MXA RACE TEST: THE REAL TEST OF THE 2025 YAMAHA YZ250F
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THE GEAR: Jersey: Thor MX Sportmode, Pants: Thor MX Sportmode, Helmet: Arai VX-Pro4, Goggles: Scott Prospect, Boots: Alpinestars Tech 10.
Q: FIRST AND FOREMOST, IS THE 2025 YAMAHA YZ250F BETTER THAN THE 2024 YZ250F?
A: Yes, it is, but the differences aren’t groundbreaking. The 2025 YZ250F comes with new valving and delta-shaped piston shims in the Kayaba SSS forks. In the rear, the Kayaba shock has a lighter spring rate and new valving to match the forks and work with the new, stiffer linkage ratio. The suspension settings were all focused on stability, traction and a more planted front-end feel for this bike.
The footpeg bracket design is lighter and shaved down so your boot doesn’t stand on it.
The other changes are appreciated as well, but they’re hardly noticeable. It has a new handlebar switch box with a raised section so you don’t accidentally bump the map switch or kill button. Finally, the new throttle tube increases the spacing between the throttle grip and throttle-housing assembly to prevent Yama-thumb. The only problem is that Yama-thumb is not typically caused by the rider’s thumb rubbing on the throttle housing but against the grip’s rubber flange. For those who don’t know, and we doubt that there are any serious racers who haven’t suffered Yama-thumb at least once in their racing career, it is called “Yama-thumb” because, back in the 1970s, the radical sweep of the stock Yamaha handlebars pushed the first knuckle of the rider’s right hand into the grip’s rubber flange so hard that it wore a round wound in the rider’s thumb. This wound opened up every time you rode, and over time the expression Yama-thumb became generalized to refer to the sore caused by any brand that wore through your thumb.
Sometimes a list of updates can be small but mighty; other times, manufacturers can make a ton of big changes, but they’re all of the swing-and-miss variety and actually make the bike worse. In the case of the 2025 YZ250F, the improvements on the track correlate with the updates. It is not leaps and bounds better than the 2024 model, but it’s another step in the right direction.
Q: HOW GOOD IS THE 2025 YAMAHA YZ250F ENGINE?
A: The Yamaha YZ250F and YZ450F models are on four-year rotations where the bikes are all new every four years, and then the bikes receive minor updates when needed in between. The YZ450F was all new in 2023, and the YZ250F followed suit in 2024, gaining the same new YZ450F chassis. Yamaha’s 250 four-stroke engine has been a selling point for this model ever since the engine was leaned backward in 2014. It’s been proven that Star Racing’s engine is the fastest engine in the pro ranks, this isn’t Star’s engine. Yamaha was smart to keep the engine the same when they overhauled the rest of their small-bore bike in 2024.
The only power-producing changes that affected the 2024 engine came from the cam chain and airbox. The cam chain was made stronger to improve durability, and the venturi in the airbox was made shorter to boost top-end power. In action, the 2024 model was slower off the crack of the throttle than its predecessor. The 2023 YZ250F engine spun up quickly without hesitation but then petered out on the top end. The new airbox change for 2024 helped boost the top-end power that the 2023 Yamaha lacked, but at the cost of some of Yamaha’s famous low-end “snap.”
We immediately complained about it after riding both the 2023 and 2024 models back to back, but in the real world, not every rider will be able to notice the difference. If you’re a faster rider, you’ll easily ride past that low-end hesitation and likely won’t be bothered by it. But, if you’re a novice who isn’t as experienced, the slight hesitation will be felt more often.
The backward-leaning YZ250F engine’a best trait is its solid midrange power.
Yamaha didn’t make any changes to the 2025 engine, gearing or ECU mapping, so the same feeling remains. This means you still need earplugs when operating the YZ250F (it’s incredibly loud). This also means that you still need to short-shift this bike. While the 250SXF, FC250, KX250 and MC250F all require you to rev the engine to the moon to access all their power, the YZ250F doesn’t reward you for revving the engine. Yes, the 2024 and 2025 models do have a little more power than the ’23 model on top because of the new airbox shape, but it’s hard to get there because the improvement is so high in the rpm range that once you find it, you need to shift again or hit the brakes for the next turn.
