Launch: 2015 Yamaha YZ250FX

Name: Launch: 2015 Yamaha YZ250FX
Brand: Yamaha

The marriage of the YZ250F and WR250F is a winner: a fantastic off-roader more than suitable for not only beginners, but enduro pros as well

The four-stroke WR range from Yamaha has been keeping off-road riders smiling since 1998 when the Japanese company released the first WR400. Since then, there has been myriad of models with varying capacities, but one thing the bikes have always had in common is they have all been road- registerable in Australia.

Even in ADR trim the bikes have been great, but at the same time never truly ready to leave the showroom floor and start winning enduro events without some type of modification. A pipe, suspension tweaks and trying to peel off the excess kilograms all run into extra money on top of the asking price, but are necessary if you want to bring out the best in the machine.

Some of the harder-edged competitors go in the other direction: buy a motocrosser like the YZ250F and race that in the closed-course off-road scene, but even that is a compromise. Short gearing, a 19-inch rear wheel and stiff supercross-style suspension is sometimes not suited to these enduro or cross-country events.

Yamaha listens to what the people want, and it could see a void in its off-road 250 line up that could be filled with a little bit of effort by combining the best competition attributes of the all-new 2015 WR250F (review here) and the championship-winning YZ250F (review here). Listen it did and that is exactly how it filled a hole in its range – with an enduro race-winning machine straight out of the crate in the form of the YZ250FX.

The machine is very similar to the YZ250F in many respects, as it shares the same engine configuration, internal parts and performance. The KYB suspension is also similar to the YZ and WR models, but the fork and shock valving has been modified for cross-country events by changing the shims for a lighter setting. In Australia we will also be getting the adjustable electronic control unit which means tuning the bike’s fueling is a breeze with the optional setting tool. The chassis is almost exactly YZ, as are the clamps and handlebars. The influence from the WR is also apparent with a beautiful six-speed gearbox instead of the motocrosser’s five-speeder.

The cylinder on the YZ250FX, just like theYZ250F and WR250F, is angled backward and the the head is inverted 180 degrees, putting the exhaust pipe exit at the rear and the inlet at the front. There are several reasons for doing this: improved handling by moving the 7.5-litre fuel tank back under the seat for mass centralization, getting the airbox out of the dust and dirt, and performance benefits with a straighter run of fresh air into the cylinder, helping boost the bike’s impressive performance.

The FX’s 18-inch rear wheel is less prone to puncturing and has more grip in boggy condition than the YZ’s 19-incher. Electric start is also a must have on any off-road bike nowadays, and of course a sidestand. There are no lights fitted on the FX like the WR, but there is a lighting coil that is capable of pumping out 160 watts of power which makes fitting the optional lighting kit from Yamaha a breeze.

The marriage of the YZ250F and WR250F has created a fantastic off-road bike which is not only more than suitable for a beginner, but also an enduro pro as well.

The YZ250FX launch was held in Queenstown, New Zealand, in some of the most beautiful and rugged terrain you could ever wish to see. We were lucky to try the FX out in a variety of terrain, starting off with a fast trail ride along a winding dirt road which headed up to the peaks of some of the mountains on the outskirts of Queenstown. These roads gave us a great indication as to what this so-called hard edge cross-country racer is like on fire trails.

The news is all good: the KYB suspension is very plush and comfortable enough for cruising speeds, but when you open the taps up it keeps its composure perfectly absorbing anything you can throw at it. The surface was loose and skatey, always a tough proposition for the front end, but the FX gave me a lot of feedback and also grip, which let me feel the limit quite easily.

The balance of the machine is perfect as well; the mass centralization has worked a treat as the bike responds well to your body inputs. Some bikes feel heavy in the front or the rear, but the FX is like an extension of your mind. You think it and it does it. I was a bit worried about engine performance as I have always ridden 500 or 450 dirtbikes, but this new breed of 250 is incredible. The engine has more than enough stomp, even in the open sections, to not want any more. There is also an incredible amount of torque for a 250 with a tractor-like bottom end.

In the afternoon we moved onto a more extreme enduro loop with logs, double jumps, drop-offs and lots of tight single track. Yamaha wanted us to see exactly where this machine shined, and shine it did. You would be hard pressed to pick a machine you could navigate faster through the bush than the light FX. I didn’t exactly go hard in the gym preparing for this launch, and in the afternoon I was tired -- but that was when the FX came into its own. It’s a bike that lets you get away with mistakes, and the suspension again saved my butt a couple of times by covering my mistakes.

Former world motocross ace Josh Coppins played an instrumental role in developing this bike for Aussie conditions, and he’s got it pretty much spot on.

With its closed-circuit instruction, the FX doesn’t have an ADR plate, which means you can’t register it for road use. However, I live in Victoria where we have recreational registration, and all I need to do is purchase an off-road kit for about $500 to bring it up to speed.

The $11,499 YZ250FX is a bike I could happily buy and race without spending an extra cent on. It's born ready to rock and roll.

SPECS: 2015 YAMAHA YZ250FX

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

OTHER STUFF

Price: $11,499

Colour: Blue

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

Launch: 2015 Yamaha YZ250FX

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