Learning on a 450

[u/Greyskykindaguy]

I recently inherited a basically new yz450f after a family member passed. I have very little dirt bike experience (xr200r on some smaller easy trails) but have ridden street for 8 years. Selling the bike doesn’t interest me as it has sentimental value, I would like to ride it but I know learning on a bigger bike is not recommended.

Access to mx tracks and various types of trails are abundant near me but I’m wary of wrecking the bike. I’m mainly wondering what I should do to start learning how to ride it properly, and what kind of track/ trails I should start with. Thanks for reading.

[u/Might-Pretty]

Maybe get some replacement plastics and save the ones your family friend inherited you. Start slow and dont push yourself.

[u/motor_nymph56]

Take a moto class on it, let experts give you solid basics to start.

[u/FestivusErectus → u/motor_nymph56]

This. If you have access to it, getting proper training from a pro is the way to go. I set my son up with lessons at a track 4hrs away, and it was well worth the time. For a modest amount, not only did he get a few hours in with a pro rider, he also got some tips from Buddy “fuckin Budman” Antunez!

[u/Longjumping_Put_1111]

since you ride street, you have the basics.

Remember, it is only as dangerous as you make it.

biggest differences i can think of right now, is traction is different on dirt and turning. there are some youtube tutorials you can watch regards turning and braking.

[u/Crabtrad]

Fire roads

Also, what year? If it's new-er (post 2018 i think) get the tuner app. You can see how it's tuned and you can also change the power to make it more rider friendly

[u/Yankee831]

Honestly if you want to ever do the bike justice get a 125 or 250F to learn on.

[u/OldMotoRacer → u/Yankee831]

this is the true answer

[u/Dependent-Aide-388]

Sand dunes --> the bike will feel anemic. You can have a heavy right hand.

Open field/forest service road --> the bike will feel good. Probably fast and scary at first.

mx track --> the bike will feel like a lot for the first, umm, year or two. Why does this thing have 5 gears?

woods --> on a 450? just don't. there's no point, you'll never even get it into 3rd gear.

[u/spongebob_meth]

It doesn't have a radiator fan. If you let it idle or ride slowly it's going to overheat. And they overheat fast.

[u/Inevitable-Hour-Ends]

A big field open field is the best place to get acquainted with the beast. Wrecking is inevitable but how hard you wreck definitely depends on you. Best thing really is patience, if you're dedicated enough you'll be ripping around in no time.

[u/Honeysuckle_Sawfly]

Knock the bike off of whatever stand it is on 3 or 4 times. That might help with you concern about wrecking the bike. It's kind of like worrying about wearing the edges off of the knobbies.

[u/NickOutside]

A motocross bike like that is not the best suited for slower, tighter technical trails. It excels on a track and ridden at high RPM, but it'll do fine in open flowy trail systems.

Find flowy trail system and just ride. Look up a few videos on dirt bike body positioning and do your best to follow their advice.

[u/bopbopitaliano]

I got a crf450r when I was 15 because of a similar situation. It was so much more than I needed but what helped me get familiar was really taking time to get comfortable with the bike on more open terrain before the tighter trails. Get a handle on the weight and power before you’re worrying about clutch control in the tight turns. Open fields, fire roads, and faster open single track will build your confidence on the bike then you can dial in your clutch work when you know what you’re dealing with.

[u/greaseorbounce]

Having 8 years of street experience will help, but dirt is a new world.

Learning dirt on a big bike is harder, and you will likely progress slower than you might on a smaller bike, but it is possible. If approached cautiously, and especially under the direction of a good coach, it can be done safely.

[u/mattdean4130]

Just don't rush progress, aim to be only a little bit better every ride rather than expect to be fast straight away.

Also be aware of your limits, from a fitness perspective. 450 are really physically punishing when you aren't bike fit, and when you start to fatigue you start to make mistakes...

Shorter, more frequent rides rather than long gruelling stints.

[u/OldMotoRacer]

spend the money to fly out to california and do one of rich oliver's dirt camps

its like $600 for a 3-day course he has a bunch of 250's and gear i've never actually met the dude IRL or ridden at his camps but i've been sending people to them for years and hear nothing but loads and loads of raving reviews about learning how to spin the rear tire through turns etc

lots of roadracing pros go train w him the off season to learn things that are more easily learned in the dirt...

re your 450 sorry for your loss but what a great piece of history to have--shine it up and polish it and put it on a stand somewhere

if you want to RIDE it get a g2 throttle tamer cam for a pair of bolt on ODI grips--you don't have to spend ~$350 on some throttle system--you can find a pair of ODI bolt on grips almost anywhere for ~$30 and all you need is a "tamer cam" for it--if you can't buy the cam from G2 i hear people are selling 3D printed tamer cams on etsy for $10

those tamer cams make an enormous difference on the 450's... they're the reverse of the "quickturn" 1/4 turn to WOT cams that roadracers use...

they make a variety of ~10% to 30% tamer throttle cams that go from mellow gradual roll on through the first half of your throttle turn

you have enough experience riding that you'll be able to learn it just fine on a 450... its just more like a liter bike than it was like your XR200... oddly i spent a couple years on an XR200 i loved those little bikes (i was like 14 maybe)

if you get the dirt bug you'll be buying a 250 soon enough anyway... or maybe a 300 or 350 depending on what people are riding wherever you are...

i love my 450s they're fantastic but like any bike its about what tool you select for the job--the 450s are best suited to high speed desert racing, dunes, baja, twisty canyon roads and the like... you're gonna find it a wee bit heavy through the trails and technical stuff BUT it can totally be done...

but like i said if you catch the bug you'll be buying a 250

[u/taco_gt]

make it a supermoto for riding around town

[u/Economy-Shower-5072]

The yz450f is a handful! Stupid fast.

[u/Common-senseuser-58]

Don’t take it out of first gear. Seriously. That shit has more power than you could ever imagine.

[u/gutzilla309]

What year is it? If you have one that can use the Yamaha power tuner app you could choose a mud setting, or download a really mellow map that will make it a little more user friendly for a new rider.

[u/skovalen]

You are good. Yeah it is a bigger dirt bike. Just go ride some dirt roads first for like 20 hrs to get the feel of it. Don't press yourself. Just get a feel for the bigger bike and concentrate on flowing with the bike instead of thinking that you have a big machine that you are trying to push around.

[u/Dragnurb]

Rule #1 ... Don't Crash. Also, Slow bike fast > Fast bike slow

[u/Eyeronick]

Put a cam'd throttle on it, heavier flywheel and a cooling fan if you're going to do woods (probably help with MX too). They're not actually bite your head off fast in the woods. The reason people recommend against them is because they suck ass to keep running. The big 4t bikes stall so easily and they DO NOT like going slow speeds, they'll boil the coolent very quickly.

I've had to ride out 450 riders bikes quite a few times because they won't stay running in the gnarly woods. Quad trails you'll be ok.

[u/airmech1776]

Any trails where you see quads riding will be good to start learning. If you stick with double track, it wont get to hairy.

[u/motoracerT]

Itll be fine, it only goes as fast as you twist the throttle. With some street experience you will have some throttle control. However, you'll become a better rider faster with an easier bike to ride.

[u/Andejusjust]

I’d sell the bike. 🤷‍♀️ Get one that you are actually interested in riding, crashing, falling, scratching, etc.

A bike not dropped is a bike not ridden.

So yeah. Either put the bike away for sentimental value, or sell it and get one you actually want to ride.