Riding a 250F like a 125 2-Stroke - Do you agree?

[Ourimba]

I came across this old article by Transworld MX written in 2001 when the first YZ250F came out. They compare it to riding a 2 stroke 125. Do you folks agree with what they say about revving it hard and riding it wide open?

"Due to the torque and impressive over-rev of the YZ250F motor, the bike also shines in perfect traction situations. In places that a 125 needs liberal amounts of clutch work to keep it on the pipe, the 250F will pull hard with no clutch work at all! Part of this is due to the torque of the motor, and part is due to the fact that a good four-stroke rider won't allow the motor to fall under about 10,000 RPM, even in the corners. The YZ250F revs to 13,500 rpms, and that's where it should be ridden just about all the time. This isn't your typical slow revving four-stroke—it demands to be ridden wide open like a two-stroke 125."

If this is true, then I should be spending a lot more time in 3rd gear with it wide open, than in 4th gear 1/2 throttle. Especially on jumps. Might explain a few problems I'm having!

Cheers,

Doug

[Eric57Nelson]

I agree, you can't lug 250F's like you can lug a 450. If you want to go fast on a 250F you need to let it rev. A lot of people waste valueable time trying to short shift them, I find it best to always be in the right gear instead of going a gear high and shifting often.

[Barkley_Nik]

I came across this old article by Transworld MX written in 2001 when the first YZ250F came out. They compare it to riding a 2 stroke 125. Do you folks agree with what they say about revving it hard and riding it wide open?

"Due to the torque and impressive over-rev of the YZ250F motor, the bike also shines in perfect traction situations. In places that a 125 needs liberal amounts of clutch work to keep it on the pipe, the 250F will pull hard with no clutch work at all! Part of this is due to the torque of the motor, and part is due to the fact that a good four-stroke rider won't allow the motor to fall under about 10,000 RPM, even in the corners. The YZ250F revs to 13,500 rpms, and that's where it should be ridden just about all the time. This isn't your typical slow revving four-stroke—it demands to be ridden wide open like a two-stroke 125."

If this is true, then I should be spending a lot more time in 3rd gear with it wide open, than in 4th gear 1/2 throttle. Especially on jumps. Might explain a few problems I'm having!

Cheers,

Doug

ditto.. i ride my 01 yz250f to the max in 2nd and 3rd gears and only run 4th usually on straights..depending on which track im ridin.. but i take most sandy corners revved real high in 2nd gear

[smileyman]

Thats good to hear because I feel like I ride my 250 like it is a smoker !

Robert

[dirtbikekid1337]

ahh...but wont riding a 250f like a 125 considerably shorten engine life?

[Barkley_Nik]

ahh...but wont riding a 250f like a 125 considerably shorten engine life?

you just have to limit ur riding actions.. dont use the clutch like u would a 125 in corners but keep it revved high.. and dont run one gear for too long..u can run it like a 125 to an extent but u gotta remember its a 4 stroke.

[redrider2500f]

I dont agree with that because i went form rideing a 01 yz125 to a 04 crf250r and the differance was huge. i dont think rideing a 250f is lke rideing a 125 2 stroke.

[bboyce]

I believe you need to ride a 250F like a 125 if you want to go fast, but where the 250F has the advantage is, if you do make a mistake shifting, its not going to hurt you as much. It seems to me like 250F's keep revving where a 125 would fall flat on its face...

So all in all, you should ride a 250F, well like a 250F. ?

[minegun2]

hmm when i rode my first 250f. I notis that the bikes did seem to like to be ridden high in rpm's. Cause going threw a corner and try to chug it out it just never like to do that.? Dont know why just did not like it. So i just decided to ride as if i was on my 125, and the bike just rode better ever wear after that. Comeing out of corners in the right gear just seem to me make the bike stick batter in corners, the same way with my 125. My bike just sticks ride like that. So maby they are made to ride like that. But then again thats just me and what i felt. Might be diffrent for other people.

[minegun2]

I believe you need to ride a 250F like a 125 if you want to go fast, but where the 250F has the advantage is, if you do make a mistake shifting, its not going to hurt you as much. It seems to me like 250F's keep revving where a 125 would fall flat on its face...

So all in all, you should ride a 250F, well like a 250F.

You guys ever watch the amateurs ride hear how hard the bounce off the rev limiter.? O yeah they do ride im just like a 125 PINNED! Just like a 125.

[loucks428]

If I rode my CRF250R that high while it is close to the rev limiter my engine would probably take a big huge shit all over the place.

[minegun2]

If I rode my CRF250R that high while it is close to the rev limiter my engine would probably take a big huge shit all over the place.

LOL!?

[GaniRider]

Wow I never seen the other side of 8000rpm,thought it would'nt be good for the engine.Always worried about the top end,becouse all the horror stories that I read about.

2002 wr250f

[cantwait]

I ride the piss out of my CRF250. I stayed on 125's for 2 years and thats the only way i know how to ride. I tried to lug it and gah its boring and very slow. No fun at all. I like to get up on the rev limiter and rev the gears out to their fullest. And my CRF is still going strong.

[loucks428]

I ride the piss out of my CRF250. I stayed on 125's for 2 years and thats the only way i know how to ride. I tried to lug it and gah its boring and very slow. No fun at all. I like to get up on the rev limiter and rev the gears out to their fullest. And my CRF is still going strong.

jerk ?

[bboyce]

My bike is pinned most of the time. I usually hit the rev limiter alot.

[theuberacer]

And people wonder why 250Fs are so expensive to keep running... I think it's true though that's how you need to ride them to be fast.

[CR80RIDER]

I don't ride the rev limiter like some of the amateurs do, but i do tend to bounce off of it 2-3 times a lap. But It's always in the air. My 08 likes to be revved but doesn't mind being lugged some either.?

[OakRider]

That's the beauty of the 4-stroke, you can lug it or rev the snot out of it. Your choice. If you want to be fast on a 250F you are going to HAVE TO rip the piss out of it, but that goes for just about all MX bikes. Any bike that is ridden hard in racing will need proper maintenance, and not last as long as one that is babied around the track, and if you want to baby your bike, go trail riding.

I've raced both a 125 2-stroke and a 250F this year. My primary ride is a 250F and racing the 125 was super fun, but I did feal guilty for riding it so hard. But it's motocross, and that's what it's designed to do. Racing the 125 did make me more aggressive with my 250F, and tought me to ride more in the mid & upper end of the revs, where I usually ride is down low. But, down low on a 250F is not the way to go fast.

Rip it, rev it, and give her all she can handle- just keep the oil & filters clean and have fun with it!

[bluerider611]

I dont know that i soo much agree with 10,000 plus.. while there is alot of usable power up there and sure u can ride fast.. but i wouldnt be suprised if u dropped a valve or threw a rod from bouncin of the rev limiter 2-3 times a lap. Using the rev limiter as a shift indicator isnt good.. talk to any mechanic about 4 strokes and valve and piston wear.. and most will say alot of the failures are b/c people ride on the rev limiter with these things. I guess if u got the money and the means go ahead.. ill stick with my 250 smoker = )