Ryan Nitzen | April 27, 2024
We may have gotten into riding for different reasons, but the main reason was the same—for the fun of it. And nothing reminds us of the fun factor more than riding a 250cc two-stroke. The snap of the throttle, the sound from the exhaust, and the simple nature of these bikes hit every area of our nostalgia receptors.
The YZ250X is light, powerful, and ultra-fun to ride.
Photography by Scott Hoffman and Nitzen
Thankfully, Yamaha doesn’t want two-strokes to be a thing of the past and continues to produce and update its two-stroke off-road and motocross lineup. A case in point is the company’s off-road YZ250X, which received a recent revamp, and we were eager to jump aboard it when the opportunity came at the Randy Hawkins-led AmPro Yamaha off-road race team’s practice facility in South Carolina.
The 2024 YZ250X returns after getting a significant upgrade in 2023.
What’s New | 2024 Yamaha YZ250X Review
The YZ250 motocross is an absolute staple in Yamaha’s MX line. The bike received a major generational update in 2005 when it switched frames from steel to aluminum, and from then on, it was largely an “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” mentality from the Blue Crew brass. But in 2022, the standard-issue YZ250 finally got its day with an all-new cockpit and bodywork along with updated brakes and suspension.
Riders can still hit the motocross track on the X, which makes it twice as much fun to ride.
Enter the Yamaha YZ250X, the off-road version. It was introduced in 2016 and is one of Yamaha’s two two-stroke entries (the other being the YZ125X) in the cross-country segment, meant to go toe-to-toe against KTM’s two-stroke 250 XC, among a few other bikes. With GNCC racing in mind, the X is fitted with a wide-ratio five-speed gearbox, off-road powervalve (aka YPVS) timing, an 18-inch rear wheel, a kickstand, and single-track-oriented suspension settings. In 2023, the YZ250X received the same updates as the 2022 YZ250, and the 2024 Yamaha YZ250X is a carbon copy of the ’23 X, except for the usual graphic updates.
As with prior X models, the YZ250X is also fitted with a gripper seat cover, a tapered aluminum handlebar attached to adjustable mounts, and fully adjustable front and rear suspensions.
It’s also still real light, weighing a class-leading 229 pounds.
The new body styling features a rear-entry air intake that improves breathing and power.
Braaap! | 2024 Yamaha YZ250X Review
The wooded trails of South Carolina served as our testing grounds for the 2024 YZ250X.
When I first rode the new-gen YZ250 in 2022, I was instantly impressed with the smooth onset of torque from the bottom end. The new X is no different. The updated body styling with rerouted air channels makes the engine breathe more efficiently, resulting in improved bottom- to-midrange controllability by reducing that “lightswitch,” on-or-off, power. As a result, the bike is easier to ride overall and requires less energy than your typical old-school two-stroke.
This usability of low-end torque was something I favored back home on the moto track, but now it feels equally advantageous in slower-speed woods. Pair that with the specially tuned YPVS system and CDI, the YZX has a much more versatile powerplant than I had anticipated. Yes, you can still rev it up and make it sing like a classic 250cc two-stroke, but the smooth roll-on made it ultra-easy to ride in the never-ending technical sections of our GNCC-inspired testing grounds. The five-speed transmission felt diverse enough to handle anything we saw in South Carolina. First and second gears have the same ratios as the motocrosser, but third gear is slightly lower, and fourth and fifth gears are taller.
There is plenty of power hidden in the YZ250X’s engine and all of it is useable.
Softer suspension settings come standard in the X compared to the motocross YZ. Yamaha’s stock sticks, the KYB Speed Sensitive System (SSS) 48mm fork, are some of the best in the game, and they feel comfortable right out of the gate. The softer settings, compared to the motocrosser, eat up the roots and acceleration bumps in the woods without bottoming out over on the moto track. I’d run a lap of the woods loop, then immediately spin onto the jumpy moto track without pitting or touching the clickers. Surprisingly, I never felt like the bike was giving up too much in either direction. It’s still going to feel softer overall than your normal YZ motocrosser, but the extra bit of squish comes in handy when attacking the trail at speed.
I had no issues with the brakes, which are made up of 270mm and 240mm front and rear rotors fitted with Nissin calipers.
Slim bodywork makes it simple to move around on the bike
The engineers are tasked with designing one bike, like the YZ250X, that can handle a variety of riding conditions, and I feel they hit the mark with the X, at least in the suspension department. When it comes to the traditional “X rider,” I picture someone who predominantly rides and races off-road but doesn’t want to say no when their buddies want to hit the motocross track for the day. Again, the higher-speed terrains out West might beg for some stiffening of the clickers, but the stock YZX suspension checked my box for comfort and performance on the East Coast.
The YZ250X undoubtedly put a smile on my face, but that didn’t mean I didn’t have a few gripes, like the manual kickstarter. If it had an electric starter, the YZ250X would be even more appealing to off-road racers and casual trail riders. That’s just how it is now; very few want to kickstart their motorcycles anymore. I know I don’t.
Fuel capacity is on the small side, at 1.8 gallons, so you must plan your trail rides and races carefully. At least it has a petcock with reserve to give you warning.
The YZ250X thrives in the East Coast woods.
The YZ250X that I rode was fitted with handguards, but yours will come without them. It’s a Yamaha thing.
My gripes, however, are easy fixes, but it would be nice if we didn’t have to since we know these things have been addressed with the Europe-only Italian-made Fantic EX 300. The EX 300 is essentially a big-bore YZ250 that comes from the factory already fitted with e-start, a 2.37-gallon tank and handguards, not to mention fuel injection, dual engine maps, traction control and a hydraulic clutch. Could a YZ300X be around the corner? Don’t hold your breath, but wouldn’t that be nice?
However, Yamaha gives you plenty of choices if you plan to “hop up” your YZ250X via its Genuine Yamaha Technology Racing Catalog, where you can find seemingly hundreds of race-caliber accessory parts for your X that are built by Yamaha.
The bottom line is that it’s hard not to have fun on the 2024 YZ250X, especially with its fast yet refreshingly smooth engine that makes the bike capable off-road while still maintaining its moto-inspired bones.CN
VIDEO | 2024 Yamaha YZ250X First Ride
2024 Yamaha YZ250X Specifications
| MSRP |
$8099 |
| Engine Type |
Reed-valve inducted, 2-stroke, single |
| Displacement |
249cc |
| Bore x Stroke |
66.4 × 72.0mm |
| Cooling system |
Liquid |
| Starting System |
Kickstarter |
| Compression Ratio |
7.9~9.4:1 |
| Fueling |
Keihin PWK38S |
| Transmission |
Constant-mesh 5-speed; multiplate wet clutch |
| Front Suspension |
KYB SSS |
| Rear Suspension |
KYB single shock, with linkage |
| Front-Wheel Travel |
11.8 in. |
| Rear-Wheel Travel |
12.4 in. |
| Front Wheel |
21 in. |
| Rear Wheel |
18 in. |
| Front Brake |
270mm |
| Rear Brake |
240mm |
| Front Tire |
80/100-21 Dunlop Geomax MX33F |
| Rear Tire |
110/100-18 Dunlop Geomax MX33 |
| Rake |
27.7° |
| Seat Height |
38.4 in. |
| Ground Clearance |
14.2 in. |
| Fuel Capacity |
1.8 gal. |
| Weight (curb) |
229 lbs. |
