2020 Yamaha YZ125X/250FX Introduction

Editors Note: It’s hard to be in two places at once. Yamaha scheduled their 2020 YZ125X/250FX introduction in South Carolina after I booked a testing trip to New Mexico. With that being said, it’s not as easy as you think to find good people to help you give some quality feedback in this industry. I get countless emails/calls about wanting to help me with testing, but after I tell them to write me something on their own bike (as a test), send it in to me, so I can see if they can write, it usually ends in crickets. Most people just want to do the fun shit and go home, but there is more to testing than just riding the bikes. Colton Aeck and Dallas Dunn are two of only a few that I have within Keefer Inc. that I trust to go to an event like this. Colton is a quiet kid, but respectful and does what he says. He’s a privateer Supercross racer that doesn’t get to ride much off-road, so I thought the YZ125X/250FX machines would be the perfect fit (for him) to give you the reader, a perspective from an off-road newbie. Dallas is a single father that works as a heavy equipment operator that loves everything two wheels. He is your average blue collar dude that just loves to ride dirt bikes and is a bad ass at shooting photography as well as riding a BMX bike. I knew he would be a great photographer to bring this trip to life. Below is Colton’s story of how the event was, as well as his first impressions of how the bikes performed out in a true off-road setting. -KK

Written By: Colton Aeck

Photos By: Dallas Dunn

For 2020 Yamaha completed their line of "X" off-road bikes by introducing the new YZ125X. They also made major changes to their YZ250FX model by updating it with all the changes we saw from the 2019 YZ250F motocrosser. This past week, Dallas Dunn and I were invited to the home and training compound of off-road legend and 7 time AMA National Enduro Champion, Randy Hawkins to test out the new bikes. 

When I first got the call from Keefer a few weeks back, I was pretty excited, but also a bit nervous. In the past few years I've spent the majority of my time riding and racing Supercross. Besides a few WORCS races back in 2012 as a B rider, I've had zero off-road experience. By saying that most of you probably know, off-road in the wet coast desert is almost the complete opposite of what you'd find in the tight woods at a GNCC or enduro on the east coast. As we pulled up to Randy's on Tuesday we arrived at a big open pasture that was surrounded on all sides by hills and woods. It was a brisk 28 degrees and I thought to myself this west coast boy is going to be coming out of his shell this week!

Randy and the crew from Yamaha set up 3 separate courses through the woods, each with a variety of what you might expect to see at a GNCC or National Enduro. We had a variety of open fire roads, ultra tight woods, single and double track jeep trails, steep uphills/downhills, creek crossings, and there was even a grass track as well as a motocross section. Other than some frozen fingers in the morning and having a run in with more than a few trees along the way, I can honestly say that it was some of the most fun I've ever had on a motorcycle. Throughout my life I've never understood why people would choose to ride or race off-road. Moto and Supercross just always seemed a lot better for me. Not to mention ripping across the desert wide open and eating a bunch of dust, just doesn't sound like much fun. Well, riding in the woods is a completely different animal, but riding these Yamahas in the woods of South Carolina has really changed my mind about off-road riding in general. In fact, it has my gears turning and thinking more about what I'd like to do after my moto career is over. 

I strongly encourage all you moto guys out there, if you've never been trail riding out in the woods, find a place, find a bike, and go try it! Racing is my passion, but just like anything, if you do it enough it can turn into a job as well as burn you out on something that you love. This week I had the chance to get back to my roots and really remember why I love dirt bikes so much. Being out in the wilderness, with just yourself, your bike and a couple buddies really reminds you why you got started riding in the first place. It's been a long time since I've gone riding all day long and still wanted to keep going. The Yamaha crew just about had to pry me off their bikes each day just so they could prepare for the next day of riding. 

Enough about me and how much fun I had, you guys are here for the testing, so let’s get to it. Yamaha's goal with their "X" line is to have a purpose built bike that's ready to ride and race in off-road situations. They took their motocross bikes and made a handful of changes to each to better suit off-road riding. 

