2024 YAMAHA YZ450FX FIRST RIDE IMPRESSION VIDEO: LIGHTER, SLIMMER, ENGINE UPDATES AND MORE

We recently had the opportunity to ride the 2024 Yamaha YZ450FX at the Ampro Proving Grounds in Union, South Carolina. This is the facility used by Randy Hawkins to test and train with the Ampro Yamaha Racing Team, and it was a very special treat. The YZ450FX is the off-road version of the Yamaha YZ450F motocross bike, which was redesigned from the ground up last year. For the most part, the FX got the same treatment for 2024, which means it has a new, lighter chassis, a massively updated motor and slimmer bodywork with a more spread-out riding position. To make the translation to off-road, it has a larger fuel tank, an 18-inch rear wheel, a kickstand and an O-ring chain. Most other manufacturers have a model like this, but Yamaha checks a few more boxes. It has a wide-ratio gearbox, softer mapping and softer suspension with 10mm less travel in order to lower the seat height. We spent two days on the bike and then took it down the street to the Big Buck GNCC, where we put it to a real-world race test. Here’s what we learned.