Washougal Tested: 2010 YZ250F

Yamaha invited Cycle News and other members of the moto media to Washougal MX Park in Washington to sample the all-new 2010 YZ250F. We got the chance to spin quite a few laps around the scenic Washougal track on what will be the same layout as this weekend's AMA National. So what was our first impression? A good one, for sure.

"The new YZ250F is by far the best YZ250F yet," said one of our testers, Jason Abbott. "It's got the best of all the previous YZ250s all wrapped up into one well-rounded package."

Despite the Yamaha getting an all-new frame, what impressed us most was the YZ's motor, which we found to be quite robust and very useable. The power comes on strong and early in the powerband, and never seems to flatten out no matter how long you hold each gear. It just keeps pulling and pulling until you reach for another cog. The previous YZ was all mid to top, but the new YZ bridges the gap from bottom to mid far better, giving it a wider and broader powerband than before. Power comes on better down low and even pulls a bit harder than it used to. The YZ had no problems whatsoever pulling our 190-pound tester up Washougal's long uphill in fourth gear, and often times did so with the front end hanging just a few inches off the ground. Impressive.

Overall, we found the YZ's motor to be just plain strong and easy to use. By far the best YZ250F motor yet.

Clutch pull is light and smooth, as was shifting, and the Yamaha's new gearing seems to match the new powerband well, at least at Washougal.

The Yamaha is not particularly loud, which is a good thing but still sounds a bit raspy when it's being over-revved, which seems impossible not to do on 250Fs. It's quite noticeable when the YZ hits the rev-limiter - not so much from the seat but more so from the side of the track. Overall, the Yamaha's note isn't one of our favorites.

Yamaha chose not to fit the YZ with fuel-injection this year and we're okay with that, since it runs quite well with the "old-style" carburetor, an updated Keihin. Throttle response is crisp and clean, though our testers did notice a hint of hesitation every once in a while, usually after a hard impact, like landing of a large jump. Again, barely noticeable.

With the new Bilateral Beam frame, the Yamaha doesn't feel quite as tall and is overall extremely comfortable, offering a very neutral and flat layout. Handlebars are located right where they should be, and the seat is wide (but not too wide) and has comfortable padding.

Compared to other bikes in its class, the YZ250F has in recent years, always seemed to feel a little heavier, but not any more. The 2010 YZ feels much lighter now, especially up front, and is easier to throw around. You might even call the YZ "flickable" now.

Handling is very good, too, and it turns quite well. Steering is light and precise, and it goes where it's pointed. It stays put in the turns, too. It's also very stable, though we noticed some wallowing every so often while under hard braking on smooth ground. Otherwise, we liked the way the new Yamaha handles, at least at Washougal.

Suspension has always been a strong point with the YZ250F and it appears that it still is. The ride is plush, yet firm enough to soak up the big landings. But the Washougal track we rode over the two days was, overall, rather smooth and wasn't really a good suspension tester. None of our test riders felt the need to make any major adjustments to either ends during our two days at Washougal.

As much we enjoyed riding the Washougal track, we're anxious to get the new YZ on our more familiar tracks, where we can continue to get a feel for it. But for now, we feel just fine saying that this is by far the best YZ250F yet.