2014 Yamaha Yz250f

Ignition

2014 YAMAHA YZ250F

CW FIRST RIDE

Back in the game

Chris Denison/Dirt Rider

BY THE NUMBERS

4

THE NUMBER OF TITANIUM VALVES

used in the dohc cylinder head. Previous models had a five-valve setup.

2010

THE LASTYEAR the YZ’s competition had carburetors. The KTM 250 5X-F and Kawasaki KX250F changed to EFI for '11.

WHILE IT DIDN’T TAKE a crystal ball to predict that Yamaha was going to update its YZ250F for 2014, the fact that this popular machine has been so completely redesigned is totally refreshing. Gone is the carbureted old-style engine, replaced by an all-new mill with a straight intake, rear-inclined cylinder, four-valve head, wraparound exhaust and—yes, finally—fuel injection!

We were fortunate enough to throw a leg over a preproduction unit (#00004!) at Glen Helen Raceway in San Bernardino, California, prior to the bike’s formal press introduction in November.

Mass centralization is the name of the game, and the “bilateral-beam” aluminum frame helps consolidate as much of the weight as possible. A larger-diameter front axle, plus a new top triple-clamp and a rubber-mounted handlebar, aid handling and rider comfort. The suspension has been tweaked to accommodate these revisions, but the fork is still a KYB spring (non-air) setup, while the shock has a repositioned reservoir and updated settings.

This bike is good. In fact, this is the best YZ250F we’ve ever ridden. It does some things so well that the other

250CC four-strokes are going to have a fight on their hands. The fuel-injected engine impressed Contributing Editor Ryan Dudek. “The engine is crisp with excellent fuel mapping, and the power is extremely controllable,” said Dudek.

“Every throttle input is met with a seamless reaction from the engine. Glen Helen’s morning loam robbed the 250F of power, but as lines developed, it wasn’t much of an issue. The way the engine pulls out of a corner before a jump face actually gave me a lot of confidence.”

A strong and usable midrange makes the YZ250F come alive; this potent punch provides great acceleration, and the Yamaha lets the rider hang onto each gear longer; the engine revs as high as anything else in the class and displays good pulling power all the way to the top.

At Glen Helen, the 2014 YZ250F felt more flickable than the previous bike, which was no slouch. Mid-turn pivots are now easier, and the bike feels lighter all the way around the track. Ergonomics are different, thanks to new bodywork that makes the YZ-F feel slimmer up front. A flatter seat (with hidden fuel filler) and radiator shrouds that don’t protrude past the fork tubes also change the overall feel. The handlebar bend was a little too high for one of our test riders, but the bike felt very neutral to most, and the rubber mounting totally eliminated vibration at this point of contact.

The Rayaba fork, with its extremely smooth action, felt amazing. As with the previous models, the YZ250F uses every last bit of its fork stroke, and it is well damped throughout the travel. “Straight-line stability was impressive, as the fork and shock worked in unison to tackle bumps,” said Dudek. “Although the track wasn’t rough by national motocross standards, there were enough bumps to get an idea of what the bike will do when it gets nasty I was also impressed by the way the YZ hammered through a downhill G-out section, where the suspension was already taxed because of the downward force and then had to deal with some chop. The YZ-F sucked it up like nothing was there.” Our one complaint? A wandering front end, which made us think that the Bridgestone M404-A front tire was not ideally suited for Glen Helen’s terrain.

TUNE IT!

GYTR POWER ItNER

There are a i~st 31 advari age; to fuel ijec ior but re of the coolest sthe abil ty to alter Iuei and ign tiJi mapping at t~ie [ouci of abut Jfl 1n the YZ~5) the dLessury GYT~~ n tuning tool ($2i~ i) aII3v s )J~~ mi?ation of uel/ignitio maps aiid d e sooed to suit ridii~ coid it on S or personal preference. The handheld, AA batterypowered device allows up to nine custom maps to be stored and has a self-diagnosis function.

Overall, we are impressed by the new 2014 YZ250F. It’s a bike that you can hop on and feel instantly at home thanks to its neutral riding position and good chassis balance. When you factor in the crisp fueling and explosive midrange and top-end power, this new Yamaha is a huge improvement over last year’s model, making it a legitimate contender in the 250CC four-stroke class of 2014. CTU

2014 YAMAHA

YZ250F

$7490