Alex Penklis•26 Nov 2014

REVIEW

Launch: 2015 Yamaha WR250F

Name: Launch: 2015 Yamaha WR250F
Brand: Yamaha

It has been a long time between drinks since Yamaha last updated its WR250F, but the wait has been well worth it

When I got the call to see if I wanted to attend the 2015 Yamaha WR250F launch in Coffs Harbour, my eyes were as round as dinner plates. And once I actually received the invite and saw such riders as Chris Hollis, Josh Green and AJ Roberts attending, a nervous factor of 15 out of 10 would have been an understatement.

I am a road rider and road racer at heart, but took up enduro riding around five years ago and since then have absolutely fallen in love with the dirt. Coincidently my first dirtbike was a 2007 WR250F, so it was sort of fitting that my first dirtbike launch would be on the machine that I cut my teeth on. The 2007 model was the last time Yamaha overhauled this model, and it has remained unchanged until now.

In the past, Yamaha’s sharp-shooting 250cc models – the YZ250F motocrosser and the WR250F – have been distinctly different bikes, but not this time around. According to Sean Goldhawk, Communications Manager for Yamaha Motor Australia, “The new WR250F is basically a YZ with lights and it is quicker to look at the things on the WR that are not YZ than things that are.”

The YZ250F was revamped for the 2014 model year, and its racing pedigree is already obvious: overall victories in Australian Enduro-X (Chris Hollis), Australian Motocross Championship (Luke Clout), AMA 250 Motocross Championship (Jeremy Martin), and the women’s world motocross title (Kiara Fontanesi), just to name a few.

The WR250F launch was a return two-day affair, with the starting point at the famous Big Banana in Coffs Harbour followed by an overnight stay at Dorrigo pub. The ride was organised by Boris from Coffs Harbour Detour Tours and incorporated 280km of challenging enduro riding, single-track and a play around on a large grass track that Boris cut on his property for the launch. In fact, even though this was not a world launch we were the first group of journalists to get our hands on them – they are that new.

My first question to Boris on the morning of day one was how gnarly is the riding going to be? As I am not going to lie, I was in a bit of survival mode at this stage. He assured me it was average riding and not too difficult. Well, the first hill we stopped at five minutes into the ride looked more like a mountain than a hill, and I thought to myself ‘yeah right, average.’

I selected first gear, eased out the clutch and hoped for the best. The WR pulled up the hill with ease and, as the speed rose, I snicked second gear and continued powering up ‘my proclaimed mountain’. When I got to the summit I thought ‘wow that wasn’t actually that hard.’ But I didn’t fool myself: I knew that the new WR250F was making the riding seem much easier than it was, and in the process making me look a lot more competent.

The thing that got my attention early on, with the help of the first hill climb, is how torquey the new WR engine is compared to its predecessor. It is based very closely on the YZ engine, and features for the first time in the enduro world a rearward-inclined cylinder and reverse cylinder head. The airbox is situated at the front of the machine, allowing a straight air inlet for higher levels of intake efficiency and in the process sucking in cleaner air.

It shares the same bore and stroke, compression ratio, cam profile, forged aluminium piston and crankshaft as the YZ250F. According to Yamaha, compared to the outgoing WR engine this new mill is considerably more powerful at higher RPM and delivers stronger and smoother power throughout the entire rev range.

And after riding it I couldn’t agree more. My own bike is a 450, so I had it etched into my brain that because it was a 250 I was going to be tap dancing up and down the box and making absolutely sure I was in the correct gear before tackling hills. But that’s not the case: the torque it produces is out of character for a 250 engine and allows the revs to get very low without the fear of stalling. In fact, I didn’t stall it once over the two days and I was caught in the wrong gear on a number of occasions.

If I started to lose momentum on the hills, which I did quite a bit, instead of frantically slamming it down through the cogs I just dialled in more throttle and the WR did not hesitate to muster speed and get me out of trouble. As the revs rise and the throttle is twisted, it pulls with authority and at 100km/h still has some oomph in the go department.

