Jed Beaton’s 2025 ProMX campaign looked set to finally deliver the championship he’d been chasing. From the opening round he was locked in a season-long arm wrestle with Kyle Webster, trading wins and keeping the pressure on until one eventful round. After Webster’s crash at Wonthaggi, Beaton seized control of the points lead and built a commanding gap, looking every bit like the rider destined to take Yamaha back to the top. But motocross is never a straight road, and just as the series headed into the business end, disaster struck. A crash left Beaton with a broken femur, ending his charge with only two rounds to go. What had been shaping up as a career-defining year instead became one of the great “what ifs” in Aussie motocross.
Through it all, the Monster Energy CDR Yamaha team once again proved why they’re considered among the best in the world. Craig Dack’s squad runs a program as polished and professional as anything you’ll find in Europe or America, with factory-spec machinery that’s as close to perfect as you can get in this sport. Beaton’s YZ450F wasn’t just another race bike—it was a finely tuned weapon built to fight for a national crown, the product of countless hours of testing, development, and refinement.
That’s why, when the opportunity came up for us to swing a leg over Jed’s bike, we jumped at it. But we didn’t put just anyone on board. Our test pilot was Mat Boyd—once a pro racer himself, but these days more of a weekend warrior. Mat may be ADB’s Technical Editor but he’s still fast, he’s still capable, but like any of us juggling life off the bike, he doesn’t get nearly as much seat time as he used to. The question was simple: could a bloke who hasn’t been riding full-time still hold on to a pro’s bike at race pace? Would the YZ450F carry him, or chew him up and spit him out?
That’s what we set out to find out.
Beaton’s Beast
For anyone who doesn’t know, Beaton’s YZ450F is currently one of the fastest 450s in Australia. He used it to dominate his way to a thirty-point lead in the ProMX season, with just two rounds to go, before a devastating practice crash left him with a broken femur. Since then, the bike had been parked up—until we finally got the chance to throw a leg over it.
Even before hitting the track, the changes were obvious. The modified airbox, with its larger volume and vented cover, created a much louder induction noise. On the gas, the engine felt super-responsive, with a snappy and aggressive low-down hit. At low throttle openings the bike came across as flighty, almost like it wanted to leap forward on its own. My suspicion is that the mapping is lean down low to make the motor revvy and ultra-responsive. Realistically, I was probably giving it much less throttle than Beaton himself would — he’d want the bike to leap to attention much quicker than I did. No matter how you cut it though, the power is incredibly strong. With the different gearing and mapping, the shift points didn’t line up with the stock bike, and because I’d been riding the standard YZ450F for hours beforehand it took me a few laps to reset my timing. One thing I was instantly happy about was the GYTR hydraulic clutch. I’m a huge fan—it completely eliminates the need to fiddle with clutch freeplay adjustments mid-moto.
Chassis-wise, the bike carries over the same incredible stability of the stocker, but the X-Trig triple clamps added a much tighter, more precise steering feel. The clamps gave the front wheel a very direct connection, and the forks themselves were beautifully set up. The way they held up under braking while still absorbing bumps was spot-on. Honestly, if I could picture the perfect front end, this was it. The only drawback for me was the cockpit setup. The ProTaper bars had a nice bend but sat too low for my liking, which cramped me up a little. On the upside, the soft grips were a huge relief after the hard rubber grips on the stock bike.
The rear shock, however, was where I struggled. It felt rather dead compared to what I prefer. Personally, I like a more active shock with more movement and a quicker rebound, but I also know I’m not hitting braking bumps at the same speed Beaton is. At his pace, the shock clearly works—he’s one of the fastest riders in the country right now—whereas at mine it didn’t quite suit.
The What If Factor
Swinging a leg over Jed Beaton’s factory YZ450F was a reminder of just how far removed a pro-level race bike is from the stock machine sitting in a showroom. The engine’s sheer snap and responsiveness, the precision of the front-end, and the firm (even by Yamaha standards) suspension settings all made it clear this was a bike built for one purpose — winning at the very top level for someone that can ride at that level.
For a weekend warrior like me, it was a handful at times, but also a privilege to feel how dialled-in a pro’s setup can be. Beaton was only two rounds away from turning this very machine into a championship bike, and you can’t help but wonder what if that crash never happened. Would this YZ450F have carried him all the way to the 2025 ProMX crown? We’ll never know — but after riding it, I’m convinced it had all the ingredients to do exactly that.
Motor
Head: Cisco’s Race Tuning / CDR
Piston: OEM
Cams: OEM
Exhaust: Factory Pro Circuit
ECU: Vortex – X10 With Custom Map
Airfilter: Unifilter / Rush 02
Gearing: AFAM 13-51
Engine Covers: GYTR
Chassis
Fork: Factory KYB
Shock: Factory KYB
Ride height: 96mm
Fork height: 3mm
Misc:
Handlebars and Bend: Pro Taper Sx Race
Grips: Pro Taper Half Waffle Grey RC Grips
Tyres: Dunlop Development Tyres
Tubes or Mousse: Dunlop Mousse Front and Rear
Skid Plate: GYTR
Radiator Cap: GYTR
Chain: DID ERT3 520
Seat Cover: Guts
Graphics: Fleetwood Print Group
