First introduced in 1974, the Yamaha YZ250 has stood the test of time. The YZ250 is an ideal bike for a rider who wants a two-stroke motocrosser that is fun to ride and easy to maintain, while rebelling against the modern-day four-strokes. It has a long power delivery, plush KYB suspension, and proven durability. Of the big six manufacturers, Yamaha is one of only three to still offer a 250cc two-stroke motocross bike in 2020 and is the last premix-burning quarter-liter MXer from Japan. It’s also the only bike in its category to come with a cable-actuated clutch.
The Yamaha YZ250 hasn’t changed much since 2006, but it has remained as a competitive package in recent years, as evidenced by a comparison test conducted by our dirt-only sister publication, Dirt Rider, between the YZ250 and KTM 250 SX.
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Along with the 250 SX, the YZ250’s competition in the two-stroke motocross bike segment includes the 2020 Husqvarna TC 250 and 2020 TM MX 250. With its suggested retail price of $7,499, the YZ250 is $800 less than the 250 SX, $900 less than the TC 250, and $1,696 less than the MX 250.
The only difference between the 2019 and 2020 Yamaha YZ250 are the radiator shroud graphics.
