The Yamaha WR250F is an off-road motorcycle with a 250 cc liquid-cooled single-cylinder engine. First offered in 2001, it shares much of its design with the YZ250F motocross model but is tuned and equipped for enduro riding.
Yamaha WR250F at a glance
| Maker | Yamaha Motor Company |
|---|---|
| Class | Enduro motorcycle |
| First offered | 2001 |
| Engine | 250 cc liquid-cooled single |
| Based on | YZ250F motocross |
| Tuning | detuned for more controllable power |
| Equipment | headlight, lighting coil, kickstand, larger radiators |
| Suspension | softer than the YZ250F |
| Gearbox | wide-ratio |
| Emissions | lower than the motocross model |
| Frame | aluminium in later versions |
Based on one source (English Wikipedia).
History of the Yamaha WR250F
The WR250F was first offered in 2001 and shared many components and design ideas with the YZ250F motocross bike. In effect it was a YZ250F detuned slightly for more controllable power, fitted with a headlight, a lighting coil, softer suspension, a kickstand, better noise specifications, larger radiators and lower emissions.
The WR in the name stands for wide-ratio, a gearbox layout common to enduro and trail bikes, as opposed to the close-ratio gearbox used in motocross. The bike was designed for enduro, extreme enduro and hard enduro competition as well as for riders practising those disciplines.
Over the years the WR250F benefited from developments in the YZF motocross range, gaining features such as an aluminium frame and improved suspension. Despite the similar name, it shares very few components with the heavier, street-legal WR250R or its supermoto variant, the WR250X, which are different machines built for dual-sport use.
Design and features
- Enduro tuning: a detuned YZ250F engine with softer, more controllable power.
- Wide-ratio gearbox: the layout that gives the model its WR name.
- Trail equipment: headlight, lighting coil, kickstand and quieter exhaust.
- Motocross DNA: aluminium frame and suspension developed from the YZF range.
Yamaha WR250F versions
- WR250F (2001–): the enduro model described here.
- WR250R: a separate street-legal dual-sport model.
- WR250X: the supermoto version of the WR250R.
The WR250F is the off-road relative of the street-legal WR250R; other Yamaha enduros include the IT175. More models are in the Yamaha collection.
Sources
- Yamaha WR250F, English Wikipedia: introduction, engine, differences from YZ250F, relationship to WR250R
