New Yamaha down 2 hp to Kawasaki now

Mostly very positive reviews on the ‘26 Yamaha 450, that’s for sure ! 
Personally I’ve never wanted any MORE H.P. From a 450. I went the other way and bought a 350, after being on 450’s for a a couple decades and was loving that bike. So much so, I bought a second one… 

MXA loves to contradict themselves….I was reading the 25 crf450 review and noticed under what they hate was the power and what they love was the engine! Seriously WTF?

🤦🏻‍♂️

You can’t compare dyno results on different days, especially a year apart, there are way too many variables at play for that to be an even remotely accurate comparison.

Way too slow for Prado

The numbers from MXA, Dirt Bike, and Vital are pretty dang consistent, all things considered, and have been for years. This is especially impressive since they don’t even dyno the same bikes.

Dirt Rider’s dyno tests read roughly 10-12% lower than everyone else’s, but again they’re consistently that much lower. 

I am not here to stick up for MXA but I will mention a couple things just cause I probably have contradicted myself as well a time or two. I am also for a “slower” YZ450 for 26 but the word “slower” maybe shouldn’t be used because it’s still fast. I personally don’t give a shit about dyno’s when I’m testing. I know they are needed for engineers but for opinion based testing (or blind testing), feeling is what is needed. 

The new 2026 YZ450F for sure feels smoother/more linear but it also has more engine braking feel than the 2025 (even when trying to tune it out with the Power Tuner). This has something to do with a few parts Yamaha updated in 26 (quieter muffler, heavier flywheel, resonator in intake for sound, new intake port shape and cam timing). So in one way the new 26 is easier to ride but also harder in ways on low throttle openings where that “herky/jerky” feel can be apparent cause of engine braking. Slower tracks or slower riders may feel this. The engine of the YZ450 still has that quick spool up feel (quick rev feel/still exciting) and that can still make that front end come up exiting corners. Sometimes that is great other times you want that front wheel on the ground to keep throttle on and rear wheel driving. Overall acceleration hit/delivery is definitely smoother so this is a great thing for YAMAHA lovers. Yamaha did a good job with giving the consumer a more controllable engine delivery but it does come with some caveats (engine braking/on/off low rpm throttle feel). There are ways to help the caveats but guess what, it may cost money. Shocking, right? 😂💸 

I always try to tell the reader/viewer that I’m not the end all be all of testing (I effff up too) neither is any other testing media out there for that matter (even there’s one out there that will say they are). Most of us are just giving you some feedback on what we feel. Some do it better than others but I still think it’s wise to listen to a wide variety of opinions and then formulate your own. You’ll be able to tell who is full of shit and who isn’t fairly quick in the testing world. I know ML works hard on his tests and he has some good testers on board. My virtual email door is always open to try and help if needed as well. -KK #KeepEveryOneOnDirtBikes

No real surprise here they haven't been Honda fans since 2008 ... it's no secret 

No wonder Tomac is having a hard time holding onto his new orange rocket.

I liked the 25 YZ450, I haven't really liked a Yamaha since about 1980, but I liked that one. It actually felt a little flat on the bottom to me though. I grew up racing a Maico 440 starting at 14, I wrestled 122lbs at the time. You either learned impeccable throttle control, or good lifting technique on how to pick your bike up. So I like a really strong bottom. I'm not trying to say I'm fast or a bad ass, any speed I ever had was fleeting, but I can handle anything you can throw at me as far as grunt. So I don't get why Honda detuned their bikes in 23 with smaller throttle bodies, or why Yamaha is going this route. It seems like they should just provide a derated MAP and still provide all the power they can muster in another.

We all gravitate towards high hph fire breathing dragon's but in reality a softer power band is easier to ride harder especially for longer seat time. 2T and 4T

Modern bikes have plenty of power

And that's before re mapping if you choose.

No worries, they will change again in a couple of years, all the manufactures need something new to sell. Well...except Suzuki, they have proven a solid desgin is good enough

I ride a 2024 FC350, cant see this bike ever needing to change.

Quick question, though no need to answer. As bikes evolve and change isn't it possible for testers as yourself to find traits or characteristics that you like or feel you need that previously were no big deal? I know as an individual that occurs to me.

