YFZ450 Head the competition

Ever wondered what that ATV in front of you is? Chances are it’s a YFZ450. With the highest power-to-weight ratio of any production ATV, this multi-championship-winning machine has been the racer’s choice for the last five years.

The lightweight alloy single-cylinder four-stroke engine has a five-valve cylinder head fed by a Keihin 39mm carburettor – the biggest and most sporting carb in Yamaha’s ATV range – that powers it past the opposition in a surge of terrain-swallowing energy. YFZ450’s superlight, high-tensile chassis with remote-reservoir race-tuned front suspension turns every ounce of power into forward motion, with the race clutch taking everything you can throw at it. This year, there’s a new colour scheme to look out for. It may be a bit blurred as it goes past, though.