Motorcycles

2018 Yamaha YZ450F: A motocrosser you can tune with your smartphone

2018 Yamaha YZ450F: A motocrosser you can tune with your smartphone
2018 Yamaha YZ450F: a big bore dirt squirter with serious intelligence
2018 Yamaha YZ450F: a big bore dirt squirter with serious intelligence
View 36 Images
2018: Yamaha YZ450F: slightly lighter and a lot smarter
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2018: Yamaha YZ450F: slightly lighter and a lot smarter
2018: Yamaha YZ450F: special edition white model will be produced in limited numbers
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2018: Yamaha YZ450F: special edition white model will be produced in limited numbers
2018: Yamaha YZ450F: special edition white model will be produced in limited numbers
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2018: Yamaha YZ450F: special edition white model will be produced in limited numbers
2018: Yamaha YZ450F: special edition white model will be produced in limited numbers
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2018: Yamaha YZ450F: special edition white model will be produced in limited numbers
2018: Yamaha YZ450F: special edition white model will be produced in limited numbers
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2018: Yamaha YZ450F: special edition white model will be produced in limited numbers
2018: Yamaha YZ450F: special edition white model will be produced in limited numbers
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2018: Yamaha YZ450F: special edition white model will be produced in limited numbers
2018: Yamaha YZ450F: plastics are 100 g lighter than the previous model
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2018: Yamaha YZ450F: plastics are 100 g lighter than the previous model
2018: Yamaha YZ450F: ahhhh, the electric leg. Don't leave home without one.
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2018: Yamaha YZ450F: ahhhh, the electric leg. Don't leave home without one.
2018: Yamaha YZ450F: can do this, if you're up to it
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2018: Yamaha YZ450F: can do this, if you're up to it
2018: Yamaha YZ450F: can also do this
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2018: Yamaha YZ450F: can also do this
2018: Yamaha YZ450F: lighter front rim and Dunlop Geomax MX3S tyres
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2018: Yamaha YZ450F: lighter front rim and Dunlop Geomax MX3S tyres
2018: Yamaha YZ450F: lighter rear rim and Dunlop Geomax MX3S tire
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2018: Yamaha YZ450F: lighter rear rim and Dunlop Geomax MX3S tire
2018: Yamaha YZ450F: engine casing
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2018: Yamaha YZ450F: engine casing
2018: Yamaha YZ450F: small starter motor
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2018: Yamaha YZ450F: small starter motor
2018: Yamaha YZ450F: thumb start, without getting heavier
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2018: Yamaha YZ450F: thumb start, without getting heavier
2018: Yamaha YZ450F: 9 mm narrower seat is also 20 mm lower at the tail end
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2018: Yamaha YZ450F: 9 mm narrower seat is also 20 mm lower at the tail end
2018 Yamaha YZ450F: a hairy-chested motocrosser
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2018 Yamaha YZ450F: a hairy-chested motocrosser
2018 Yamaha YZ450F: left side view
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2018 Yamaha YZ450F: left side view
2018 Yamaha YZ450F: right three quarter view
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2018 Yamaha YZ450F: right three quarter view
2018 Yamaha YZ450F: left three quarter view
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2018 Yamaha YZ450F: left three quarter view
2018 Yamaha YZ450F: rear shock
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2018 Yamaha YZ450F: rear shock
2018 Yamaha YZ450F: switchgear
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2018 Yamaha YZ450F: switchgear
2018 Yamaha YZ450F: can be tuned using a smartphone app
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2018 Yamaha YZ450F: can be tuned using a smartphone app
2018 Yamaha YZ450F: built in Wi-Fi access to engine parameters and logs
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2018 Yamaha YZ450F: built in Wi-Fi access to engine parameters and logs
2018 Yamaha YZ450F: narrower seat
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2018 Yamaha YZ450F: narrower seat
2018 Yamaha YZ450F: bars are stronger and 5 mm higher
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2018 Yamaha YZ450F: bars are stronger and 5 mm higher
2018 Yamaha YZ450F: built-in Wi-Fi
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2018 Yamaha YZ450F: built-in Wi-Fi 
2018 Yamaha YZ450F: doesn't really need tires if you ride it like this
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2018 Yamaha YZ450F: doesn't really need tires if you ride it like this
2018 Yamaha YZ450F: a big bore dirt squirter with serious intelligence
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2018 Yamaha YZ450F: a big bore dirt squirter with serious intelligence
2018 Yamaha YZ450F: procedure for mid-ride tire inspection
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2018 Yamaha YZ450F: procedure for mid-ride tire inspection
2018 Yamaha YZ450F: lightweight Lithium battery
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2018 Yamaha YZ450F: lightweight Lithium battery
2018 Yamaha YZ450F: reverse cylinder engine
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2018 Yamaha YZ450F: reverse cylinder engine
2018 Yamaha YZ450F: 450cc engine
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2018 Yamaha YZ450F: 450cc engine
2018 Yamaha YZ450F: bilateral beam frame
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2018 Yamaha YZ450F: bilateral beam frame
2018 Yamaha YZ450F: Power Tuner app
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2018 Yamaha YZ450F: Power Tuner app
2018 Yamaha YZ450F: Power Tuner app
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2018 Yamaha YZ450F: Power Tuner app
View gallery - 36 images

Yamaha has made a bunch of changes to its YZ450F motocross racer for 2018, including an electric start, new suspension, a new frame and a revised "high traction" engine. It also has a built-in Wi-Fi hotspot, which gives riders the ability to adjust the fueling and ignition maps through a smartphone app.

The new YZ450F becomes the first production motocrosser with a smartphone tuning app, allowing riders to profoundly stuff up their machines by the side of the trail at the touch of a fingertip.

The Power Tuner mobile app provides a visual interface for editing, saving and sharing settings for fuel and ignition mapping changes. It connects to the bike through a built-in Wi-Fi hotspot, and also lets riders log and share notes, monitor race settings and system diagnostics.

2018 Yamaha YZ450F: Power Tuner app
2018 Yamaha YZ450F: Power Tuner app

But beyond this bit of wireless fun, the YZ has had a pretty comprehensive makeover.

The bilateral beam frame has been redesigned to optimize vertical and torsional rigidity. The reverse-tilting single cylinder engine gets a new crankshaft, a stronger diamond-like carbon coated piston, new cam profiles and a new 44 mm Mikuni throttle body.

The gearbox and clutch have been reworked to last longer, and despite bigger radiators and the addition of an electric starter motor, the bike's one kilo lighter than the 2017 model at just 111 kg wet.

2018 Yamaha YZ450F: a hairy-chested motocrosser
2018 Yamaha YZ450F: a hairy-chested motocrosser

New fully-adjustable KYB suspension at either end combines with a 3 mm longer trail at the front for increased straight-line stability, and a lighter, shorter swingarm at the rear to keep it nimble in the tight stuff.

Servicing should be a little easier, too, with a single clip to open the airbox, and a clip-in filter cage replacing the previous effort that used a bolt and required tools to play with.

There are no figures available on peak power or torque, but if those are a concern for you on a 111 kg, 450cc mud missile, you're a far better rider than me.

The 2018 YZ450F will hit showrooms this August at a retail price of US$9,199. Lots of photos in the gallery, enjoy!

Source: Yamaha

View gallery - 36 images
1 comment
1 comment
Techtwit
How long before all the riders are hacking each other's bikes to knock the tuning off optimum?