2013 vs 2014 yz250f? newer really worth it?

[Hans Schmid]

Because the 14/15 isn't that much better... It's not like he is a pro and out racing for a factory team. Line up a 14-15 with a 12/13 ... Not that much difference, and that is the truth. Yes the 14/15 is a "all new" bike, but guess what??? Folks still won on 12/13 bikes at the races... And, and,and, I've seen people on 09's smoke guys on the state of the art 15's..... Bottom line if your not a pro the 12/13's are fine period.

Sure, your right. No point in debating as you have never owned let alone ridden a 14/15...

[maxamillion125]

I own a stock 14 yz250f, bought it new this year have 32hrs on it, 30b racer.  My friend who I ride with all the time has a 12 yz250f.  We trade bikes often, I probably have a good 5 hours on his bike on the track.  We both agree that my bike has more power from top to bottom, it over revs better and pulls harder.  Suspension wise its hard to compare because he's about 25lbs heavier then me, but his bike feels good and they both corner pretty much the same.  He's selling his bike and getting a 14 or 15 at the end of this year, enough said.

[trooper8520]

Oops.

[MJP68]

I would say it is worth it. Mainly, the 14-15 is already good to go as-is. I modded my previous bike just to get it where I wanted (I bought it knowing the motor was going to be modded to run with Kawis etc at the time). The 12-13 suspension is more balanced, stock than the 10-11, so that is 1 good thing. But the 14 is a bike you can race right of the showroom floor, in my opinion. Yesterday I raced and there were 4-5 14+ Yams that I noticed. All were stock pipe/engine but 1 and all guys with some pretty good speed. By all means, the 10-13 can be made into a fantastic bike and I feel they are very underrated bikes, but it does take a little bit to dial them in. Your call, in the end. Neither is a bad choice.

 

 

Yes, I own a 14 also. It is all stock engine-wise at the moment and I would say peak hp is very close on the new bike, to my previous modded bike. The carb bike revs slower, even when modded, but has a very nice torquey feel that just rips right out of corners. To me, the 14+ engine is so good for a stock bike. it revs super fast and gets into the mid top end quicker and just pulls. Chassis-wise, I think there are some things about the previous bike that are better but at the same time, the new bike has it's advantages too. My point is, yes the carb bike can be had for cheaper and can be made into a legit, awesome race bike. But, by the time you do all of that, you could be at a better starting point by just getting the newer bike. Now if you already owned a 10-13, then I think you could make a very strong case for just keeping it and modding it. But if you are going to be spending x amount of dollars to buy a bike and mod vs buy a bike and not need to really mod, I think there is a pretty clear answer there.

Everyone has opinions, Lots of good ones posted.

Personally I think these posts sum it up pretty well, coming from a guy who has owned and raced both platforms.. hard to argue these points

[MJP68]

oops

Edited April 30, 2015 by MJP68

[YZCas27]

Hahaha now that's funny stuff!!!

...oh maybe instead of making yourself sound really stupid, I suggest you get back to the studies and work on that spelling of yours... Just saying.

[Costa Rican YZ450F]

Getting back to the topic FYI I Love my 12' YZ250F with the 270 bb kit and hotcams II setup, though my jaw does drop when I see the kids on their '15's with FI, but then I say to myself I absolutely love my bike and always come home from the track grinning of how good it performs and is it really worth all the extra $$$??? Even though I've never ridden one IMO I don't think so for me.  Just my 2 cents Have good day all and happy riding tomorrow 

[trooper8520]

Getting back to the topic FYI I Love my 12' YZ250F with the 270 bb kit and hotcams II setup, though my jaw does drop when I see the kids on their '15's with FI, but then I say to myself I absolutely love my bike and always come home from the track grinning of how good it performs and is it really worth all the extra $$$??? Even though I've never ridden one IMO I don't think so for me. Just my 2 cents Have good day all and happy riding tomorrow

Yes absolutely! The 12/13 platform is a great stable machine!!

[fgrote]

i'D LIKE TO ask a question , we want to buy a new 250 , we were able to test a new 15 yz250f  for about an hr, and my son loved it , he rides a 14 kawasaki, he said it handled much better then his kaw, but before i run out and drop the bucks, i really wanted to make sure , it was the bike , and not just him having a good day, Since we rode the yz250 ,we have been talking it over , hoping we could find another 14-15 to do a true back to back with his kaw, but it hasn't happend, But ,we do have access to a 2013 yz250f , I'm i reading right ,that the handling is pretty much the same as the 14-15 so we can compare just the handling ? we would do a real transponder on the track back to back test.

[YZCas27]

Yes absolutely! The 12/13 platform is a great stable machine!!

Ive owned a 13 and 14 450 and the 14 is way better than the 13 by a lot enough to buy the 14 over the 13.

[trooper8520]

Ive owned a 13 and 14 450 and the 14 is way better than the 13 by a lot enough to buy the 14 over the 13.

