other bikes have switchable maps
nowadays, but none are as versatile
or as tunable as the Yamaha.
The suspension guys at Yamaha
again can practically do no wrong.
The KYB SSS fork is the best in
class, right out of the box. Small
bump absorption and big hits are
soaked up without the fear of
getting bucked off. Some other
bikes feel like you must be heavier
or faster for them to work right, but
the Yamaha allows you to have fun
regardless of weight or ability. One
rider summed it perfectly: "There's
no other bike I'd rather be on after
2:00 p.m. than the Yamaha."
If we had to nitpick the YZ250F,
it would be the same things you've
already heard. Yes, the front end
feels wider than some other bikes.
You sit more "in" this bike than "on"
it. And louder than the rest. But the
performance positives outweigh all
these negatives.
CONCLUSION
>
You really can't go wrong with
any one of these bikes. But we
can confidently say that you'll go
the least wrong with the Yamaha.
And when it comes to the Yamaha,
we heard this said by our testers
more than a few times: "If this was
my only bike, I'd be so pumped."
Hands down, the Yamaha wins again.
The other five bikes in this
comparison are all very capable
motorcycles. It's only when you ride
them back to back to back do you
notice any flaws or hiccups. They
need more dialing-in time compared
to the more refined Yamaha–the
best bike when it comes to just
getting on and going.
The Yamaha YZ250F, once again,
walks across the stage as the
valedictorian of the class of 2023. CN
SHOOTOUT I 2023 250cc FOUR-STROKE MOTOCROSS SHOOTOUT
P92
