2015 250F MOTOCROSS SHOOTOUT
P56
SHOOTOUT
1
ST
PLACE
YAMAHA YZ250F
W
hen the dust cleared, all but
one of our testers chose
the Yamaha YZ250F as
their favorite bike of the six and
the one they would lay down their
own cash for. Like the Kawasaki,
the YZ does everything well but
has a few standout traits, like its
fork. The KYB SSS fork offers
outstanding performance overall,
is easy to adjust and stays consis-
tent. It's without question the best
fork of the six out of the crate,
and it bolsters what is already an
exceptional suspension package.
Best suspension? No question,
it's the Yamaha's.
The YZ is also a super-stable
machine at speed. It doesn't play
tricks on you or does anything
weird, which in turn gives the rider
tons of confidence on fast and
rough tracks. It also turns well,
feels light and agile, and has de-
cent brakes. They aren't the best
binders of the group, but they're
good enough to get the job done.
Best chassis? No question, it's the
Yamaha's.
And then there is the YZ's mo-
tor. It didn't win the numbers game
on our dyno, but it's plenty power-
ful, nonetheless, and not just pow-
erful but plenty useful, too, and
that's the key. It has a nice broad
and manageable powerband that
works well for both the inexpe-
rienced and expert rider. Both
the Kawasaki and Yamaha have
powerful motors, but the YZ's is
more user-friendly. Best motor?
No question, it's the Yamaha's.
The YZ isn't perfect, of course,
we wouldn't mind seeing an easier
way to alter mapping without hav-
ing to purchase a power tuner,
and a stronger front brake. That's
about it.
SUMMARY
Last year, we said that the Yamaha
raised the bar with its all-new
YZ250F and no one has been
able to clear it yet. Again, the YZ
simply does everything well. One
of our veteran testers probably
summed things up best by saying:
"The Yamaha is amazing on all
levels." Best bike? No question,
it's the Yamaha.
COUNTDOWN
