VOL. 51 ISSUE 30 JULY 29, 2014 P53
BY JASON ABBOTT
PHOTOGRAPHY BY KIT PALMER
A
fter much anticipation, Ya-
maha finally introduced in
2014 its all-new, reversed-
cylinder YZ250F, and the new-
generation YZ was everything we
had hoped for—and then some. It
had FI, a ripping motor, great sus-
pension and was in tune with the
latest mass centralization craze.
And it even had a fresh and very
aggressive look.
As a result, Yamaha's testing
department found itself with a
tough job on its hands—having to
improve upon what many, us in-
cluded, already felt was the best
bike in its class, the '14 YZ250F.
It won our 2014 250F motocross
shootout with ease and was a fa-
vorite with just about anyone who
rode it. But Yamaha isn't a com-
pany that is known to rest on its
laurels and didn't leave the 2015
YZ250F completely alone for the
new model year. No, the bike
got a fair amount of fine-tuning to
both the motor and chassis.
In the all-important motor de-
partment, the YZ took on mostly
durability tweaks, though the YZ's
ECU was re-calibrated to improve
what was already an impressive
power delivery. The piston and
exhaust valves were slightly mod-
ified to increase strength. There's
also a new exhaust cam with a
six-degree decompression angle
change that is intended to make
starting a little easier.
In the transmission, the gear
stopper lever has been changed
to a solid roller from a ball-bearing
type, another mod to improve
durability. Capping things off
related to the motor, the
throttle return spring is now
Few complaints
with the 2014
Yamaha YZ250F
meant few
changes to the
2015 YZ250F.
WE GET OUR FIRST TASTE OF
YAMAHA'S REFINED YZ250F