The YZ125X shares most of its parts with the YZ125, with a few key changes, the biggest being engine and suspension. The X model has a different cylinder head shape, different powervalve shape/settings and a new ECU setting to match the engine changes. The suspension components, as well as spring rates remain the same, the only suspension change is in the valving. The YZ125X also comes with a kickstand, o-ring chain, reserve fuel petcock, 18 inch rear wheel and Dunlop AT81 tires. 

The goal was to make the YZ125X more capable for off-road and after the crap out of it, I think they did just that. The engine changes lead to a broader, easier to ride engine character for the tight, slippery terrain I was testing in. The engine hits sooner in the RPM range (although not quite as hard as a YZ125) and pulls longer on top. The engine is really what you'd expect from a 125. It's not a rocket ship, but it is a lot of fun to ride when riding in that sweet spot. I was really impressed at how well it climbed some of the steep hills on Randy's trails. In situations where a 250F or 450 would break traction and start digging a hole, the 125 would stay light and on top of the dirt, driving with forward bite.

To my surprise the suspension worked really well for me on initial plushness and small impacts, but left me wanting more hold up as well as bottoming resistance on hard impacts (like creek crossings, or big G outs). Anything more than a medium size impact left me with an empty/soft feeling front and rear. I was able to get the fork and shock to bottom fairly easily when I started to feel comfortable and push it. Honestly though, soft suspension was what I expected from an off-road type of machine, but I am so used to such stiff settings on my SX bike that anything feels soft to me. I don't think a 180 pound Supercross pro is the target market for the YZ125X, but I enjoyed it a lot. Your typical younger generation off-road kid or even the older more mellow weekend warrior will have a blast on it while feeling like a hero through the trees, but may want a little stiffer suspension set up once broken in. I think this bike is the perfect tool for the younger generation moving up off minis or a newer, less experienced rider just starting out in off-road. The YZ125X is not intimidating to ride and is light enough that almost anyone is able to pick it up after a spill.

The bike I enjoyed the most was the YZ250FX. The 2020 YZ250FX received all the changes we saw to its moto brother, the YZ250F in 2019. This means a completely new chassis and engine, plus all the off-road goodies you'd expect the X to have. The X differs from the standard YZ250F, with stiffer front engine mounts, (designed for off-road), GNCC specific suspension settings, a kickstand, 18 inch rear wheel, O-ring chain, skid plate, a check engine/low fuel light/sensors, oversized gas tank, and the big one, a wide ratio six-speed transmission. Also new for 2020 the X now utilizes the Yamaha Power Tuner app so now you can wirelessly adjust your fuel and ignition mapping all from your phone. Whether you're a beginner or a pro, chances are you can find a map that makes you happy out on the trail.

On the trails, the YZ250FX was insanely fun to ride, I really had a hard time finding anything to critique honestly. I've never ridden suspension that was setup specifically for off-road and I was really surprised how well it would soak up small rocks and roots. I have experienced trail rides before on stiffer suspension and would find myself deflecting off everything on the trail. With the YZ250FX I’d approach rocks and roots expecting my front wheel to grab and deflect, but the bike would roll right over them with ease. It also had good hold up as well as bottoming resistance when riding over big logs or on hard impacts/landings. If I had to nitpick I would want a little more damping feeling through the mid-stroke just so I could start to push more when feeling comfortable. I know I would want to go faster, so I need to forecast my suspension settings accordingly.

 The YZ250F has been a class leader in the engine department for a few years now. I am not a 250F guy, but when I have tried the YZ250F in the past it blew my mind with how much torque it had. The X uses the same engine, so the torque feeling is just like how I remember it. It has a strong bottom end that pulls hard all the way through the RPM range. I enjoyed the wide ratio transmission and I found myself riding almost everything in 3rd gear, only using 2nd for really tight sections and occasionally on a steep hill climb. I can't really imagine a place where 1st gear would be very useful because after getting about 10 feet from the truck, I was out of first and never touched it again. The YZ250FX loves to lug and I have come to find out that lugability is important in the woods. The only major compliant I could come up with is that the YZ250FX is fairly difficult to start in gear. Unless you're in neutral, plan on it taking a few seconds to get the bike fired up or use the throttle a little bit in unison with the start button. Keefer is going to experiment with maps for you all and will post them up here on Keeferinctesting.com very soon. I will let him handle all of that stuff!  

