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what year model Yamaha yz250 for hardcore enduro

By Enduroboy223,
in Yamaha 2 Stroke

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rpt50

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If you are serious about extreme enduro you probably need to look at bikes with electric start.  Although I don't do extreme enduro myself, just from course videos and listening to buddies who did the Tennessee Knockout the past couple of years, e-start makes a huge difference in how competitive you will be, although a rekluse clutch will help for sure.

As for the year, it does not matter really.  Considering how badly the bikes can get trashed, I would be going old, back into the steel frame era.  A lot of guys (myself included) prefer the steel bikes over the aluminum for off road riding in general.  

If you are just doing the amateur races, you might consider a trials bike.  They are legal in those classes, and if you are a normal size/strength guy, a lot easier to wrestle around in those conditions.  

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Grand Master

mlatour

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14 hours ago, Enduroboy223 said:

They are just to expensive and i have always wanted to convert a yz250 do u have any ideas what to get for specefically offroad hard enduro?

Keep in mind that whatever you bolt on or change in the engine's characteristics, 

you'll still be stuck with a close-ratio MX type gearbox, meaning a super tall 1st gear.

 

From many posts I've read, many TT members that have converted MX'ers to enduro bikes in the past

have ended up spending the same amount as buying an enduro specific bike to begin with.

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Enduroboy223

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11 hours ago, rpt50 said:

If you are serious about extreme enduro you probably need to look at bikes with electric start.  Although I don't do extreme enduro myself, just from course videos and listening to buddies who did the Tennessee Knockout the past couple of years, e-start makes a huge difference in how competitive you will be, although a rekluse clutch will help for sure.

As for the year, it does not matter really.  Considering how badly the bikes can get trashed, I would be going old, back into the steel frame era.  A lot of guys (myself included) prefer the steel bikes over the aluminum for off road riding in general.  

If you are just doing the amateur races, you might consider a trials bike.  They are legal in those classes, and if you are a normal size/strength guy, a lot easier to wrestle around in those conditions.  

I am trying to decide between the ktm 200 exc and the yz250, obviously, I would convert the yz to an enduro bike. Once the yz250 has been converted would it potentially be better than the ktm 200 exc for enduro?

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rpt50

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9 minutes ago, Enduroboy223 said:

what would you recommend for enduro once the yz 250 is converted for offroad, yz or ktm 200 exc??

If both bikes are in equal condition I would take the 200 all day long.  But it all depends on your preferences. I have had plenty of 250s, but I prefer small bore bikes and ride 125s pretty much exclusively these days.

Having owned KTMs as well as YZs, the PDS suspension and off road specific transmission ratios of the KTM would likely be of significant benefit for your needs.  I personally don't like the low first gear of non MX KTMs, but if you are riding difficult terrain at slow speeds that would be real handy.  The PDS is simple to maintain, and there is nothing hanging down to get damaged on rocks and such.  

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subxero

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TLDR version:  yz250 and yz250x bikes are great, they can do any kind of riding and do it well especially if setup correctly but they are far from a hard enduro specific platform and if strictly riding hard enduro you would probably be better off snagging a bike with e start that can also be equiped with a fan without much fuss 

Long version:

I had a woods/enduro converted 03 yz250 for a few years and currently have an '18 yz250x.

I have been getting more and more into hard enduro type riding, not just typical enduro, but hard enduro, crazy big rocks, next to non existent goat paths up steep slick hills in the middle of the woods, Erzberg type stuff. 

This is what i am learning along the way

The only thing i didn't like about my mx converted yz250 for enduro riding was the hit.  Everything else was fine.  It had the mx tranny, 18" rear, FWW, suspension dialed in, along with other odds and ends.   The tranny didn't bother me now that i have ridden on a bike with the WR tranny.  1st and 2nd gear are the same, I do like the shorter 3rd a bit better on the x but it isn't a big deal, same goes for the higher 4th and 5th.  So IMO the WR tranny isn't a must especially since you will be using 1st and 2nd a lot.

Even the 18" rear wheel isn't a must, it really just opens up your tire selection a bit.  JMO

So again, my mx bike was fine for enduro, i could do everything on it that i can do on my 250x but the hit is much more manageable on the 250x which means easier to find traction and you don't get out of shape as much as easily/quickly.

So IMO if you are going to get a yz250 mx bike to convert, look into taming the hit and making the power a bit more linear, i believe it really helps for technical riding.

