2016 Yamaha YZ250F

Introduction

• Yamaha's method to refining the championship winning machine.

Yamaha has proven that their YZ250F machine is top notch since its major redesign in 2014. Winning the 2014 AMA Motocross Championship, 2015 West Coast Supercross Championship and now the 2015 AMA Motocross Championship was the end of a long dry spell for the blue bikes in the 250F class. The brand is known for its strong engine package, division leading suspension and handling. The YZ250F is diverse and can work for the average Joe to the top pro. For 2016 Yamaha worked on refining the suspension and improving the motor’s durability.

Changes

• 270mm front brake rotor.
• Improving the durability of specific motor parts.
• Lighter rate shock spring for improved rear wheel traction.
• Changing the vibration character of the engine wile boosting the power.

Yamaha made few yet pointed updates for 2016. The motor changes consist of a new flat surfaced piston that is stronger and lighter, now bridged box in design. A DLC coating was added to the piston pin and the oil sprayer re-aimed to hit the right spot under the piston. Thrust washers were added on to the big end of the connecting rod helping reduce friction and improve durability. A new crankshaft and counterbalancer that have been "re-timed" help with vibration at a high RPM. Yamaha worked on the clutch boss and shift stop lever to help the shift segment. A new ECU setting claims to boost the power in the mid-range. Revised 3rd, 4th, 5th gears for durability inside the transmission have small changes. There is even an updated muffler bracket. Yamaha stayed with the KYB spring fork and fine tuned it with new settings. Out back a lighter shock spring (56Nm to 54Nm) is used to improve rear tire traction and have the rike ride a little lower. They also hopped on the band wagon with a 270mm oversized front brake rotor and new brake pad material for improved stopping power.

Power

• The stock map is clean and smooth with a new over-rev character.
• Tons of torque for a 250F.
• Very easy to change the power character with the GYTR Power Tuner.

Put simply the 2016 Yamaha YZ250F has tons of torque and a long-winded powerband that is as deceptive as it is fast. The bike pulls more and harder than other 250Fs even up the hills of Glen Helen. At lower RPMs the bike does not even ask for the clutch to help. The bike will rev and it will let you know when to shift thanks to a slightly different rev-cut where the power tapers just enough before it hits the rev limiter. None of our test riders liked riding the rev limiter on this Yamaha at all. It worked better while pulling cleanly even in the power RPMs.

The reason we feel the bike is deceptive is because it does not have a lot of steps or hit in the power spread. In fact since the mid-range is so strong then the top end might feel a little off or slow when it really is anything but slow. It rips! Most 250Fs are getting like 125cc bikes used to be, concentrating on a specific area to shine. This bike shines everywhere and it could be attributed to an engine architecture that is much easier to get a lot of power out of.

The stock map is really clean and smooth. We played with the GYTR Tuner a little during testing. Our younger and lighter riders liked a hard hitting map for loamy conditions the most. This map allowed more aggressive riding and made the bike more "fun". Vet riders favored the stock map more because the power was good where they ride the throttle  (less revving in the turns) and it is a smoother map.

The bike is louder to the rider compared to other brands. This is because the air box is right under your face and when wide open the intake noise is right there. But on the track the noise is acceptable to others and the exhaust system has no feeling of being choked up. Kick-starting is a one or two kick affair and very simple but after riding the FX so much we are not afraid of the button.

Shifting was easy especially when the clutch adjustment was correct but it still wasn't the best shifting bike out there. The clutch didn't really fade but it's engagement point can be a bit vague in comparison to hydraulic ones. We're hoping a few oil changes and more time will have this getting better as our first oil change was pretty black at just before five hours.

Suspension

• Bike feels balanced.
• Stiffer and plusher all in one.
• Confident feel!

Yamaha stuck with KYB’s Speed Sensitive spring fork and changed to a lighter rear shock spring and it seems to have paid off. Yamaha modified the valving with less low speed compression and more high speed compression to accommodate the lighter shock spring. The stock suspension is setup for 155 pounds but can be altered for a vast range of weight. Our 125 pound rider rode the bike with 98mm of sag, two clicks slower rebound in the fork and opened up the shock a quarter turn on high speed compression. This helped with stability and head shake on straightaways and still allowed the bike to stick the front end easily in the ruts. Our heavier rider weighing in at 180 pounds was able to ride with the stock clickers and rode the sag at 100mm. It was a matter of four turns on the shock spring between the riders to keep the ride height--even now the with a heavier rider the 250 did not bottom to much.

