2024 Yamaha WR450F: Greeny’s Temptation
Josh Green considers a racing return after testing the new Yamaha WR450F
Yamaha’s latest enduro weapon has tapped into the design formula of its race winning YZ450F motocross model. It’s the lightest, slimmest, and fastest WR450F ever built; a master of all trades. Upgrades have been made to the entire machine to deliver excellent power delivery, handling, and suspension feel. The result is an enduro weapon that’s easy to ride fast, extremely capable in technical situations and more versatile than ever before.
It really is the next generation, with so many new features; it’s amazing how good it works everywhere
A machine with such exceptional racing pedigree needs a rider up to the task of putting it through its paces. Who better to assess the new Yamaha's capabilities than off-road racing specialist, Josh Green. Josh may have recently stepped away from a career that saw him compete at the sport's highest level for 15 years, claiming multiple Australian championships along the way, but his class and outright honours at the 2023 Australian Off-Road Championship show he is still at the top of his game.
We recently visited Josh's Off Road Advantage coaching school in Stroud, NSW, with a brand-new 2024 WR450F so the famous #99 to could among the first riders in Australia to experience the all-new machine. It didn't take long on the bike for Greeny to start questioning his retirement decision. “The bike is almost too good not to race,” he announced after his first taste. “It really is the next generation, with so many new features; it’s amazing how good it works everywhere.”
One of the first things to strike a chord was how comfortable the new ergonomics are. “The bike is much narrower, especially through the shrouds, and it’s much flatter and lower,” he said. “It makes it easy for me to move around, and it makes the bike super playful to ride because I can move so much. It’s more balanced and turns in a lot easier. The lower centre of gravity makes it easy to manoeuvre through technical conditions and change direction.”
Greeny knows better than most that a lot of power is useless if it can’t be transferred to speed, so he was excited to discover that the lashings of power being produced by the WR450F engine can easily be converted to traction. “The power is so usable,” he explained. “It’s smooth and agile off the bottom, but it has a manageable power curve and strong top end. It’s not only easier to ride fast; it’s easier to ride slow, so it’s just a better bike all around.”
However, it was the updated electronics and traction control that got him most excited. “It’s amazing; I would run the traction control everywhere. You notice a difference when you get on the gas. It really hooks up and drives the bike, it feels much lighter.” The new smartphone Power Tune app also received a thumbs-up thanks to its ease of use with the ability to adjust power settings and traction control with just the slide of a finger.
As the sun began to descend towards the horizon, Greeny claimed that he needed just one more run around his training circuit to evaluate the chassis and suspension. Once he'd finished, his broad grin told the story. "It feels really smooth over all the bumps and tree roots, but it still held up when I wanted to hit something. The rounded seat makes it easier to shift my weight while cornering, and the new chassis makes it easy to lean forward and get more traction onto the front wheel."
Despite his glowing appraisal of the 2024 WR450F, Josh revealed he's happy to keep his #99 plate and helmet hung up, but he knows the next generation of Yamaha-mounted enduro racers are going to have the edge over the competition with the new bike.
The 2024 Yamaha WR450F is now available from Yamaha dealers Australia-wide. For more information and technical details about the new addition to Yamaha's Enduro range of off-road motorcycles, or to find your nearest Yamaha dealer, visit the 2024 WR450F product page.