.... I honestly think if you are not racing, no they are not worth the extra coin. 3-4 hp if that, and F.I... I think you will see a better machine in 2016. The 14-15 is a whole new platform and is at the beginning stages of development. The 12-13's are a sweet machine with YEARS of development. I say ride them both, but if I were not racing... 13 all the way. The suspension is amazing, power is good, and it's been tested and abused for years now. That engine is bullet proof. Change the oil often and enjoy.

[YZCas27]

.... I honestly think if you are not racing, no they are not worth the extra coin. 3-4 hp if that, and F.I... I think you will see a better machine in 2016. The 14-15 is a whole new platform and is at the beginning stages of development. The 12-13's are a sweet machine with YEARS of development. I say ride them both, but if I were not racing... 13 all the way. The suspension is amazing, power is good, and it's been tested and abused for years now. That engine is bullet proof. Change the oil often and enjoy.

I already own a 14 one reason a 14 is nice it's fuel injected you can ride it from sea level to 8,000 feet without rejetting it.

[yz133rider]

4Hp if that... thats a pretty giant improvement considering were only talking 36hp to begin with.

If it were 150hp, 4hp can be considered minor, but at 36, 4 more is quite considerable.

[trooper8520]

4Hp if that... thats a pretty giant improvement considering were only talking 36hp to begin with.

If it were 150hp, 4hp can be considered minor, but at 36, 4 more is quite considerable.

It's not a full 4 hp. And if that's what you are looking at, better go get the ktm, because it puts out the most hp and is 3 or 4 hp over the yz250f.

Ktm has a awesome bike for 15. I rode the ktm's.., very nice and they don't have that overwhelming European feel. I would really like to see them go to a aluminum frame tho..,

[MJP68]

4Hp if that... thats a pretty giant improvement considering were only talking 36hp to begin with.

If it were 150hp, 4hp can be considered minor, but at 36, 4 more is quite considerable.

 

 

It's not a full 4 hp. And if that's what you are looking at, better go get the ktm, because it puts out the most hp and is 3 or 4 hp over the yz250f.

Ktm has a awesome bike for 15. I rode the ktm's.., very nice and they don't have that overwhelming European feel. I would really like to see them go to a aluminum frame tho..,

In years past a 2hp gain in a production bike was earth shattering. 3-4 HP from the new gen engine IS legit. Add to the FACT

a stock 14+ makes more power over a broader range making it easier to go faster longer..

I do love the 10-13 chassis, but slow bikes usually handle the best right??

I do feel a good rider can be competitve easily at a local level with a stock 10+ or older

I've been smoked by kids on 85's. I don't blame my bike.

[trooper8520]

In years past a 2hp gain in a production bike was earth shattering. 3-4 HP from the new gen engine IS legit. Add to the FACT

a stock 14+ makes more power over a broader range making it easier to go faster longer..

I do love the 10-13 chassis, but slow bikes usually handle the best right??

I do feel a good rider can be competitve easily at a local level with a stock 10+ or older

I've been smoked by kids on 85's. I don't blame my bike.

Exactly.

I think the 14/15 platform will become a very respectable bike as it proceeds in development. I just think buying a new bike year to year is crazy, unless you race on a competitive level. Or, you just have a ton of extra cash laying around. Lol

I bought my 13 for 3500 less than msrp... Haven't failed me yet. My days of racing are over though, been there done that. Now it's just for fun.

[JDrider]

If I could do it over again I would definitely get the 450, sell my 2010 450 and keep my 2010 250. I'm used to a 450 though.

It looks like the 2014 solved some of the bulkiness of the 10 thru 13 models. test riders are saying it feels slimmer and lighter.

I wanted to update my previous post after healing up and riding my 2014 yz250f for a while.I absolutely love the bike. I definitely feel the extra power and once I got over spending so much money on it I am glad I made the purchase. It definitely makes a stock 2010 seem like a dud.

I stand by my previous comments though, that a 2010 can be made much better with a few aftermarket upgrades. The 2010 also cornered better. My 14 seems like it is higher in the front or something and it is a little intimidating coming into corners fast. I've tried the simple remedies of raising the fork height and adding to the race sag and it helps some but does not cure it.

I did end up selling my 2010 yz450f and buying a slightly used 2014 yz450f. That is one decision I absolutely do not regret. The 2014 is much better then the 2010 when it comes to the 450's. It feels much slimmer and definitely more powerful.

Though I am glad to have the newer 250, I would have been just as happy with my upgraded 2010, especially since I have the new 450 now. It was not a huge difference in power once I changed the air box, jetting and pipe and it cornered better. The reason that I'm glad I bought the new one is because it is 4 years newer, it looks much better in my opinion, I don't have to mess with jetting and I do feel a little extra power. But I have to say that if I was low on money and could save several thousand dollars by buying a 2010 and upgrading it instead of a buying a 2014 I would do it in a heartbeat. If money was not an issue I would go with the newer bike. Also, if I planned to resell within a few years and I could get a good deal on the 14' I would get it. Hype and reviews mean a lot when it comes time to sell your bike.