2010 Yamaha YZ250F Shootout Photo Gallery

Small tweaks to the motor and suspension keep the rest of the bike in tune with the modern chassis.

Yamaha redesigned the chassis on its 2010 Yamaha YZ250F to become one of the best-handling bikes in the class. Find out how the YZ250F stacked up agianst the competition in the 2010 250 Motocross Shootout.

The YZ-F was a close second in this test.

Riders need to shift the Yamaha sooner off the start.

Even with a longer muffler, the Yamaha is still the loudest.

The YZ-F feels light out on the track - because it is.

2010 250 Motocross Shootout Torque Dyno Graph

2010 250 Motocross Shootout Horse Power Dyno Graph

Elizabeth Bash was eager to try out the new Yamaha.

The YZ250F has grunt to get over obstacles immediately after corners, but it just doesn't have the legs to run with the other bikes.

We loved the Yammie's Kayaba suspension.

Now that the bike has a bi-lateral beam chassis, expect to see fuel injection come into the mix and hopefully a redesigned engine for 2011.

Ergonomics on the new chassis and bodywork were a welcome change.

Armstrong was happy to attack ruts with the Yamaha's scalpel-like precision.

The steering head is 12mm lower and 7mm rearwards which pushed the radiators back as well

The new chassis changes makes the 250F feel much more similar to the Honda and Kawasaki machines yet manages to retain that unwavering composure.

More emphasis on the front end makes for better feedback to the riders, all of whom were without complaint on the way it carried itself through the tightest turns, roughest sweepers and biggest jumps.

Fortunately, Yamaha still has its heavenly suspension - this bike absolutely devours braking bumps!

The bottom line is Yamaha makes a very good motorcycle, but its engine doesn’t suit high-level racers in stock form.

The four-position handlebar mounts add extra appeal to the cockpit, which already is one of the bike’s strong points.

Though all the bikes share final gearing within a single sprocket tooth, the Yamaha received compliments for versatility in its transmission.

The white/red limited edition plastic is generally more appealing, but it comes with an extra $100 pricetag.

2010 Yamaha YZ250F Shootout