2018 Yamaha YZ450F gets a new engine, new frame and a whole swag of new technology!
2018 Yamaha YZ450F breaks new ground with full-featured smartphone App to tune your bike
Available in Australia from August and priced at $12,399
Yamaha have unveiled the all new 2018 YZ450F, featuring a new reverse-head engine, frame and restyled bodywork, and becoming the world’s first motocross production bike that will include a smartphone tuning app.
Equipped with the latest technology, and delivering outstanding engine power and agile chassis performance, the new YZ450F is an all-new MXGP-bred motocross bike that represents the start of a new era of advanced racing technology in which the rider feels at one with their machine, and where trackside fine-tuning can be done quickly and easily using the touch screen of a smartphone.
The engine design features an updated cylinder head, piston, cam profiles, cylinder geometry and more – all working together to deliver class-leading power, with even more controllability.
The YZ450F’s new aluminium bilateral beam frame is designed with an optimized engine mounting position to enhance the machine’s balance, while also improving cornering feel and increasing overall rigidity.
2018 YZ450F Engine and Electronics – Main Technical Changes
- New high performance reverse head engine
- New lightweight cylinder head
- New cam profiles and crankshaft
- Power Tuner with new wireless smartphone app
- New lightweight electric starter with lithium-ion battery
- Engine repositioned in frame at a more upright angle
- Stronger high compression piston design with DLC coated pin
- 44mm Mikuni throttle body
- Larger radiators
- More centralized muffler positioning
- New aluminium frame and optimized ergonomics
Read on below for the full details of the new model.
Yamaha Power Tuner App
Yamaha is also launching a specifically designed Yamaha Power Tuner smartphone app for devices running iOS and Android systems – making the 2018 YZ450F the world’s first production motocross bike with a smartphone-based wireless engine tuner.
Now all Yamaha YZ450F riders can connect with their bike, and dial their engine performance in to suit different riding styles, track conditions and changing weather.
The Yamaha Power Tuner app enables the rider to make quick and easy fuel and ignition mapping changes – uploaded wirelessly to the bike via the communication control unit’s onboard Wi-Fi system, for track-side tuning.
A “Log” function allows you to make notes about your riding location, conditions, bike settings and more – giving you a baseline for future rides – and this ground-breaking app can also monitor a range of data such as race settings, maintenance and system diagnostics, engine running time and more.
The new Power Tuner app released with the 2018 YZ450F not only makes it possible to modify engine mapping in even greater detail than before – it also allows users to share settings among the team or with friends, thus evolving the system into a unique tool that helps facilitate communication and enhance Yamaha riders’ performance.
Electric Start
Utilising a compact starter motor and ultra-lightweight lithium-ion battery, the 2018 YZ450F brings the convenience of push-button starting to the racetrack for effortless restarts under pressure – and more relaxed riding when the clock isn’t ticking. Powered by a high-capacity and ultra-lightweight lithium-ion battery, the system adds minimal weight.
New YZ450F Engine
For 2018 Yamaha has refined the YZ450F’s distinct rearward-slanted cylinder design that features a unique rear facing exhaust and forward-mounted downdraft intake system.
The all-new cylinder head is lighter, and the engine is repositioned in the new frame at a slightly more upright angle for optimized front weight distribution. The new engine is equipped with new cam profiles as well as a new crankshaft and a stronger high-compression “box bridge” piston design with DLC-coated (Diamond-like-Carbon) pin – and now breathes through a new 44mm Mikuni throttle body. Together these updates give the rider an ideal balance of 450cc class power with control and response.
The transmission and clutch have been overhauled for a more direct connection as well as enhanced strength. Revised gears with a wider surface area, uprated clutch plates and a stiffer outer pressure plate all combine to boost durability.
For improved performance and weight distribution the YZ450F’s radiators are larger and angled more directly in the incoming air stream for improved cooling under the most demanding race conditions.
The innovative wraparound exhaust pipe design improves both mass centralization and power development, and features revised geometry for 2018. This layout moves the rear end of the exhaust pipe farther forward and enables a muffler position close to the center of the mass.
