VOLUME 59 ISSUE 11 MARCH 15, 2022 P121
T
he mini riding and racing
world is alive and well, and
manufacturers like Yamaha are
taking notice. The YZ85 has been a
staple in the minibike scene since,
well, practically since the beginning
of time. It's the bike that catapulted
careers for champs like Josh Hill and
Chase Sexton and continues to be a
platform for riders and racers alike. For
2022, the YZ85 received a shopping
list of new enhancements, many of
which mirror those of the larger YZ125
and YZ250 two-stroke models.
The 2022 model levels up the 85cc
YZ-inger for the first time since 2019.
That year, the bike got a ground-up
redesign with new forks, swingarm and
a power-valve-equipped engine. Fast
forward just a few years and the YZ,
once again, sees several revisions, this
time mainly in the styling department.
There's a flatter, more neutral seat
design in the cockpit that flows into
a narrower dual-shrouded fuel tank.
There is still one radiator, but the two
shrouds give the YZ a symmetrical
design that feels like the larger 125
NEXT-GEN
>WE RIP AROUND ON THE 2022 YAMAHA YZ85
WORDS AND PHOTOGRAPHY
BY RYAN NITZEN
