VOLUME 59 ISSUE 3 JANUARY 19, 2022 P73
WHEN WE TAKE THE TOP 250F
MOTOCROSSERS ON THE MARKET AND PUT
ANNUAL COMPARISON. DID A
EMERGE? READ ON.
PHOTOGRAPHY BY KIT PALMER
mapping and suspension tuning never went beyond
what was already available on each motorcycle.
For the second year in a row, we did not include
the Suzuki RM-Z250, a motorcycle that hasn't seen
an update since the 2019 version. Even then, those
updates weren't enough to challenge the other
bikes—which have all been significantly improved
since then—for even a podium position. In fact, it
pulled up the rear in our 2019 250F shootout, mainly
because it was one of the heaviest bikes in the class
(which it still is) despite no E-start (even to this day
you still must start it manually, which, for many, is
unacceptable these days) and harsh suspension.
The RM-Z is, however, at $7899 the least expensive
250F of the 2022 group and that right there could
make it a viable option for those new to the class or
still learning the sport.
We had our testers each rank the bikes in order
of preference (1st, 2nd, 3rd, and so on) and used a
points system from that to aid us in determining a
winner, though we did put heavy emphasis on plain
ol' personal preference.
CRF 250R VS. HUSQVARNA FC 250
KAWASAKI KX250 VS. YAMAHA YZ250F
