Yamaha’s Arnaud Tonus will race the all-new 2018 YZF450 at the MXGP of Czech Republic in Loket this weekend and his team-mate Shaun Simpson will also get the bike on his return from injury. Swiss sensation Tonus, who recently signed a two-year deal with Yamaha Motor Europe, will be racing the 2018 YZ450F for the remaining seven rounds of the FIM Motocross World Championship, and also at the most prestigious motocross event of the year, the Monster Energy FIM Motocross of Nations.
Fellow Wilvo Yamaha Official MXGP rider Shaun Simpson will also ride the revolutionary piece of machinery upon his return to racing, which he hopes will be at the penultimate round of the MXGP series, the MXGP of The Netherlands at the Dutch TT Circuit, Assen.
Tonus has been testing the new generation YZ450F which has already proved popular among riders, particularly for the new electric start that has been added without sacrificing any weight. The bike’s weight is identical to the weight of the 2017 model that had no electric start. The 2018 YZ450F is narrower and more compact, offering extra stability and control over rough terrain, better braking, and even greater traction. The power delivery is also more linear which means the bike has a smooth delivery of power and acceleration is optimized. The fuel and ignition maps can be altered to suit any rider or track terrain/conditions via the all-new ‘Power Tuner Application’. The app offers real-time engine data and diagnostics and has a maintenance screen that logs the number of running hours etc. An archive of data is also accessible. It is FREE of charge and can be downloaded on any smartphone via the AppStore or on Google Play.
Tonus said: “I’m pleased I get to ride the 2018 YZ450F at Loket this weekend. I got to test it a couple of months ago and I felt good straight away. Since then, I haven’t had too much time on the bike but I have been able to get out on it a few times and I feel really comfortable on it. My speed is good, and the bike feels strong so I am confident I can do well on it.”
While the works version of the MY 2018 YZ450F is still in development, Monster Energy Yamaha Factory Racing riders Romain Febvre and Jeremy Van Horebeek are expected to debut the 2018 YZ450FM later this year.
