything beyond its as-delivered state, and I'm certain that your own bike has undergone any number of tweaks and adjustments to make it suitable for you.  Very few people leave bikes totally stock.  Your opinion is on record, and I think more or less anyone can make their own determination as to its worth. 

 

To respond to the OP, as KJ790 mentioned, the fuel pumps have occasionally been a source of trouble, but not even close to epidemic.  Other than that, nothing stands out as a weakness, and their reliability is on a par with the reputation established by the previous generations of YZF's.  The fact that the bike has no thermostat and that the EFI compensates for low temperatures by enriching the mixture has sometimes lead to fuel contamination of the engine oil when the bike is ridden in extremely cold whether (like with snow), but again, no serious problems have arisen from that.  The only other thing I've seen reported involves bikes that have been very severely thrashed by lots of big air and sloppy landings.  Cracks have developed in the frames on some ( I only know of 3, the one KJ bought included).  The ones reported formed at the area under the air filter where the main spars meet the steering head assembly.  Note that KJ had his repaired and it's been fine since.  If the bike you're looking at hasn't been used by some Twitch wannabe, you probably don't have a reason to worry about it. 

 

The handling is different, but an RMZ is different than a CRF, which is different than a KXF, too, and there are people around who either love or hate any one of those.  The people that hate the '10-'13 YZ450 are the ones who refused to adapt to the bike and instead have tried to make it act like their CRF or KXF, or whatever.  But it is true that there are now more YZ450's on the track than there have been in some time, and that more of them are posting top ten finishes.  Maybe those guys are all wrong?

 

It's a high quality bike that is uncommonly customizable as to its power delivery characteristics, and comes with some of the best suspension ever put on any stock MX'er.  The only one who can tell you whether you like it or not is you.

 

You're right on both fronts up top I'm an idiot I needed to go to bed but wanted to finish the psot first.

 

I would be willing to bet my life that there is a clause in coppins contract to promote the brand. Thats what all teams race for: Promotion. Factory KTM really couldn't give a rats arse about Dungey's personality, if he stops winning he won't get it renewed. If theres contracts involved in a riders employment, you can bet your bottom dollar theres a clause like that in it.

 

With regards to the cracks on the frames, it shouldn't be an issue. Aluminium frames crack like that under extensive abuse like you said from bottoming hard and repeatedly. Definitely check it over though, you don't want ot find out about hte crack the first time you bottom out.

 

And I reiterate: A good handling bike is a good handling bike, thats really all there is to it. The KXFs understeering issues were easily fixed by a clamp offset change. The YZF, people either liked it or hated it I've never heard of anyone loving it. Like I said before, the concept is good and has potential, but taking all that weight off the front wheel was the kiss of death. Honestly I could certainly live with the powerband, the angry bottom end hit actually worked quite well in loam, but theres a reason that DR.D sold a shit ton of engine relocation kits and theres a reason the 2014 450F has the engine moved forward and hte steering head angle steepened: THE UNDERSTEER. I dunno about the 2013 CRF450s or the 2014 CRF250s but I do know the previous generations were woeful. Much much much better with stiffer springs front and rear but still bad.

[mikedabike]

Theres more flaws than you can poke a stick at. I rode a 2011 once. Just once. The bottom end was only usable where traction was plentiful, the hit was excessive. Turned poorly aswell, it never felt connected to the ground. Understeered everywhere. Oh and access to the air filter required ludicrous dissembling. 

 

The 2013 YZ450F was largely unchanged from the previous couple years but hte 2014 was pretty heavily redesigned. Haven't ridden one yet but I've heard that people are much more satisfied with the handling and hte bottom end, which lets face it is where most 450F riders spend the majority of their time, is now alot more usable. But htats just what I've heard, not experienced.

 

I'd stick with the KX.

I just bought an 11 and agree with most of what was said here.  I actually like the motor.  I had heard the were very abrupt and it is but not excessively so and I believe you can dial that in easier than if you were jetting the carb.  The suspension especially the front end was horrible.  I mean surprisingly bad.  I came from a 07 and expected it to be similar but it wasn't even close.  I dialed the clickers out and the difference was unbelievable.  Not in a great way but just how much effect a small change in the set up made.  The bike is by far the most sensitive I have ever owned to set up.  If I had based all my opinions on my first ride I would have the same thoughts.  I think it will be a great bike once I spend a little time to get it set up for my preferences. 

[Crusty Cy]

These bikes are stone reliable.  Sold my '11 with 58 hours and no issues.  Liked it so much, bought a leftover '12.  However, it should be noted these bikes are great for MX and general trail riding - not so much for tighter single track and woods.  When I'm on a track and not under diress in the woods, I think it's the best bike ever.  For hare scrambles and tight stuff, it is very frustrating (you'll see on my signature I now have a YZ 250 for that).  Get the '10 YZ, and take the time to set the suspension for your weight, and you're good to go.  The airbox issue is not a problem with me, and I've never noticed many of the so called problems you may have read about.  In my opinion, it needs the least amount of setup of all the 450's to tailor it to your liking. Try it - you will not regret the decision. 

[jonha]

2010 thru 2013 YZ 450's are good bikes. Very reliable, excellent suspension, The air filter takes an extra minute to get to. Cornering isn't the best but decent with  a new link to get the chassis balanced. The 2014 has the flaws fixed, but if the price is right on an older model it is defintely worth it.   

[cobrabrouk]

Haha you guys crack me up. Anyway I appreciate all of the advice, all of your input if going to effect my decision along with what I feel and see with the bike.

OK so here's the thing, the deal is I have a completely rebuilt 2007 kx250.

I'm asking all of you....would you trade him your 2007 kx250 and give him 300 bucks for a 2010 yz450f??

Would it be worth it to all of you???

Yes or NO!!!!

Thanks!!!!

[grayracer513]

It would depend only on the condition of the YZF.  If it's a clean bike at all, then I'd do it in a heartbeat. 

 

The thing to bear in mind when buying any used MX thumper is that they can be very expensive to overhaul, should that become necessary, so you don't want to pay too much for one that's well along in its service life.