Yea , they are tough to get at , my 20 450R is not too bad , harder than older models , but not bad , but my buddy just got a 21 450R and because of the relocation of the battery box , the shock being basically backwards from the 20 , it is a real pain to get to the lock ring , just a slight opening where you can get in there with a long punch ..... but at least once you break it loose , you can turn the spring with your hands .... though even that is slightly compromised by the battery box location right behind the starter ..... but the airbox has more room inside compared to my 20 , as you can barely get the filter in/out with the 20 , so yea , they are trying to cram a lot of stuff in a small place , which makes maintenance a pain ...
, Definitely not as open as that old Yamahopper in my picture