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I think with the modern 250 4 banger, it’s hard to go wrong. They are so much more refined now than 10 years ago.
The only downside would be that it requires more maintenance than a 450.
Kinda what I'm afraid of, to be honest. I have a low hr '21. Love it. Have the suspension, chassis and ergos dailed now. Debated all winter about doing a dual injector just for some added excitement, but also thought maybe just use that $ for a '24. But I just feel like the '24 is going to take more time and $ than I want, to get it where I'm happy. So I'd be spending money and starting over, for essentially nothing. The '21-23 has been my favorite bike ever. Came from a 350 and own a couple other bikes. I'm afraid to sell the '21 which is why I am leaning towards doing the dual injector, and just enjoying it even more. Also, with a baby at home, I ride/race less and just want to have fun. Probably don't need the newest model just to have it, at this point in life lol.
I'm almost 60 years old and I ride off road stuff like sprint enduros and GNCCs. I started riding 3 years ago and I bought a 250F because after riding my sons 450 I felt like a 450 would be last thing I would want to ride. My 23 Honda 250r has way more power then I will ever need and so far this year I have won a GNCC, and a US sprint enduro in B class against a lot of 450s. I think a lot of people think they need a 450 but the new 250s are more than enough for most vet riders.
Dude we’re in the same boat minus the baby haha. Save your money. And where you can lug the 21 in 3rd gear, the 24 doesn’t have a prayer. And I’m only 155lbs.
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Same boat - just bought Di for my 22 yz250f.
44yo 207lb best shape of my life, just got a 24 YZ250F and couldn't be happier. Came off a 2017 Husky 350. Easier to ride longer, faster, more fun, I do some moto and some offroad, not missing the 350 one bit, and I could never ride a 450 hard for a long period, the bike rode me. Vet B rider.
My '24 300SX is predictable, hooks up and has the limited/unlimited ePV settings. Comeawn, Vet perfection with WMR flash and PC Works pipe. Back to back laps with a '22 KX450...and that's a for sure, no not never.
My '22 YZ250F front end traits didn't give me confidence in turns and the power didn't short shift well enough or rev out well enough on bigger tracks. In fact, my old upgraded 200SX w/'06 chassis made a return after 30hrs on the 250F. No Choice, too fun on the 2hun.
I appreciate the input. Thanks, man.
I have a $400 06 yz125 that i fully rebuilt and a new 23 rmz450. Prior bike was a 17 250sxf fe that was a great bike for my local tracks at the time, but loved to be revved out. Fresh top end at 45 hrs. At 50hrs idle gear ate it self and over heated the head. Did a full top end rebuild, then at 72hrs the cam tensioner failed. I spent more on rebuilding just the top end after the first failure than my entire 06 125 rebuild. So I choose to move to 450 to maintain a long term reliable bike. I don't mind wrenching, but I prefer ridding and not wasting money.
The 125 makes me to focus on technique, but in deep sand tracks it's not really that fun compared to my 450. You have to hit your lines nearly perfectly and maintain momentum on the125. The 450 gives me options and still allows me to comfortably clear any jump. Of all the 450s I've ridden, the rmz is the easiest to ride. Corners like a dream, arm pump comes much later on the sand tracks that I ride than on the 125, it doesn't feel like it's trying to rip my arms off, and you have to shift it! Just gotta keep the kicking leg stretched and strong 😆. Other brand 450s are not nearly as easy to ride, but they are stupid fun for a lap or two.
I’m 6’2 , 185 vet B and ride a 450f. I’m in New Mexico so most of the stuff I ride is 5k-7k feet of altitude. Were I 20 lbs lighter or at low altitude, I’d ride a 250f in a heartbeat.
A 450 is just too much power for me. While most of my buddies chose 450’s, I’ve been on 250’s since 2012. I don’t feel like I’m giving anything up unless we’re on a track with a lot of changing elevation. We all swap bikes from time to time, everyone still finishes in the usual pecking order.
27 years old, C class speed, I love my 2020 KX250. I’m also 6’3 200lbs and it forces me to have more corner speed for jumps, in turn helping me progress my skill level rather than be lazy! 27 is OLD in this sport!
