2023 YAMAHA YZ450F: WEIGHT CORRECTION

When we got our 2023 Yamaha YZ450F test bike, the first thing we did was weigh it on our scale. This isn’t anything unusual; we weigh every test bike we get. We’ve been doing that from the very start. In order to do this accurately, we drain the fuel by removing the tank and turning it upside down. We leave all the other fluids in place because they are not variables. We’re looking for a precise, consistent figure that can be used to compare different products. Yes, it’s a big pain, but we think it’s important. Historically, manufacturers have provided figures that were basically made up. In the ‘80s there was usually a 10-pound discrepancy between what the manufacturers claimed and what the bikes actually weighed. In 1998, Yamaha promised that the new YZ450F was going to weigh 233 pounds. When he weighed it for ourselves, it was 250 pounds–still impressive, but 233 would have been really something at that time.

When we weighed the 2023 Yamaha YZ450 originally, our scale read 235.7 pounds. When that figure was published, Yamaha called us and asked us to return our 2023 YZ450F so they could weigh it. They came up with 231 pounds. They respectfully asked us to weigh it again. We did. They were right. The second time we weighed the bike, it was 231.5 pounds. Where did the 4 pounds go? We don’t really know, but perhaps the scale wasn’t zeroed properly. The Yamaha is officially the lightest of the Japanese 450s; the Honda CRF450R is next lightest at 233 pounds on the same scale. 

We try our best to be accurate, so we apologize and are delighted to set the record straight.