SHOOTOUT
P48
2014 250F MOTOCROSS SHOOTOUT
Despite getting a
complete overall,
the Yamaha
remains the least
expensive of the
five bikes.
ery. Even clutch pull is light.
The Yamaha handles extremely
well, too. It feels light and agile on
the track yet feels very solid and
stable at speed. The new, more
centralized CG can certainly be
felt, especially in the turns. The
Yamaha goes where it's pointed
and doesn't have the tendency to
stand up on you in the rutted corners as much as it used to.
The Yamaha is also comfortable. It has neutral ergos and
feels slim and trim between your
legs. We also like the YZ's tapered aluminum handlebars, firm
seat and fantastic rider maneuverability, a lot of which has to do
with the ultra flat seat/tank area
and covered gas cap.
The new rubber mounting of
the handlebars is a big improvement over the former solid-mount
system – less vibes make it to
your hands now.
What don't we like about the
new YZ? Not much. We're nitpicking in saying that the brakes
might not be the best, and it
might be a little on the loud side
when the throttle is wide open.
Mapping can't be changed without purchasing a Yamaha Power
Tuner, which is very easy to use.
We also don't really like to have to
worry about scratching the black
rims on the white YZ, but when it
comes to gripes, that's about all
we can come up with.
Yes, it was a long wait for the
"reverse-cylinder" YZ but it was
well worth it.
