Unbiased opinion on the 2002 YZ250

[bigred455]

My buddy invited me over for a test ride yesterday on his 02 YZ250. After he broke it in, we were testing it out. I had a 15 minute ride on it. The motor is excellent, it doesn't have the bottom like a 00 KX ,but it is not far off(plenty of bottom though). What I found out is, the motor has way more spread than the KX when in the middle of the revs or up top (my kind of motor). It keeps pulling where the KX flattens out.The motor has a smooth, but very ,very,very strong pull to it, no mistake about it. The motor is a winner. I weigh 185lbs at 5'10 the bike has a very solid feel to it, the bike tracks straight; no swapping, no deflecting, very solid - the rear hooks up excellent. The suspension is on the stiff side, but this is only the first ride after break in. It felt stiff, but not too much on the harsh side. I'd rather start off stiff with a new bike, than soft. After a good 4 or 5 outings on the bike I believe the suspension is going to be a champ. We didn't mess with the clickers, there was not enough time on the suspension to settle in, so it could only get better. What I did notice was the front end was a little busy on the chop,(head shake). Stepping out on the rebound plus letting the springs break in, I think would relieve that problem. The forks were flush in the triple clamp so you can't go that way. Like I said before, after some serious time on the YZ the suspension I believe is going to be solid, but plush also. I over jumped a double a few times and bottoming out is definetly not an issue. I feel right at home jumping the YZ the last time I was on a YZ was in 98 and it was only for a few minutes. I feel very confident jumping, with only being on the bike for 10 minutes. The ergos felt right at home with me I did not feel cramped at all, I even run my bars a little more forward than what they were and still thought there was plenty of room. Coming out of a corner and then standing up for the whoops, I must say I love the transition, your feet plant the pegs perfect .Your footing is that of a mountain goat climbing a rocky ridge. HOW'S THAT FOR A POETIC DIRT MAG ANALOGY. The hardware of the bike is well thought out. I went from the front of the bike to the rear of it, every bolt and nut was conscientiously sized and placed. The throttle cable even had an outer protection tube, to keep it from fraying. I can go over everything, but I think I wrote enough. The bike was very, very well thought out down to even the allen head bolts for the chain buffer. I hope I'm this impressed with the RM I'm waiting for. Big Blue you have a Winner!!

 

[Buzz Bomb]

Supposedly, Suzuki got tired of hearing how "cheaply built" its bikes were and is upping its worksmanship and quality of components this year. They will even put Excel rims on the new bikes. I can't wait to ride a 2002 RM250 to see for myself this insane power everyone is talking about.

 

[Coop37]

I have rode both bikes, and they did in deed make great changes on the 2002 RM250, The motor is great, very strong and snapie. the top end is good as well, I rode the bike for about 30 min. and really like the feel, the only thing I would change is the bar height, they felt too low for me, 6' 175.
As for the 2002YZ250, The first thing I found was the rear shock sag was way off, too soft, I had to turn the adjuster about 4-5 complete turns stiffer, to get the sag set to 100 mm. then the head shake was gone, And now after 20-25 gal of fuel ran through the suspsension is great,(it was stiff at first).
The complete package of the YZ is really going to be hard to beat, but the RM is going to be in the hunt for sure!!

 

[KC_BigDog_51]

Done Deal!

Thanks guys, you just made up my mind on which bike to buy next!! The old YZ125 wll be out the door in the spring for a YZ 250.

 

[U2leight]

It takes two or three hard rides on a track to break in that suspension. You know when it breaks in, they are the best stock forks I have ever had! I went out in the desert for a little high speed whoop run and head shake was no problem after I got my settings dialed in. I am going to race this weekend in Nevada for first time on big blue so we'll see waht happens! Great bike.:cool:

 

[89vett]

My opinion is that it is a great bike,as are all the Japanese motorcrossers.
89vett

 

[FMX_novice]

Hey the 2002 cr125 is soooo sweet, my friend is sponsored by a friend of his families, and the guy got him a new cr125 for free. Since it was a race i didnt get a chance to ride it but he said that the power is smooth and your not afraid to pin it early out of a corner because the power is smooth but theres a lot and you just start moving fast all of a sudden, never feeling this brutal hit. He said that its so thin and noticeably lighter that you can lean it down sharply with little effort. I sat on the bike and i couldnt believe how thin it is, your legs are exactly shoulder length apart and the handlebars are high up, which is nice because when you stand your arms are bent more instead of straight up and down. The triple clamp have this nice polished cnc'ed looking honda wing emblem right in the center, it just looks really nice, and is a symbol of how solid and well made the rest of the bike is.
I didnt notice any problems with the bike or it affecting his riding. Its a beautiful looking bike as well as a great performer,I just wish it had the electronically controlled RC powervalve this year.:D

 

[KC_BigDog_51]

Since it was a race i didnt get a chance to ride it but he said that the power is smooth and your not afraid to pin it early out of a corner because the power is smooth but theres a lot and you just start moving fast all of a sudden, never feeling this brutal hit.

If you did not ride it for yourself, how can you give us such vivid details on it's performance?

I didnt notice any problems with the bike or it affecting his riding

Once again, how would you know this for sure without riding it yourself?