There is a familiarity of the spring fork and its lack of needing attention aside from your basic setting. The current crop air forks have pushed the plushness and bottoming resistance but in reality they were gunning for a feel Yamaha already had. Out back the lighter spring helps the traction and the bike's stability and we had no negative impressions from this.The YZ felt very balanced and flat, which inspires confidence. Compared to the older Yamaha models the suspension was stiffer but in the same way it is a plusher ride. The suspension let us know the bumps around the track but it never felt uncomfortable where riders had to slow for them.

Chassis - Handling

• Stable, Safe, Confident.
• Lets you ride in a none aggressive way but still go fast.
• Has a way of allowing aggressive riding and feeling safe.

If there is one word for the 2016 YZ250F it is STABLE. The bike gives an impression of being wider and feels a little heavier than other 250Fs but we had no trouble with that. Planted is another word that comes to mind. In measuring a few points it is wider up high next to where the gas tank and radiator shrouds would be and on the scale at 232 pounds full of fuel which isn't the lightest 250F. Since the air intake is channeled through this area there is more plastic and your eyes give you this impression.

The YZ is comfortable and forgiving everywhere, which is high praise. Being so neutral and balanced is has a very safe feeling in the air and while hitting big bumps. The bike is at its best when a rider is relaxed and neutral as well. Then the bike stays straight as an arrow in bumps and chop so you can go for it out on the track.

Usually a stable bike suffers in the turns. Initially it took a little effort getting it into a rut, especially for lighter riders, and we did some setup in the suspension that really helped this character. But once locked in the turn the bike ripped around, thanks to a chassis and power that worked together to make it easy. A rider can really feel the traction when accelerating out of turns. Rolling the throttle on has a more deliberate pull from the motor and with less attention needed on the clutch, having a less jerky power deliver. This  feeling of stability and turning has the YZF on point. Sliding the turns is all a matter of dialing the throttle, even if that position is wide-open.Choppy exits show the chassis has the right flex character and works in tune with the suspension as the bike rarely steps out front or rear.

To characterize the feel of the bike, the Yamaha is very light when turning the bars side-to-side but a little heavier when pushing the bike down into the turns. Yet if you push it with your feet, through the pegs, the bike acts very light again. And maybe riders who turn by pushing on the bars and not steering into the turns can get a heavier sensation of have issue with the bike standing up. Once you are in and going with the bike (feeling confident and connected--committed even) everything is great but the YZ will fight you a little if you don't trust it.

Smaller riders could easily roll the bars back to get comfortable and if needed larger riders can move them forward in the clamp. If anything the newer design of the YZ is more roomy and less cramped than the pre-2014 chassis but it still hasn't lost its appeal to the smaller guy. The brake and shifter allow enough adjustment as well.

The 270mm oversized front brake rotor is a plus. The brake is really strong and you have control of it at all times, now with less lever effort. It is easy to move around on the bike and we had no issues with hanging up on frame or plastic pieces.

Durability has been pretty strong for this bike in the past and our experience with this motor in YZFX and WR configurations has been very positive even in abusive use. Even high-level racers can expect 40-hours of hard use before thinking about going inside a stock motor. It is also really easy and convenient to do oil and tool-less air filter changes.

Conclusion

• Ready to ride or race off the showroom floor.
• The reversed engine configuration is paying off in YZ power.
• Small changes have given this bike another kick in the butt and a similar treatment to the competition.

Yamaha has stuck with and progressed on their reversed intake motor and it is a good decision. Overall this stock bike is outstanding! For most riders it is a few personal touches away from perfection. It is amazing what starting with a good power package can do in the 250F class. The motor is a torque producer. It makes the rest of the bike work even better.

We rode this bike at a handful of different tracks the YZ worked great everywhere with minimal setup changes, even rider to rider. If it was rough, deep, hard--really in any condition it worked awesome. The bike was very versatile in track conditions. Like it didn't care.  The 2016 Yamaha YZ250F is very fun to ride, built solid and is a complete package.