2014 Yamaha YZ250F and YZ450F

Yamaha has unveiled the YZ250F and YZ450F, a pair of motocross bikes that have both been developed with a focus on achieving more performance with less weight.

Powering the YZ250F is a single-cylinder, four-stroke, liquid-cooled 250 cc engine. Featuring fuel injection, it comes with a forward-position air intake, ‘snaking’ exhaust system and a revamped gearshift mechanism for the five-speed transmission.

For better mass centralisation, the motor is mounted with a rearwards slant in an all-new frame. Built from aluminium, it helps keep the wet weight (including full oil and petrol tanks) down to a respectable 105 kg (231 lbs).

If the YZ450F looks similar to the YZ250F, that’s because it’s essentially identical, even sharing the smaller-capacity machine’s frame. Of course one major difference is the engine, which is carried over from the 2013 model albeit with a tweaked electronic control unit. The gear ratios have been changed to help improve rideability, too.

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