2011 yz450f review

[throttle violence]

hi i thought i would put a small review on the 2010-011 yz450f buy me an average joe rider instead of bike magazine reviews it might help you decide wether you want a yz or not...i was a bit annoyed with some bike mags when they reviewed this bike and said you would have an easier time cracking a safe then getting to the air filter...that its hard to start...that it wiggles in turn...that it really needs more power and over rev...that the gearbox is hard to find neutral...and the worse.. that the noise the airbox makes is really off putting..this stuff can really put you off buying a bike but i went with my intuition and was rewarded with an awsome bike!

ENGINE; this bike has a short powerband but personally i believe its the way to go esspecially trail riding i go much quicker with the short punchy powerband than i did on a rmz450 with heaps of overrev you dont want a bike that revs to the moon to make power when woods riding.. also a lower reving bike will save your valves and thats a fact and the power it does make is very powerfull more than what i expected any gear crack the throttle and it goes super smooth and torquey your not looking for gears all the time...when i was much younger i allways used to look for hi revin peaky powerbands and thought they were the way to go, until i wised up and discovered the benifits of a short punchy powerband you seriously will ride much faster this way when you learn to use it properly.

AIRBOX SOUND; this has got to be the best sounding thing on this bike i absolutely love it it sounds like a vtwin ducati or something along those lines its not off putting at all super tuff sound.

SUSPENSION;kayaba sss super smooth absorbs everything very very happy i just leave the factory settings(6ft 180lbs iam)

HANDLING;the centralized engine makes the bike feel like a 250 stroke very light but it doesnt turn real easy other than that its good (i will tell you at the bottom of the page what i did to make it turn from okay to razor sharp) and no it doesnt wiggle in turn!

REALIABILITY; this bike runs very cool no where near as hot as other 450s you can feel it; very quiet engine and starts easy some say its hard to start but i dont think so its the same as other new 450s we have them in our group there all the same with starting 2 to 3 kicks and your off how is that hard to start....air filter stays very clean i was amazed after the dust bowl weekend i didnt even have to wash it,with the engine not being a hi revin engine i can see huge benifits there also.

GEARBOX; absolutely perfect i cannot fault it some say its hard to find neutral but again completely false

CLUTCH; very light feels like a hydraulic and dosnt really fall out of adjustment but it will fade if you do hard enduro long hard hill climbs to fix it all you need to do is replace the plates with steel ones the fibres are top quality as to are the springs just change the plates to steel and it will go for ages.

MAINTENENCE: very easy i have read on many reviews that the airfilter removal was really hard and bad design thats absolute crap i love where it is and its not hard at all. oil and filter changes are a breeze.

APPERANCE; this bike looks really modern in the raw and ahead if its time many friends when they first seen it just stared and stared.the plastics do look ordinary after a few rides or spills but what plastics dont.

GEARING; here in australia our 450s come with 13 49 and thats fine i wouldnt change a thing we do tight woods and open country and that gearing works really good.i understand your US bikes come with 13 48 thats not much difference if trail riding.

EFI MAPPING; just leave it stock i have fooled around with it and its a waste of time,,you lean it out it gives more snap,,you richen it up it mellows it...i dont see the point stock is the best setting with RS4 YOSHIMURA slip on dont change the header pipe theres nothing wrong with it. (if you need to take the bottom hit out of it to ride yor mx track then maybe this bike isnt for you.. just leave it and learn to ride it.

QUALITY; there is just awsome engineering when you get to know the bike from the welds to the great engine mounting system bolts dont bur off like some others everything matches 5stars here.(dunlop tyres it comes with are very ordinary change them).

heres what i did to make it turn razor sharp

1. repace front tyre with bridgestone m403

2. replace rear 120 80 with a 110 90 i use maxxis i t but its up to you

3.move forks up 5mm

4.set handlebars in the rear position and replace with higher ones i went pro taper windham rm mid 95mm

its as easy as that you dont need to waste your money on offset triple clamps or some radiator lowering kits

just do what i did the difference was huge and the bike handles amazing now.

ALSO if you plan on putting a pipe on it i would personally go with the akrapovic its not as fat and suits the bike much more the rs4 in the raw on the bike looks to fat and big on there website it looks short but they have lengthen it and its to long now they dont show it on the website also the rs4 stainless slip on is a heavy pipe.

