Country cross motorcycle Yamaha YZ250FX 2022. Test and differences from the YZ250F

20th of March

Review of Yamaha 250 HP outboard motor. With.

Yamaha 250 outboard motors are products of the famous Japanese concern, which produces very high-quality products that have been tested for decades. These are four-stroke suspended models, differing in:

• Excellent traction characteristics.

• High power.

• Aesthetic appearance.

• Practicality.

The engines are aimed at professionals.

Characteristics:

Yamaha YZ250F Specifications:

Verdict

Yamaha diligently monitors forum opinions and dealer feedback and does its homework carefully based on these opinions. The Yamaha YZ250F motorcycle as a whole is close to ideal, and the only thing worthy of the developers’ attention is its ergonomics. Some issues can be corrected with fairly budget components from the GYTR catalog or an aftermarket, for example, putting the seat higher so that it is not only more comfortable to sit, but also easier to transfer weight, then a lower steering wheel, adjustable levers, other grips. But this is more a matter of taste than real problems:

Yamaha continues to produce an extremely organic and balanced cross-country 250 cc four-stroke, setting an excellent bar for fellow competitors, and providing cross-country riders with an excellent tool, suitable for both study and serious racing.

MY MOTORCYCLE

The Yamaha YZ250F is a direct and very worthy successor to one of the most legendary motorcycles of the Japanese company - the Yamaha YZ400F, which was born in 1998. At one time, it made a real splash in the world of motocross because it became the first production motocross bike with a four-stroke engine, which was not inferior to its two-stroke competitors. It took the designers very little time and effort for a whole series of his successful and very effective descendants to be born. And it was after this that the history of motocross began to be written by those athletes who competed on Yamaha equipment, because their opponents had almost no chance against them.

Although, it would seem, everything should have been the other way around - a four-stroke engine is more complex and heavier than a two-stroke engine, it has more moving parts - valves, camshafts. In addition, such a motor is more expensive to maintain. However, the path to progress cannot be blocked - and as a result of progress, four-stroke engines have won.

The 2014 Yamaha YZ250F began to ride faster and jump higher - the designers made its engine even more powerful than its predecessors.

The latest generation Yamaha YZ250F has become even more powerful - and the designers tried to make sure that the engine delivers maximum power and torque at medium speeds. This is especially important on tracks with a lot of jumps, when the rider does not have time to rev up the engine before the next jump. However, the designers did not get by with just upgrading the ignition maps - the engine of the latest Yamaha YZ250F underwent a very serious and comprehensive modernization. Looking ahead, let's say that as a result of this work, the power unit has become so powerful that sitting behind the wheel of a motorcycle it is difficult to believe that the engine displacement is only 249 cubic meters. According to company representatives, they managed to remove no less than 40 horsepower from the engine. This is only five horses less than in the YZ400F model with a much larger engine!

Surprisingly, with a noticeable increase in performance, the main key characteristics - piston stroke and cylinder diameter (77 mm by 53.6 mm), as well as the compression level (13.5: 1) remained exactly the same as on the previous model. The designers managed to increase power primarily by installing 44 mm Keihin throttle bodies with 10-point injectors. Before this, engineers experimented a lot with injectors with 4 and 12 injection holes, but finally settled on 10-point ones, since they gave optimal power distribution in the engine speed range.

The level of supply of the fuel-air mixture to the combustion chambers is closely monitored by electronics, which takes into account a huge number of parameters from the throttle opening level to the crankshaft speed and even the coolant temperature. Thanks to the new electronic intake system, the Yamaha YZ250F engine began to reliably start from the very first push of the kickstarter, although previously it had to be pulled three or four times, sometimes even when the engine was warm.

By making changes to the design of the motorcycle, engineers, among other things, tried to concentrate the center of mass in the engine area - thanks to this, the Yamaha YZ250F gained excellent handling.

The second major change in the engine was its placement on the frame: if on previous models the power unit had a slight tilt back (about 10 degrees), now the engineers tilted it forward by 6.2 degrees. It would seem that the change is insignificant, but thanks to the change in the position of the motor, the cylinder stood almost vertically, which minimized piston friction, and the power unit itself moved closer to the center of mass of the motorcycle. The pistons were also replaced with new ones - 2 millimeters shorter and 13 grams lighter than their predecessors.

Having finished working on the engine, the engineers were faced with a new difficulty - the power unit of the new layout did not want to fit into the old frame, so it had to be redone. As a result, a new aluminum symmetrical beam frame was born, which has exactly the same geometric characteristics as the previous one with one exception - it has become 14 mm narrower. Thanks to this feature, when riding the Yamaha YZ250F of the latest model year, you get the feeling that it has become a little more compact than its predecessor. By the way, the same frame is used today in the Yamaha YZ450F model, with the only difference being the placement of the holes for mounting the motor.

On the new frame, the location of the muffler had to be slightly changed - the designers moved it almost 20 centimeters forward - closer to the center of mass. The gas tank was moved back for the same purpose; by the way, compared to its predecessors, it has grown in volume and now holds 9.5 liters of fuel. All this work was not in vain - although the Yamaha YZ250F was previously distinguished by excellent handling, now with optimal weight distribution it has become even more obedient. Sometimes while driving you feel like you are becoming one with the bike.

