The WR250F, by contrast, was fun from minute one-as long as you keep the mill churning somewhere near the 10-grand range. Naturally, it's easy to maneuver thanks to less spinning mass and weight, but it also feels smaller even though the seat height is 0.4 inches taller than the 450's! I didn't have an issue with seats or any of the controls on either bike. The front brakes are vastly improved-finally-but the rear binder was touchy. We bumped up the idle on both bikes to keep from killing the motor every single time we got on the rear brake hard. Minor snivels aside, the bottom line is these are the best WRs I've ridden.Bryan Nylander/6'/195 lb/C rider (average trail rider)
After spending a considerable amount of time on the WR250F and the YZ250F last year, I chose to ride the YZ250F off-road all year. But after riding the '05 WR250F, my thoughts have certainly changed.
What I noticed first about the bike was how much lighter and more balanced it felt in the tight stuff, whereas the '04 felt a little top-heavy and awkward. The next thing I discerned was how the power seemed to be much smoother from the bottom- to the top-end. I did feel a bit of a burp in the midrange power but nothing really horrible to work through. I even raced the new bike at the Lake Elsinore GP, which is one of the choppiest races in the country. This is really where I noticed the difference from the '04 to the '05. Its smooth, controllable power and its plush suspension just made me feel much more confident going faster over rocks and square-edged bumps. The '05 WR250F is an extremely fun bike to ride. I definitely won't be choosing to ride the YZ-F off-road this year.Joe McKimmy/5'9"/155 lb/Intermediate trail rider
Yamaha really made leaps and bounds with the 2005 WRs. The tall, wide, top-heavy feel is gone. I loved the 250's power boost. The mid-to-high range revs for days. The bottom-end isn't quite as snappy with the stock pipe, but a little pull of the buttery-smooth clutch will get it zipping in and out of turns and pivoting on a dime. Although the 450 had its big power rounded out, it doesn't feel like it. The smoother torque makes it to the ground better; it still leaps right off the bottom. The suspension on both bikes started off rigid, but after some dialing was much more agreeable. The chunky 48mm fork provides much more feedback and makes last year's plush front end seem sloppy. It soaked up chop and hooked up in sand washes and tight rocky trails without so much as a bobble. My only complaints were with the shifting and braking. The shifting was not very smooth; at times I'd have to let off the throttle and pull in the clutch completely to bump it up a gear. I also would have liked the braking to be more progressive; the rear brake was a kill switch at low rpm. Both bikes are big fun and will reward the more-aggressive trail rider. Now if we can just get a green sticker for the 250!Jean Turner/5'7"/135 lb/Women's B rider