VOL. 51 ISSUE 30 JULY 29, 2014 P55
noticeable, albeit slightly. The
updated mapping gives the new
YZ a more refined and smoother
delivery and a wee bit meatier
pull from mid to top than our still
fairly fresh 2014 YZ250F. Other-
wise, the '15 motor feels a lot like
it did last year but mainly with a
little better control and feel.
We definitely noticed the light-
notch. The shock works just as
well as the fork and performs
best with the sag set at 105mm.
Like last year, the YZ feels
light and narrow between your
legs and is predictable and easy
to maneuver on the track. The
frame responds well to rider
feedback and the pegs are large
and provide plenty of footing.
The handlebars are also fully
adjustable, adding to the bike's
excellent feel. Brakes are again
strong. They are among the best
in the business.
In a nutshell, the 2015 Yamaha
YZ250F is slightly improved over
the '14. In this case, "slightly" is
just as good as "majorly" since
the YZ250F was already the best
in its class. Although Yamaha
didn't make a lot of changes to
the '15, from what we can tell so
far, the changes they did make
were indeed all for the better. CN
(Left) The 2015 YZ250F received
mostly minor updates to the motor
and suspension.
(Above) Improving durability was
Yamaha's number-one priority with
the already solid YZ250F.
er—but not too sensitive—throttle
pull. With less resistance, it gives
the bike an overall lighter feel. It
also helps reduce rider fatigue.
Starting the bike also takes a
little less effort.
We were impressed with the
'14's suspension and even more
so with the '15's. Although the
difference is subtle, you can
feel how it's slightly stiffer over-
all, which our faster test riders
approved of, though our lighter
riders felt that the fork might've
been a little too stiff out of the
box. The initial stroke of the SSS
fork is plush and offers excellent
feel overall, especially midstroke.
Bottoming resistance is still top
