2016 WR450F: Beyond The Brochure

Let’s be honest. The last time Yamaha significantly updated its WR450F (back in 2012), it was a bit of a cobbled-together job, designed largely to stem the tide; to prevent the Blue Faithful from jumping ship and buying one of the sexy new 450cc enduro bikes coming out of Europe. So, is Yamaha’s 2016-model WR450F any different? Yes, entirely. This is the bike the other manufacturers were hoping would never appear; a lightweight, agile, hard-nosed, high-performance enduro weapon, coupled with Yamaha’s notorious reliability. Not only that, the machine will undoubtedly use the WR250F as a proven road map to adapt its MX-bike DNA for trail and enduro use.

This all-new WR450F has been the worst-kept secret for more than 12 months, but the timing of its arrival sure took everyone by surprise! Just as rumours seemed to confirm we wouldn’t see this WR450F until February next year, Yamaha in both Europe and the USA suddenly unveiled the much-awaited model on their websites yesterday. Yamaha Australia simply posted a static image of the machine on its Facebook page, along with a message that read: “Shrouded in secrecy, until now. The cover on the all-new #WR450F has been lifted. All will be revealed at MotoGP Phillip Island.”

So, what are we looking at exactly here? Well, at first glance, there don’t appear to be many surprises with the 2016 WR450F. And as you’d expect, Yamaha’s ‘messaging’ is identical to what we heard 12 months ago when the all-new WR250F was unveiled – “lightweight, mass centralisation, controllable power, proven reliability, a YZ-F for the bush with next-level performance”, etcetera.

Specifically, though (and before we see it in the flesh at next weekend’s MotoGP), what can be extrapolated from the limited information and images released for the new bike? Here are a few things we noticed:

POWERPLANT

• The 2016 WR450F comes with a special wide-ratio transmission but, interestingly, it’s a five-speed rather than the six-speed gearbox that’s found on its 250cc sibling and most of its class rivals. The 450 does, however, get the modified, enduro-spec clutch – albeit a beefed up version of what appears on the WR250F, we’d assume.
• The WR450F appears to run the same large mechanically baffled muffler that appears on the 2015 and 2016 WR250F – the one component that stands out on the 250 as heavy and outdated, and which robs the bike of throttle response at lower revs. That said (and added weight aside), this muffler does a great job of producing a quiet exhaust note and may actually work a treat on the fire-breathing 450cc mill by smoothing out its power delivery.
• Like the WR250F, the WR450F’s electric starter is mounted in front of the rear-slanted, reverse-mounted engine. This set-up has been used all year on Romain Febvre’s Factory Rinaldi Yamaha YZ450F, on which he just won the 2015 FIM MXGP World Championship and the MXoN in France. The team was so confident in its reliability, they removed the kick-starter altogether. 

CHASSIS/SUSPENSION

• Information released so far doesn’t detail what spring rates the new WR450F’s fork and shock will use. But if the new WR250F is anything to go by, the WR450F is likely to run the same 56N/mm shock spring as the 2016 YZ450F, and possibly even a rate firmer in the rear-end of the YZ450FX. The fork springs in both machines are expected to be a rate or two softer than those found in the YZ450F MXer (4.9N/mm), just as the 2015/16 WR250F’s fork springs are.
• To create the necessary clearance for the battery and electrics, the shock shaft will need to be 4mm longer than the MX bike’s. This translates into an added 10mm of seat height (at the rear of the seat), which is offset to some extent by a 2mm spacer under the top triple clamp that rocks the chassis forward and brings the front of the seat slightly lower.

COMPONENTRY

• The new WR450F runs an oversize 270mm front brake disc (this first appeared on Yami’s 2016 YZ250/450F models), which is larger than the 250mm disc that the WR250F continues to run for 2016. That makes sense, given that the 450 will be a slightly heavier machine.
• The 2016 WR450F runs the same 7.5 litre fuel tank as the WR250F. That’s about 2 litres shy of what most other 450cc four-stroke enduro bikes carry, and given that our testing on the WR250F suggests its fuel range is just 90km, the 450’s even shorter fuel range may be an issue for the more adventure-oriented riders. That said, IMS already make a 12-litre tank that fits the bike.
• The new WR450F joins Yamaha’s 2016 WR250F and 2016 motocross range with black rims. And, as is the case with the WR250F, Australia will be the only country in the world where the WR450F comes in Yamaha’s 60^th anniversary yellow/black/white livery. In fact, the new WR450F will be available in either yellow or blue (both with black rims), while the 2016 WR250F is only available in the yellow.
• Unlike the American version of the machine shown in the majority of the images released (with the silver rims and Dunlop tyres), the Aussie-spec WR450F gets black rims and Metzeler 6 Day Extreme tyres. It is also likely to come with full-wrap Barkbusters hand guards as standard equipment (just like the WR250F).

^ The American-spec 2016-model WR450F…

& THE YZ450FX?

Yamaha Motor Australia (YMA) confirmed with Transmoto that they also intend to release a 2016 YZ450FX model, following its unveiling in America yesterday. A la Yamaha’s 250cc off-road models, the easiest way to think of the YZ450FX is as a hybrid, cross-country version of the YZ450F and WR450F. It’s a WR450F with firmer suspension settings, a YZ450F exhaust system (with mapping to suit) and no lights or hand guards. Or, if you’d prefer to compare it with the motocrosser, it’s a YZ450F with an electric-start and 18-inch rear wheel. Whichever way you look at it, the FX sits somewhere between its enduro and motocross cousins.

According to YMA, the YZ450FX (which, confusingly, is called the WR450FX in the USA) will only come in the blue colour scheme with silver rims. Combined with the WR250F, YZ250FX and Yamaha’s recently released two-stroke cross-country models – the YZ250X and YZ250XR – it adds up to one hell of a formidable off-road model line-up for Yamaha in 2016.

^ The American-spec 2016-model YZ450FX…

WHEN & WHERE

Don’t be surprised if two-time and reigning Australian 4-Day Enduro Champion, Daniel Milner, rocks up at the 2015 A4DE in Tassie in late October aboard a 2016 WR450F. That’s just too good a PR opportunity for YMA to pass up.

Pricing and timing details for the new WR450F will be made available at the Phillip Island MotoGP on Oct 17-18 (where the bike will first be revealed in Australia). If the keenly priced $11,999 WR250F is any indication, you can expect that YMA will be similarly aggressive with the 450’s price tag. YMA personnel couldn’t be drawn to comment on the new model’s ETA, but we’re hearing they’ll be in Australian Yamaha dealers in time for Christmas. Stay tuned.