Interesting tweet regarding new -13/-14 YZ450F !

[HRC]

David Pingree just tweeted something interesting...

"@davidpingree: Yamaha planning to release an all-new 2013 1/2 model 450 in spring of next year? Heard it from a couple people now. #limitededition"

[FinchFan194]

Yup they are planning to have the bike homogolated for the start of the 2013 Nats.

[yzfrider1]

They already have the bike done, it's called the wr. They just need strip some weight off.

[FinchFan194]

Nope they are sticking with the reversed engine design.

[HRC]

Nope they are sticking with the reversed engine design.

Seems like you know a little more than rest of us...any more details you want to share ? Where do you get your info from ? Just curiuos ...

[FinchFan194]

Seems like you know a little more than rest of us...any more details you want to share ? Where do you get your info from ? Just curiuos ...

A buddy has very close ties to the industry, he use to be a test rider for Factory Honda in the 80's. All of those cool works 80's Hondas you see in museums, he has ridden and tested them all.

[yzfrider1]

A buddy has very close ties to the industry, he use to be a test rider for Factory Honda in the 80's. All of those cool works 80's Hondas you see in museums, he has ridden and tested them all.

So what are they doing? When was the last time you saw the "so forward thinking, it's backwards add?"

[FinchFan194]

So what are they doing? When was the last time you saw the "so forward thinking, it's backwards add?"

Why would they show that ad when it features James?

[HRC]

I Dont think the backwards motor has anything to do with the "handling problems". If it's anything, it's how the bike is built around the motor.

I love this backward motor. at the end of the season my highprice exhaust system looks like new. No dents at all compared to a regular setup.

[yzfrider1]

Why would they show that ad when it features James?

The add came out for the 2010 motorcycle, at the end of 2009. Stewart didn't race w/ Yamaha until 2011.

I have a 2010, I like the bike. I've ridden the other 4. I liked the zook as well, but not sure that I would want to race something that twichy (nothing a steering stabilizer couldn't fix). The kx was a great bike, but I rode w/ the abrupt end cap (not sure which color.) I could ride the Kx w/ smoother power, just not sure I would keep the bike longer than 2 years. I really wanted to like the Honda, but I didn't. I can't really pinpoint why, except it felt like it lacked power. I ride w/ a guy who is a ktm fan. The Sx had a lot of power, but the bike felt different. In all fairness, I don't have a lot of time on Ktm's.

After everything was said and done, I determined that my 10 does a lot of things right. The bike is less forgiveing if you aren't forward on the tank. I'm only 5'7'', so I tired a set of pro-taper 5mm ext. pegs. It made it easier to get up on the tank.

My point is, if there was more weigh upfront, and the bike were slimmer, it would be an easier more forgiving bike to ride. The easiest way to accomplish this is to use the frame that works well. That would be the 250f/wr450 frame. Maybe Yamaha has something else planned. I can tell you the dealer I use rarely has any idea of something new, until it comes out.

[KJ790]

The add came out for the 2010 motorcycle, at the end of 2009. Stewart didn't race w/ Yamaha until 2011.

Did you forget about James racing for San Manuel Yamaha in 2009 and 2010? That was a factory Yamaha backed team and James was their star rider... It was James in the "forward thinking" add from late 2009. They even had him wih his helmet off speaking backwards.

[yzfrider1]

Did you forget about James racing for San Manuel Yamaha in 2009 and 2010? That was a factory Yamaha backed team and James was their star rider... It was James in the "forward thinking" add from late 2009. They even had him wih his helmet off speaking backwards.

Yes, I forgot that!

[FZ1426]

James crashed as much or more on the previous generation 450 as he did the current one. My recollection is he lost the front end almost every race and continued to do so on the new bike. He ran the forks so stiff it was no surprise when he washed out the front end like clockwork.

I would expect the Suzuki being known as a quick turning bike with a steep head angle to be more tolerant to the stiff front set-up. Though from what I've seen so far with him on the Yosh Suzuki it looks like someone finally convinced him to soften up the front and let the forks actually work.

[rickallen124]

David Pingree just tweeted something interesting...

"@davidpingree: Yamaha planning to release an all-new 2013 1/2 model 450 in spring of next year? Heard it from a couple people now. #limitededition"

Not surprising since the current one has gotten an undeserved bad rap they have to promise the new one early, similar to ktm/dungey, to get someone of some talent to ride for one of their teams. I'm guessing that the frame gets reworked so that it doesn't flex as much under power. That was the common thing that kept coming up in interviews, when more power was added the bike handled worse due to the frame flexing more.

[flapwick]

I heard from a guy that knew a guy that knew.....Okay,for what it's worth,I was at the track Saturday and a guy from a major magazine was there and he said that Yamaha was going back to the traditional motor configuration next year.That's what he said.....

[Danielson]

I also have friends with "close ties to the industry" who state a return to the traditional cylinder design is happening for 2014. They consist of pro-riders and pro-rider mechs. But guess what, none of them work directly with the Corporate Yamaha "decision makers" and the rumors they hear are no different than what is posted here. All we can do is guess for now.

If every rumor from people "in-the-know" were true, I wouldn’t have my Verizon iPhone...

Edited September 13, 2012 by Danielson

[Ben Mens]

I wanna play too!

I heard from a guy at a dealership that they're going back to a "normally mounted" engine design for 2014.

Same guy also told me the 2013 YZ250F will be fuel injected.