Edited February 18, 2012 by throttle violence

[BBrown626]

Been riding my bike for a while now. I ride only MX. I appreciate your post, but your comment about learning to ride with the bottom end snap doesn't make sense. Everyone knows it is twitchy on the bottom and something has to be done about it to improve handling. Some people report the twitchiness is gone after installing the yoshi pipe. Did you ride it without the pipe? Did it make a difference?

[throttle violence]

Been riding my bike for a while now. I ride only MX. I appreciate your post, but your comment about learning to ride with the bottom end snap doesn't make sense. Everyone knows it is twitchy on the bottom and something has to be done about it to improve handling. Some people report the twitchiness is gone after installing the yoshi pipe. Did you ride it without the pipe? Did it make a difference?

the pipe will not get rid of the twichiness if you take the spark arrestor out and put the 99db insert in the bottom end snap will be gone i myself left the spark arrestor in as i like the low end snap after about 2 rides the twich just didnt bother me anymore i have about 7mm throttle freepay

[BBrown626]

the pipe will not get rid of the twichiness if you take the spark arrestor out and put the 99db insert in the bottom end snap will be gone i myself left the spark arrestor in as i like the low end snap after about 2 rides the twich just didnt bother me anymore i have about 7mm throttle freepay

I am going to get the RS4. If it doesn't get rid of the snap, it still has other qualities.

I used to love the snap, but it really upsets the bike through tight slow turns. A little clutch can fix it, but i'd rather not touch the clutch.

Thanks

[mxbrewski]

This may help the initial throttle twitchiness, I have not done the mod but this is a review. FYI.

http://chronicmx.com/secret-weapon-of-the-pros-and-the-ultimate-yz-450f-cure-injectioneerings-throttle-body-modification/

[BBrown626]

This may help the initial throttle twitchiness, I have not done the mod but this is a review. FYI.

http://chronicmx.com...y-modification/

I looked into injectioneering. There are hundreds of bad customer service posts about that company. Some great results, lots of bad results.

[frankdecrosser]

Hey throttle Violence, good writeup! I am thinking of switching from Honda to a yamaha 450 '12 and i like to read this kind of personal impressions.

I also read the MXA test about the air filter and such and wondered if it wasn't a bit exeggerated.

[rr558]

Hey throttle Violence, good writeup! I am thinking of switching from Honda to a yamaha 450 '12 and i like to read this kind of personal impressions.

I also read the MXA test about the air filter and such and wondered if it wasn't a bit exeggerated.

I too came from a Honda( with all the much needed mods) , before that 09 yz450. I now have an 11 yammie (always been a aYamaha guy) The new YZ does not feel as light as the Honda and no way as light as a 2t 250 anyone that tells you that should take off their blue glasses. lol In my opimion the yz is a better stock bike than Honda. If you do the fixes (about 1k in mods) that the Honda needs I would say the Honda is better but not by much, the yz is way more reliable imho. That's most of the reason I went back to the yz and also they took my 09 yz on trade (can't give away a carb bike anymore) All that being said I am faster on the yz. in the outdoor stuff, in the tight stuff the Honda is better.

[FZ1426]

Been riding my bike for a while now. I ride only MX. I appreciate your post, but your comment about learning to ride with the bottom end snap doesn't make sense. Everyone knows it is twitchy on the bottom and something has to be done about it to improve handling. Some people report the twitchiness is gone after installing the yoshi pipe. Did you ride it without the pipe? Did it make a difference?

The '10 is twitchy for sure. The '11 is not. I know there's not much published about any changes being done to the '11 EFI, but the off idle twitchiness of the '10 is not present on the '11.

Edited February 26, 2012 by FZ1426

[stroker101]

rode my 2011 for the 1st time last Tuesday...really liked the bike, no issue's with handling or power. handle bars located to the front mountng location, with clamps rotated towards the rear(like stk). the power is awesome. haven't tried different mapping yet. hopefully after reading the the 1st post, i didn't waste $254 for the tuner lol.

i will however changed to Bridgestone 403/404 when these stk tires expire.

[briangriff321]

I just finished the 9 hr offroad cup on my 12....no issues with anything even took first in my class my only complaint was i snagged the shroud on a tree and seperated the intake duct from the shroud

[throttle violence]

when your pushing the bike around you can feel its weight but when being ridden it doesnt feel any heavier than my 08 rm250 2t.

