or 250 YZs. The air intake has
also been reworked in the same
manner as the larger Yamaha
two strokes, with two direct ports
routed from the back of the seat.
Tweaks to the frame were de-
signed for strength and stability,
while a new removable subframe
reduced overall weight. The rear
brake pedal assembly is also new
for the YZ85 but nearly identi-
cal to the one you'll see on the
bigger YZs. Finally, a large wheel
option, the YZ85LW, has been
added to the lineup. The LW has
a slightly longer swingarm and
rolls on 19-inch front and 16-inch
rear wheels for taller riders or
those looking to make an easier
transition to big bikes.
Since our staff has all out-
grown the minibike size and
weight recommendations, we
enlisted help from Hudson
Zeber, an up-and-comer in the
SoCal racing scene. He's 14
years old, five-foot-six, and right
around 130 pounds. While Hud-
son is on the verge of outgrow-
ing his personal Husqvarna 85,
AMA Supermini rules technically
allow him to race in the class for
a few more years. This is also
where the LW finds its niche.
For a taller rider like ours, the
larger wheels are a perfect fit as
he gets ready to make the jump
to a bigger YZ125. The Yamaha
team invited us to Glen Helen to
get our first laps on the standard
YZ85 and YZ85LW.
The first thing that stands out
with the new YZ's is the striking
bodywork. In this day and age,
it feels like everyone is after this
global brand cohesion, and Yama-
ha indeed executed on that front.
The YZ65, 85, 125 and 250 two-
stroke models now look nearly
identical, which is super cool for
a young kid growing through the
ranks. Or imagine if Dad's 250
looked just like Junior's 85. Kids
have it good these days.
RIDE REVIEW I 2022 YAMAHA YZ85 & YZ85LW
P122
Like its bigger YZ two-stroke
brothers, the 2022 YZ85 got a
significant update, including a
welcomed facelift.