The suspension of the updated Yamaha YZ250F may not seem the softest at first; the usual inverted telescopic fork is actually completely inherited from its predecessor due to its high reliability. At the rear, the designers also installed the KYB monoshock absorber, which has repeatedly proven its quality, working in tandem with an aluminum pendulum. The suspension can be easily adjusted, and the shock absorber travel of 300 mm at the front and 312 mm at the rear is more than enough to handle any bumps and hard landings.

The brakes are great too, with a twin-piston caliper up front gripping the 250mm disc firmly and responding instantly to the handlebar lever. Her effort is more than enough to stop a motorcycle weighing more than 100 kilograms in a split second. To assist the front brake, the rear wheel has another 245mm disc with a single-piston caliper. The brakes do their job well on any type of surface, but that's also thanks to the Bridgestone M404-A tires up front and M403 tires at the rear, which bite into dirt, gravel and asphalt equally well.

The Yamaha YZ250F is not a cheap cross bike, but this motorcycle is worth the money, especially if you buy it not for weekend rides, but to write a history of victories.
Such a goal justifies any means. https://youtu.be/D9PnWnH5Yq8

2014 Yamaha YZ250F Specifications:

Engine type 1-cylinder, 4-stroke, 5-valve liquid-cooled (DOHC) Volume 249 cc. cm Bore and stroke 77.0 x 53.6 mm Compression ratio 13.5 : 1 Lubrication system Dry sump Clutch type Wet type, multi-disc Ignition system CDI Kick starter system Transmission system Constant mesh, 5-speed Drive type Chain Frame Aluminum symmetrical beam Front suspension Inverted telescopic fork Front suspension travel: 300 mm Rear suspension Swing arm Rear suspension travel 312 mm Fork angle 27º Front brake Hydraulic disc, Ø 250 mm Rear brake Single disc, Ø 245 mm Front tire size 80/100-21-51M Rear tire size 100/90-19 57M Length 2163 mm Width 825 mm Height 1306 mm Seat height 992 mm Wheelbase 1468 mm Minimum ground clearance 378 mm Fuel tank capacity 9.5 l Oil system capacity n.a. Weight with technical fluids 103 kg

Yamaha yz250f engine

Yamaha yz250f

One of the important points of last year's update to the Yamaha yz250f was the engine. The developers have changed the design of more than 15 components, increasing traction at medium and high speeds and increasing maximum power. It must be said that other manufacturers also followed this path in their desire to catch up and surpass the leader in this segment, the KTM 250 SX-F.

Yamaha did it quite well: the 2022 YZ250F produces 0.8 hp more at peak - a real 39 hp from the wheel at 13,000 rpm on the dyno (real measurement here). On the track, the increase is also noticeable, and in the most pleasant way: the YZ pulls longer at the top and requires fewer shifts. In the 2022 version, the engine remains unchanged, and additionally its character allows for tuning with the free Power Tuner app. For example, those who still find the current version of the engine not powerful enough can be helped by a special “over-Rev Map” that comes with the application and allows you to turn the engine in each gear a little longer, which is especially useful on fast tracks .

In fact, the characteristics of the Yamaha YZ250F cannot be called low-end: in 2014, the engine was actually updated so that the main thrust was shifted to lower and middle speeds, but the 2022 version has become more leveled in this regard. Another thing is that the low end remains very high-torque, and the engine turns very easily, so it may seem that the torque plateau is a little short, especially for those who are accustomed to 450 motocross models or simply open the gas immediately to full - then yes, reach the cutoff can be done very quickly. There is only one solution: shift more often - the engine easily pulls out at low speeds even in higher gears.

Yamaha, Honda and Suzuki equip their 250cc four-stroke motocross models with a cable clutch, while Kawasaki and the Austrians have switched to hydraulics. The Yamaha's lever action is smooth, confident and predictable, and is generally quite stable, although the clutch does float a bit under heavy loads. Fortunately, thanks to the beefy bottom end, there's no need to drag the clutch too often or for too long on the YZ250F.

The only real disadvantage of the Yamaha YZ250F engine is its starting, in particular its periodic reluctance to start. Sometimes it takes two or three presses of the starter button to fire it up - not a big deal when you're at the starting line, but a pretty nasty bottleneck somewhere in a hot race that can cause you to lose a position or two if you accidentally stall.

Yamaha yz250f

Yamaha yz250f suspension

The phenomenal suspension of the Yamaha yz250f cannot be attributed to the KYB SSS fork and KYB monoshock alone. Yes, these units have been considered the best stock suspension components for many years, but don’t discount the work that Yamaha does on them. Yes, they could have simply left everything as it is - and rightfully remained at the top in terms of suspensions for a few more years, but instead, the company's suspension team once again introduced a number of improvements that further improved the performance of the fork and shock absorber in accordance with the performance of the latest chassis generation debuting on the 2022 Yamaha YZ450F and the YZ250F a year later.

