Cycle News is a weekly magazine that covers all aspects of motorcycling including Supercross, Motocross and MotoGP as well as new motorcycles
Issue link: https://magazine.cyclenews.com/i/1022726
2019 YAMAHA YZ250F FIRST TEST P96 feel it on the track. None of our test riders mentioned it at all. One thing they did notice, however, was the new Bridges- tone Battlecross tires that now come stock on the 250; these are different from the Dunlop MX3s found on the 2019 YZ450F. Our test riders felt that, on the 250 at least, the Bridgestones are, as one tester put it, "way" better, say- ing they stick and track with more confidence in the turns, especial- ly on hard-packed surfaces. "They just don't slide around as much," said one tester. The Bridgestones also seem to wear quit well; we've ridden the bike at a variety of tracks now and the tires are still going strong. The previous YZ already had one of the best suspension pack- ages in the business with its KYB Speed Sensitive System coil- spring forks up front and KYB shock in the back, so Yamaha didn't mess much with what was already a good thing; they did, however, go with slightly stiffer spring rates for '19 and made some internal changes both front and back. These changes can be felt; they give the new YZ a slightly more "rigid" feel, while still retaining some plushness for the smaller bumps and provid- ing a comfortable overall feel. The YZ's suspension seems to cover a wide range of riders, in terms of weight and riding talent, without having to make drastic changes, like swapping out springs. Some of our favorite new bits of the bike include how easy it is to access the air filter via the tool-less airbox (which makes changing filters a breeze) and the new two-position—stock and aggressive—handlebar-mounted ignition-map switch that gives you the ability to make adjustments pretty much on the fly. Right off the showroom floor, our test riders pretty much left it in the number-two mode (aggressive) but said that they really didn't feel a huge difference between the levels. However, you can change all that quite easily. The '19 YZ250F now works with Yamaha's power-tuning app that made its debut on last year's YZ450F. It's fantastic. The app makes engine tuning extremely simple, and it does much more than just tweaking the power, like logging dates, reading diagnos- tic codes, and keeping track of maintenance. You can easily swap maps with your friends, too. It's a great device and fun to use. And it's free! So far, we're pretty impressed with the 2019 Yamaha YZ250F. In a nutshell, our testers say the new YZ turns noticeably bet- ter, has more power and feels slimmer between the legs than the outgoing YZ250F. And they agree that every change Yamaha made to it was at least a small (sometimes large) step in the right direction. Though some people might not like the idea of the smaller-capacity fuel tank, the added three pounds, or the $500 that's been tacked on to the price tag, we feel the trade- offs are well worth it. CN S P E C I F I C A T I O N S 2019 YAMAHA YZ250F ($8199) ENGINE TYPE: .....Liquid-cooled, 4-valve, DOHC, 4-stroke, single DISPLACEMENT: .............................250cc BORE X STROKE: ..... 77.0mm x 53.6mm COMPRESSION RATIO: ....................13.8:1 FUEL DELIVERY: Mikuni FI, 12-hole Denso injector, 44mm throttle body TRANSMISSION: ..Constant-mesh, 5-speed CLUTCH: ........................... Multi-disc, wet STARTING SYSTEM: .....................Electric FRAME: ...........Aluminum bilateral beam HANDLEBARS: .......... Tapered aluminum, 4-position adj. mounts FRONT SUSPENSION: ............KYB Speed Sensitive System (SSS) fork, fully adjustable REAR SUSPENSION: ...............KYB single shock, fully adjustable FRONT WHEEL TRAVEL: ................ 12.2 in. REAR WHEEL TRAVEL: .................. 12.5 in. FRONT BRAKE: .........Single 275mm disc REAR BRAKE: ...........Single 245mm disc FRONT TIRE: ....... 80x21 in. Bridgestone Battlecross X20F REAR TIRE: . 100/90x19 in. Bridgestone Battlecross X20R SEAT HEIGHT: .............................. 38.2 in. WHEELBASE: ................................. 58.1 in. RAKE & TRAIL: .................27.33° / 4.7 in. GROUND CLEARANCE: .................. 13.2 in. FUEL CAPACITY: ........................... 1.6 gal. WET WEIGHT (CLAIMED): ......... 234 lbs. WARRANTY:.....30 Day (Limited Factory Warranty) COLOR: ........ Team Yamaha Blue; White