The motor produced nice power throughout the rpm range. It felt a tad corked until we changed to the GYT-R can. That really woke it up-a whole new beast, it pulled hard in every gear. I thought the front and rear tires were balanced and worked well together. They provided good control and never pushed anywhere. The brake and clutch levers, throttle and brake pedal all felt as though they are located correctly. The front brakes were a little spongy, but the rear was OK. It's an ATV a rider can grow on, too. It felt good in the air, not nose or rear heavy, with a straight flight behavior. The YFZ450 always did what you wanted. Overall, it is a great machine for all levels of riders from beginner to pro.Allen Knowles-Contributing Editor The new YFZ now has bottom-end power, and the rear suspension is not as harsh as the '05. Yamaha finally added padding to the seat and essentially fixed all the items that owners had to correct on older versions. The lights don't turn with the handlebar-personal preference-but they do remove easily for racing. Although it's not a riding problem, I still have issues on removing the plastic for servicing.
2006 Yamaha YFZ450
Retail price: $6999; Bill Ballance Edition with GYT-R kit, $7499
Engine
Type: Single-cylinder, four-stroke, five-valve DOHC
Displacement: 449cc
Bore x stroke: 95x63.4mm
Cooling: Liquid-cooled with fan assist
Carburetion: Keihin 39mm FCR with Throttle Position Sensor
Starting: Electric
Drivetrain
Drive system: Sealed O-ring chain, 2x4
Transmission: 5-speed manual clutch
Suspension (Type/Travel)
Front: Independent A-arms/9.1 in.
Rear: Swingarm/10.6 in.
Tires
Front: 21x7-10; rear: 20x10-9
Brakes
Front: Dual hydraulic discs
Rear: Hydraulic disc
Dimensions
Wheelbase: 50.4 in.
Claimed dry weight: 350 lb
Ground clearance: 4.4 in.
Length/width/height: 72.4/46.1/42.9 in.
Seat height: 31.9 in.
Fuel capacity: 2.6 gal.
Colors: Team Yamaha blue/white/silver; Bill Ballance Edition
Easy throttle hooked to a motor that churns out power from the get-goAwesome tires that will perform in a variety of terrainsRemove the lights and go raceChoked and restricted in stock formOne hard-to-beat package!
Sibling Rivalry
Like many of you, as soon as we rode the new YFZ450 we wanted to know how it compared to the all-new Raptor 700R. Sure, it's comparing apples and oranges, but since many YFZs will never see a motocross track, we wanted to see how similar or different these two Yamahas are in a nontrack environment. With Oceano Dunes (Pismo) just up the road from Castillo Ranch, it was an obvious choice for a quick comparison. The stock tires on both machines were more than ample for the wet sand. Amazingly crowded for a weekday, the dunes were etched with tracks and supplied an ample suspension test of the two.
Despite sharing front A-arms and front tires, as soon as the easy-to-use parking brakes were disengaged, the two blue machines were on different paths. The YFZ's high-strung motocross genes and the Raptor's mellow trail mannerisms soon appeared. In the rough sand, the 450 was rigid and tight, and the big 700 was smooth and far more forgiving. Power delivery was similar-the 450 gives it promptly and urgently while the electric 700 eases its way up the powerband. In drag races between the two, it was often the rider not the machine that determined the winner. Choosing between the two may be a case of finding which personality you prefer.