Now on to other things.  I have a solid year on my 250x and have put it through the ringer.  1st, i love the bike it's great it just straight up performs no matter what kind of riding i'm doing which is a good mix.  I liked my 03 yz250 but for enduro or technical trail riding the X is just a little better suited for the task, at least for me.  However in hard enduro type terrain it can still leave you wanting.  Not that it can't do it or be a great bike for someone in hard enduro but for me and what i have been doing lately it is not specifically designed for hard enduro in mind... obviously and in a competitive setting i think i would get better finishes on a bike specifically setup for hard enduro.... duh.

The e start thing, it really doesn't bother me much, a small % of the time but i am not racing hard enduro.  I can go a whole hare scramble without stalling so it doesn't bother me at all for those races, or for trail riding even hard enduro practice but while practicing hard enduro i do tend to stall on occasion for whatever the reason and it is hard to argue that pushing a button isn't easier than finding a good position to kick the bike.  I am not tall like 5'8"  So it isn't uncommon that if i stall or lose balance in hard enduro terrain if there is any kind of depression hole on the side i am dabbing to, i need to pretty much come off the bike to some extent to stay up or risk dropping the bike ect...  This results in stalls sometimes in awkward positions which can make it hard to kick start the bike which takes up time, sometimes a fair amount of time.  Same can be said for stalling on technical uphills, it is just easier to push a button and in a race situation it is going to save you energy and time, hard to debate that.  If you are taller with longer legs these things are probably not as big of a deal.  But in short, if you are strictly riding hard enduro or think you are going to try and start competing in it on a regular basis an e-start is going to be beneficial IMO.   If you are going rekluse the estart might be even less of a concern, IDK? I don't use rekluse, don't plan to anytime soon.

If the e-start is not really a selling point (which i think you can get away without having, again it doesn't bother me most of the time, i don't stall often and in only limited situations is kicking annoying)  keep in mind that the e-start kind of grants you 2 things.  the e start its self but also most bikes with e start it is much easier to put a fan on them.  I can ride my yz250x for days on technical trails, whatever and it will never come close to boiling over but if you are doing a long stretch of crazy rocks in the hot humid woods, or a long slick technical climb where you are stopping here and there and running the clutch you are going to over heat.  I did just this last weekend riding some hard enduro single track i just cut in.  If you are not getting good air flow and working the engine hard, it will over heat, a fan will help a lot.  Even if you are not competing a fan will help keep things cool in gnarly terrain which is just better for the engine than the alternative.  A bike that is already equiped to handle a fan is a bonus.   I would love a fan on my yz250x but i don't see me going through the trouble to make it happen.  

So with all that said why do i have a yz250x?  Because hard enduro is only a small part of my riding, i really like it and will do more but i am not competing, yet but even then if i do it will be 1 or 2 events a year at most.  The 250x is an all around performer and i can do anything on it, it suites my diverse riding so it is the right bike for me IMO.   I'm not in position to have another nice bike specifically setup for hard enduro but if i was i would definitely have something in the stable with e start and a fan ?

Last thing, 

You mention a 200cc ktm.  I have never ridden one but i do hear good things and i do really like smaller cc bikes but for hard enduro low end tractable power is king.  Not sure how the 200 stacks up there.  Just something to look into

 

Edited by subxero
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Enduroboy223

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8 hours ago, subxero said:

TLDR version:  yz250 and yz250x bikes are great, they can do any kind of riding and do it well especially if setup correctly but they are far from a hard enduro specific platform and if strictly riding hard enduro you would probably be better off snagging a bike with e start that can also be equiped with a fan without much fuss 

Long version:

I had a woods/enduro converted 03 yz250 for a few years and currently have an '18 yz250x.

I have been getting more and more into hard enduro type riding, not just typical enduro, but hard enduro, crazy big rocks, next to non existent goat paths up steep slick hills in the middle of the woods, Erzberg type stuff. 

This is what i am learning along the way

The only thing i didn't like about my mx converted yz250 for enduro riding was the hit.  Everything else was fine.  It had the mx tranny, 18" rear, FWW, suspension dialed in, along with other odds and ends.   The tranny didn't bother me now that i have ridden on a bike with the WR tranny.  1st and 2nd gear are the same, I do like the shorter 3rd a bit better on the x but it isn't a big deal, same goes for the higher 4th and 5th.  So IMO the WR tranny isn't a must especially since you will be using 1st and 2nd a lot.

