Today we get on the time machine to remember one of those motorcycles from the beginning of the century that, at the time, left more than one of us breathless: the Yoshimura M450R. The curious thing about the topic is that today, almost a quarter of a century after its official presentation, it continues to do so. So you can imagine the excellent equipment and setup it has; nothing strange, on the other hand, being that it is a creation of the legendary Japanese trainer.
Yoshimura M450R: the SM we have all dreamed of
It is the year 2002 and Yoshimura is one of the leading participants at the Tokyo Motorcycle Show. At their stand we can delight in their wide range of “Performance” products, but also with the silhouette of a high-flying preparation that they had assembled in the months prior to the famous contest. Baptized under the initials M450R, it becomes de facto one of the biggest attractions of the event.
With it they demonstrated two things to the world: their almost infinite capacity to improve and enhance a motorcycle, in addition to being able to do so with frames from antagonistic segments such as sports bikes or low-medium displacement off-road motorcycles. Until then there had been four preparations, in limited series form, presented by the brand:
- Tornado 1200 Bonneville (1987): 3 examples manufactured
- Hayabusa X-1 (2000): 100 examples manufactured
- Katana1135R (2001): 5 copies manufactured
- Tornado S-1 (2001): 50 examples manufactured
The relevant fact in this matter is that the M450R became the first motorcycle of this type that Yoshimura’s team worked on. What the brand did not know at that time was that, due to the great commotion that arose around the initial prototype, it would end up agreeing to manufacture a limited series of only 13 copies at a rate of 1,198,000 Japanese yen in its “SPEC-1” version.
Mass produced “by popular request”
Just a few months later, already in the 2003 season and using the iconic Suzuki DR-Z400S of the moment as the project platform, Yoshimura was giving shape to the M450R units reserved by his clients. Under three different speciation finishes “SPEC-1”, “SPEC-2” and “SPEC-3”could be configured from the equipment elements and finishes, through the engine configuration and ending with a top-level “black leg” cycle part.
As detailed from Webike: “The M450R comes in three versions depending on the degree of modification: Version 1 features smaller front and rear wheels and a modified body; Version 2 has additional engine modifications; and the top-of-the-range version, the R version, includes upgraded front and rear suspension and brakes.”
The final prices, in addition to the one already mentioned for the access version, were 1,498,000 and 1,998,000 Japanese yen at the time. In euros, 6,500, 8,150 and 10,860 euros respectively. We must remember that the base model cost 648,000 yen at that time, 50% of the total value of the most conventional variant of the three offered.
The limit was set by the imagination.
Anyone who at the time had the opportunity to get one of these Yoshimura M450Rs had a long list of elements with which to configure it to their liking: Afam aluminum handlebars, one-piece carbon fiber bodywork, Trail Tech instrument panel, Yoshimura dual temperature digital meter, 43 mm Öhlins front fork, CNC upper seat post, etc.
On a mechanical level, all versions shared a standard configuration that included a Yoshimura Mikuni TMR-MJN fuel supply system (Φ40 mm) and titanium Tri-Cone Cyclone exhaust and carbon silencers. However, the “SPEC-2” and “SPEC-3” variants increased their displacement from 398.2 cc to 449.4 cc. To achieve this, a 92 mm piston was mounted, 2 mm larger than the standard diameter, while the crankshaft lengthened its stroke by 5 mm, leaving final dimensions of 92 x 67.6 mm.
“In addition, the camshaft has been replaced with one from the Stage R version and the valve caps with machined stainless steel ones. The CDI module was also replaced by an original unit that raised the rev limit to 11,000 rpm”as our colleagues confirm. To all of the above we had to add a 130 mm diameter BMC air filter.
The party doesn’t end here
Without a doubt one of the most striking solutions, only available in the most expensive version, was a diamond-coated swingarm from Nishimura Coating. The assembly rested on two Excel Takasago radial wheels, shod with Dunlop GPR-80 120/60R17 and 150/60R17 tires, front and rear respectively.
As the icing on the cake, a braking system to match could not be missing, signed in this case by Braking and equipped with a 320 mm disc and a 4-piston opposite caliper on the front, along with Yoshimura Speedflow metal hoses on both axles, thus signing one of the most spectacular preparations at the time and which even today continues to arouse passions among fans.
