It’s no secret that 450cc motocross bikes have more than enough power for the vast majority of dirt bike riders who will ever swing a leg over one, and that’s especially true for Yamaha’s YZ450F. Since the Tuning Fork brand reversed the cylinder head on its flagship motocross bike in 2010, the YZ450F has been known for dishing out gobs of power and shows no signs of slowing down (no pun intended).
The 2025 model produces 55.3 hp and 33.0 lb.-ft. of torque at the rear wheel on Dirt Rider’s in-house Dynojet 250i dynamometer. For comparison’s sake, that’s 1.8 hp more than its closest competitor at peak and 0.5 lb.-ft. of torque less than the class leader in maximum torque. That abundance of power transfers over to dirt quite well, but may be a little bit too much for some.
“The Yamaha YZ450F engine is amazing, and it’s both the highlight and lowlight of the bike,” test rider Casey Casper said. “If anyone thinks a 450cc machine might be too much for them, then this is not the bike to purchase; the YZ450F will convert more vet riders to 350cc four-stroke options than any other bike in the class.”
Related: 2025 Yamaha Enduro Bikes First Look
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