wearing its weight well , there is no denying it ’ s still a 117kg machine ( wet ) when the going gets tough . Also , it is fair to say the seat is hard , yet well shaped for body movement . A fitter man would probably not sit so much as me .
SUSPENSION KYB suspension is top shelf and coupled with the excellent valving on this Yamaha , makes for a class act . Clearly the test riders knew what was right . I ’ ve found that KYB forks need a decent day of hard riding to truly free up and this initial new feeling was evident on the launch , with the forks feeling a touch firm . The general feeling is of firm control with no harshness , yet with decent bottoming resistance at both ends . Rebound feeling was firm too , making for a subdued chassis that stays low and planted . At one stage we rode a wet and slippery clay road that was quite rocky . You could go about 60km / h , but it was the sort of track where you were likely to get flats ( one rider did ) and crashing was certainly going to be painful . In short , a poxy track . While I can ’ t say the Yamaha was like a magic carpet , it did make comparatively light work of a horrible track . The brakes are awesome with very strong power but offering great feel once you get used to them . The 270mm disc up front and 240mm rear give strong braking in all conditions .
WHERE IT ’ S AT The 2024 WR450F is heavily updated , sophisticated and accomplished . It is highly competitive with a reliability reputation second to none and an absolute stellar ride . Whether you are a racer , trail rider or hardcore adventure rider , you can ’ t go wrong . Happy days .
KIWI RIDER 47