Yamaha YFZ450R specifications, dimensions and price

Yamaha YFZ450R

Dirt Wheels says the five-speed gearbox has neutral and no reverse and an excellent reliability reputation among the industry's top engine builders. The write-up says the stock seating and standing positions are great for smaller riders and that the tester found it comfortably manageable at six feet tall, and that Yamaha's US-based engineers, most of whom ride and race the YFZ, would like to see more competition and innovation come to the class.

RideApart reviewed the 2026 model on a desert first ride in Oregon, and headlines that sport quads are not dead. It explains why the class shrank: side-by-sides let riders bring a partner and children at a lower price point, which its author calls a fatal blow to the sport-quad market after the 2007 arrival of the Polaris RZR.

The report also notes a Yamaha representative's remark that the rider should be more scared that they might like it.

What the design means

A sport quad with no reverse is a race-track and dune tool: the rider steers by weight shift and throttle, with no room to reverse out of trouble. Yamaha lists a 31.9 in seat, 9.3 in of ground clearance and a 2.6 gal tank, all set for fast, short rides. The price of $10,999 is more than most utility ATVs, and it buys a racing chassis rather than work capability.

Against the Scrambler XP 1000 S and Renegade

Polaris's Scrambler XP 1000 S and Can-Am's Renegade X xc 1000R are much bigger and heavier sport quads. The YFZ450R is the lighter, more raceable machine.

The YFZ450R suits an experienced rider who wants a race-ready sport quad for a track, dunes or fast trails and does not need to carry anything or reverse.

2027 Yamaha YFZ450R compared to the Raptor 700R

Both are Yamaha's chain-drive, manual-transmission sport ATVs, but they are not the same platform at different displacements: the YFZ450R's 449cc engine is a higher-revving DOHC design with 5 titanium valves and 11.8:1 compression, against the Raptor's SOHC 4-valve 686cc unit at 10.0:1, and Yamaha's own pages list a 5-speed with an assist-and-slipper clutch for the YFZ450R against a plain 5-speed wet multiplate on the Raptor.

The YFZ450R’s 405 lb wet weight is 17 lb below the Raptor 700R’s 422 lb. Compare their different gearbox, engine and chassis specifications separately.