Quick Ride

YAMAHA YZ250

Quick Ride

Blue battle cry

WOULDN'T YOU LIKE TO be one of the guys responsible for Yamaha’s current dirtbikes? You’d be sore from all the congratulatory pats on the back. It seems they can do no wrong. From fiery, fun four-strokes to two-stroke motocross missiles, the blue streak is on a real winning track.

With all the hype over the new titanium-valved Thumpers, though, the 2001 YZ250 has seemingly been forgotten. This, in spite of the fact that Jeremy McGrath has won the last two AMA Supercross titles on YZs.

Externally, the YZ looks pretty much the same. From the looks of the spec sheet, though, the bike’s development team has been hard at work. For starters, the cramped feel of the older YZ is gone. Ditto its heavier feel and “lackluster” throttle response. But our biggest concern last year had to do with the suspension settings, which were revised this year.

The bike’s real standout improvement is its super-crisp throttle response. Combined

with its newfound willingness to rev, the YZ ranks right there with Honda’s CR250R as having the best motor. It comes on hard, barks with authority through the midrange with loads of power to

pounce over doubles and whoops, then pulls longer than ever. As such, shifting is less of a concern than before. Never

mind the transmission is at the top of the class, as well.

Handling is middle of the road, which is a compliment. Because the YZ feels lighter, it flicks into turns more easily. Stability,

meanwhile, can be very good or a little twitchy, depending on riding position. Thanks to the suspension updates, the YZ takes advantage of its entire stroke. In turn, the bike holds itself up better over bumps, and most test riders felt more “connected” in turns. That said, really fast riders may still have a problem with bottoming. We were satisfied, however, by simply switching to heavier ,44-kg/m fork springs, which put the YZ on par with the class-yardstick CR250.

Everything else on the YZ is first-rate, especially the clutch and front brake. You can fan the hell out of the clutch without so much as a shudder, and the front stopper has unlimited lever adjustability and exceptional power.

Does Yamaha make a bad motocross bike? No, not unless “bad” means “bad ass.” Is it, however, the best of its five-bike YZ fleet? That depends on your favored flavor of power delivery. Serious racers are apparently set on riding the two-stroke, especially when it comes to Supercross. Really, then, the only downside is getting your hands on one. By the time you read this, the $5899 YZ250 may just be sold out. -Jimmy Lewis