The updated engine now features fuel injection to aid in both hot and cold starts, and the oil capacity has been increased to 1.1 litres (22 percent more than the YZ) to handle the longer distances and more hours of enduro riding. The radiator is fitted with a fan, while the same generator as the WR450F is fitted to power all the electrics and to make sure there is always enough power for the starter motor.

If you are a tinkerer, Yamaha offers a power tuner for instant engine tuning as an accessory. The unit allows you to access and adjust fuel injection volume and ignition timing settings for the current riding conditions without the need for a laptop.

The WR’s engine is mated to a six-speed wide-ratio gearbox (five-speed for the YZ) and is fitted with different friction plates and springs to handle more extreme and clutch-frying enduro riding. Clutch pull is extremely light (two fingers) and the actuation is extremely smooth and practicable while slipping it up a hill or popping the front over a log. The gearbox is sleek and throughout the two days I experienced no false neutrals.

The WR250F’s full-aluminium frame is based on the YZ, but features its own unique engine mounting brackets. Connected up front you have the same 48mm upside-down forks with 310mm travel as the YZ, but kitted out with enduro settings. And like the YZ the front forks feature separate air and oil chambers to minimise aeration and cavitation over bumps.

The front end is confidence inspiring with progressive feeling throughout the entire stroke of the front fork. The feedback is intuitive and highlights the feeling of lightness, agility and easy directional changes. The rear shock offers 10mm more travel than the YZ, and once set for your weight brings the whole bike into balance.

I say this because before the sag and ride height was adjusted for my weight the front-end was a little skatey, but once set with more weight on the front it dug into corners like a scalpel. However at 92kg I was maxing out the rear shock and was told by the tech gurus that at my weight you would normally opt for a heavier spring. There is a 21-inch front wheel up front, while the rear makes use of an 18-inch and the motorcycle tips the scales at a claimed 117kg wet.

The braking components are mostly carry-over parts, but now feature a YZ rear master cylinder. Front lever pull is powerful yet progressive and is smooth in its initial bite. The rear continues the same themes and offers a range of braking levels – not just locking the rear or off.

The 7.5-litre fuel tank is centrally located and features a concealed filler in front of the long seat to keep the front clutter-free for ease of rider movement. The air filter is extremely easy to get to and features quick-release fasteners – no tools required. The WR is equipped with the same front and rear lights as the WR450F, while the compact dash features a speedometer, fuel level warning lamp, trip-meters and engine warning lamp.

The WR250F retails for $11,999, plus on-road costs. The only colour option available is blue and Yamaha offer three months parts-only warranty.

It may be a nudge on seven years since the WR250F was last updated, but with the links it now shares with its YZ250F the wait has been well worth it. The motorcycle is perfectly balanced, the engine is powerful and torquey, while the suspension and chassis offer a confidence-inspiring ride.

It was my best friend throughout the launch, getting me through and over every obstacle and is the main reason I am still here and able to write this review…

SPECS: 2015 YAMAHA WR250F

ENGINE

Type: Liquid-cooled, four-valve, DOHC, four-stroke, single-cylinder

Capacity: 250cc

Bore x stroke: 77mm x 53.6mm

Compression ratio: 13.5:1

Fuel system: EFI

PERFORMANCE

Claimed maximum power: Not given

Claimed maximum torque: Not given

Economy: 120km range (estimated)

TRANSMISSION

Type: Six speed

Final drive: Chain

CHASSIS AND RUNNING GEAR

Frame: Semi double cradle, aluminium

Front suspension: 48mm USD fork, fully-adjustable, 310mm travel

Rear suspension: Single shock, fully-adjustable, 318mm travel

Front brakes: 250mm disc

Rear brake: 245mm disc

Tyres: Metzeler 6 Days Extreme – 90/90-21 front, 130/90-18 rear

DIMENSIONS AND CAPACITIES

Claimed wet weight: 117kg

Rake: 26 degrees

Trail: 114mm

Seat height: 965mm

Wheelbase: 1465mm

Fuel capacity: 7.5 litres

Oil capacity: 1.1 litres

OTHER STUFF

Price: $11,999

Colour: Blue

Bike supplied by: Yamaha Australia, www.yamaha-motor.com.au

Warranty: Three months, parts only

Launch: 2015 Yamaha WR250F

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