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/126555
.... CXl .... 0') e key to the updated rear suspension is the link lIeft). Zerk fittings are on other side for easy maintenance. The bike is a blast to ride; it's a winnar lright!. ination. The tank is slightly stubbier, hile the seat follows the tank's upper ontours nearly to the gas cap. This seat was first pioneered by Yamaa's own Mike Bell and allows the 'der greater movement from fore to aft. Double-leading shoes front brakes ere borrowed from the Yl465 and it difficult to imagine any brake work, ng with more precision or greater topping power. . The effectiveness of the front brake 1I0wed riders to dive deeper into turns han with last year's Yamaha. Several f the test riders found themselves raking too soon in some situations ntil they became more confident of he machine's ability to slow quickly. dding to the feeling of confidence is e newest Kayaba-built front end feauring 43mm legs. These forks are nearly flex free and xhibit none of the harshness of last ear's suspenders. New damping' rates ooth the fork action throughout heir 11.8 inches of travel. Interesting o note is the way Kayaba has heat ressed the axle stanchions to the slidrs instead of casting them in normal ashion. It is good that the front end works ell because more is asked of it. "The eight bias is shifted to the front wheel. y about two percent," explains amaha's Ed Scheidler. We found the eight helpful when choosing lines hrough sweepers or flat turns without , but somewhat troublesome in .ght sections because of the slower teering. Yamaha has pulled the teering head in .5 degrees from the H odel but a typical rider comment as, "You can feel the weight and it's xtra work in tight sections." Most of he riders also felt the front end was ore stable in big monorail berms. Yamaha has retained the traditional 'ation for their Monocross shock, hile ildding a linkage system tha t dds a rising ratio of wheel to shock ravel. Previous monosllocks were early linear in action related to the ear wheel, and Yamaha attempted to ild progressive damping into the k to achieve the desired affects, ging COUDe, Yamaha has now fol- lowed the lead set by Honda, Suzuki and Kawasaki and lets mechanical leverage do the trick. It's not magic but compared to the "Monoswap" of the past, the new system is a tremendous improvement. "Smooth" and "stable" were two typical comments from people who rode the bike, The. new DeCarbon type shock offers not only rebound damping adjustment but also compression tuneability. Located under the tank is a collar with 20 click stops built in. Eight clicks from full in is standard. Fewer clicks 'equals more damping; more clicks means less. We tried different settings and think the normal rebound and compression settings should be right for most rillers. Different rate springs will be available soon, making the j model the most adjustable standard rear suspension in the motocross world. What really makes the bike stand out in a crowd, however, is the wonderful motor. The torque down low makes you think an Open class engine lives beneath the tank while the midrange and up feels like you've thrown your leg over a hyperdrive road racer. The secret is the Power Valve incorporated into the cylinder and operated by a centrifugal clutch located behind the water impeller. The idea is simple. At low rpm, the exhaust port is small. As revs climb, the Power Valve opens to a maximum of 6.8 millimeters, a very considerable increase. On the track, the effect is also very considerable. Corners can be taken a gear too high, yet the motor pulls cleanly away. More incredible' is the rush on top end that leaves some Open class bikes in the dust. We fanned the clutch less on the '82 YZ than any250cc bike we have tested. If there is any fault with the power, it might be the transition from tractor to screamer is too abrupt, although this may only r.eflect our surprise at finding so much on tap. " Yamaha has done a better job of designing the front number plate around the radiator.on the 250cc than on their 125cc. The plate is flat and the radiator well concealed. The frame and steering head act as passageways in recirculating the water from radiator to motor. The system holds one liter of coolant and keeps the finless cylinder cool enough to touch, even after a hard moto. The pipe has been redesigned to match the new powerband, but the carburetor remains the same as previous years, a 38mm Mikuni. Straight-cut primary gears replace the helicals of the past. }'rame wall thickness has been increased in key areas to support the linkaRe pivots and the front downtube has split from one tube to two to allow the center port exhaust to exit more evenly in conjunction with the Power Valve. Some of the nice touches include an aluminum brake stay arm, folding shift lever with smooth bottom, zerk fittings and needle bearings at linkage points, and a larRer airbox that lets the engine breathe better and makes cleaning the fLIter easier. Some minuses:weight is up at least five pounds (two pounds more in swingarm and linkage), rear brake is still typical Yamaha, i.e., touchy, and gear changing was less than crisp. Our criticisms are admittedly minor, but it's hard to.be critical with a motorcycle that performs this well and is still fun to ride, That's right, fun. Almost every rider commented on the good time they had piloting the :VZ250j. An amazing testimonial for a machine built to satisfy a Pro rider. Smooth and effortless to ride, yet blazingly fast, the 1982 YZ250j is a first class motocrosser from its whirlpool throttle to the oft-maligned IRC tires that received satisfactory ratings from our testers. There are a lot of good motorcycles in this world, and a few really great ones. The YZ250j falls into' the latter category. • Specifications Engine Type Water-(:ooled two-stroke with Torque Induction Q!) Displacement 246cc Bore x stroke ~ 70 x 64mm Compression ratio 7.0.6:1 Starting system Primary kick Ignition system ' Capacito~ Discharge Ignition Transmission Constant mesh five speed Carburetor. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Mlkuni VM38SS Coolant capacity. . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 1.0 liters total 11.06 qts.) Chassis . Tubular steel semi-double cradle Frame design Rake/trail , 27.5"/118mm 14.66 in.) Front suspension/travel Telescopic fork/300mm 111.8 in.) , Monocrossl32Omm 112.6 in.) Rear suspension/travel ..•... , Front tire , 3.00 x 21-4PR Rear tire•............................................ 5.10 x 18-4PR Dimensions Wheelbase ~ • . . . • • . • • .• 1490mm 158.66 in.) Seat height ' ; 960mm 137.4 In.) Minimum ground clearance 325mm 112.8 In.) Net weight 103 kg C227lbs.) Fuel tank capacity 9.0 liters 12.4 gal.l Suggested regll price •••••••••••••••..•••..•.••.•••.•••.•••• $2179