2024 WR450F: TOO GOOD NOT TO RACE?

Make no bones about it; the WR450F has been an unmitigated success story for Yamaha Motor Australia (YMA), whose R&D crew have played a major role in developing the machine to suit Aussie conditions for many years now. And that process has paid handsome dividends. Since it first arrived back in 1999, the WR450F (including the 400 and 426cc models that preceded it) has consistently been the biggest-selling enduro bike in Australia. Do the math and you get a total of almost 40,000 units sold over those 24 years. Forty-fgiggin’-thousand!

In other words, Yamaha can rightfully claim their WR450F has long been “Australia’s favourite dirt bike”. And with YMA talking a very big game about the improvements made to the completely overhauled 2024 WR450F, it’s focused the market’s attention more than ever before on this pivotal model.

And that fact sure hasn’t been lost on Yamaha’s marketing department who, it has to be said, has done a bloody good job in homing in on what this all-new machine is all about; cleverly pitching the bike not only as a race-bred weapon for fast guys, but also a bike that’s more versatile and forgiving in the hands of an average trailrider – a bike that’s “easier to ride fast and easier to ride slow”.

Part of parcel of any product ‘messaging’ these days is video content. And YMA’s latest vid for the recently released 2024 WR450F is an engaging edit that cleverly incorporates the reigning (and recently retired) Outright AORC champ, Josh Green. Perhaps best of all, it involves a professional athlete acting – or trying to – and not fluffing his lines.

Stayed tuned in the coming for days for Transmoto’s 2024 WR450F ride impression video, shot at the model’s recent media launch. But in the meantime, check out this little slice of creative storytelling, which insinuates that this new WR450F is so good, it’s likely to lure Green out of retirement…

For a two-minute snapshot of what’s new on Yamaha’s 2024 WR450F, check out this “Features & Benefits” video, or this “Master of all Trades” video edit, which reinforces the versatility Yamaha says has been injected into the 2024-model WR450F.