Even the 18" rear wheel isn't a must, it really just opens up your tire selection a bit.  JMO

So again, my mx bike was fine for enduro, i could do everything on it that i can do on my 250x but the hit is much more manageable on the 250x which means easier to find traction and you don't get out of shape as much as easily/quickly.

So IMO if you are going to get a yz250 mx bike to convert, look into taming the hit and making the power a bit more linear, i believe it really helps for technical riding.

Now on to other things.  I have a solid year on my 250x and have put it through the ringer.  1st, i love the bike it's great it just straight up performs no matter what kind of riding i'm doing which is a good mix.  I liked my 03 yz250 but for enduro or technical trail riding the X is just a little better suited for the task, at least for me.  However in hard enduro type terrain it can still leave you wanting.  Not that it can't do it or be a great bike for someone in hard enduro but for me and what i have been doing lately it is not specifically designed for hard enduro in mind... obviously and in a competitive setting i think i would get better finishes on a bike specifically setup for hard enduro.... duh.

The e start thing, it really doesn't bother me much, a small % of the time but i am not racing hard enduro.  I can go a whole hare scramble without stalling so it doesn't bother me at all for those races, or for trail riding even hard enduro practice but while practicing hard enduro i do tend to stall on occasion for whatever the reason and it is hard to argue that pushing a button isn't easier than finding a good position to kick the bike.  I am not tall like 5'8"  So it isn't uncommon that if i stall or lose balance in hard enduro terrain if there is any kind of depression hole on the side i am dabbing to, i need to pretty much come off the bike to some extent to stay up or risk dropping the bike ect...  This results in stalls sometimes in awkward positions which can make it hard to kick start the bike which takes up time, sometimes a fair amount of time.  Same can be said for stalling on technical uphills, it is just easier to push a button and in a race situation it is going to save you energy and time, hard to debate that.  If you are taller with longer legs these things are probably not as big of a deal.  But in short, if you are strictly riding hard enduro or think you are going to try and start competing in it on a regular basis an e-start is going to be beneficial IMO.   If you are going rekluse the estart might be even less of a concern, IDK? I don't use rekluse, don't plan to anytime soon.

If the e-start is not really a selling point (which i think you can get away without having, again it doesn't bother me most of the time, i don't stall often and in only limited situations is kicking annoying)  keep in mind that the e-start kind of grants you 2 things.  the e start its self but also most bikes with e start it is much easier to put a fan on them.  I can ride my yz250x for days on technical trails, whatever and it will never come close to boiling over but if you are doing a long stretch of crazy rocks in the hot humid woods, or a long slick technical climb where you are stopping here and there and running the clutch you are going to over heat.  I did just this last weekend riding some hard enduro single track i just cut in.  If you are not getting good air flow and working the engine hard, it will over heat, a fan will help a lot.  Even if you are not competing a fan will help keep things cool in gnarly terrain which is just better for the engine than the alternative.  A bike that is already equiped to handle a fan is a bonus.   I would love a fan on my yz250x but i don't see me going through the trouble to make it happen.  

So with all that said why do i have a yz250x?  Because hard enduro is only a small part of my riding, i really like it and will do more but i am not competing, yet but even then if i do it will be 1 or 2 events a year at most.  The 250x is an all around performer and i can do anything on it, it suites my diverse riding so it is the right bike for me IMO.   I'm not in position to have another nice bike specifically setup for hard enduro but if i was i would definitely have something in the stable with e start and a fan ?

Last thing, 

You mention a 200cc ktm.  I have never ridden one but i do hear good things and i do really like smaller cc bikes but for hard enduro low end tractable power is king.  Not sure how the 200 stacks up there.  Just something to look into

 

Thanks so much for all your advice! I found a few yz250x online as well as a husuberg te250 and beta 250rr, i think they would be better option for offroad

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Grand Master

CaptDan

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I've ridden a KTM EXC200 & YZ250 back-to-back. I couldn't get into the groove with the 200.

Aside from less horsepower & torque, it felt smaller, so it was more nimble, yet it didn't feel appreciably lighter than the 250. It probably would shine in tight woods conditions, but for Gun-and-Run type of riding it was definitely lacking.

Having a 6-speed was nice though. ?

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Enduroboy223

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17 hours ago, markmc2 said:

What do you consider hard enduro? How many Yamahas do you see at those events? 

i consider hard enduro redbull romaniacs. There is this guy who rides in the gold class (gold class is for all pros etc. Jonny walker graham Jarvis) He ride a yamaha yz250, search him name is blake gutziet 

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