YZ250F vs YZ125 vs YZ250?

[camaro80r]

hey there fellow dirtbikers.....i got a couple of choices and im confused on what my next bike should be....you see im coming off a 2001 Honda CR80 Expert, the usual aftermarket pipes, bars, and suspension and whatnot..and im a little too big for it and i need a new bike. I'm a total two-stroke guy but hell out in the desert, my lil 80 is just screaming in 6th the whole time and that lack of bottem end can be annoying. I frequently take my bro's 01' YZ250 bored out to 275 out to Ocotillo and wow that thing scares the hell out of me....its truly amazing to be able to basically putt half way up Blow Sand Hill in 4th and then get on it again and it just flat pulls! But its tiresome to ride and givesme armpump and it doesnt do very well when u just want to cruise... and then there's a 125, well.....i think id probably fit well on a 125 comng off an 80, but i want bottem end and i want cruisability...a 250F would give me nice cruiseability and would also haul *** but im in love with the mid and up powerband of a two stroke... so heres how i set out my bikes:

YZ125: Good: Super fun track bike, light, easy to start, exciting powerband, cheap
Bad: horrible desert bike, no bottem end, top ends all the time

YZ250F: Good: Good track bike, good desert bike, easy to start, wide powerband, less likely to get beat up, easier to ride
Bad: not as fun FOR ME, expensive maintence, probably not as well-suited for my style of riding..but mainly..just not as much of a powerband hit

YZ250: Good: capillary bursting power, lots of bottem end, ok desert bike, hauls ***....100 foot roosts...super fun to ride
Bad: arm-pump, always makes me want to pin it, no cruiseability

so thats it, help me out

[Aus_Rider_22]

Interesting ideas.

I am in the same sorta deal. Coming from 125 and going to either 250F or 450F. Maybe 2502t but highly doubtful.

Interestingly enough, ADB magazine had 4-way blue laptime shootout. Four riders busted laps on all four bike: 125, 250f, 250 and 426f.

I will try to find the mag (few years back) to back up the claims, but the laptimes by the riders were showing that the 250f produced the best times by 3 out of the 4 riders. The other rider produced quicker laptimes on the 250 2-stroke, However, he was a pro.

Coming from 80 you won't really feel disadvantaged unless you ride a 250f for a while.

Just wondering, how heavy are you?

To be honest, if I was in your shoes I would look at 250f or 250. Just ride the 250 more and you would get used to power and get fitter

[crdude]

eat bananas before a ride to get rid of that arm pump

[kwmotocrosspunk]

im gonna have to dissagree about the bottom end power in the 125, my yz 125 has loads of bottom end, it pulls starts easy, and hauls around the track, or trails

[kx_rider53]

How old are you and how much do you weigh? Im turning 15, 5' 11" and about 140 without gear. I just got a 125 about a year ago and it has some nice bottom end. If you have it jet right it wont bog and putting a pc shorty on it really helped the bottom end. I've never ridden a 250 but i am curious. If your pretty big i would go with the 250. Idk about the 4 stroke, ive always like the 2 strokers.

[camaro80r]

well, im about 5'6" and 120 lbs, also guys, i mainly ride out in the desert for fun, i dont race...i do like going to the track..but its mainly about the fun factor and i just read something in transworld mx about a 125 two-stroke being the funnest thing you can ever ride, even if its not the best choice against a 250F, but im not racing....soo....i really dont know....im kinda leaning towards my bro's YZ250 and just getting used to it cuz he's about the same size as me and he hauls *** on it out in Ocotillo, but my dad is really pushing me towards the 250F cuz he thinks its gonna be so much more reliable, i tried explaining to him that a YZ250 is making alot less power for being a 250cc two stroke than a 250F is, the 250F has to rev to 11,000 rpm or so to reach its peak, a 250 two stroke makes its peak at around 7800, so if it were up to me, id just grab the 250 two stroke

[Aus_Rider_22]

Originally Posted by kwmotocrosspunk

im gonna have to dissagree about the bottom end power in the 125, my yz 125 has loads of bottom end, it pulls starts easy, and hauls around the track, or trails

They can be made to have reasonable bottom, but compared to anything other larger bike that he has mentioned, the 125 has got little bottom.

[crdude]

Originally Posted by camaro80r

i tried explaining to him that a YZ250 is making alot less power for being a 250cc two stroke than a 250F is, the 250F has to rev to 11,000 rpm or so to reach its peak, a 250 two stroke makes its peak at around 7800, so if it were up to me, id just grab the 250 two stroke

first thing a 250 2stroke makes a lot more power then a 250f. and a 4 stroke makes more power in the lower rpm's then 2 strokes and 4 strokes have a broader power band making them easy to ride.

[kx_rider53]

if your leaning towards the 250 then i would say get that one. The four strokes make their power in the lower rpms and are easier to ride but i feel the two strokers are more fun but that0 is my opinion. Plus you already know how to maintain a two stroke so i think its your best bet.

[camaro80r]

yeah ive pretty much decided that i want the YZ250, im pretty used to it and im taking it out to Ocotillo this weekend so theres even more of a chance to get used to it, but man, my dad is absolutely stuck on me getting a 250F, he just doesn't want to have to do top ends all the time but i probably use the mid-range power more than the top, the way i ride is kinda like....random bursts of speed...high speed straights with turns that u can drift through, so...i personally don't think i'll need top ends to often, plus its bored out so i doesnt have to rev quite as high as the stocker to make peak.....but hey if u guys have any mods that u think are really good for the bike let me know..here's what;s done to it already:

Bill's Pipe & Silencer, small dent in the pipe tho...
Renthal Sprocket, stock teeth
Race Tech Suspension, unfortuntely set up for 210lb rider, haha sucks for me (120lbs)
Pro Taper Bars
276cc Bore Kit
V-Force Reeds
Hinson Clutch
Aftermarket water pump cover
Excel Rims
thats it,
things i might want to do:
Shortened Seat Foam
IMS Gas Tank
iCat Ignition

[psycho393]

Buddy just put different springs under that thing and you'll be set.

[crazyrydermx]

Man, you're comin' off a 80 and goin' straight to a 250... good luck with that. I have a yz125 and love it. But, if you like the idea of that then I would go for it. People can adapt to anything... it's just better to gradually build up to more and more power. It's a lot like weightlifting. You have to build up your muscles to lift more and more weights... but if you just go out there and try benching 400 then you WILL NOT be able to do it. Of course, the way things are going now with the leaning towards 4-strokes being more powerful, I guess a 250 aint too bad of an idea. Just don't say I didn't warn ya

[Aus_Rider_22]

Originally Posted by crazyrydermx

Man, you're comin' off a 80 and goin' straight to a 250... good luck with that. I have a yz125 and love it. But, if you like the idea of that then I would go for it. People can adapt to anything... it's just better to gradually build up to more and more power. It's a lot like weightlifting. You have to build up your muscles to lift more and more weights... but if you just go out there and try benching 400 then you WILL NOT be able to do it. Of course, the way things are going now with the leaning towards 4-strokes being more powerful, I guess a 250 aint too bad of an idea. Just don't say I didn't warn ya

Good post.

A mate went from oldschool CR80 to CRF450 and rides it pretty well. It's all about adaptability. Everyone's different and may adapt to different bike easier/quicker than others

[gamer2502]

i went straight from a xr80 to a yz250 and i was just fine

[ktm_cody_199]

If he hasnt found a good yamaha yet then he probably gave up and got a honda