[throttle violence]

the air filter removal about it being hard is way exagerated is very easy and it stay much cleaner where it is,the rear fender has pop rivets to join the lower black shock protector some say thats to hard too, if its is hard then get a mechanic to do it or buy a different bike i enjoy working on my bike in my shed over a couple of beers its a connection that you have with your bike and you should enjoy it.

[KUSTOMZMAN1]

This last weekend was my 3rd on my new 2012 yz450f. Coming from a well dialed in 07 yz450f I struggled the first couple weekends. To the point where I was going to sell my new bike and go back to the 07. But after playing with the clickers some more and getting a 50 tooth rear sprocket I felt more at home. I’m currently running the Marmont map and love it. It really is a different animal and cornering is a bit different, but in the end it just needs some more seat time to get used to it. I’m glad I made the change in the end.

Edited February 27, 2012 by KUSTOMZMAN1

[BBrown626]

This last weekend was my 3rd on my new 2012 yz450f. Coming from a well dialed in 07 yz450f I struggled the first couple weekends. To the point where I was going to sell my new bike and go back to the 07. But after playing with the clickers some more and getting a 50 tooth rear sprocket I felt more at home. I’m currently running the Marmont map and love it. It really is a different animal and cornering is a bit different, but in the end it just needs some more seat time to get used to it. I’m glad I made the change in the end.

What did you like about the performance with the Marmont map?

[BBrown626]

The '10 is twitchy for sure. The '11 is not. I know there's not much published about any changes being done to the '11 EFI, but the off idle twitchiness of the '10 is not present on the '11.

That is interesting. Maybe a throttle body tweak?

[otedog]

I've got the yoshi slip-on on my '10 and really like the marmont map for its quick response especially right at the crack of the throttle. not nearly as much of a burst of power off idle as stock mapping. Also, the marmont map pulls strong all the way into the high rpms

[KUSTOMZMAN1]

The map just seems to make this thing breath fire. Combined with a 50 tooth sprocket it pulls so hard in 3rd and 4th now.. it doesnt feel like it flattens out on top like normal. I have yet to reach 5th pinned yet or feel any sign of it signing off early!

[aja342]

800 MX in KY has a LOOONG down hill straight that I can't get to feel right with the stock gearing. If I leave it in third the power feels run out 3/4 of the way down, but if I shift to fourth just before the prior corner it does not seem to pull until the half way point.

The MRD slip-on realy lets it rev out farther but I think it still needs to be re-mapped. Add to the fact that I have a quick turn throttle and will be putting a 50 tooth sprockett re-mapping seems manditory. Is anyone with a 49/50 tooth and a slip on still on the stock map?

[Steve 396]

I just came off an 06 CRF 450 and am really digging the change. I too read reviews, talked to folks and really thought about this before I purchased this bike. I am glad I did! I agree that the air filter is easy to get to and clean. I always hated the way the filter was on my honda. The first time I rode it I had the stock pipe on it but put the FMF GYTR slip on, on it and it definately made a difference. It seemed it give it harder acceleration at the crack of the throttle. I am starting to get used to the "it's about to pull my arms out of their sockets" feel. It feels that much different than my honda in that department too. I have stock gearing, ride MX tracks only and don't think I need to change it at all. There have been a few times that I entered a corner in too high a gear but that's my bad. The cornering isn't quite as good as I had hoped, some of that is my riding style though. I tend to "dab" my foot instead of getting my leg up by the front fender like I should and looking thru or rolling my head down and looking at the exit instead of looking at where my tire is going. Again, that is my bad and when I concentrate and do it "right" the bike turns much, much better. The front forks have seemed to be a little stiff at times (breaking and acceleration bumps) but I am not giving up yet, every ride I adjust a little more and it is slowly getting better.

I do have the GYTR tuner but I haven't even pulled it out of the box! I feel the power is that good. I will try out some of the suggested settings posted on this web site to see the difference. I don't reget buying it but definately don't need it.

At 42 this might be the last bike I buy, this bike rocks and I am totally happy I bought it. I doubt there is a "bad" 450 mx bike but I definately made this right choice with this one!

Steve