It is not so easy to find a balance of softness and efficiency in suspensions, which allows you to smooth out large irregularities without swinging and confidently hold the track. Yamaha has not only managed to find this balance, but has continued to maintain it for many years. On hard landings - for example, during a flight - KYB components show excellent resistance to breakdowns, while in other situations they provide a soft, comfortable ride. The suspensions require very little adjustment, if any at all, and every click of the adjuster makes a noticeable difference in their character. Many riders will only need to set the sag (sag), but those who are closer to the beginner than the pro may need to loosen the compression smoothing a little so that the suspension handles small bumps more gently, and then loosen the rebound smoothing. Yes, soft settings load the suspension on uneven areas, but they still do not sag too deeply and track the ground perfectly, while avoiding breakdowns on large uneven surfaces.

Yamaha YZ250F (2007): Test drive

Choosing a motorcycle is akin to choosing a life partner: you are looking for a disadvantage that can cancel out a lot of advantages. For a lover of off-road riding, an “extra” ten kilograms of the device can become such a repulsive property... This happened to me: remembering how my eyes popped into my head when I had to drag a WR or XR out of a mud trap, I decided to ride a motorcycle with a minimum weight - Yamaha YZ250F.

“Yes, it weighs like a bicycle!” - I felt when I unloaded the newly purchased YZ from the trailer. Of course, the frame is aluminum. And they designed the mots according to the principle of “nothing superfluous.”

Everything in the landing is as usual. The seat is narrow and hard, like a board, I can’t reach the ground with both feet. But it’s okay, it’s not worth jostling around in traffic jams in the city. Where is the starter button? Oh yes, it's a cross-shoe! Okay, with a kickstarter, a 4-cylinder engine starts easily and naturally when you know how to do it. Otherwise, I had time to suffer quite a bit before they explained to me that I didn’t need to turn the throttle when the enrichment was on and how to kick the “poker” correctly.

While the engine was warming up, I discovered a pleasant feature of the machine: vibrations from the engine are almost not felt. Or is this compared to the crazy shaking of the 450 cc engine of the previous WR? Dare you even assume that since the YZ250F doesn't vibrate, it doesn't ride as it should?

Yamaha YZ250F

First, acceleration... Second, third, fourth... And that's all? And the fifth one wasn’t “put in the box”? No, there was a mistake - this is the fifth one. It’s just that it’s so close to the fourth that I didn’t even understand how I managed to jump onto it.

Finding neutral is a real challenge. In the end, I gave up on this idea and subsequently turned off and started the motorcycle in gear with the clutch depressed. By the way, about the clutch: the lever is easily squeezed with two fingers, the mechanism works clearly.

Having driven it for a spin, I felt that the engine was tuned to operate in the upper range and behaved almost like a two-stroke, that is, it “spins up” to high speeds (a couple of times it even seemed to me that the limiter was faulty), but at the “lower levels” it does not pull at all. When I tried to crawl over the obstacle under tension, the engine, snorting offendedly, stalled. I understood what was going on: due to the high speed of the engine, the throttle must be kept in one of two positions: either “open” or “closed”. I tried to find the intermediate one - and I made a mistake.

The engine’s response to the movement of the throttle is instantaneous, but not sharp, so when exiting a turn you can “press the trigger” without even having time to completely level the motorcycle, and not be afraid that the rear wheel will start to drift. You can lift the YZ into the “candle” position from the gas only in the first two gears. It’s not at all clear how to go through waves at high speed: either try to lift the front end “at the moment”, or “pull down” at full throttle. When in the field at a speed of about 60 km/h I saw tractor ruts straight ahead, I simply could not lift the front wheel by opening the gas... But on this “washboard” I appreciated the rigidity of the chassis and suspension. Rating - “5”: not the slightest “sausage” or yaw! Although the standard suspensions do not have a very wide range of adjustments, I don’t remember a time when they were not enough. When landing correctly from a springboard, the suspension did not break, but my hands did not go numb on bumps either. Jumping on YZ is something! Any front end tilt can be eliminated with a slight “plus” turn of the throttle—and gliding on the YZ250F is a delight every time.

From the very beginning, I decided not to be greedy and “feed” the device only with 98-octane gasoline. A full tank lasts for about a hundred kilometers. This is more than enough for cross-country training. Another thing is that those who conquer long distances will have to carry a bottle of reserve gasoline with them.

How does it steer, you ask? The crossover should not be steered, but piloted. Again, this is not for you to push through traffic jams: on the highway you need to turn not by influencing the steering wheel, but by changing your weight distribution and body position. Here the controllability of the apparatus is of great importance. And the YZ is fine with this: it’s easy to “tuck” into a turn, it “stands” perfectly on the trajectory.

Knowing my passion for the color yellow, my friends gave me a set of bright yellow fenders, and now my Yamaha seems to me the most beautiful in the world. The motorcycle is cool, and the pleasure of owning it will not end soon. That’s how I drive now—I accelerate with one hand and wipe away tears of joy with the other.