Adding to the engine complaints are the gear ratios. Our test riders felt that second gear was too short on the 2025 YZ250F, and it revved out too quickly. By the time you exit the turn, you run out of power, and you need to shift into third early. We ride second gear for a long time in hopes of going fast enough to pull third. This doesn’t always work, and test riders complained about having to shift on the lip of jumps on this bike because it’s hard to find the right gear. Word to the wise: shift early! Why? Because being wound out in second gear binds the chassis, which can be uncomfortable on jumps with kickers and in rough straightaways.
In addition to our normal dyno testing, we like to drag race bikes to see how they compare in the dirt. When drag racing the YZ250F down the start against other bikes, we felt that we weren’t hitting every shift perfectly, making it harder to shift to the next tallest gear. We had to shift the 2025 YZ250F more than other 250s. Seeking help, we switched from the stock 50-tooth rear sprocket to a 49. This lengthened each gear, which made the engine easier to manage in motion. We expected Yamaha to make this gearing change on the 2025 model, but they must have already ordered a boatload of 50-tooth sprockets that they had to get rid of.
A: We love talking about the latest and greatest technology coming down the pipeline. It can be exciting to think about the possibilities that are on the horizon; however, most MXA test riders are old school. We like to unload our bikes, check the essential maintenance points (tire pressure, spokes, fuel, etc.) and ride. We’ve learned how to love the air forks on the Austrian bikes. They make so many models that we are testing the forks constantly. All that time on air forks taught us how to set them up. Plus, we demand that our test riders switch bikes all the time, and air forks make it super easy to change the spring rate (air pressure) to suit different-size riders or track conditions. Not so with steel coil-spring forks.
As far as the Power Tuner app goes, the test riders want to race the bike in its off-the-showroom floor form. That way, each test rider is talking about the same bike. We run the stock mapping until we have a firm command of how the bike runs, and then we assign one test rider to test the available maps. If he finds something that works really well, the rest of the test riders can try it. If they reach a consensus, that is the mapping that we suggest; however, there is a strange thing that is happening with ECU mapping. An incredible percentage of racers never change their maps. They aren’t interested in spending any time connecting their smartphones to their bikes—and those who do use their smartphones set it and forget it. Not surprisingly, the manufacturers keep track of how many new-bike buyers sign up for the app, and, across the board, they are shocked by how few actually download the app and connect it to their bikes. The map switch is slightly different.
Yamaha has a map switch that you would assume offers two different maps—one with no light on the button and one with a blue light—but the truth is that whether you use the no-light button or the blue-light button, either way your bike will always be in the base stock map until you connect your smartphone and upload another map to try.
Thankfully, the Yamaha Power Tuner app was updated for the 2023-and-newer YZ450F models and for the 2024-and-newer YZ250F models to make it more user-friendly. We appreciate that it’s easier to use, and it is fun to feel the difference between increasing and decreasing engine braking. Most of our testers prefer to lessen engine braking on the YZ250F and increase throttle response.
The app also allows you to log notes to keep your settings in one place, and it gives recommendations for suspension changes based on how you feel on the track. It’s also great for maintenance and logging engine hours, and the real-time dashboard shows your throttle position, rpm, speed and more. Yamaha pioneered this smart technology for ECU mapping in motocross, and only recently did they face some competition in this space. The Factory Edition Austrian bikes come with Connectivity Units for 2024-1/2 and 2025-1/2. The Austrian system also incorporates LitPro data, which open up a new world of possibilities for monitoring lap times, engine rpm, gear position, track mapping and more, but this technology doesn’t come on the stock 2025 KTM, Husky or GasGas models. You have to subscribe to get it.
The chassis was all new last year, making the YZ250F lighter and more nimble.
Q: HOW DOES THE 2025 YAMAHA YZ250F HANDLE ON THE TRACK?
A: The YZ250F’s chassis is identical to that of the YZ450F. Only the engine mounts, head stays, intake boot, ECU settings and suspension valving are different. Essentially, all the other parts will cross over between the YZ250F and YZ450F. Last year’s YZ250F updates made the bike slimmer, lighter, nimbler and less compact. The new frame, subframe, rear axle and bodywork all helped to open up the cockpit and make the YZ250F friendlier to turn.
Previous Yamaha models were exceptionally stable in a straight line, but they felt bulky, heavy, and wide, making it harder to turn and maneuver around the track. The new chassis on the ’23 YZ450F and ’24 YZ250F completely flipped the script. The engineers gave up straight-line stability, but greatly improved the bike’s turn-in capabilities, which we appreciate!
