Yamaha Wr250x

YAMAHA WR250X

Supermoto starter kit

A “REAL” SUPERMOTO RACEBIKE IS ONE OF THE MOST thrilling motorcycles in existence. But it would make a terrible first bike. In fact, it’s not a particularly good third bike! Even the street versions are pretty spicy and oftentimes not particularly practical everyday riders.

But the Yamaha WR250X is different. It’s got a strong influence from the land of racing but it is clearly a lightweight streetbike made with sporty utility in mind.

First things first: While this engine shares bore and stroke dimensions, titanium intake valves and other high-performance features with the YZ250F motocrosser, it is not the same powerplant at all. In fact, this 249cc Single is a new engine for Yamaha, applied to this bike and its WR250F dual-sport stablemate for their debut. It is a pretty snappy engine and quite smooth, thanks to its counterbalancer.

If you’re a tech-head, you may care about the 38mm throttle body, the 12-hole injection nozzle and many other of the Mikuni EFI system’s details, but really, the best part is that you just climb on the WR, push the electric-start button and it fires up hot or cold without a hiccup. There’s an EXUP exhaust valve to help augment torque production and meet noise requirements, plus a three-way catalyst for clean emissions. Fuel consumption is in the 60-mpg range, which is pretty good considering the 27 rear-wheel horsepower on tap here, not to mention an 11,500-rpm rev limit. It zings!

Like Yamaha’s top dirtbikes, the X gets an aluminum frame and swingarm (subframe and engine cradle are steel). The 46mm KYB inverted fork is carried in forged triple-clamps, offers 10.6 inches of travel and has compressionand rebounddamping adjustments. At the back, a fully adjustable (including .9-inch ride height) SOQI shock works through a linkage.

This is a very light-steering, nimble bike. The clutch works well, too, so snapping off the line becomes second nature and almost as easy as flicking the X into bends.

YAMAHA WR25OX

$5999

Ups

Fun! Impressive 250cc performance Lightweight and easy to handle

Downs

Narrow, firm seat Shock light on rebound Same price as Suzuki SV650

Cruising at 75 mph is within the capabilities of the WR, although the engine is definitely working hard at that speed, and it just doesn’t feel like a highway bike. Blasting around town or snicking through the great sixspeed gearbox on a winding backroad is where the WR truly shines. Grip is good from the Bridgestone soft-compound BT090 tires (110/70 front and 140/70 rear) spooned onto 17inch, wire-spoke aluminum rims. The X gets a large, 298mm single disc at the front. Brake power and feel are about right for a bike pitched toward less-experienced riders.

What we have here, then, is a fun, light-feeling motorcycle that has those easy-to-handle attributes you often find in dirtbikes. But because of its 17-inch wheels and lower seat height than the average dual-sport machine, it makes a pretty nice bike on which to learn the ropes of the road. And if the sparking-footpeg pictures of Off-Road Editor Ryan Dudek at the racetrack press introduction (see XtraPix on www. cycleworld.com) are any indication, there is plenty of room to grow on the WR-X! Mark Hoyer