Riding The 2009 Yamaha YZ450F

Click the following link for a video of the 2009 Yamaha YZ450F in action. You can also click the following link for a 16-photo gallery of photos of the 2009 Yamaha YZ450F. As usual, you can click any image here for a larger version. Don't forget, if you're a Vital MX member, you can comment on any of the photos in the gallery. Not a member? Join now! It's fast and free.

About a month ago we got our first look at the ’09 YZs, and now we’ve put in our first ride on ’09 models with the new 450F.

This year qualifies as an evolutionary year, rather than revolutionary, and the new big-bore YZF retains some of the same mannerisms introduced last year. Are you looking for a 450 that’s designed to be smooth, and easy-to-ride? The YZ450F is that kind of machine. But don’t fear, it can easily be boosted back to eye-watering speeds with a few go-fast accessories, and the options are plentiful.

There are a host of small changes from front to rear. Starting up front, the YZ450F scores a proprietary front sneaker, a new Dunlop D742FA.

Moving to the forks, you’ll find a new straight aluminum clamp for the brake cable, which replaces the curved stamped steel variety from last year.

There are also several other small goodies in the controls, like an all-new clutch lever assembly with a shorter lever and more reach adjustment built in, as well as new mid-cable adjusters for cable play that don’t require tools.

In the ergonomics department, have you ever wished for was more adjustability in the stock top clamp? By moving the position of the bar mount fore or aft (and rotating the bar clamps forward or backward) on the new top triple clamp, you have several different offset options available over a 20mm range, and if you want even more adjustability, the clamps on the fo-fiddy are interchangeable with the parts on the YZ250, which are 4mm shorter.

All you bike wash aficionados will ’08 textured seat cover that was nearly impossible to get clean, no matter how much you blasted it with a washer Well, the ’09 model has been changed, and it features a new pattern that retains good grip, but also gives you much better stain resistance.

The big-bore powerplant and transmission retains the same specs and five-valve design, but does receive a handful of changes, like a stator that has four mounting points instead of three, for increased durability. The transmission also has longer shift forks on the first and third gears, for a more solid shift between second and third gears. Also, to match the clutch, oil filter and ignition covers, a new black magnesium valve cover was added.

The chain is a new D.I.D. unit with a gold anti-rust coating.

The aluminum frame also stays relatively unchanged, except for everything from the swingarm pivot on back. There’s an all-new hydroformed swingarm, which has a revised rigidity balance, where the twist and vertical rigidity were reduced, and the horizontal rigidity was increased, all while trimming 350 grams from the ’08 design. It’s also very similar to the design Josh Coppins and David Phillipaerts have been using on their Factory Yamahas on the GP circuit in Europe. The linkage now resides below the swingarm (no more pivots covered on the sides by plastic caps) but it all maintains all the same proven ratios as before.

One of the few negatives on the 450F is that if you’re a long-time Yamaha guy who has some spare wheels you were planning to use on your ’09, you may need to rethink that plan. There’s a new compact rear hub design that trims over 265 grams from the current design, and the axle size has jumped from 22mm to 25mm. Instead of two bearings as used in the past, the new hub now uses three…one on the brake side, and two on the drive side.

For this test, we brought along Vet Intermediate Albert Verbanac to give it a try. Albert regularly races an ’07 YZ450, which he has added quite a few mods to, so he was already familiar with the big blue beast.

He came away from the day impressed, but you’ll have to check the video link above for more of his opinions. When you consider how the bike received a bunch of small refinements, it add up to a reasonable upgrade to the 450.

2009 Yamaha YZ450F