“I was usually a stock clamp guy on all YZs, but the new Ride Engineering clamp gives you that bling factor without the rigidity that usually comes with an aftermarket clamp.” That’s our own Kris Keefer—who knows a thing or two about shaking down a bike—on Ride Engineering’s newly redesigned split triple clamps for Yamaha’s YZ, YZF, FX, and WR models. Let’s dig into what the newly revised clamp does and why Keefer is so keen on it.
Recently, the standard Yamaha chassis had enough flex in it that Ride was able to use the same basic design for quite a long time. Their clamps would either reduce or increase the offset, giving the rider sharper turning or better traction in high-speed, rough, or slippery conditions.
However, chassis' have become stiffer in recent years as OEMS have dialed in the ideal average offset for their machines. In response, Ride has shifted their emphasis from handling improvements to a billet-machined clamp that flexes as well as or better than stock. Their new split triple clamps are available in 20mm (supercross) and 22mm offsets for four-strokes and 22mm for two-strokes. (Depending on demand, they say they may bring back the 23.5mm option, which is still available in the previous clamp model.) Looking to tighten up the cornering characteristics of your Yamaha? Try the 20mm offset for better lean-in. Want to keep that great stock Yamaha straight line stability? Go with Ride's stock 22mm offset and keep the bLU cRU's straight-line comfort—but with Ride's split clamp design, it will actually help with front end traction under lean angle.
“Even with the stock 22mm offset on the YZ450F,” Keefer says, “the Ride Engineering 22mm offset split clamps help the front-end traction under lean due to the flex properties of the clamp. The benefit is that I don’t get any added straight-line bump-absorption harshness from this, which is tough to do.”
Even better, the new clamp is 5 oz. lighter than the stock triple clamp. Even more performance gains can be found with add-ons including the one-piece anti-twist bar mounts ($104.95), 5 or 10mm spacers to raise the bars ($14.95) and poly cone options that are firmer than stock (red) or softer than stock (yellow) for $29.95. Optional +/-6mm offset bases ($39.95) can also provide the rider four bar position options just like stock. However, Ride Engineering has revised the bar positions to better suit riders from 5’2” to 6’2”. Comparing them to stock, position 1 is halfway between OEM position 0 and 1. Position 2 is the same as stock, position 3 is halfway between 1 and 2, and position 4 is like OEM position 3. With the +/- 3mm bases that come standard on their bar mount, position 2 and halfway between 2 and 3 are the default bar positions.
Full sets of Ride Engineering’s new split triple clamps run $649.90, and it’s available for 2005-2022 YZ125/250, 2007-2022 WR250/450, 2015-2022 FX250/450, and 2006-2022 YZ250F/450F. The team at Ride can recommend the offset (20 or 22) that will work best for your weight, height, riding ability, and intended use. Call 949-722 8354 for technical questions and sales, or order online from ride-engineering.com. Use discount code REIG-20 for 20% off! Check them out on Facebook and Instagram as well to stay up to date on their latest products and offerings.
