MXA VIDEO: 2025 YAMAHA YZ250 TWO-STROKE TEST

The Yamaha YZ250 two-stroke platform has stayed relatively the same since 2006. Yamaha went from steel to this same aluminum frame in 2005, and then they added the famous Kayaba SSS forks on it in 2006. Since then, there have been minor updates, with the most notable being in 2022 when it gained new plastics, a new seat, and an updated subframe. However, the YZ250 still feels a lot like the 2006 model, but we aren’t complaining (anymore). It’s true, we’ve harped on Yamaha for years, asking them to make big changes, but now that KTM has gone overboard with updates (fuel-injection, electric power valves and electric start) on their motocross two-strokes, we’re extra appreciative of Yamaha’s Keihin carburetors. In this video, MXA test rider Brian Medeiros explains what it was like for him to get on the YZ250 and go racing at the 2025 Wiseco World Two-Stroke Championship, where he swept both motos in the Over-30 Expert class and went straight back to the start line to get ninth overall in the Open Pro class.