SHOOTOUT
P46
2014 250F MOTOCROSS SHOOTOUT
>> QUICK REVIEW
As you probably know by now, the
Yamaha YZ250F finally got its longawaited rebuild. It now features the
same basic design as its bigger
bother with the reversed and rearward-tilted cylinder, wrap-around
exhaust system, forward-mounted
airbox and centralized fuel tank with
a hidden gas cap/filler. It's finally
fuel-injected, too. Like the 450, it
retains its well-liked Speed Sensitive System KYB fork.
As we have already said a number
of times on these pages, the new
Yamaha is a marvelous bike. It's a
huge improvement over the previous YZ250F in almost every way.
What probably stands out most
is its motor. The single-best word to
describe the YZ's new powerplant
is – strong! It has tons more power and a broader and more usable
powerband.
The YZ pulls hard out of the turns
as soon as you crack the throttle,
even if you let the R's drop a little
more than you intended. Just tap
the clutch lever and it'll quickly get
you back up to speed. And things
only get more exciting once you get
into midrange, where the Yamaha
really kicks into overdrive. And the
fun doesn't stop there, either, as the
quick-revving motor continues to pull
strong as you stretch out each gear,
and then some. The YZ has excellent over-rev. There just isn't anything
we don't like about the YZ's motor.
Power is strong across the board,
it shifts well and the gear ratios are
matched nicely to the motor's deliv-
2014 YAMAHA YZ250F
STANDOUT FEATURES
•Reversed cylinder design
•Rearward-slanted cylinder
•Aluminum bilateral beam frame
•KYB Speed Sensitive System (SSS) forks
•Two color options (blue/white & white/
black)
•Tapered aluminum handlebars
WEIGHT (full fuel): 235 lbs.
MSRP: $7490
WHAT'S NEW
•Pretty much everything
•All-new four-valve motor
•Fuel injection
•Updated frame
•Rubber-mounted handlebars
The Yamaha
YZ250F took on
the most changes
of the five bikes.