As for suspension, we weren’t impressed by Yamaha’s suspension on last year’s 2024 YZ250F. Additionally, many of the same issues we faced on the YZ450F transferred over to the smaller bike. The forks were soft and would dive at the entrance to corners. The heavier deceleration of the YZ250F engine directly affected that, which is why we recommend lessening the engine braking on the Yamaha Power Tuner app. The front end was also very busy, making it harder to be smooth in turns.
For 2025, Yamaha focused on calming down the chassis by increasing the damping. The improvements were immediately noticeable when our testers rode the ’24 and ’25 models back to back. The 2025 Kayaba suspension held up higher in the stroke and has a racier feel to it; however, the front end is still busy on this bike. We recommend dropping the forks in the clamps or tightening the steering-stem nut if you’re getting head-shake.
The new linkage increases hold-up.
Q: WHAT DID WE HATE?
A: The hate list:
(1) Seat. The round seat is not comfortable by any stretch of the imagination. Guts Racing makes a flat seat foam that’s more traditional. Also, at the front of the seat there is a Dzus fastener that eventually wears out from constant use when accessing the fuel cap, and it becomes hard to use (we had one fail in the middle of a cross-country race).
(2) Air filter. The stock design still allows dirt to get into the engine. We prefer Twin Air’s Powerflow kit that comes with an aluminum cage (minus the backfire screen) and a small aluminum L-bracket to hold the filter/cage securely in place. Also, if you lean the bike on its side to change the air filter, there is less chance that dirt will fall into the downdraft intake. If some dirt does slip past, grab a shop vac while the dirt is still sitting on the throttle body’s butterfly and suck it out.
(3) Throttle response. It’s not as responsive off the crack of the throttle as the 2023 model.
(4) Clutch. We prefer hydraulic clutches. The engagement point is pretty far out on the YZ250F.
(5) Noise. Wow! This thing is loud. If you ride it at 70-percent speed, it will be fine, but if you are wide open, you’ll need earplugs.
We recommend switching to a 49-tooth sprocket.
(6) Gearing. Switch to a 49-tooth sprocket; it helps the both the engine and chassis.
Q: WHAT DID WE LIKE?
A: The like list:
(1) Price. The $8899 price tag isn’t bad, especially when compared to Husky’s FC250 at $10,499.
(2) Power. The YZ250F engine makes this bike fun to ride. It doesn’t have the most horsepower, but the strong midrange grunt and loud engine make you feel like you’re on the fastest 250F available.
(3) Wi-Fi. The Power Tuner Wi-Fi app is relatively easy to connect for anyone who knows how to connect a Wi-Fi service on their phone.
(4) Wheels. The stock YZ250F wheels are strong.
(5) Rider triangle. The cockpit was opened up last year. The seat was made 15mm flatter and 5mm taller. The footpegs were dropped 5mm lower and pushed 5mm further back, and the handlebars have four different positions to help customize the ergos for you.
(6) Clickers. We like hand-adjustable clickers on the forks, but they’re not foolproof. Works Connection makes a replacement that’s easier to turn and looks factory.
(7) Bolts. Yamaha reduced the number of bolts needed to install the rear fender, which saves a lot of time putting new plastics on.
(8) Shock. It’s easy to remove the fuel tank and take the rear shock off without taking the subframe apart.
(9) Weight savings. The footpeg brackets, airbox, subframe, wiring harness, battery tray, chain guide, throttle cables, fuel pump, rear axle, and plastics all claimed to be lighter weight, but it didn’t tip our scale. It still weighs 224 lbs.
(10) Crossover. It’s always nice when the 250 and 450 share all the same parts, making availability better.
Q: WHAT DO WE REALLY THINK?
A: The 2025 Yamaha YZ250F is an amazing bike. All of our test riders have fun on this steed. The YZ250F feels exceptionally strong in the engine department. It handles well, plus it is predictable, which inspires confidence and allows you to push. Still, it didn’t win our “MXA 250 Shootout” because it’s not anywhere near as fast as the KTM 250SXF on the track. The engine feels strong, but it loses on the dyno and on the track in a drag race. The YZ250F revs out quickly, and it sounds terrible with the stock exhaust when you’re near the rev limiter. However, the YZ250F is always a force to be reckoned with, and our complaints can easily be fixed, thanks to the aftermarket.
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