330, and Time to Get Dirty

The 2012 Yamaha WR-450FB.
I assume, anyway, that they will use the letter B to designate a 2012 model.
It features, what I feel, are some good, smart changes.

What I mean by the title is that if you are a lucky rider to be on the bike in the pic, I imagine you will like getting dirty very much, and have fun doing it.
Yamaha Motor Corp., USA announced the rest of their 2012 models yesterday, and one model that was changed was the WR-450F.
Changes made to the bike make sense to me.
Guys on the Internet forums are pissing and moaning that it didn't get the same engine and chassis design as the current YZ-450F, but, not only do I think the WR-450F did not get that because it wasn't any better for off-road use, but I also think most of these guys are posers that want to believe their WR-450F really needs that, or would have liked to feel like part of the YZ crowd.

The front fork got the (supposedly) same internals as the latest fork used on Yamaha's YZ motocross bikes.
Traditionally, the Japanese manufacturers debut the top-of-the-line techno tricks on their motocross bikes, and off-road models may or may not get the same stuff.
When the off-road bikes like the WR-450F gets it, it's often considered to be a big deal because it doesn't always happen.

The rear shock and swingarm are new, and the carburetor has been replaced with electronic fuel injection.
This alone (the fuel injection) will be enough to make some riders jump up and down for joy.
Why?
Good question, because I never got the feeling that any of my bikes needed to be fuel injected.
The ones that weren't (like my WR-250FY) always seemed to be just fine, and the ones that were didn't seem to be any better because of it.
I'll take either way, really.
I can only guess that some guys have a phobia about carburetors, or are electronic gadget geeks that are like the geeks on the SV-650 forums that often insist you need to buy the version that comes with electronic ABS, or else, you will have a wreck because the ABS is a life-saver.
I always felt that was a good one.
How about learning how to brake on your own?
You know - by using your own brain and fingers on the brake lever.

To me, the biggest changes on the WR-450FB are the fork, shock, and the new frame, which is based on the current YZ-250F.
Gee, more motocross bike trickle-down.
Personally, I'd much rather have this design than the rearward-facing engine of the current YZ-450F.
The chassis of the WR-450FB is much more traditional in the way the parts are positioned, allowing easy access to the air filter without tools, allowing a larger fuel tank to be fitted without wondering where the extra fuel will be carried, and, probably most of all, this new chassis will work just fine and dandy without adopting the YZ-450F chassis and engine design just for the sake of having it on the WR-450F.
You see, it actually makes sense to me to have the WR-450F keep the traditional-style frame and engine design because that is proven stuff and far from being obsolete, and using the latest suspension along with it should make the bike very good.

Of course, there are naysayers that will bitch because the WR isn't a YZ.

Off to jerk,
-John