Yamaha Route 66

YAMAHA ROUTE 66

CYCLE WORLD TEST

You don't have to leave town to get your kicks on a Route 66

FEW ROADS HAVE INSPIRED MORE LORE. MYTH AND wanderlust than U.S. Route 66. In pre-interstate America. it was the highway of hope. the road west, the path to a richer future. In today's land of fast food and freeways, though. Route 66 remains only as broken patches of asphalt. But memories last when pavement doesn't, and it's those lingering spirits of freedom and adventure that Yamaha hopes to summon with the name of its newest 250.

The name just begins the invocation: Yamaha plans to finish the spell with the Route 66's styling and engine design. In proportion and balance, the Route 66 is mod eled after elemental American cruisers, capturing that look even better than some of its larger Japanese cousins. And though the 66 is a small machine, it feels and looks bigger than it is. The deception is due in part to a stretchedout riding position. and in remainder to an engine made large with oversized cooling fins and cylinder-head covers.

The Route 66's engine is. of course, that type that has become uniquely American: a V-Twin. But this, no matter its fin size, is a V-Twin in miniature: a 249cc, air-cooled, two-valve. 60-degree powerplant that makes the right noises with the right look. What the 66's 15-cubic-inch engine call `t do is provide the kind of thumping. low-rpm power that you get from a Harley 80. Instead, the peppy, long-stroke wheezer and popper remains on par with other 250s. at least until pushed above the 50 mph mark where it begins to run out of steam.

Around town that's no problem. The Route 66 is easily powerful enough for darting through the streets, able to whip all but the fastest automobiles from stoplight to stop light. The power flows surprisingly smoothly from this 250. which will rev up to redline or lug down to low rpm before it begins to chug and sputter.

Like the engine, the 66's handling is also well suited to city life. With skinny tires and a weight of only 328 pounds soaking wet, the 66 feels like a bicycle with an engine bolted in place. It features almost effortless steer ing. with quick and predictable responses to handlebar inputs. Clutch and throttle controls are light and precise, with only the front brake lever requiring a firm pull for easily controllable stops.

Once out of the city, however, the 66 begins to lose some of its composure. Pushed hard into a turn on a twisty road, the 250 wiggles and squirms, its pegs easily touching down. Even on straighter sections of open road all is not well; the 66’s solidly mounted engine sends noticeable amounts of vibration through the handlebar, footpegs and seat, shaking progressively worse over 55 mph.

In addition, the pencil-sized shocks of the 66 are quickly taxed at speed. Around town, the rear suspension is merely firm. But on expansion joints and bumps taken at highway speeds, the too-stifif rear suspension turns harsh, jolting the rider’s spine. In contrast, the front fork is relatively plush under any condition.

Taking some of the sting from the rear shocks is the Route 66’s wide, soft seat. Only 27 inches above the ground, the seat allows even the shortest of riders to place feet flat at stops. But even with that low seat height, the forward-mounted footpegs of the 66 allow a remarkable amount of room for larger riders. Anyone under six feet tall should find the footpeg-to-seat relationship fine, and the stretch to the high, wide handlebar is nearly perfect for average-sized riders, as well. The total package adds up to a pleasant cruising mount, at least for jaunts to the edge of town and back.

In the end, the Route 66 works best as a city bike. It's a small machine that looks grown-up, perfect for novice or commuter or simply someone who wants a bike not de manding a long inseam. Out of sight of city lights though, this Yamaha becomes a bit uncomfortable. But that's true of many 250s; there would be no irony if this Yamaha's name didn't hark back to the spirit of adventure of that archetypical open road, Route 66.

YAMAHA

ROUTE 66

$2299