OCTOBER 31, 2005
The 2006 50th anniversary edition YZ 250F.
Review by Danny Brault
Photos: Danny Brault and Jay Moore
The Yamaha YZ 250F hasn’t received too many updates since its introduction back in 2001, but for 2006, the YZ 250F is completely redesigned. Fitted with an aluminum frame, new plastics and Pro Taper bars, the new Yamaha screams cool. To celebrate Yamaha’s 50th anniversary, the YZ 250F and 450F are available in yellow as a throw back to the 80’s (and earlier) Yamahas. The new 250F also features a new oil reservoir that is placed under the engine (rather than house the oil in the frame), a redesigned engine, and a trick titanium rear shock. For a complete list of technical details go to www.yamaha-motor.ca.
Yamaha was kind enough to lend us an anniversary edition YZ 250F for testing last weekend. We put it to work on a couple of different tracks and everyone was very impressed with the changes to the 2006 model.
The Weapon: 2006 YZ 250F
CDN price: $7, 999 MSRP
The unusual suspects, riding abilities and their current rides:
Jay Burke, pro, CRF 250 and CRF 450
Danny Brault, intermediate, YZ 250F
Jay Moore, intermediate, CRF 250
Todd Kuli, vet junior (and that's optimistic), anything anyone will let him ride
Locations:
Port Perry, Ontario and Walton, Ontario
|
|
|
Racer X Canada's new ad salesman Jay Moore must have confused our test session as a tryout for Team Yamaha because he never wanted to get off the '06 YZ 250F when we unloaded at Walton. We need to work him a little harder so he's not so full of energy on test days. |
Fit and finish:
The 2006 YZ 250F is easily one of the most eye-catching bikes to date. With its all-new aluminum frame, plastics design and Pro Taper handlebars, there is no detail left untouched on this ride. At first, I wasn’t a huge fan of the yellow plastics on the anniversary edition (yes, I know, it’s because I didn’t grow up in the Hannah era) but after riding the bike more and more, I fell in love with the yellow. Also, with the blue plastic tending to show white creases after spills, the yellow colour scheme becomes even more appealing.
What the riders said:
|
|
Jay Burke:
“I think the bike handled great, it was just too soft for me. No complaints handling wise, it wasn’t twitchy, it jumped well, cornered well—everything’s good! The Yamaha motor is just so strong, definitely no complaints there.”
|
|
Kuli executes a perfect 'body-only' Bubba scrub...
Todd Kuli:
“The Yamaha was a super-fun bike to ride, but I think it would take more than a day to get comfortable on it. The forks felt too soft, but since you [Brault] only weigh as much as one of the Olsen twins, you wouldn’t have noticed. But after stiffening up the compression on the forks and slowing things down on the shock, it seemed to work better. The brakes were so strong, that I would say they were too-touchy. A couple of times I almost wound up on my head! I like how it comes with good bars, too. This bike is definitely in the hunt.”
|
|
Danny Brault:
“I’ve been riding YZ 250Fs since they first came out in 2001, and the only thing I would have changed was the handling. I always felt like I was sitting too high on the bike and the centre of gravity was too high. However, after riding the ’06 YZ 250F, that feeling is not noticeable. The Yamaha still doesn’t corner quite as well as a Honda (what does?) but it’s cornering prowess been greatly improved and railing a tight-rut is much easier and the bike feels smaller. Power-wise the Yamaha is once again a class-leader, the only way to describe it is ‘strong.’ Also, the new bars are nice and the bike is way more stylish with the new plastics and frame.”
|
|
Jay Moore:
“The yellow 50th anniversary edition Yamaha is one bad-ass looking bike! The newly designed rad shrouds and number plates are very clean and aggressive looking, making it stand out from the older Yamahas. On the track, it felt light and nimble--especially around rough sections. I quickly fell in love with the braking power of the front brake, it really allowed me to charge hard into the corners. Hands down, the YZ 250F will be a contender in the bike shootouts.”
The final say:
Once again, Yamaha has built a winner. The YZ 250F has always been loved because of its powerful engine, but with its new aluminum frame and a redesigned chassis which helps lower its centre of gravity, the ’06 YZ 250F is the complete package. On the track, the YZ pulled hard from the bottom, purred in the middle and revved to the moon on top. And as easy as it is to get the YZ moving, it’s even easier to slow the bike down thanks to a super-strong front brake. With the new cockpit-like ergonomics, the YZ feels more comfortable through the corners and it doesn’t feel like you’re sitting on top of the bike like the older style Yamahas. The YZ 250F has been a great bike from its birth in 2001, and its only weakness was stodgy handling. But with the major updates made to the ’06 model, the YZ 250F is cured of its handling woes and is now the complete package.
Thanks to Barry Heatherington, Chris Lee and Brett Lee for allowing us to use their riding facilities. Also, thanks to Jay Burke, Todd Kuli and Jay Moore for testing the bike and giving their evaluations.
