2006 Yamaha YZ250 Dirt Bike Review Long Haul Part 1 - Dirt Rider Magazine

I am going to feel real sorry for this bike by the end of the year. Why? Because I am going to ride it, and I sort of have the reputation of being hard on bikes. My riding buddies didn't dub my KX250 "The Booger" just because it was green; come to think of it, they have called all of my bikes by that name, including my orange ones. So will the YZ250 become the next booger in a long and renowned line of boogers? Only time and the Long Haul will tell. I picked the YZ because, one, it's a two-stroke, which means less maintenance and more fun. I like two-strokes! And two, Jimmy wouldn't let me have an orange one. I needed to broaden my horizon--five years on orange bikes has been too long--so I went with the shootout winner (December '05). The first thing I did to it was set it up for my weight and size. Heavier springs front and rear, a taller ProTaper bar and upper triple clamp and a tall SDG seat went onto the bike. An FMF Q silencer went on, which mellowed the low-end hit and gave a little more overrev. Since I like a smoother power delivery (it runs in the family!), I added an 8-ounce Steahly Off Road flywheel weight. After 25 hours, the stock chain and sprockets are junk. It's O-ring time! I added Sidewinder Ti-moly sprockets and an RK X-ring chain. To go with that, I installed a T.M. Designworks Slide-N-Glide Kit in Yamaha blue. I also made it a little off-road with a big tank and wheel spacers that don't fall out when trying to install your wheels from Zip-Ty Racing. It's going to be a multipurpose bike for me; I plan to ride it on the track, in the woods and through the desert. I have already put some moto miles on the bike with a few races and some practice laps. It has also seen some desert time on rides with Karel and has a WORCS race under its belt. There will be more to come, maybe even an ISDE qualifier or two.Running Tally
Hours on Bike: 25
Modifications: $1134.75
FMF Q silencer: $159.99
SDG tall seat: $109.99
ProTaper upper triple clamp: $229.98
ProTaper Contour Henry/Reed bend bars: $69.99
Zip-Ty Racing/IMS Ty Davis Race 3.0-gal. fuel tank: $225
Zip-Ty Racing Wheel spacer, Front and Rear: $69.90
T.M. Designworks chain Slide-n-Glide kit: $159.95
Steahly Off Road 8-oz Flywheel Weight: $109.95
Maintenance and Repairs: $292.97 (not including tires)
Dunlop D756 Tires, 1 set: $195.95
Sidewinder Ti-moly sprockets: $179.98
RK GB520XSO chain: $112.99