The YZ450F already stands apart on the motocross scene with its rearward-slanting cylinder, the Yamaha claiming improved performance from its offset cylinder and centralized weight. These revolutionary design elements have become fundamental to the 2012 Yamaha YZ450F and remain unchanged. But to keep the YZ450F one step ahead of the competition, the 2012 model will offer revisions to its fuel injection, suspension and tires. Aesthetically the model also gets new color profiles, which include black rims and a gold-colored drive chain.
One thing Yamaha has done for the new model year is update its fuel map and optimize the ignition timing. The goal was to create a smoother throttle response and generate more low to mid-range power with improved roll-on performance. The 2012 Yamaha YZ450F also includes a 42.0mm longer silencer with reduced sound output in keeping with new AMA Racing regulations which limit exhaust to 94db.
Shifting on the 2012 model was given a boost by changing the locating pin to make the shift bar more rigid. The claimed result is more precise shifting on the 450F, particularly between second and third.
Both the front fork and rear shock have been tweaked to improve bump absorption and to reduce dive while cornering. Up front the fork is revalved for low to mid-speed compression damping. Meanwhile, the shock not only has revised rebound characteristics, but also gets a new valve setting for more high-speed compression.
Dunlop Geomax MX51 tires replace the existing D742FA and D756 rubber, with Yamaha touting improved traction as a result. The 2012 YZ450F is also adorned with black rims on its blue bike instead of the traditional silver.
In addition to these updates, the GYTR Power Tuner returns for the 2012 YZ450F which allows users to adjust fuel and ignition maps manually. The device is extremely useful for those who wish to squeeze the most out of their bike on those weekend trips to the track. More than nine points are customizable, and users can also get info on engine running time, water and intake temperature, throttle position and rpm.
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