Just for fun, I also had the chance to ride the YZ450FX on our last day at Randy’s. Being a 450 guy, I thought I would love it, but honestly the extra weight and power was just too much for me in the tight woods. This made me appreciate the YZ250FX even more because of its fun and easy to ride nature. The YZ250FX is really easy to just jump on and ride and when you start to push it, you don't get the feeling that you're one whiskey throttle away from a head on with a tree. I really think the YZ250FX is the better all around bike for this type of riding and anyone from beginner to pro could have a blast on it. 

Overall I was super impressed with Yamaha's additions to their "X" lineup. They are designed to be race ready for GNCC type riding and I think Yamaha did a great job. I know most of you Keefer Inc. readers are moto guys like me, but trust me when I say, “don't knock off-road until you try it”. Support your local riding spots and get out on the trails and ride. You'll probably be like me, re-kindling your love for dirt bikes and wondering why you didn't try it sooner! See you soon off-road! See you soon! -Colton Aeck

2019 Yamaha YZ250X And 250FX First Impressions

(Editor’s Note: Randy Richardson lives in South Carolina and is the two-wheel marketing manager for Michelin Motorcycle. I have grown to know Randy very well over the years and found out he is a very smart man when it comes to knowledge of dirt bikes/evaluation. I also like that he can speak about a motorcycle well enough to get the “testing meat” across while keeping a sense of humor. That kind of guy fits in nicely with Keefer Inc. Testing, so I sent him down the street to the 2019 Yamaha YZ250X, YZ250FX, and YZ450FX introduction. Here are Randy’s findings).



Randy and his 1971 Yamaha JT1 Mini Enduro he got for his fourth birthday.

HECK YES!  That’s exactly what I replied when Kris text me asking if I’d like to represent Keefer Inc. Testing (KIT) at the 2019 Yamaha Off-Road Press Intro to be held in Greenville, SC.  I’m not sure if Kris asked me because of my exceptional test rider feedback during the 2018 model year 250F shootout last November or simply because the host hotel was only 11 miles from my home. Regardless, I wasn’t going to pass up the chance to ride the all-new 2019 Yamaha YZ450FX as well as the YZ250FX and YZ250X model bikes on 7-time AMA National Enduro Champion Randy Hawkins’ Silver Hawk Plantation, which is a 1,000 acre private facility in Union, SC.  After scheduling a couple days of vacation from my day job at Michelin, I hit up Max & JT$ at WPS for some 2019 FLY Racing gear as I knew Kris would expect me to be nothing less than “Best Dressed” while representing KIT.

2019 Yamaha YZ250FX

2019 Yamaha YZ250X

Yamaha rolled out the blue carpet for us with a nice hotel reception followed by a presentation where the Yamaha bLU cRU staff shared their reasoning for flying so many journalists all the way from So Cal to So Carolina.  Not only is the AmPro Racing team, which is Yamaha Motor Corporation’s Premiere Off-road Racing Program, located nearby but as Yamaha shared in their presentation, the overwhelming majority of the 12K+ motorcyclists who compete in the Grand National Cross Country series annually also reside in the Eastern half of the US.  Simply put, Yamaha wanted to provide journalists the opportunity to evaluate their “Pure Closed Course Competition, Cross Country Racer” machinery in the exact terrain and conditions they were designed to perform in.  The presentation included some Google map images for the ride location where we would spend the next couple days as well as a popular MX / Off-Road riding area in So Cal that is often used for Off-Road press intros.  The comparative visual of Silver Hawk Plantation’s rolling hills, heavily wooded terrain, and open fields had the So Cal journalists buzzing as the only green they usually see on the afore mentioned So Cal riding area’s terra firma is discarded Monster Energy cans.

Randy Richardson finding his inner 21 year old on the 2019 YZ250FX.

