YZ250X | Tom Buxton
In a time where bikes are becoming more
environmentally friendly, with the most notable
change to the two-stroke being transfer port
injection thanks to KTM. However that’s not the
case with the YZ250X as it’s still carburetted
and emits smoke the same colour as its decals.
Two-stroke fans of the past will probably feel
a bit nostalgic hopping onto the 250X, and not
just because it hasn’t seen much development
from Yamaha lately. I was wondering if it
was a case of don’t fix what’s not broken?
The new ergonomics that the four-stroke
range has, haven’t been transferred onto the
two-smokers. The 250X looks very wide around
the radiator shrouds, but once you’re riding it
doesn’t feel wide and allowed me to grip it well.
KYB looks after the suspension, and once again
they’ve got it really sorted.
The forks are definitely on the firm side, but
40 KIWI RIDER
still seem to work well on roots and small
choppy bumps without feeling harsh.
I’ve found that two-strokes can usually
tricky to get set up to handle well, but the YZ
seemed really stable in higher speed sections
and didn’t feel too long in the tighter tracks,
which can sometimes be a trade-off for good
handling. Instead it retained its light nimble
feeling. It must be noted that there is a lot
of vibration, which I noticed more having
been spoilt by a KTM with a counterbalancer
- making them electric smooth.
The engine has received some minor
refinements thanks to its MX brother. The
compression ratio, exhaust port and power-
valve timing were all revised with a CDI unit
developed specifically for this bike to be
used on the trail. This combination makes
for a bike that is happy high in the rev