We rode Jed Beaton's championship-winning CDR Yamaha YZ450F

Jed Beaton has just been crowned the Australian ProMX MX1 champion for the first time, and I recently had the opportunity to spin some laps on his title-winning 2026 CDR Monster Energy Yamaha YZ450F.

The Craig Dack-led CDR Yamaha team, founded in 1992, has long been one of the most dominant outfits in Australian motocross. The team has won more than 50 championships across motocross and supercross. Having raced for CDR Yamaha, I know first-hand that the team is extremely well structured. Every person has a job to do, they do it very well, and they're always on the front foot.

Beaton has just wrapped up a dominant season by securing the MX1 title a round early. And if you've watched any of the races, you'll know both rider and bike looked phenomenal. Riding his championship-winning bike gave me a chance to see just how much work Beaton and the team have put into getting it to this level.

As you'd expect, Beaton's race bike is far from stock. But you might be surprised at just how close it is to the production version.

The key difference separating the factory bike from its production counterpart is the suspension. The factory KYB fork and shock are highly bespoke and cannot be purchased by the public. Beaton and the team have lengthened both the fork and shock slightly to help the bike ride a little taller. This makes it plusher initially and lets it ride in the sweetest part of the stroke.

Yamaha is also using the 2024 linkage system, which has a different progression rate and gives a slightly better feel with this suspension set-up. The suspension was amazing and had great balance. The rear end tracked across the ground really nicely and didn't squat too much under power. The fork was equally impressive. It held up nicely on the big hits, while the initial plushness meant it felt comfortable through the hands.

The engine also has some different parts, including the head and cams, but none of them are factory-only components. They're parts that anyone can source. The same can be said for many of the components on the bike, including the X-Trig triple clamps, Dunlop tyres, handlebar and seat. These are all aftermarket parts that help make the bike what it is.

On the track, the bike was incredibly easy to ride, with the power delivery arriving exactly where you want it. When you need it to pick up quickly, it does. When you want to be gentle with the throttle, it allows you to be. And when you ask for full power, it drives the bike forward in a way that feels controllable and won't rip your arms off.

Watching Beaton this year, it looked like he and the bike could do no wrong. The way he and the team have developed this bike has resulted in a package that's incredibly easy to ride, which, to me, explains the confidence and control he displayed throughout the season.

To be honest, finding faults with the bike is very difficult. I'd probably add a touch more firmness to the initial part of the fork stroke, choose a handlebar with a straighter bend, and adjust the levers. But that's about it. Everything else felt great and like a bike that could easily feel like my own with just a few small adjustments.