During dinner I sat with Dominic Cimino, one of KIT’s California based test riders, and a few other journalists and we discussed the innovative changes Yamaha had made to the 2019 YZ450FX machines.   Listening to the young journalists whose job it is to evaluate and compare each manufacturer’s newest bikes and changes, combined with the fact that I’d be turning 52 years old the day after the intro and that my personal collection of bikes consist of some mid-70’s vintage bikes, some 2-strokes from the mid-2000’s, and a newer Adventure Touring bike, I began to doubt abilities and my anxiety about properly representing KIT began to rise.  I sent Kris a quick text telling him that I thought maybe he’d made a mistake by asking me to be a test rider and he promptly replied with what I assume was meant to be a comforting text message…  “Chill down Randy. Trust the process!”   Come to think of it, maybe Dom was the real KIT rest rider and Kris was letting me attend as a present for my birthday later in the week.  Either way, I had a job to do and I was going to give it my best.  

The next morning, the Yamaha bLU cRU staff drove us out to the ride location where Randy Hawkins, the AmPro Racing mechanics, 2002 West Coast 125cc SX Champion and now Yamaha Test Rider / Production Technician Travis Preston, and a fleet of 2019 Yamaha motorcycles awaited our arrival.  As the early morning fog began to lift from the surrounding valleys and hillsides, and everyone began taking photos of the pristine bikes assigned to them, I had that exact same new-bike excitement that I had when my Dad gave me a 1971 Yamaha JT-1 Mini Enduro for my 4th birthday almost 48 years to the day earlier.  Unlike my first bike, at least my feet would actually reach the ground on the 2019 Yamaha’s.

Dominic Cimino two-smoking his way around the greenery on the YZ250X.

We spent the first day riding both the Yamaha YZ250FX and YZ250X models and as I mentioned earlier, I’m a two-stroke guy.  Having said that, I was intrigued to compare Yamaha’s X model bikes back to back on the 12 mile course that featured a mix of tight Enduro and flowing GNCC trails, rocky creek crossings, some fast open field sections, a MX track, and a few very challenging hill climbs.  Hopefully no one noticed as I, similar to recent bLU cRU convert Steve Matthes, looked like a dork reaching for a kick-starter on the YZ250FX before remembering that the bike features Electric Starting.  Once I pressed the magic button and fired up Yamaha’s revolutionary rearward slanted, liquid cooled, DOHC 4-stroke power plant, I began clicking thru the 6-speed wide ratio transmission as I headed out across the field to enter the trail where I’d spend the next half hour or so dodging trees while evaluating the overall performance of the YZ250FX. Yamaha specs indicate that the engine is based on the YZ250F and includes all the same race-winning features such as an updated cylinder head, lightweight forged, two-ring, flat-top piston; a shorter, more durable piston pin with diamond like carbon (DLC) coating; a revised piston oil jet, and advanced connecting rod, crankshaft, and counter-balancer designs all resulting in improved peak power, power delivery and overall durability. It was obvious that the YZ250FX is a very refined platform as the bilateral beam frame that’s based on the championship winning YZ250F provided stability in fast sections as well as nimble lightweight feeling handling that enabled me to dodge every single one of the trees, including the one that Racer X Online’s Jason Weigandt tried to uproot with his bike.  I thought I’d mention that just in case he forgot to include it in his article.   The fully adjustable KYB spring-type XC spec YZ Fork and KYB XC spec YZ Rear Shock feature revised valving resulting in a very balanced feel that provided a supple feeling on the exposed roots and rocks on the trail, remained high enough in the stroke to absorb the bigger hits on the whooped-out trail sections, and also resisted bottoming when jumping the bigger table tops and doubles found on the MX track.  Having a ground clearance of 12.8” (compared to 14.2” on the YZ250X), the factory installed Glide Plate protected the YZ250FX engine and lower frame rails from the larger rocks and logs encountered on the course.  Though still a 2-stroke guy at heart, I quickly appreciated the versatility of the 250cc 4-stroke engine.  I’d describe the YZ250FX engine as very rider friendly as it enabled me to ride more aggressively in a lower gear at higher RPM’s or I could simply click up a gear to allow the engine’s usable torque to provide a smooth power delivery and less fatiguing ride.  Remember, smooth is fast and I used to be FAST… before I lost the S.  

