Factory Flyer: A look at the YFZ 450R Piloted by Dustin Nelson

Anyone who races shares one dream with all of their competitors, and that is to one day ride a factory race machine. Dustin Nelson is part of an elite group that is able to do this and get paid for it. Competing in both the ITP Quadcross and WORCS series, Nelson needs to have the best possible machine underneath him to be a contender. Yamaha supplies the machine while the rest of the work is done through his sponsors, and the final package is anything short of amazing.

We were presented with the opportunity to meet with Dustin at Milestone MX Ranch in Riverside, CA and get a look at his machine first hand. To the untrained eye the only parts that don't look straight from the factory are the a-arms, shocks and misc. bolt on items, this mechanical masterpiece is far from it. We sat down with Dustin and Dubach Racing's Mark Tilley to get the full scoop on what has been done.

The Machine
The YFZ 450R is a brand new machine that was built for the consumer that wanted race technology in a recreational ATV. What this means is that it can perform on trails as well on the track. To make this machine race ready for Dustin had to make a few modifications. One of the most important of any for a professional racer is a powerful engine to get you over the huge jumps and out in front of the competition.

One thing that is very unique about Nelsons YFZ 450R is that it features many of the same components that you can purchase for yourself out of Yamaha's GYTR catalog. While the cylinder bore is left stock, the piston has been replaced with a 13.5-1 high compression unit, that gets topped with a GYTR CNC ported cylinder head outfitted with GYTR camshafts. Getting the optimum amount of air and fuel into the cylinder is also a job left to a GYTR high flow air filter and Power Commander. With the engine pumping out so much power, the stock clutch basket, pressure plate, hub and clutch kit have also been replaced with hard anodized billet pieces from GYTR as well.

Finishing off the engine modifications that make power is a DRD SS/A complete exhaust system complete with their Pro-Packing material. The exhaust system is made from high quality stainless steel and features a completely rebuildable aluminum muffler canister. DRD claims that the Pro-Packing material used in this muffler will last longer than their previous packing material, which means more time in-between muffler servicing. In addition this new material is also supposed to help absorb more of the exhaust noise resulting in lower DB's on a sound meter.

When it comes to the suspension on the YFZ 450R, we felt that it was one of the best performing packages on a quad straight off of the show room floor. Again in the quest for the best performance possible on the pro-level of racing, riders need to have the best and that is why Dustin runs a-arms from Roll Design and mates the arms up to some very trick Ohlins shocks. Roll made changes in the caster angles in the stock arms to increase the handling characteristics and the chromoly material that is used makes the arms much stronger than the stock arms. The Ohlins shocks are nothing more than masterpieces. These huge bodied shocks feature a unique design in how the compression and rebound circuits work. In most shocks when you make to either compression or rebound, you would have to change the adjustment on the other to compensate for it's action. With theses new adjusters, that is no longer necessary because the oil flows through their own circuits eliminating the crossover effect. Without being the engineer it's hard to explain, but seeing Nelson ride how he does on this machine, it obviously works for him.

Being comfortable on your machine is also another key to winning championships. Everything from bar height, bend and even the controls you use can make a huge difference. To suit the new YFZR to his liking, Dustin runs a +1 inch taller steering stem that have been outfitted to a set of TAG Metals 1 1/8" SX bend handlebars complete with TAG grips. To prevent the bars being yanked from his hands in the harsh off-road environment, a GPR steering stabilizer has been mounted to the frame and the steering stem. A comfortable platform for his feet come in the way of the GYTR nerf bars with netted heel guards. These nerf bars feature an integrated adjustable height footpeg. This allows Dustin to change the height of the peg for a better overall feel of the bike as well. The finishing touches come in the way of GYTR front bumper and rear grab bars for looks and protection as well as ITP wheels and tires. The T-9 bead lock wheels securely hold the MX Quadcross MX Pro Lite tires to the wheels in any condition and terrain.

Dustin took his machine out for a spin for our photographer and showed us what this bike was really capable of. From the huge leaps, fast corners and deep whoops on the track, he made it all seem effortless on this powerhouse of an ATV. Now don't get me wrong in thinking that if you do all of these mods yourself, you'll be just as fast as him on the track because it's taken him years of training and practice to do what he does at his level. All of these parts just help him do it that much faster and easier.

After he came off of the track, I asked what the main differences were between his MX bike and his off-road machine. "There's not a huge difference. We use the same engine package because it's plenty strong. The main differences are that we run taller tires, different gearing for the long straights, different shocks and add skid plates to the bike. Everything else on the bike is pretty much the same." No matter where we've seen him ride these machines, we know he's fast and his quad is more than capable of taking him to multiple championships in the future.

Thanks to Dustin Nelson and Mark Tilley of Dubach Racing for taking the time to meet with us at the track. Additional thanks to Milestone MX Ranch in Riverside, Ca for the use of their facility.

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