T
hey say it's lonely at the top.
That the only place you can go
from there is down. Well tell
that to the folks at Yamaha because
the YZ250F has been one of, if not
the best bikes in the 250 class ever
since the blue crew debuted their
reverse engine design back in 2014.
The boys in blue won the Cycle
News 2020 250 MX shootout and
has been going strong ever since.
Yamaha, a company never known
to rest on its laurels, is back with
an updated YZ250F for the 2021
model year. A bike that has already
solidified itself at the top step of the
podium sees a number of revisions
that aim to improve power and preci-
sion within the engine and chassis.
After seeing these bikes tear through
the first turn at an outdoor national
in perfect synchronization, we were
eager to throw a leg over the latest
blue beast that took on a fair amount
of changes.
Last year's bike was practically
unchanged when it won our 2020
250 MX shootout. Besides bold new
graphics and a new rubber insert
on the air filter, the bike was virtually
identical to its 2019 predecessor.
But you know the saying, "if it ain't
broke don't fix it." For 2021, how-
ever, Yamaha ignored that old saying
and went to work on the '21. The '21
YZ250F retains a familiar look but
boasts a list of updates including a
new cylinder head, a wider intake
VOLUME 57 ISSUE 46 NOVEMBER 17, 2020 P77
BY RYAN NITZEN I PHOTOGRAPHY BY KIT PALMER
BETTER THAN EVER? WE GIVE
YAMAHA'S LATEST YZ250F A RIDE
BACK
IN BLUE
(And Black)
