Mat McEntee has picked up our 2020 Yamaha YZ450F project bike from Yamaha Motor Australia. We will be punching out regular blogs on the bike to keep everyone updates on the progress – if we can get Mat off the track and in front of the computer that is!
The world’s a crazy place right now and the best option is to look at the positives. My biggest positive is, I just got my hands on a 2020 Yamaha YZ450F as a project bike with Dirt Action.
Being a whole new experience, I rolled up to Yamaha looking like a kid on Christmas morning, drove through the gates and saw the arm-ripping blue beast near the roller doors. Anyone would’ve thought I was crazy with how much I was smiling. It’s been a good couple of months since I’ve owned a bike and thanks to the legends at Dirt Action, Yamaha and good friend Matt Bernard, who has gone above and beyond multiple times to help me out, I have finally got a bike to ride, race and test on throughout the year.
BACK TO WORK
I pinned it straight back to the job site to finish my days work. I had plans to throw a leg over big blue on the weekend, With all that’s going on during this pandemic, it turns out tracks will be closed for a while so I’m going to have to ask a few favours from some of my friends and get on a couple of private tracks to start the good times on the YZ450F.
I’m fortune enough to have a couple of great brands behind me with this project bike which you will hear more about over this year.We have lined up with Adam Spence to do some filming and produce a video in partnership with Yamaha Motor Australia and will be continuing my relationship with Seven MX which have a hand full of great gear combos that are going to look unreal pared up with the slick looking Yamaha YZ450F.
WHAT’S THE PLAN?
At this current moment I’m going to ride the bike in stock trim for couple of weeks just to get a feel of the bike and its characteristics before I go changing things. Yamaha have developed this bike to incredible strong and competitive in completely stock dorm.
During the Australian Supercross Championship, Richie Evans rode a 2020 Yamaha YZ450F to 6th overall behind Justin Brayton, Luke Clout, Dan Reardon, Brett Metcalfe and Dylan Long in the SX1 class with only the following modifications:
- ETS MA-3 race fuel
- Standard airbox with Rush 02 filter
- 52 rear sprocket – so he could run 3rd and 4th everywhere.
- SX-tuned suspension
- Zeta bar brace
- Skid plate from YZ450FX model
- Pro Taper SX Race bend bars in the forward / back position
- Pro Taper grips
- DID ERT3 chain
- Akrapovic Exhaust
- Dunlop MX33 production tyres with HD tubes (Run mousse for MX)
That really shows how strong these bikes are in standard form
Suspension will be the first port of call and I have been talking to the guys over at MCD-Racing in Penrith about setting up a suspension package to be suitable for the events we plan to race – when that finally happens! I’m super excited about at they are a easy and very professional company to deal with and have the legends at MOTO KIT are in the process of designing me a kit – I’m saying will be one of the best looking bikes you’ll see .
I can’t wait to get this project under way, bring on life with the 2020 Yamaha YZ450F!