After lunch, my 2-stroke emotions were quickly triggered as I kick started the YZ250X to life for the afternoon riding session.  I sat there for a few moments gently blipping the throttle, embracing the moment, and then I slowly closed my eyes and began revving the crisply jetted engine to the tune of Whitesnake’s 1987 hit song Is This Love.  Even though the YZ250X features a 2.1 gallon fuel tank with a reserve feature, I snapped out of it before I wasted too much fuel and I headed out for more fun riding the amazing loop Yamaha provided us with.  The YZ250X’s liquid-cooled reed-valve-inducted engine features a revised compression ratio, exhaust port timing, revised Yamaha Power Valve System (YPVS) timing, and a model specific CDI unit that are all focused on creating a wide, controllable power character that’s ideal for cross-country racing.  The stock gearing of the 5-speed wide ratio transmission provides a broad range and the clutch’s reduced lever pull allowed me to quickly bring the RPM’s up to the desirable range.  I was definitely enjoying the throaty bark of the YZ250X more than Weege enjoyed the bark of that oak tree.  Similar to the YZ250FX model, the suspension performed well in all the terrain I mentioned before.  Though the wheelbase of the YZ250X is nearly an inch longer than the YZ250FX (58.5” vs 57.7”) and the rake is more relaxed (27.7deg vs 26.3 deg), the YZ250X weighs 20lbs less (229lbs vs 249lbs) resulting the bikes being similarly agile in the tighter sections of the woods.  While the YZ250FX and its 4-stroke engine breaking seemed to turn into corners more naturally, the lighter weight feeling YZ250X could easily be maneuvered where ever I wanted it to go and I enjoyed the handling characteristics of both bikes.  Standing at, or more like limping around at 5’ 10”, and just 12 lbs above my target weight of 170 lbs, the ergonomics of both bikes fit me perfectly.  The rider triangle (that’s test rider lingo) felt comfortable at all times and thanks to the seamlessly smooth seat and bodywork juncture, the only thing that made the transition from standing to sitting and back up again challenging on either bike was my torn ACL’s in my old knees.

In addition to their Yamaha Team Blue color and updated graphics, both the 2019 YZ250FX and YZ250X models feature a side stand, a sealed o-ring chain, an off-road centric 18” rear wheel, Dunlop AT-81 tire shod blue rims, and a 30 Day Limited Factory Warranty.  Given that there’ll always be the 2-stroke vs 4-stroke debate, it’s obvious that Yamaha is dedicated to providing high performance based options for both sides of the ongoing argument and with a MSRP of $7,999 for the 2019 Yamaha YZ250FX and $7,499 for the 2019 Yamaha YZ250X, I think any consumer would be greatly pleased purchasing either model.  As for me, I really wish I had an extra $15,498 lying around as I’d love to have them both!  But then again, you know the old saying “You can’t ride two bikes at once”.   Well, with the innovation of the Power Tuner Smartphone App found on the 2019 Yamaha YZ450FX, I’m not so sure that statement holds true any longer as I spent time on day two of the intro on the significantly redesigned flagship model of Yamaha’s cross-country range.  I was amazed at how quickly the YZ450FX could be switched from a fire-breathing 450cc beast in the open fields to a super mellow rider friendly power delivery for the tight woods and back by simply pressing the handlebar mounted ignition mapping switch for a mere 0.2 seconds.  Even though I didn’t get a chance to ride the TP Pookie map, Yamaha’s innovation is truly like having two bikes in one so make sure to read Dominic’s complete review of the 2019 YZ450FX. 

Well, that’s a summary of my experience with the 2019 YZ250X and YZ250FX and as Keefer Inc Testing’s Senior East Coast Test Rider at the 2019 Yamaha Off-Road Press Intro.  Thanks again Kris and Yamaha Motor Corporation USA for this amazing life experience!