Rating

9

What It Is

It's a well-known fact that Doug Dubach has played an integral part in developing the all-new 2010 Yamaha YZ450F. His experience with the bike's R&D has gone a long way towards producing a good exhaust system. The space limitations of the "tornado" style exhaust header have given a lot of exhaust companies headaches, but DRD has found a way to produce more power. Built out of titanium, the header features a resonance chamber mounted in the middle of the tornado, while the muffler can is made from carbon fiber with a magnesium end cap. All told, this is one lightweight system that doesn't just look pretty.

Hits

Fitment is excellent, as the entire system mounted right up to our YZ450F test bike. Out on the track, the power gains were noticeable. The DRD system added slightly to the low-end power, while simultaneously increasing the top-end power. When I first rode the YZ450F, my biggest complaint was the lack of top-end over-rev. The stock bike just seemed to stop pulling up top. The DRD system alleviated that gripe, making the YZF more fun to ride, as there was plenty of power down long straights, and off fast jumps it could be revved out further while still pulling strong. Down low, the bike still barked, digging for traction at the initial crack of the throttle. In a sense, the DRD system gave the bike a more usable power characteristic by broadening the power delivery over the entire rpm curve.

Misses

I had some trouble removing the system when the muffler and header galled together. Titanium tends to do this, though, so be aware when purchasing any titanium system.

The Verdict

I came away from this test very impressed with the power gains of the DRD system. With the nature of the tornado header on the new YZF, gaining more power out of the bike is difficult, but DRD has managed to accomplish just that.