I tend to think of myself as just a notch above a novice rider, add that to weighing in at 155lbs. Needless to say I normally don’t like riding 450s because they tend to be just too much power for me and I’m to busy trying not to over ride my abilities that I’m not having fun riding at all. So I didn’t expect the 2016 YZ450FX to be any different until I took off. When I did, I found that in spite of the motor having that arm ripping out power, it was still smooth and usable for me. Yes, once I started to ride my version of aggressive I found myself to be going too fast too quick, but I was able to ride it and have fun when I was just riding my nice and easy pace. On top of the usable arm ripping power, I was amazed with how easy it was to initiate the YZ into turns, which I suspect is due to its light feeling on the pegs. However I found that once I was in the turn the bike didn’t feel very planted. The suspension was very nice and plush for me, I feel that I could’ve used some more time to play with the clickers but just how it was was working pretty good for me. When you combine the lightweight feel with a high power race motor that is smooth enough for a intermediate rider to use and nice suspension with electric start, you get an amazing cross country bike. I really wish I could’ve ridden this bike in a tighter, more technical area because I feel like all of the components that made this bike work so well out in the open would also make it work in a technical single track. I still wouldn’t get it because it is still too much power for me personally, but if you’re racing, you may want to seriously consider this new Yamaha.