2012 Yamaha YFZ450 ATV Test Ride / Review
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Any recreation rider would enjoy riding 2012 Yamaha YFZ450 in the dunes as we had a blast railing some of the dunes at the Umpqua Dune in Oregon

We were not only excited to get out and do some riding at Winchester, but we were also excited to see what changes Yamaha had made to its original 450 class machine. The 2012 YFZ450 is just like the original in appearance, with sharp lines and an aggressive look, on a light-weight, compact steel frame and aluminum sub-frame, but with changes to the suspension and engine we were still anxious to get a leg over it and see what this budget minded sport quad had to offer.

For 2012, Yamaha chose to use a larger Mikuni 42mm carburetor to reduce "throttle thumb" this also gave the 2012 YFZ450 smoother throttle response

The engine for the YFZ450 has received a few changes with the addition of a new cam profile has improved the bottom and mid-range power of the YFZ, making it more like the YFZ450R, while still maintaining that mid-range hit that the original YFZ is noted for. The change in power characteristics has made the new YFZ450 a smoother riding machine that gives plenty of power, but has lessened the arm jerking response when you mash the throttle. The smoother power delivery also lessens fatigue and arm pump, allowing riders to enjoy a longer riding experience. We found the power of the 2012 YFZ450 to be more than adequate to handle the soft sands of Winchester Bay and it was more than capable of climbing the tallest dunes without issue.

Previous models of the YFZ450 were notorious for having a stiff throttle, resulting in “throttle thumb” on even short rides, but for the new YFZ450, Yamaha took that into consideration by changing out the carburetor to a new, larger Mikuni 42mm BSR with TPS. In previous models, the carburetor featured a slide delivery that took more effort to move, causing the throttle to be stiff. In the new models, the butterfly delivery not only provides better throttle response but is also much easier to move; therefore, decreasing throttle stiffness. The new carb/throttle response was one of our favorite changes made to this machine and we couldn’t be more pleased to see that Yamaha had listened to its customers in this aspect of development.

Despite the smoother throttle response, the 2012 Yamaha still has plenty of power to pull the front end up even in the deep sand at Winchester Bay

One of the biggest changes to the 2012 YFZ450 is the suspension. In order to keep the YFZ450 a more budget minded machine, Yamaha replaced the old front piggyback threaded shocks with new non-piggyback KYB front shocks. The reasoning behind this was that more serious-minded riders are going to change out their stock suspension anyway, so with using the new KYB stock shocks, it allows Yamaha to put a lower MSRP on the 2012 model, leaving the consumer with more budget for customization.