27 is not old, my dad still rides at 69 and says he’s not an old guy!
250F for me. Has been for years. Had most all the others.
A modern 450 is too much power for most riders. Even most pro riders can’t use all the power of a 450. Let alone the average joe.
I rode 2 strokes all my life, and all of the 90's in my racing time. 125/250 both. Never really like the 250's, but my buddy proved i had faster laps times on them when i moved to B class at the end. His stopwatch didnt lie. Sold the last one in 2002. Got a YZ250F last January again. Hated engine braking, no use for it on a MX track to me. Put a Rekluse X on it and its a dream bike now! Still missed a 2 stroke. Found a 2009 KTM 150SX 5 weeks ago. Restored it and got WP XACT Pro kit for forks and shock. Ive been riding the shit out of it last couple times we got out on the track. Its perfect with 51/14 gearing. Fits my old riding style great. I wont sell my 250F though. I love it too. BIL has a YZ450F. I cant stand riding it. Way too much power for me, even at 190lbs.
One of the reasons i've stayed on 450's as a vet is because we ride twice a week. The bikes, because they aren't revved to the moon, stay together for a season without having to do a motor build.
I’m my case I don’t rev my 250’s. I’m old and slow. My stuff lasts forever lol. I could see where a vet rider that still raced would prefer a 450, taken care of will make a lot of hours. It’s cost a more to race a 250 if racing a lot or at a high level.
250 YZ250F has good low end easy to ride. Same for 2022-24 Honda R, very similar to Yamaha.
Pit Row
Here's a question for you 250F VET riders. If you were to purchase a new 2024, which one would you choose based on the following?
1. Ergos (best for a 6'+ tall rider)
2. Motor (mix of track days for fun, trail riding, and chasing my kids around when they want to ride)
3. Reliability
I am picking up a new bike very soon and was going to get a 450, but reading through this I might consider trying a new 250F. My racing days are past and I just ride for fun now.
Not racing and just riding for fun I would probably get a 2 stroke. They do slow riding better/easier than 4 strokes. If your kids still ride pretty slow they don't really overheat like 4 strokes sometimes do at low speeds.
If your tall I’d vote Honda. Sets the best for me. I’m 6’2 with long arms and legs, about 238 pounds. The Honda will lug around pretty good, not as good as a Yamaha but close. Key to the Honda for me was to get rear spring from my weight. Once I got the rear spring rate right it really handles good. But off the show room it was a cow on roller skates. Took me two different springs to get it right. The Honda will take some work to get the suspension right. Once you get it right it works.
I'm on the search for a low hour 23-24 YZ250 now. I'll pick one up as soon as I find a decent deal.
I know I'll have to have the suspension done for my weight. I'm 6'2" 225 so the stock springs will be changed. So you do not feel cramped on the Honda? I'm coming off a 2022 KTM 450 and I hated it. I felt so cramped on the bike that I was never able to get comfortable riding it.
As far as being cramped, with my long legs I feel cramped on anything. Honda still felt the best. With that said, I dropped the pegs and swapped the bars to ProTaper Windham Bend I stole off my YZF. Last week I ordered a guts racing seat with tall foam, hasn’t came in yet.
I really felt cramped on my YZF. I couldn’t find any drop pegs for it but I think they can be bought now. I think pegs on a green are adjustable. I didn’t know that at the time, might have looked harder at a KX.
The Austrian bikes hold up the best from a motor perspective. I have a 23 Husky 250f love it. 5:11 170 pounds
A Rekluse clutch takes the engine braking away ? Sorry I don’t know much about that clutch. Does it hv to be a x model or does the regular model do the same ?
Think of it as a minibike clutch with a lever.
Honda.
The auto clutch is the only one that takes it away. The X version still allows the clutch to function as normal, but wont stall easily and ditches engine braking. It is also the least expensive auto version.
May I ask what your typical maintenance intervals are? I’ve always been told 250f’s are a hand grenade waiting to happen. It’s seems the modern ones are much more reliable.
Thank you.
Post a reply to: Vets and their 250Fs.. why 250?