YZ450FX | Jock Mclauchlan
The 450FX is grunty! I don’t need any
more power off-road than this bike makes.
It has great punch, is responsive and has
an excellent top-end. In the sandy test
conditions it had near perfect delivery,
always willing to loft the front wheel over the
next whoop as well as being relatively stall
free in the tight going. What I would say is
it could well be a handful on slick terrain.
It still looks a large bike, mainly because of
the airbox shape and location, I think. However,
once aboard the FX feels great with excellent
overall ergonomics. The rear sub-frame has
been lowered 20 to 30mm depending on
where you measure it from, and this definitely
contributes to its more compact feel.
I found the suspension a little softer in the
rear than the forks. The forks where quite
48 KIWI RIDER
firm, but not harsh with great bottom-out
resistance. This 450FX was brand new and
Josh mentioned the forks free up nicely after
two to three hours use. These KYB forks
have a fantastic reputation, so give them the
chance to break-in before you make too many
changes. The shock was great out of the box,
but just a little on the soft side and light of
rebound damping for my size in the whoops.
Handling wise the 450FX is very stable
and secure feeling – it needs to be with
the speed it can carry! It still has an ever so
slightly vague feeling on turn-in, but this
has reduced markedly over the years and
is now only noticeable if you’re used to a
better turning bike, and a bit of a scholar
of how bikes turn. Overall the steering is
bloody good. An excellent machine.