2025 Yamaha YZ250

When the four-stroke revolution came 20 years ago, the fate of the two-stroke fell into uncertainty. While the segment itself has greatly diminished, giving way to the now dominant four-strokes, models such as Yamaha’s YZ250 have stood the test of time. Although this platform has changed very little in the last two decades (relative to its four-stroke counterparts), the mighty YZ250 now stands as an icon to the past. As one of the last holdouts in the 250cc two-stroke motocross segment, the YZ250 is still a popular choice for the premix-burning crowd.

In its glory days, the Yamaha YZ250 was flying high in stadiums, the mount of choice for AMA Supercross champions such as Jeremy McGrath and Chad Reed. Twenty years later, the YZ250 retains its sharp performance, excellent power-to-weight ratio, and hard-hitting powerband. While it has received upgrades to the chassis and suspension to keep up with modern motocross, it remains simple and “old school” in its technological features—the 249cc engine is carbureted (not fuel-injected), with reed-valve induction, and kickstarter (no electric start). Its modest features also help keep the price down.

Along with the light weight and snappy power character, diehards also praise two-strokes for their easy maintenance. The engines are simple to rebuild and maintain (again, relative to their four-stroke counterparts), even for a casual enthusiast. It has been around so long that finding parts and accessories for it is easy, adding to its appeal. Although you won’t likely see it in the pro racing ranks of Supercross and Motocross anymore, the YZ250 is regarded as a simple, no-frills, ultrareliable motocross bike.

The 2025 Yamaha YZ250 is available in Yamaha blue for $7999 and in black Monster Energy Edition for $8199.