Last time I wrote about the WR250F, it was fresh out of the crate, with a week of heat cycles on it and a season of racing ahead. A fair few rounds and a lot of seat time later, I can now give some detailed feedback based on racing seat time, rather than a hopeful one. Safe to say the bike hasn’ t let me down, and it’ s proven to be the right weapon for me in a bunch of different scenarios. Whether I’ m out on a moto track chasing lap times or picking my way through a hard enduro, the WR just handles it.
GOTTA LOVE THAT KYB The KYB suspension has turned out to be one of the real standouts on the Yamaha( and one of the big reasons a lot of riders go for a Yamaha). When you first sit on the bike it feels stiff, and I’ ll admit my first impression in the shed was that it might be … a bit much. But that’ s exactly the point. It really starts to work when you’ re pushing and riding it hard, which is, as a racer, where it counts. The faster and more aggressive I ride, the better it feels, and that’ s a trait I love in a race bike- it’ s got my back when I’ m pushing on. Early on I set the sag at 105mm and I’ ve barely touched a clicker since. It holds up for the big hits without packing down over the small chatter, and that balance has held across completely different terrain. A platform that works from a groomed moto track to a rocky enduro loop without needing a re-valve for each set of conditions is a rare thing at this price point.
MAKING IT MY OWN Since the last write-up, I’ ve added a good pile of Zeta and DRC parts, thanks to Zeta Japan and Whites Powersports. There’ s a set of silicone radiator hoses in there, along with a bunch of bling that’ s given the WR some real
KIWI RIDER 49