How Much Power Does the 2026 Yamaha YZ450F Make?

Yamaha’s YZ450F is the most updated 450cc motocross bike of 2026. In addition to chassis revisions and suspension tweaks, the Tuning Fork brand sought to make its fuel-injected liquid-cooled DOHC four-stroke 450cc single-cylinder engine more controllable and quieter. Some of the changes implemented to make that happen were revising the intake port and adding a new resonator and duct in the air intake as well as a resonator in the exhaust system.

On Dirt Rider’s in-house rear-wheel dyno, the 2026 YZ450F cranks out peak figures of 53.5 hp and 32.8 lb.-ft. of torque—a reduction of 1.8 hp and 0.2 lb.-ft. of torque compared to last year’s model. The good news is Yamaha’s top of the line motocrosser has been a fire-breather in recent years, so a reduction in power isn’t a detriment.

“The 2023, 2024, and 2025 Yamaha YZ450Fs hit as hard as Mike Tyson and accelerated faster than Noah Lyles,” test rider Allan Brown said. “That kind of power is challenging to handle, even for the world’s best riders. The 2026 version is the most connected and controllable YZ450F, possibly the best of all 450cc dirt bikes I’ve ridden.”