Returning for the 2018 model, Yamaha’s Launch Control System (LCS) is integrated into the YZ450F’s new engine character to deliver quicker, smoother race starts. By boosting controllability when accelerating hard out of the gate, the LCS gives optimized power delivery and ensures that the rider has the best chance to grab the holeshot and lead the pack into the first turn.
New Bilateral Frame
The YZ450F benefits from a compact new bilateral beam frame that further refines this motocross bike’s famously instinctive handling. Refined upper frame bracing increases rigidity, while the redesigned rear frame spars and the new engine mounts improve mass centralization to provide an ideal balance between cornering feel and straight-line rigidity.
Surrounding this fully rebuilt chassis, the 2018 YZ450F features a new lighter and more compact body from tip to tail that not only looks sharper, but also gives improved ergonomics for easy rider mobility.
A smaller 6.2 litre fuel tank and redesigned top-mounted airbox together with new concave radiator shrouds give a slimmer knee grip area that not only improves styling, but offers better knee grip and enhanced overall riding support for added controllability. And the seat width has been reduced by 9mm and is almost 20mm lower towards the tail end, giving a flatter profile for better rider mobility during front/rear weight shifting.
KYB Suspension
The easily tuned, fully adjustable KYB spring-type forks feature speed sensitive damping that provides exceptional balance between handling and bump absorption for race-winning performance.
Their AOS (air-oil-separate) design is widely regarded as being one of the industry’s leading systems, giving excellent low speed feel with high-speed stability – and offers the added advantage of being easy to set up.
The KYB rear shock boasts new damping characteristics to match the new chassis, and is equipped with a lighter spring for reduced weight – and for consistent damping performance in longer races, the reservoir capacity has been increased by 30cc.
New Styling
The all-new slimline bodywork is highlighted with the use of new graphics, and the new 2018 YZ450F is also equipped with blue wheel rims that reinforce its factory bike DNA.
2018 Yamaha YZ450F Availability
The all-new 2018 YZ450F will be available at Yamaha dealers starting in August 2017, pricing will be released closer to the arrival date. For 2018 the YZ250F and YZ two-stroke models will also feature new graphics as well as new blue wheel rims.
Yamaha dealers will again be able to supply competition riders with a wide range of GYTR (Genuine Yamaha Technology Racing) parts for the 2018 YZ450F. Full details will be available on the Yamaha official website (link) from August 2017, and the bike will also be available in Australia from August and will be priced at $12,399.
2018 Yamaha YZ450F Specifications
- Engine – Type Liquid-cooled, DOHC, 4-stroke, 4-valves, rearward slanting single cylinder
- Displacement – 449cc Bore x stroke 97.0 mm x 60.8 mm
- Compression ratio – 12.8 : 1
- Starting system type – Electric
- Lubrication system – Wet sump
- Clutch type – Dual side grinded clutch plate
- Fuel system – Fuel Injection Ignition system TCI
- Transmission system – Constant mesh, 5-speed
- Frame – Bilateral beam frame
- Front suspension – Upside-down telescopic fork Front wheel travel 310 mm
- Rear suspension – Swingarm, (link suspension) Rear wheel travel 317 mm
- Caster angle – 27⁰ 15′
- Trail – 121 mm
- Front brake – Hydraulic single disc, Ø 270 mm
- Rear brake – Hydraulic single disc, Ø 245 mm
- Front tyre – 80/100-21 51M
- Rear tyre – 110/90-19 62M
- L x W x H – 2,185 mm x 825 mm x 1,285 mm
- Seat height – 965 mm
- Wheelbase – 1,485 mm
- Min. ground clearance – 335 mm
- Wet weight (including full oil and fuel tank) – 112 kg
- Fuel tank capacity – 6.2 L
- Oil capacity – 0.95 L
- Power Tuner App – Enables the rider to modify fuel and iginition settings for optimized performance using a smartphone. The app communicates wirelessly with the CCU unit.
- Available – August 2017
- RRP – $12,399
