Posts
849
Joined
12/16/2019
Location
US
Edited Date/Time
11/26/2022 8:42pm
Looking at riding more than just moto. Doing single track, sprints, and moto.
What’s the best all-rounder?
What’s the best all-rounder?
The Shop
Free shipping: VITALMX
DeCal Works Huge Plastic Inventory of UFO and Polisport kits.
Luxon 4-Post Bar Mounts
$189.95 - $239.95
But definitely the ole YZ is a winner in any ones book.
I use it strictly for MX, and actually like the X motor package better, except maybe in the deepest of track conditions. The X hooks up and has a nice linear powerband without the signature YZ hit. It feels... dare I say.... like a very fast 250F.
The 2nd-3rd gap is closer on the X and better for moto, but that jump to 4th is a big one. It's not a deal breaker though.
Other than that, remove the kick stand and have the suspension valving switched to MX and it's great. The X valving is passable for moto, but as it breaks-in it gets too soft.
I thought I read somewhere that the X frame has a 1* steeper headtube angle, but I have not confirmed it.
Does it shift well? Yes.
Does it need a re-design? Yes.
I firmly believe that the YZ250 has been one of the most versatile and reliable motorcycles available for many years. You can really do anything with it. Not sure what region you live in, or what your offroad conditions are like, but the bike can work for whatever you’re doing. General starting point, start with a regular YZ… get a complete 18” wheel for offroad, Apex head with MX dome, GYTR 8.4 flywheel or Steahly 9/11oz, and find a local suspension guy who can help you make it a little more compliant away from the MX track. This is a great setup. From there, play with the gearing and the ignition timing a little to suit your tastes. Sometimes I remove the flywheel weight for MX.
For an offroad platform, the biggest drawback is the super tall 1st gear of the YZ and X. If you’re just doing hare scrambles, or not riding super technical stuff, it’s no big deal. This is where the modern 6 speed transmissions on the Euro bikes shine, they pull and lug at slow speeds so well because they have a granny gear for 1st. 1st on a YZ is almost like 2nd on some of the Euro bikes. I love the full WR 1-5 transmission swap for offroad use, but wouldn’t want to use it on a MX track.
I always say that as soon as I ride a new two stroke that blows me away, I’ll jump ship. That has yet to happen… I still choose a properly setup YZ. But that may change once I get to try one of these new KTMs everyone is raving about.
For the money they are tough to beat.
Tom Morgan 295cc kit
9oz Steahly FWW
18" rear wheel
Flex Bars
Evo Revalved Fork and Shock
For Hard Enduro type of riding I wish it had E Start. For long transfer roads it would be nice if 5th was taller.
I like most guys here, just LOVE motorcycles and dirt bikes in general! There are SO many cool choices and great bikes available that you can’t go wrong no matter what you choose, BUT the venerable ol’ YZ250 is an AMAZING all round do it all kind of bike!
I’ve had many of them over the years, and regardless what other bike or two (4 or 5!🤪) I might be fortunate enough to have in the garage, I like to have a YZ250 in the mix because it IS a great bike for about any kind of riding!
I love to ride Moto, I enjoy a good trail ride or an occasional XC type race with one of my ride bud’s, a quick jetting change and swap to a spark arrestor silencer and I can head for some high mountain fun in Colorado or New Mexico!
Find one more than 10 years old and its eligible for vintage MX classes, and I can do ALL that with one bike!
Its always easy to get parts with the long running YZ lineage (heck the 2002-2021 will share nearly every single part!) and the bikes have legendary Yamaha reliability!
•1st pic is my 1990 YZ250wr! Yamaha offered the bike for a few years in late 80’s/early 90’s with an 18” rear wheel and a wide ratio transmission! Sort of any early day version of the YZ250X! Fabulous all rounder!
•2nd pic was the first bike I ever tried my hand at a restoration project when I found a 2004 in dire need of some TLC after years of getting beat on by a weekend warrior that abused it weekly and left it leaning up in the shed the rest of the time! I should’ve never let it go!
•3rd pic is my current YZ. Like wwdiii also mentioned, I always wanted to try a big bore kit and found this one with most of the work already done. I got it during the height of the covid stupidity so I got the best one of the worst over priced junk that was bringing obscene $$$ at the time and made a decent rig out of it!
Its got a 285cc big bore kit with a Recluse installed, and it is an AMAZING off-road/XC weapon!)
Grab one if the opportunity permits, I just do not think you will ever regret it, AND clean YZ250’s are always an easy sell if it just doesn’t suit you for any reason!
Pit Row
Buy one. Be happy.
if you wanna win- maybe its not on the cutting edge anymore, if you want a bike wich can do it all- YES the YZ250 is that bike.
You can let it sit for months, no battery will be drained, no injector will be plugged, the forks wont drop to the bottom cause of air loss...
Its a very versetaile, reliable very high standard bike without any major problems.
Where are you located? West coast and east coast off-road vary quite a bit. East coast stuff is usually tighter, rockier, slipperier, and more technical. I think the 300XC really shines more in those aspects. It also works excellent on the track.
The YZ is also a great option. Hard to beat a bike with that much history and knowledge easily available. It also helps that they are super reliable and easy to ride.
I agree with this. I race enduro and do the occasional MX and ride MX practice... my split is about 70/30. I tried a 2015 YZ250 that was completely enduro-ized in my first B race. I DNF'ed on the last test and the problem was simply the lack of an E-start. I'm short (5' 6") and the YZ kick start is literally at my waist. Plus that bike had a high compression head so you had to KICK it. We hit a section of the course where there was quicksand and 6-8 bikes stuck in it. Had to go up a steep, slick bank and then traverse and then up a rock garden. I fell over on the tall YZ a few times and by the time I kickstarted the SOB a dozen times (and it's 90 F outside and I'm 60 years old, don't forget), my leg cramped up something fierce. Anyway.... I started seeing stars and getting dizzy so I had to bail on the last test.
A month later, I showed up to a 2-day enduro in the same area on my new-to-me 2019 Husky TX 300. E-start, somehow a lower seat height even though the specs are the same, and just... I dunno... better ergonomics for me. Won my class both days. I didn't get that much better in a month. It was the bike. Couple of times I stalled and just hit the e-start and was rolling again before I ever stopped... that saved 10-15-30 seconds and that makes a difference at the end of the day, not to mention the energy savings on my old body. Last year, for instance, at the end of 4 hours of racing, I lost 1st place by 8 seconds.
I also enduro/MX a 2019 KTM 150sx and even though it has a kickstart and no e-start, the kick starter is lower and the whole bike is just lighter and easier to man-handle. I've won enduros on it, too and being an SX, it's right at home on the MX track.
The Yamaha fit just doesn't fit me. I've had 4 YZ250's and didn't get along with any of them.
I also think it is the greatest bike of all time, not because it is better in every aspect than other bikes, but because it can do everything just right. I would love to buy the new SX 300, but unless I can keep my YZ, I don't see that happening. Even if it is better, faster, etc. I just FEEL AT HOME on a YZ 250. Hard to beat that.
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