Help me pick a 2018 250f....

Yamaha would be my choice for sure out of the ones you are looking at!

Stick with a 250 2 stroke, you'll be much happier

$ for $ the kawi is your best bet. Treat a kawi good it will treat you good. Very solid brand as a whole. For fun, the money you spend on a husky isnt going to be worth it. You can get your suspension done on the kawi with the cash you save. Yamahas are historically the most reliable 4 strokes. But in reality these days theyre all bullet proof.

For the money I'd say Yamaha for sure. I went from a 14 yz250f which was a GREAT bike to a 17 FX350 which is an even better bike but it was also about $2000 more than the Yamaha. I'm glad I did it though. Between the electric start, more power, and I no longer have the dreaded "Yamaha push". Plus I made it street legal so I can ride it to town.

Agreed. The price of the Kawis are closer to used bike prices! Save the coin to use for gas.

Yamaha is the best overall package IMO.

Best suspension, Excellent motor, Great reliability.

Yamaha is a good pick for the money kx ktms are clearly the fastest but after a few years I think reliability goes down. KYB suspension on the yamaha is great

Why go to a massive Mony sucking 250F?? This is the highest maintenance, most expensive bike around!

Try this, $150 top end rebuilds, 4O hours on my first Piston.

Eddie Sanders Racing (ESR) (Pismo Beach, Ca.) makes a $900 YZ 325 with a Cylinder, Power Valve, Weisco Piston, Machined Head & Gaskets to fit.

Rejetting your Keihin Carb (170 to162 Main & 48 to 42 Pilot makes your YZ 250 (now YZ 325) the Best Value Bike on the Market!! Torque down low and a nice after burner hit in the last 2K RPM!

http://www.eddie-sanders-racing.com

Was a YZ 250, but for a few years now has been a YZ Eddie Sanders Racing (ESR) 325, most fun (MX/Off-Road-With Recluse EXP Auto Clutch) bike in the world!

Check out the discussion...

https://m.vitalmx.com/forums/Moto-Related,20/Yamaha-YZ300-2-Stroke-Wish…

Bang for the buck is so incredibly good on a kawi right now id pick it.
Without thinking money I'd pick the Yamaha.
I'm really happy with my 16 crf250r for play riding. If you could snag a leftover 17 CRF I wouldn't hesitate for your situation it makes a great bike.

I’ll weigh in with my 2 cents since i was faced with the same dilemma a month ago. After countless hours of research i was all but set on the YZ 250F but changed my mind last minute and elected to go with the Husqvarna FC250. Deciding factors were the electric start, stock 46HP, on the fly maps, brembo brakes, and overall look of the bike. I’m only a month and 4 or 5 rides in but thus far have been extremely pleased with the bike. Although I’m sure i would have been equally happy with the YZ or KTM had i elected to go with either of them. They’re all great bikes so really just comes down to personal preference more than anything else.

I actually am coming off of a 2005 crf250. I picked up a 2018 Yz250f this year, and holy crap the suspension is amazing. I will say the weight distribution is a bit weird at first since it is all right in the center, but once you are used to it and confident you can really throw it into corners. Straight away stability is second to none.

I've ridden trails, mx, and some endurox with it so far and it has performed great in all situations. My one suggestions is A heavier flyweight would help greatly for tight trail riding because it likes to stall in the tight chicanes if you aren't precise with the clutch. so if that is what you plan on doing, electric start would probably be a better option Honestly the biggest difference in "feel" is that the center of mass is a tad higher on my yamaha but MUCH more centralized.

I'd throw a fly wheel weight on your yz first and see how you like that. I put a 9oz one on my yz and it really helps the bike hook up.
If the tracks you ride are well prepped and tacky I think you'd be happy with a 9oz. One track I ride at is real hard packed and rarely prepped and for that track I wish I'd gone with a heavier weight but for everything else it's perfect. That way you keep the simple to own two stroke and have a power advantage over the f's while having a more rideable bike

For the guys pushing two strokes maybe the dude just wants to ride a 4stroke and try it out like he said. I much prefer riding 250 4strokes than anything else

Ride some different bikes and see! All good these days. You can get a deal on all of em here pretty soon.

Have you ridden you bike on a track?

X2, title says 250f .

Alta

500AF

I’ve had 14-16 yz250fs made the switch last year to a 16 crf250r and loved it so much more than the blue bike. Giving serious thought to an 18 crf250r now. I’d say go red or blue both have amazing reliability and durability, red easier to ride blue a beast stock. I had a brief stint with orange and wasn’t a fan and definately not built for the long term.