Here at MotoOnline.com.au we’re huge fans of getting out to the track, putting in laps and having some fun – the true essence of motocross. So when we’re supplied with a brand new 2016 motocross bike to hang on to for the entire year, you can imagine that we’re quite excited about that. Thanks to Yamaha Motor Australia we’re introducing our very own long-term 60th Anniversary YZ450F!

The plan for our Yamaha YZ450F is to utilise the bike as not so much of a show piece covered in aftermarket parts, but to create a bike featuring practical upgrades and personal touches to suit myself. A bike that the general consumer could go out and purchase, add the same upgrades, have an awesome bike to ride and not break the bank in the process.

Image: Alex Gobert (Foremost Media)

While doing so we’ll be able to create a bike that’s tailored to suit my needs, head to the track as much as possible and just enjoy the ride. It’s also the perfect opportunity to then review these upgrades and report back on exactly how they turn out on the YZ450F. In addition, we will be reviewing not only the upgrades to the bike, but it’s also perfect for us when we receive new gear, googles, boots or any other protective wear to go out and test on track.

What are my initial thoughts on the 2016 YZ450F? Well for starters, the engine package is seriously strong. The thing has endless amounts of power, if you can truly use all of the power this bike has to offer, you’re one talented human being. It’s definitely one of the most aggressive and powerful motocross bikes I’ve ridden to date.

Personally I’m not the strongest rider out there and a 450 can tend to wear me out at times. Luckily for me Yamaha have it all covered and in the future I’ll definitely be grabbing the GYTR Power Tuner and making a few adjustments to mellow it out to suit my style. That’s the beauty of the YZ450F, you can adjust the engine package to suit you to a tee in a matter of minutes, awesome!

Image: Alex Gobert (Foremost Media).

Chassis wise the 2016 YZ450F has a nice traditional feel to it even with the reverse engine design. The KYB spring fork may have a lot to do with that as it’s a fork that you instantly feel comfortable with as much of our riding lives have been spent on spring forks. It’s on the stiff side for me currently, but we’ll be tackling the suspension further down the track, not a worry there.

Finally I can’t introduce our 60th Anniversary YZ450F without noting that retro yellow colour scheme can I? It’s really cool to see Yamaha bring that back for this year and the bike really stands out at the track. The combination of the yellow against the black accents and Excel rims looks pretty factory, can’t really go wrong there!

Here at MotoOnline.com.au we’re really looking forward to putting in more hours on the YZ450F and continuing to dial it in over time. Be sure to stay tuned to both our website and social media channels for updates and reviews throughout the year.