Cycle News - Archive Issues - 2000's

All of the updates that were made to the other competition bikes in Yamaha's line-up have been included on the new WR250F, which means there are needle bearings in its lower shock mount and it has a redesigned front-brake system and an easyadjust clutctj lever with a more subtle bend. Also, the fork now has a nylon spacer and updated bump rubber, as well as anti-suction dust seals, lowfriction internals and a lightweight aluminum piston rod. Apart from setting rear-suspension sag and making a few clicks on the damping adjusters, we rode the WR in stock condition at Hawkins' house. The only real modification was the installation of a pair of GYTR handguards. (There are also several other trick parts from that accessory division of Yamaha that we are eager to try.) Prior to this model year, no one really took 250cc four-strokes seriously. Having shown that the 250F can compete In a motocross package, Yamaha Is now taking on the off-road world. The WR was arrived at by making focused modifications to the yz Ithe photo at right shows the engine guard that Is specific to the WR; the guard on the other side Is also found on the motocross model). WOODS ROOSTING As expected (and as planned), the WR250F is a screamer, a fact we confirmed while riding on Hawkins' grass track, periodically opting not to up-shift and instead let the bike rev. For absolute best results, it's better to stay in the meat of the powerband (which is somewhere between midrange and top end), but for those situations when you are too busy (or lazy) to click into the next cog, the power is functional up there by the rev-limiter. Off-road riding can be qujte varied, so the WR would be useless if it had to be screamed in order to work competently. Hawkins took us out for a trail ride on our last day, during which we encountered a rather long, When he first signed with Yamaha, Randy Hawkins campaigned both a 250cc two-stroke and a 400cc four-stroke, but last year - in the interest of being consistent - he spent the entire season on a 426 thumper. For 200 I, the Javelin has decided to once again spice it up a bit, this time by switching back and forth from his familiar big bore and Yamaha's newest offering. We spoke briefly with Hawkins about his bikes. Will you be riding the WR250F this year? We were going to do the first few races on the 426, but we're a little behind on our testing, and as much time as I've spent on the 250F, we're going to start right out of the get-go in the Arizona National Enduro (February 11] on the 250. Then we're going to substitute the 426 In and out at different events, so I'll be riding both bikes throughout the year. What criteria wiU you use when deciding which bike to ride? In tighter, more technical races, I'll use the 250F, and in more open, faster events, "II use the 426. Different people of different sizes technical hill. We hit the base with the bike singing up on the top end, but partway up, a bobble caused a loss in momentum. Thankfully, it was no problem to simply drop down into the midrange and grunt the rest of the have different preferences, but for my size and body frame, the 250F is just a little bit more manageable in a tight, technical situation, when there's no rhythm, really. You're just kind of throwing the bike around and using a lot of body English to get through those situations, so the weight is a big factor there, compared to the 426. But one thing that surprised us was how well the 250 runs. If it ran like 250cc four-strokes in the past, it wouldn't matter if it only weighed 100 pounds - you still couldn't ride it fast through the woods (laughs]. But with the motor that Yamaha's got on this thing, it's got plenty of motor in that kind of situation. It's easier to manage. What is bike's ideal environment? I've ridden all around, and the 250F - especially the WR with its wide-ratio transmission - is just going to be versatile. I really couldn't say one particular event where it's going to stick out, because I know it's going to work in a lot of different events. It's not just going to work at a tight, nasty race like the Georgia National Enduro. It will work good there, but you can take it to other events and do very well with it too. It's not very limited. We'll probably use the big bike in the Colorado National Enduro, because of the altitude, and at the Mt. Morris [Pennsylvania] and Illinois GNCC races, which are fast. I was going to ride the 426 at the Arizona and California National Endures, but since we're behind on our testing, we're going to go with the 250F for those. If I was going to ride some of those Grands Prix out west, I'd probably want to ride a 426 just because of the speed that it has. How will you modify the WR250F? The biggest thing we're going to do is just make personalpreference changes. We're not going to do any motor work. We'll use the stock header pipe with a White Brothers R-Series silencer. We'll gear the bike the way I like it, put on the handlebar'and triple damp I like, and do a little suspension tuning. A lot of guys are different, but I like to lIlave Factory Connection make the bike ride high in the stroke with Stiff springs. You can keep it high in the stroke and then keep the valving kind of light. That way, the bike has a plush feel, but then when you start hitting the big G-outs, your spring kicks in and your valving gets stiffer toward the end to keep you from bottoming. I like the motor and the WR transmission and stuff, so we're not going to reinvent the wheel. We're just going to polish it a little bit. cue. e way up the incline as if the error had never been committed. That midrange is also useful in Iimitedtraction situations or when picking your way through rocks and roots, as you can leave the bike a gear high and let the unloaded suspension do its job. This technique requires constant feathering of the clutch, but although we've heard stories of the odd YZ250F clutch failure, the worst we were able to get from the WR was a slight fade when abused. About the only place you can't ride the WR is on the very bottom end. This won't bother advanced, intermediate or even some novice riders, all of whom rarely even visit that portion of the power spread. But for outright beginners, the bike may be a bit much, and these customers will be better off with a Honda XR250 or a Yamaha TTR225. Another reason neophytes should steer clear of the 250F is that it lacks an electric starter, and even many faster racers will find themselves wishing for that magic button. It may seem wimpy to wish for such comforts on a serious race bike (especially one with relatively low compression), and we'll admit that the WR n e _ so • FEBRUARY 7,2001 17

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