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/1227783
2020 YAMAHA XT250 R I D E R E V I E W P74 dirt-focused and street legal. Suzuki's DR200 quickly comes to mind, as does Yamaha's own TW200. Well, I might be wrong about one thing. Perhaps the best thing about the XT250 is that it has a helmet lock! You can get the XT in a variety of colors as long as it's Sandy Beige. It's a somewhat odd color for a dual-sport motorcycle but, in my opinion, looks much better in person than it does in pictures. So, don't make up your mind on the way it looks until you see one in real life and up close. You might be wondering what sets the XT250 apart from it and some of its comparable rivals, such as the popular Honda CRF250L, which shares the same $5199 price tag as the XT250. There are two that stand out in my mind: seat height and weight. The XT weighs approxi- mately 30 pounds less than the CRF and has a two-inch lower seat height. And you can expect the XT to have the same similar advantages over many of the other bikes in its class, too. Power won't be one of them, though. It's easy to forget about the Yamaha XT250, a motorcycle that has been around a long time and hasn't seen a major update in a while. So there hasn't been a real reason to talk about it late- ly. But that doesn't make the XT any less intriguing and compel- ling when it comes a low-priced dual-sport motorcycle that is ideal for people wanting to learn how to ride, or for those just looking for a good time and an inexpensive, practical, reliable and go-anywhere motorcycle without the blur. CN The Yamaha XT250 is one of the few dual sport motorcycles around with a low seat height that is still street legal. Fuel injection makes life easy with the XT. S P E C I F I C A T I O N S 2020 YAMAHA XT250 ($5199) ENGINE: ...............Air-cooled, 4-stroke, SOHC, 2-valve, single DISPLACEMENT: ...................................... 249cc BORE X STROKE: ..................... 74.0 x 58.0mm COMPRESSION RATIO: ...............................9.5:1 FUEL DELIVERY: .....Yamaha Fuel Injection (YFI) IGNITION: TCI (Transistor Controlled Ignition) STARTING SYSTEM: ....Electric (push button) TRANSMISSION: ........5-speed; multiplate wet clutch FINAL DRIVE: ............................................. Chain FRAME: .....................Steel semi-double-cradle FRONT SUSPENSION: .... 35mm telescopic fork REAR SUSPENSION: ....Single shock, linkage, adjustable preload & rebound damping FRONT-WHEEL TRAVEL: ........................... 8.9 in. REAR-WHEEL TRAVEL: ............................... 7.1 in. FRONT BRAKE: .................Single 245mm disc REAR BRAKE: .................. Single, 203mm disc WHEELS: .............................................Aluminum FRONT TIRE: ...................................... 2.75-21 in. REAR TIRE: ....................................120/80-18 in. SEAT HEIGHT: ......................................... 31.9 in. WHEELBASE: ...........................................53.5 in. LENTH/WIDTH/HEIGHT: ....................84.6 in. / 31.7 in. / 45.7 in. RAKE: ...........................................................26.4° TRAIL: ........................................................ 4.2 in. GROUND CLEARANCE: .............................11.2 in. INSTRUMENTS: ............................................LCD LIGHTING: ..... 60/55-watt halogen headlight FUEL CAPACITY: ..2.6 gal./2.4 gal. CA model FUEL ECONOMY (CLAIMED): ................76 mpg WEIGHT (WET, CLAIMED): ................... 291 lbs. COLOR:........................................... Sandy Beige WARRANTY: .... 1 year (limited factory warranty)