Frugal Fuelers: Yamaha WR250X – First LookSupermoto starter kit.

A “real” supermoto racebike is one of the most thrilling motorcycles in existence. But it would make a terrible first bike. In fact, it’s not a particularly good third bike! Even the street versions are pretty spicy and oftentimes not particularly practical everyday riders. But the Yamaha WR250X is different. It’s got a strong influence from the land of racing but is clearly a lightweight streetbike made with sporty utility in mind.

First things first: While this engine shares bore and stroke dimensions, titanium intake valves and other high-performance features with the YZ250F motocrosser, it is not the same powerplant at all. In fact, this 249cc Single is a new engine for Yamaha, applied to this bike and its WR250F dual-sport stablemate for their debut. It is a pretty snappy engine and quite smooth, thanks to its counterbalancer.

If you’re a tech-head, you may care about the 38mm throttle body, the 12-hole injection nozzle and many other of the Mikuni EFI system’s details, but really, the best part is that you just climb on the WR, push the electric-start button and it fires up hot or cold without a hiccup. There’s an EXUP exhaust valve to help augment torque production and meet noise requirements, plus a three-way catalyst for clean emissions. Fuel consumption is in the 60-mpg range, which is pretty good considering the 27 rear-wheel horsepower on tap here, not to mention an 11,500-rpm rev limit. It zings!

Like Yamaha’s top dirtbikes, the X gets an aluminum frame and swingarm (subframe and engine cradle are steel). The 46mm KYB inverted fork is carried in forged triple-clamps, offers 10.6 inches of travel and has compression- and rebound-damping adjustments. At the back, a fully adjustable (including .9-inch ride height) SOQI shock works through a linkage.

This is a very light-steering, nimble bike. The clutch works well, too, so snapping off the line becomes second nature and almost as easy as flicking the X into bends.

Cruising at 75 mph is within the capabilities of the WR, although the engine is definitely working hard at that speed, and it just doesn’t feel like a highway bike. Blasting around town or snicking through the great six-speed gearbox on a winding backroad is where the WR truly shines. Grip is good from the Bridgestone soft-compound BT090 tires (110/70 front and 140/70 rear) spooned onto 17-inch, wire-spoke aluminum rims. The X gets a large, 298mm single disc at the front. Brake power and feel are about right for a bike pitched toward less-experienced riders.

What we have here, then, is a fun, light-feeling motorcycle that has those easy-to-handle attributes you often find in dirtbikes. But because of its 17-inch wheels and lower seat height than the average dual-sport machine, it makes a pretty nice bike on which to learn the ropes of the road. And if the sparking-footpeg pictures of Off-Road Editor Ryan Dudek at the racetrack press introduction are any indication, there is plenty of room to grow on the WR-X!

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