2023 Yamaha YZ450F Dirt Motorcycle Review Specs Price

In 2023, the 2023 Yamaha YZ450F Dirt Motorcycle will upgrade to its next generation. Yamaha claims their main priorities were to make the bike more manageable regarding weight and speed. Yamaha also sought to address issues with the bike that were voiced often in reviews and by customers, such as its perceived heaviness, bulky appearance, and annoying airbox noise. The same may be said for these complaints. You may have read about them or heard your friend’s complaints about them at the track even though you’ve never rode a Yamaha.

Yamaha made a large number of adjustments in response to the customer feedback. The most noticeable changes are the new chassis and engine and sleek, futuristic bodywork. The bike lost five pounds, with three coming directly from the engine. Yamaha claims a five percent increase in power over the previous model i.e. 2020 Yamaha YZ450F, yet the downdraft intake and forward-mounted airbox remain unchanged. Exhaust and intake ports have been redesigned, titanium intake valves have been made more prominent in diameter, a new forged aluminum piston has been installed, as has a new cylinder, crankshaft, and balancer assembly, and the lubrication system has been converted from a wet to a dry sump.

2023 Yamaha YZ450F Dirt Motorcycle – Features and Specs

Engine Features

Yamaha has stuck with the cable-actuated clutch design but has upgraded it with a disc spring, combined main gear, and basket made of steel. This design uses a single cone spring, much like what KTM has been employing for some time now, instead of the traditional several springs. Yamaha claims that the advantages of the single-spring design include reduced weight, increased compactness, and enhanced rider engagement and feel. The bike ships with a cable clutch, but a GYTR hydraulic upgrade is coming.

Yamaha has updated the five-speed gearbox with a tri-shaft design that stacks the transmission shafts vertically. A triangle is now present between the crank, the driving shaft, and the main shaft due to the elongation of the center shaft. Yamaha states that this allows for a smaller and lighter gearbox. Eliminating the y-shaped water pump pipe and installing eyelets on the crank are two more internal changes to reduce the device’s total weight.

You now have both Launch Control and Traction Control. Yamaha offers high, low, and no TC settings. Yamaha’s new Power Tuner App now allows Launch adjustment and TC adjustment. The new rpm limitation in Launch Control may be set anywhere from 6,000 to 11,000 rpm in 500 rpm increments. Two new switches on the handlebars let you instantly swap between two different engine maps.

Chassis Features

The chassis also underwent extensive renovations. The YZ’s aluminum bilateral frame has been split into ten pieces and strengthened by welding. Yamaha claims that this enabled engineers to fine-tune the flex needed to enhance ride quality and track performance.

The YZ450F is Yamaha’s most comfortable motorcycle ever. The seat is lower, and the bike’s profile is narrower where the rider’s legs would be, such as at the gas tank and air box. There has been a total overhaul of the air intake system. The air intake channel has been altered and is now smaller. The distance between the rider’s shoulders and the bike’s handlebars has been shortened, while the seat and footpegs have been moved further apart.

Yamaha didn’t make many changes to the YZ450F’s suspension because of its excellent stock setup. They didn’t want to mess with what worked, so they added manual compression damping adjustments to the front KYB SSS spring fork. In addition to the other changes made to the chassis, the shock settings were also revised.

2023 Yamaha YZ450F Dirt Motorcycle – Ride Review

Simply tossing a leg over the bike will make you aware of the alterations. Compared to previous YZ models, the cockpit on this one is very thin. The rider triangle is immediately smaller but more open and pleasant for cyclists of our height and beyond. There are more places for riders to get their knees under the new bodywork. The plastic side plates also don’t seem as intrusive or dramatic as previously. The bike makes getting around much simpler right from the off.

It’s a quick bike. In my experience, it’s among the fastest stock motorcycles available. Make sure to distinguish rapid from unrideable, however. It sounds like a 2019–20 Honda CRF450R with the same bark but lacks that model’s convenient on/off toggle and overwhelming thrust. The engine is remarkably linear, with a solid initial surge followed by a forceful yet seamless shift into the middle.

There is also a marked increase in peak power. Engineers have almost removed the need to shift by increasing the rpm limitation and improving the gearbox. Our test riders could complete a full lap of the national-level course with a single, decisive shift. Leaving this bike in second position for the whole track is possible if you push the envelope and care a little about rebuilds. Furthermore, this is on a quick, open-air layout. What this bike would be like on a more compact track is anyone’s guess.

With this much power, preventing the nose from rising is tough. A rider can accelerate with the flick of a wrist since the throttle is so closely coupled to the back wheel. We experimented with both maps but found that the more linear one allowed us to do wheelies in most of the track’s sections with the least effort. We both think the expanded “rider triangle” is to blame for some of this. The somewhat more upright posture achieved by moving the pegs backward places the rider’s butt directly above the rear shock. Sitting forward is even more critical on the YZ-F since the front wheel loves to lift while under power.

However, with the updated seat and airbox, riding upright is more comfortable than ever. The seat is broader and flatter and goes to the handlebars. The rider may tilt the bike into the ruts while perched very high on the tank. The Yamaha used to need more lean and turn input from the rider, but this bike feels small and light between the knees.

Regarding the front of the bike, the annoying “tractor noise” from the airbox has been reduced significantly. You can leave your earplugs at home; the motorcycle’s new front end is substantially less noisy. The exhaust, on the other hand, is significantly more raucous. Unlike the hyperactive YZ250F, this one has a throatier, faster-sounding roar. The exhaust may muffle the airbox noise, but that’s okay.

Suspension remains state-of-the-art. The SSS fork is already widely regarded as the finest stock configuration available, and adding toolless compression adjustments makes fine-tuning a breeze. After the track dried up later in the day, we went one click out on the fork to soften it and make it easier to do those wheelies we discussed. The impact feels normal, albeit a little stiff. If you ride quickly, the track improves, particularly when you reach the more significant drops. The rider now sits with the shock below them, which may have contributed to the redesigned cockpit’s more rigid sensation.

Forget all you know or have heard about the current YZ450F, and consider this bike a distant cousin. The only things we can think of that are comparable between the two motorcycles are the powerful engine, blue plastics, and cushy suspension. It has a superior engine and considerably thinner plastics than its predecessor. My only (potential) gripe was that I often did wheelies on the straightaways. But really, how valid is that criticism?

The bike is as quick, slim, and agile as Yamaha said it would be. In a word, yes. We can easily fine-tune the engine in either direction using the modernized Power Tuner App. The Yamaha YZ450F was the icing of an unforgettable weekend riding at the GOAT Farm.

2023 Yamaha YZ450F Dirt Motorcycle – Price

The new 2023 Yamaha YZ450F Dirt Motorcycle is available at $9,899 only.

2023 Yamaha YZ450F Dirt Motorcycle – Technical Specifications

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