Mxa's pipe test 2014 yz450f

[crf917rider]

http://motocrossactionmag.com/mobile/News/2014-YZ450F-EXHAUST-SHOOTOUT-SEARCHING-FOR-THE-ULT-11209.aspx

[T-Dub512]

Thanks for posting this! I always thought pipes on 450s were a waste of money to add HP and quite the contrary right up until I sold my old '12 KX450, a friend let me run his DEP full carbon pipe from Japan on it, and I completely rethink what a pipe does for a bike. Esp for one with such a jerky powerboard(not the YZ, the KX).

 

I kind of wish they would post laptimes, however I suppose the drawback to that would be what pipes worked best for which riders(which they did show the scoring) on that particular track. *example - the intermediate rider having the fastest lap time because of the heavy mid-range hit of the PC pipe due to the track/conditions. However the overall feeling of the Dr. D producing the 2nd fastest time amongst the novice, vet, and pro thus leaving them less tired and able to put in more laps.(sort of like a 1 fast lap vs 5 average paced laps)

[MXKyle]

I'm a little disappointed with this write up because it mentions the stock bike needs to be tuned with the power tuner yet doesn't let you compare the correctly tuned bike to the untuned bike.  I know from experience how much difference that new mapping makes.  You also may not need to buy a power tuner because it is pretty easy to find someone that owns one. 

 

 

[swaldrop]

The only reason you would ever need a pipe on a 450 (in my opinion, of course) would be to make the bike easier to ride. 450's have so much power stock that the overwhelming majority of riders would benefit more from a less powerful motor, rather than a more powerful one. 

 

That being said, I had a Yoshi slip-on on my '11 that smoothed out the annoying hit on bottom and stretched out the top a bit, all the while keeping a very smooth delivery. This made the bike much easier to ride and was a huge benefit overall.

 

Fast forward to my '14 and I thought to myself "If it made the '11 better, it should do the same for the '14". I was wrong... The '14 with the stock pipe, with a few mapping adjustments, was already silky smooth on bottom. It doesn't quite have the pull on top that my '11 had with the Yoshi, but the difference was negligible. 

 

In contrast, the '14 with the Yoshi slip-on gave the bike a very aggressive feel. Power was up from top to bottom, without a doubt, but the way that the power was delivered was too abusive. Where the stock pipe felt smooth and predictable, the Yoshi felt harsh and unpredictable.

 

Now, my opinion may not mean a whole lot in regard to this article as I have never ridden my bike in any of these after market configs (full system and all), but the logic behind my findings is sound. I also don't need by my buddies to tell me how fast my bike is and get no satisfaction from that sentiment, so that may play a role in how I view the performance of a bike as well.

 

I think Yamaha did a pretty good job with this motor in stock trim and most pipes are just bling at this point. However, that bling may come at a price, not only in dollars, but also energy spent trying to wrangle that bad boy out on the track. At almost 40 with a wife and two kids, I can't afford to waste either one ?

Edited April 17, 2014 by swaldrop