Yamaha WR450F reviews

Yamaha continues to lead the market yet again. The '05 is everything you'll expect. That is after several mods to uncork her. Although if your experience level is low, then she is tamed down to a managable level for beginners. Awesome bike that is easy to ride and hard to find enough space to open up! Show less

I have been doing a lot of hill climbs on my new 450, and am very happy with the ease of handling this machine in tight woods. My last bike was a 2000 WR400, so I can only compare it to that bike's ability. And there really is no comparison! The new 450 just does EVERYTHING well! I am amazed how it balances itself in idle situations. It really makes me look like a good rider! Show less

This is one impressive bike. I bought this for myself this Christmas and it came prepped with all the free Mods already installed/removed. Only thing I did was install the GYT-R tail pipe, (well worth the money), and installed something called powernow. It increases the off idle to half throttle H/P. Since this is the average hill climbing position, it too was well worth the money. This bike has performed flawlessly. Starts like right now. haven't tried to kick start it yet. Too much fun just pushing that little electric start button. Climbs hills better than my CR500R. Not that it climbs them faster, but under it clibms them with much better control. Advertised weight difference is a little over 30 lbs. Does feel a little heavier, but only during trail riding. A little heavier on top. Jumps better than the CR500R. More balance with a MUCH improved/controlled landing. I've ridden a lot of bikes in the last 45 years, and felt the CR500R was the best hill climbing piece of machinery out there. This WR450F is changing my belief! Show less

Unreal horsepower. It has a very smooth delivery to the ground... one that really hooks up. Had to put pro-taper bars on it. ('04 came with steele bars). The only reason reliability is 4 stars is that I let it set for about a month and a half (I know, but I was moving) and it was very hard to start. Show less

Excellent reviews, owner loyalty and years of refinement compelled me to buy this bike vs. waiting on the Honda CRF450X. Also, the CRF450X is heaver, more expensive and its little brother's (250X) valve issues concerned me. The bike is impressive: fit, finish, quality, ergonomics, etc. I was impressed with its speed, handling and ride, but it didn't have the "torquey snapI expected -- like my old school (last) 1977..ish MX bike KX250. If you read the reviews here for the 2004 WR you will notice that EVERYONE does the "free mods": Remove the airbox snorkel, Remove the exhaust baffle insert, Shorten the throttle-stop (or replace with YZ stop), disconnect the "grey wire" under the gas tank. Once I did the mods it's twice the bike it was; it's very fast now, pulls hard in every gear, a 2nd and 3rd gear unicycle with a twist of the throttle. After the mods, the WR450 is the "beast" I expected. No complaints; it just keeps impressing me on each ride. Show less

After first purchasing this bike I was very disappointed with Yamaha over the fact that they had corked up the performance on this woods rocket. The throttle stop screw was a joke, as it would not let you open the throttle past 3/4. Why they did this is beyond me but after cutting the stop screw to YZ specs and performing all of the free mods this bike came to life. The power delivery is very smooth and predictable. The engine performance would have got a 5 if it were not for having to modify it to get full use of the carb. I felt very comfortable in both tight and open trails. The suspension felt good and has plenty of travel. All in all this is a great bike for the trail rider or woods racer at heart. Show less

Bought the bike about four months ago, have ridden mostly mountain trails. Overall I'm quite satisfied with it. The motor is very good with usable power and torque all across the powerband. Handling is nice-typical Yamaha not too quick steering, not too slow. I was a little concerned about the thin seat, but it doesn't cause monkeybutt any more than others. The easiest starting four stroke I've ever owned- even kick starting usually only takes one to two kicks. Show less

I just down graded from a Honda XR650R to the Yamaha WR450F and let me tell you what. I went from a tank to a sportscar. This bike is great. Low end torque is so sweet, this bike is a unicycle most of the time. It powers through the sand and whoops like butter. Nice soft landing on the jumps. What more can I say? Buy one! Show less

THE BIKE IS NICE! IT IS VERY PREDICTABLE, WITH SMOOTH POWER AND CAN BE THROWN AROUND EASIER THAN I EVER IMAGINED (AND IT KEEPS GETTING EASIER). COMFORT IS 4, BECAUSE MY BUTT GETS SORE. don't KNOW IF IT'S THE SEAT OR IF I NEED TO BUILD SOME TOLERANCE TO RIDE THIS ROCKET. THE TIRE NEEDS REPLACING AFTER 200 MILES, I'M ALWAYS ON THE GAS! I ONLY HAD THE EXHAUST UNCORKED AND THROTTLE STOP TAKEN OUT, IT'S FAST ENOUGH! BUT, I THINK A STEERING STABILIZER WOULD HELP AT HIGH SPEEDS. Show less

Ok, after doing all the mods like removing the exhaust baffle and cutting the throttle stop, this bike has serious power. The overall looks of it are just stunning. Love the electric start, that works great. I highly recommend the 2004 WR450F to anyone. Show less