2010 Yamaha YFZ450X Ride Review

Yamaha recently rented out the Big Buck GNCC race track in Union, SC and invited several media outlets to ride test their new YFZ450X. ATV Scene was lucky enough to be included on the invite list and sent former professional ATV motocrosser Brit Mansell to ride test the new and much improved YFZ.

Besides his experience as an expert ATVer, Brit also owns and operates a web design company called octanemedia.com, which now specializes in high definition video content. I think you can see where this is going.

Before you view Brit’s high def video take on the new YFZ450X here’s a brief introduction to the video presentation…

2010 YFZ450XLast year you could buy Yamaha’s made-for-racing YFZ450R or the standard YFZ for roughly $800 less. If you opted for the standard YFZ you’re probably kicking yourself about now as the YFZ450R, and now YFZ450X, (which replaced the standard YFZ) is night and day better than the six year old YFZ.

For all the details and specs check out our 2010 Yamaha YFZ450X Preview.

Getting Down and Dirty on the X
Yamaha didn’t cut any corners for the cross country version of the extremely impressive YFZ450R. When Yamaha knows they have a model that is sure to be a winner they have a tendency to go all out when they debut the machine to the media. The YFZ450X intro was no exception. Not only did Yamaha secure an actual GNCC race course for our testing, they hired GNCC trail designer Buren Hamrick to set up a near 10-mile loop, which included tight wooded sections, muddy creek crossings, off camber turns, hill climbs, rutted down hill terrain and of course the legendary Big Buck creek jump.

Speaking of big jumps Brit especially liked the aftermarket-like suspension on the stock YFZ450X. The high performance KYB shocks are very similar to the ones found on the new YFZ450R but offer different leverage ratios for cross country terrain. Like the top of the line YFZ450R, the 450X shocks offer high and low speed compression and rebound adjustment and threaded pre load adjustment. Plus they can be completely revalved and tuned specific to your weight and riding style.

As for all around handling, Brit said he didn’t think it could get much better! The computer designed aluminum frame with its steel lower section allows the engine to sit lower and give a more stable feel. The frame also offers a perfect 11 degrees of rake, while a reduction in caster allows the X to corner quicker than the R. And of course Yamaha’s wide arc A-arms increase ground clearance, which is important in getting over logs, ruts and rocks. Let’s put it this way, Brit liked the ride so much after the ride test he mentioned buying a new YFZ for himself.

Brit also liked the fact that there’s not much to buy in order to race the 450X. Even at 6’-2” Brit was able to raise the bars forward and up thanks to Yamaha’s well designed adjustable stem and Pro Taper bar mount set up. He also mentioned that the X felt very stable even though it’s only 46.1 inches wide. Also on Brit’s list of impressive stand outs was the extra wide pegs, perfect seat design, smooth as butter thumb throttle, clever protective side panels and the power delivery from the high performance titanium 5-valve DOHC head, liquid cooled electronic fuel injected 449cc engine, which uses different EFI mapping for cross country racing. Brit liked how smooth effortless the powerband was and found that he rarely had to touch the clutch.

After a day’s worth of getting down and dirty on the new YFZ450X Brit pretty much fell in love. He told us that the quad was much better than what he anticipated and perhaps the best performing stock 450 he’s ever swung a leg over, coming from a guy that has built and raced just about every high performance ATV under the sun this is one heck of a compliment to the engineers at Yamaha.

If you’re in the market for a high performance trail or cross country race quad you should definitely consider the YFX450X as your next ATV.

Ballance Racing and GYTR
If you’re the type of person that wants to make a great machine an outstanding one, then you might want to check out the many GYTR and Ballance Racing Products available for the YFZ450X including; nerf bars, skid plates, bumpers, grab bars, shock covers, graphics, slip on and full exhaust sytems, a high compression piston kit, a ported complete head assembly and several clutch components.

In an effort to get you to the front of the pack and help save you time and hassle Yamaha has joined forces with a few top of the line aftermarket companies like Dynojet, GPR, IMS, Ballance Racing among others. You can buy these products right along with your new 450X at the dealer.

The Verdict
We sent an expert test rider that we knew would come back with an honest unbiased impression. He came back with not one negative thing to say about Yamaha’s new bad-to-the-bone YFZ450X. On the contrary, he now wants one for himself.

Even in the middle of the biggest recession since the 1930’s Yamaha continues to expand and perfect their lineup. They very well could have narrowed up their new YFZ450R and called it an X, but they have too much passion and respect for cross country racing, so they made the necessary additional changes to make the powerband and ride more suitable for the trail and cross country race course. And with this they now have one of the best high performance ATVs available for everyday trail riders and die-hard quad racers alike. A job well done if you ask us.

Ok ok, no more text… Check out Brit’s Octane Media HD video of the 2010 Yamaha YFZ450X  below and better yet get out and ride test the new YFZ450X for yourself.

2010 Yamaha YFZ450X from Octane Media on Vimeo.

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