450F Wearing me out

[tkorkow]

I used to ride a YZ250 until a month ago when I bought a 2003 YZ 450F. I LOVE the 450's power, but it wears me out much faster and I could swear that I was faster on the 2-smoke. Both in MX and on the trails.

Has anyone else had a similar experience? Is it just a matter of getting used to the 450.?

[Indy_WR450]

Try a WR450 exhaust cam.? It mellows out the power delivery and gives you more off idle grunt. You can always go back if you need the power of the YZ. The Arena cross guys use WR 450 exhaust cams to tame the beast.?

[Doug.]

^He's right. Switch out the cam for a WR cam, it will soften the hit in the powerband.

[426mankiller]

Run 5 miles a day, hit the weights for upper body strength, and throw away the non-filtered camels and you will be up to speed in no time!?

[rbm33]

you may want to try a rekluse auto clutch. its an expensive mod, but will smooth out the lower end hit of the 450. iv had one for over a year and couldnt live without it now!

[WRookie]

I hear ya. I spent 4-5 hrs on the beast last Saturday and totally shattered my illusion of physical fitness. I was completly whooped but didn't get sore so I cling to that minor victory. It did give me a kick in the rear to get back on my running routine. I hate running but the bike taunts me.? "Hey Mr. Endurance.Are you sure you wanna twist that?" This must be what it would be like to date an Olympic athlete.?

[426mankiller]

Ya buddy!! LOL:lol: ? I'm a cycling roadie during the summer so I got the legs covered, but after wrestling my 426 through the woods for an afternoon my chest and arms felt like I did a thousand push-ups--time to start the Jack LeLaine workout!!

[GetSumBaby]

you may want to try a rekluse auto clutch. its an expensive mod, but will smooth out the lower end hit of the 450. iv had one for over a year and couldnt live without it now!

I just installed my z-start and I miss the lower end hit. It really tames it down alot, and adds to the fun of riding. But you still have to be in shape!!! ?

Ed

[Matt96xr6]

You have to be in shape and you also have to ride correctly. The 4 stroke power is NOW compared to the 2 stroke spooling up for the powerband. What happens is you are in a 2 stroke riding position and using your arms to hold on, not your knees. The 2 stroke you can get away with this and be lazy. But you ALWAYS have to have your knees clamping the bike at all times with the 4 stroke power. otherwise your arms do all the work and tire you out very quickly.

Lifting weights will help also, but practice gripping with the legs not the arms.

[Goosedog]

Something else to concider would be a steering damper. You'd be suprized how much of your fatigue is generated by arm-pump. Once you have the front end behaving over rough terrain, you can relax your upper body and "float" through the woods much easier. Thus, spending conciderably less energy trying to hang on to that beast.

[sirthumpalot]

Holding with your knees is fantastic advice. Next time you're in a high acceleration situation, grab with your legs and do a sit-up. Your arms will hardly be holding anything at all. When I can remember to do this, it really helps with the endurance.

Question to you tall guys; how in the world do you hang on with your legs when you are standing? I always read to hold with your legs when you are standing, but when I stand my knees are so high above the seat that I have nothing to grab on to. I must be missing a trick somewhere. ? The worst is on the bumpy straits when you're leaning back and on the gas, that is the number one most tiring obsticle for me.

[Matt96xr6]

You dont stand fully straight up. You are always what is referred to as the "attach position" on the bike. So you are about 4-12" off the seat. That makes it much easier to grip with the knees.

For the tall guys I ride with, they lower the pegs, run a taller seat an the Windham bend bar with a +5mm-10mm riser on the bar mounts. This makes the bike fit them better so they can have better posture on the bike.

[Satch0922]

you guys surely don't want to hear this ....but after two years of wrestling a 426 (a bike which I loved btw), I was as fast my first weekend on the 250 smoker than I was n the 426. This was after a 7 week layoff and the "holiday pounds" too! .

However these guys are right....you have to ride the thumpers much different. When I first got my 426 in 2002 I hated it for the first few months....but I was trying to ride it like a 2-stroke. My advice....learn how to use the power.....go deep into corners (fast...learn to use the compression braking) and use the torque to get you down the track....don't try and run through the gears like your drag racing....you can hit 3rd on that bike and it will pull all but the longest of straights!

Good luck, be patient and you will get it. Oh yeah...btw.....WORK OUT!!!!! LOL

[John407]

No one suggested a flywheel weight? Adding a tooth to the rear sprocket? Both of these things on my 450 were life (well ride anyway) savers.

[GetSumBaby]

you guys surely don't want to hear this ....but after two years of wrestling a 426 (a bike which I loved btw), I was as fast my first weekend on the 250 smoker than I was n the 426. This was after a 7 week layoff and the "holiday pounds" too! .

But he is talking about a 250F. A 250 smoker is in the same league as a 450 - but a 250F is in the same league as a 125 smoker!!!

Ed

[cms_austx]

I get much less fatigued on my YZ250 than I ever did on my YZ426 or CRF450, but more than i did on my CRF250...

[yzeffer7]

I have an 03' YZ450F as well and from what I have read so far Yamaha has been making this bike more mellow every year because they just make power to fast, and I believe they are adding a little weight to the flywheel as well. I have about a 5 tooth bigger sprocket on the back so I have a first gear and on the tracks I ride, I ride everything a gear up from what I used to. I also bought a Stealthy 7oz. flywheel weight. After I installed that I was amazed at how much better the bike was. It tracked better in corners and when you accelerate the tire didnt have the tendicy to break traction as easy. One more thing, if you dont have springs to match your weight and your riding ability you might want to check out that investment, stock springs on those are beefy. Just my two cents....

Dan

03'YZ450F

03'KLX110

99'YZ400F

[Satch0922]

But he is talking about a 250F. A 250 smoker is in the same league as a 450 - but a 250F is in the same league as a 125 smoker!!!

Ed

Ed....he clearly stated in his first post that he was talking about a 250 smoker.

[GetSumBaby]

Ed....he clearly stated in his first post that he was talking about a 250 smoker.

Oh hell!!!! I'll stick my foot in my mouth now ?

Ed

[tkorkow]

Thanks. Sounds like it's a matter of getting into better shape and also becoming a better rider. My buddies all ride 2 smokes and they're trying to get me to come back but the 450's power surge is addicting! There's nothing like snapping the clutch and wheelying past your buddies!

?

I guess I need to start running and doing some push-ups!