People actually rely on "shootouts" to determine what bike to buy? Theres no such thing as a bad bike in 2025, i still wouldnt buy a KTM but you cant really go wrong with whatever color you buy. They are all more capable than 99% of riders

I noticed a long time ago regarding MXA”s test…you get the real low down on the bike, when the next new model comes out…but I still feel their testing protocols are the most comprehensive in the industry….

How many riders ride their 450s where that peak HP is produced, or for what percentage of time in a lap are you riding at peak HP? By my ear, it is a very, very, very low percentage of time. Initial throttle response and low to mid transition character are much more important traits. If I had to choose only one, I’d take low-mid rideability over peak HP every time. 

Also, engine braking… make it go away. 

Exactly the same observation. The one year review is very often much different, certainly more critical. 

Horsepower means nothing. How is the torque? 

I like engine braking. It is quicker to overcome than dragging your read brake. Throttle on or off. This is why race cars have close ratio transmissions. 

A 450 being down a few HP is like an atomic bomb being down a few kilotons. Who cares? The damn thing is fast! 

With fuel injection and computerized ignition timing these days it’s way more about power delivery then max HP/TQ. I bet if you leaned the crap out of the 26’ with good fuel you could easily get the stock motor above 60hp. 

I haven't ridden a '26 yet but have kicked the idea around on the 23-25 and the '26. I feel like even going back to the 20-22 bike, from that point on, there is some give and take with each update. I don't blame the magazines or testers but I also keep in mind that a big part of the health of the sport/industry is having people have interest and buying these new bikes. And they are all really good, in their own way. But you read these tests and it is always framed in a way that the new changes make your prior bike obsolete. For most people I just don't think that is the case. It's sometimes hard not to buy into to the hype though. I was really thinking the '26 had the magic mix of toning down the '25 and adding in some stability. But as you dig a little bit, it's kind of a bummer that it seems the '26 doesn't pull 3rd as easy. I loved that about the '25. It seems like the gearing in general is a tad wonky compared to the '25. Also, the more engine braking upsetting the chassis, sounds like it counter-acts the smoother throttle that the '26 has over the '25, in corners. On the chassis, the stability of the new bike sounds good but it also sounds like the fork is a bit off compared to last year too. I think they had to firm up the fork to help compensate for the pitching from added engine braking, but not sure. So I just think the past few generations, there are improvements but also a lot of parallel moves, with some give and take in many areas. Probably the same deal with the last 2 generations of KX, but I haven't ridden the latest one, just the 21-23. And also, I keep in mind that the tests are stock vs stock. Any semi-recent bike that you gel with, you can throw some money at, get it totally dialed and be competitive, in my opinion. 

I did an old farts race at Washoughal and was actually surprised how quickly I ran out of power up the hills. More would have been better.

Yes, but also no. 

With the right equipment, test process and data analysis it is entirely possible to compare dyno results from different days, weeks, months, years, etc.  But, without going into the details of all that I highly doubt dirt bike magazines have the proper equipment or know how to really execute this, so in the end I agree with your point.

Interesting - i couldn't get along with my 23 YZ450.........I went backwards and bought a new non current 22 (old chassis) The 23 was too fast for this guy - the power just came in a surge or rush & I could never get it to handle in a way that didn't requiring all my attention (ok, it required more talent than i have) i spent half the time either tweaking something or looking for the correct porridge.......which i never found. (and i bleed Blu Cru) 

I'm curious about the 26 for sure - but truth is I'm still dam happy on the 22 chassis..........i can pretty much race the whole season on the old frame and have to look no farther than the mirror to find missing handling and speed.  

Wait till you use 3rd,4th and 5th gears. Then you'll know what useable power is 😉

I understand sarcasm. But for the people taking this as a serious comment. Do you understand Base HP vs Factory Modified? So, lets say the most possible hp for a modded 450 (with the resources of these teams) is 75hp. That just means KTM has a smaller modification window to get to peak hp than Yamaha, Honda, etc...

Of course, but we are talking about factory modded bikes for all the top riders.  My comment was a joke in relation to stock HP of course, but it was not a joke about Tomac being very surprised and overwhelmed from the power of his new orange rocket.  That's a fact. 

My right wrist dyno says the '26 Yamaha is a lot faster thn the current Kawi.

'26 with a '25 airbox and FMF system is fuckin' phenomenal.

I may be in the minority here but after 25 years of riding dirtbikes, hp is the last thing im worried about when it comes to deciding on a bike.  They all haul ass.  The question is, can I haul ass on it?