Ride Engineering 23.5mm Offset Billet Triple Clamps

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Tested: Ride Engineering 23.5mm Offset Triple Clamps - 2014 YZ250F
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Vital Review

Reviewed by Michael Lindsay and Andre Barbosa // Photos by GuyB

If you saw our First Ride segment on the 2014 YZ250F then you'd know that we were extremely impressed with Yamaha's latest small-bore four-stroke, but our main concern was whether all this excitement in the bike hold up when we got it back to California. Sadly, the dirt out west is not nearly as tacky as what we originally rode on at Monster Mountain in Alabama, so after putting in some time on the YZF in home territory, we wanted to experiment with a few things we would like to improve from a handling standpoint. After setting up the suspension, we turned our attention towards some different offset triple clamps. At first we tried to bring the front end in by trying a set of 20mm offset clamps (stock is 22mm), but this caused the bike to knife entering corners, climb out of ruts, and cause too much over-correcting on the exit. After this experience, we opted to go the other direction and see what results were. This led us to a 23.5mm offset from Ride Engineering.

Ride Engineering Billet Triple Clamps Features:

  • Includes top and lower clamp, pressed in steering stem, and lower bearing.
  • Bar mounts and mounting hardware sold separately.
  • Clamp set is about a quarter of a pound lighter than the stock clamps.
  • Available in silver and black for current models, and blue for YZ, WR, and some older YZF models.
  • MSRP: $479.99 silver clamps, $499.99 anodized clamps, $99.99 bar mount kit.

First Impressions:

Unboxing Ride Engineering's billet machined clamps will instantly remind you of a set of works triple clamps. Their clamps are very straightforward in design, straight cuts, and a clean look with no external ridges. They also feature a heavy amount of machining underneath each clamp to reduce weight, while still leaving enough bracing to ensure plenty of strength and structural integrity. Installation is straightforward like any other set of triple clamps. Remove the forks, controls, etc, and then mount up the new clamps and reassemble. Ride's clamps include a steering stem and lower bearing. This has become more common practice for clamp manufactures, but it's still greatly appreciated and heavily cuts down on installation time.

To go along with the clamps, we chose to use Ride's own bar mounts. These mounts are rubber-mounted but also feature a one-piece top clamp that uses eight bolts in total, rather than the usual two bolts per side. This allows the mounts to keep from twisting due to an impact, but still allow the extra comfort of a rubber-mounted setup.

On the Track:

A key to testing triple clamps is to use them across a wide range of terrains, as some offsets work better in the morning when the track is fresh, and other sets work better when the track has decayed. We made it a point to set off early and stay late, to get the the most accurate results. Initially, some gains were noticeable even early on as the bike had become more stable entering corners, allowing us to push harder and dive deeper into the corners with added trust. Even though we raked the front end out more than stock, this actually improved the handling from mid-corner on as well.

With the standard clamps, we found a bit of front end push and vagueness at the end of longer ruts, especially as conditions deteriorated. The 23.5 offset gave us a more consistent feel throughout the corner. The bike felt less twitchy and easier to keep in line in the center of the corner, while it continued to have a more planted feel towards the exit of the corner and onto the following section. These traits became more noticeable as the day went on and the track got rougher and slicker. These conditions are where less desirable traits from the stock offset became more predominant. Another plus for the 23.5mm offset was the way it handled rear end steering sections. Once the rear end had stepped out, it was more confidence-inspiring to stay in the throttle as the front was easier to countersteer and stayed more consistent, not requiring as much input and course corrections.

Long-Term Durability:

The best part about silver clamps is their ability to holdup to abuse, such as scratches or rock chips compared to a set of anodized clamps, which tend to show off wear. Ride Engineering also uses a clear sticker with their logo that covers the front of the bottom clamp and on the side of the top clamp. This is helpful, as this is where most of the abuse is usually centered. You do have to be careful if you use a pressure washer. Be sure not spray directly at them for long periods, because they can peel off by accident.

The Last Word:

Ride's 23.5mm billet clamps accomplished exactly what we sought out to improve. The clamps brought a more stabilized feel to the front end when entering corners and giving a more constant feel throughout the corners, especially as the track deteriorated. The handling characteristics through the center and exit of turns were better as well, as the bike felt like it needed fewer corrections through the corners. This stood out mostly when under hard acceleration, as it was more consistent when using the power to let the rear end slide out a bit. The stock setup would feel a bit twitchy, going back and fourth between the front end pushing and tucking in this situation. Overall, with the added performance and fair pricing of the clamps, they rate highly in our book. We would definitely recommend considering a set if you're looking to improve the handling on your new YZ250F.

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For more information and other clamp options you can check out Ride-Engineering.com.

About the Test Riders:

Michael Lindsay - is a born-and-raised moto freak and gearhead from the heart of motocross in Southern California. First swinging a leg over a bike at the age of five, he immediately caught the racing bug, spending nearly every weekend behind a gate…and a lot of time on the couch while injured. While swinging back and forth between moto and the off-road scene, giving him a wide range of experience on the bike. Of course, all of this led to one thing: Lindsay loves working on his bikes almost as much as he loves talking about them. When he’s not in the Vital MX forum or writing his latest product review, you can find him out at the track taking dirt naps, snapping some pictures, or drooling over the latest parts for his bike. With an outspoken personality, gearhead background, and as Vital MX’s guru for product, Michael is here to share his unbiased opinion.

Andre Barbosa - is a part-time photographer / videographer, part-time film student, and full-time motocross enthusiast. He started as a mechanical engineer, because of his love for all things motorcycle related, but switched to the banking industry after getting his MBA. He currently lives in Irvine, and can be found riding the local SoCal tracks a couple of times a week. Although he regularly raced Districts 6 and 34 when he lived in NYC, currently his friends call him a professional practice rider.

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