2006 250F MX Shootout Photo Gallery

We could barely contain our glee when we finally got the bikes collected for MCUSA's 250cc 4-stroke shootout. We soon found that it was more than we could have hoped for. Check out who ended up on top in our 2006 250F MX Shootout.

A lot's changed since our first 250F shootout. In fact, 2006 is a year featuring just that; lots of change. This group of small-bore thumpers is totally revised for the new year.

YZ250F

We blasted this berm many times aboard the YZ-F. It did a great job and we thoroughly enjoyed every minute of it.

Mandahl was pretty consistent with his riding style, so his input as an evaluator was useful.

The dyno run wasn't very nice to the Yamaha, but it wasn't fooling anyone on the track either.

This was JC's second go-around with the YZ250F after getting his first taste at the Yamaha press intro. He was equally impressed with it, but there wasn't anything else to compare it to last time. All of our testers believe the YZ-F has a solid package overall.

JC really liked the Yamaha when he first rode it at the press intro. He still does, but a couple other machines have snagged the majority of his attention.

Blue's Kayaba suspension inspires confidence on the track, but the motor could stand to get juiced-up a bit. The new aluminum chassis was a highlight.

Bryan practices his Blue Steel aboard the Aluminum Blue.

One of the things that Yamaha's new aluminum chassis does very well is instill confidence in the air. Predictability defines the YZ-F.

We've been waiting for this one. Yamaha finally gave its 250F an aluminum frame, and a good one at that.

The 2006 Yamaha YZ250F.

The SX-F motor will gobble up any terrain placed in front of it.

We were able to master the whoops aboard each of the bikes, though some of our riders were more adept than others.

The WP fork and steering geometry worked much better on the tighter Lake Elsinore track.

Mandahl couldn't come to terms with the feel of the KTM, though you wouldn't be able to tell by looking at this photo.

There isn't much to say about his style, but he's a good lad, tries hard and tends to have good manners.

A potent motor was the first thing that riders noticed, aside from that slightly unique European layout and ergos.

Black fork tubes, angular bodywork... Give us more of it.

The KTM wound up on the bottom with a maximum of 18.3 lb-ft, though we again offer up the caveat that our KTM's dyno numbers aren't representative of a typical SX-F.

Our orange machine was littered with top-notch components like these black Excel wheels, wave brake rotors, and a hydraulic clutch.

One thing is for certain on the '06 KTM 250SX-F; this is one bad looking machine.

Tractability is one of a 4-stroke's greatest attributes. All of our test bikes had plenty.

The CRF was one of our riders' top choice and he demonstrated why. Right after landing on this downhill, the Honda tracked absolutely straight through the rough braking bumps at the bottom.

Lensman Maddox checks to see how close behind the rest of us are. He led us on a wild goose chase before eventually giving back our CRF.

At 216 pounds, the CRF is the lightest of the group, and the difference is nowhere more evident than in the air.

Mikey whipped the CRF over and over for our camera on this huge tabletop. Strange, but he never seemed to get tired of it.

Everyone knows about the dual exhaust for 2006, but lots of theories have been tossed around as to what the real advantage is. The sound that emits from the twin-piper is pretty quiet as is, and the potential for even more muffling action is definitely there. As far as weight distribution and balanc

With 35.8 hp, Honda's 250cc thumper will decimate any 125's that want to drag.

The CRF250R is an extremely well-balanced machine, but as far as we could tell that was a result of the low center of gravity and perfectly matched suspension.

Our test riders did take the occasional break, but the Kawasaki and Honda rarely got a chance to rest. It seemed like those two were constantly on the track, and the results of our shootout demonstrate why.

The 2006 Honda CRF250R.

Bryan mentioned that he hopes to turn pro sometime around March, 2006. After watching the kid rip around, we don't doubt that he'll stick to his word.

Hilde and the KX-F in action. Even if you're not that fast at least you can feel like it.

The guys at White Bros definitely have their act together. They even had wheels for each bike already made up so we didn't have to bust our knuckles changing tires. Besides, Gary Jones is a living legend, who wouldn't want to spend a day in the shop with him?

Steve Drew loved the power from Kawi's new motor. Combine that with a sweet chassis and first-time-ever Showa suspension and the KXF is tough to beat.

Our photographer even hopped aboard for some seat time. He wanted to know what all the hype was about.

Style and grace. Drew was the king of the elbow-elbow, wrist-wrist and humbled the rest of us with his speed.

Arial antics are well received by the KX-F. The chassis and suspension act well in the air and upon landing.

A stellar motor allows Kawi riders to blast out of corners. This is one impressive powerplant.

Anyone why may doubt the Kawi's turning prowess need to look no further. Bryan Minter demonstrates.

A great motor, sharp yet stable handling and sweet components and styling make the KX250F the top dog.

We were able to spread the 250F love with the help of some additional test riders. The result was a wide spectrum of skill and experience on hand to sample the 2006 offerings.

The 2006 group of 250Fs looks good from any angle.

We were surprised to see that the max horsepower for the KTM was so low. So surprised in fact that we ran it on two different dynos just to be sure. The guys at White Bros were suspicious as well, since their own testing had revealed almost three more ponies. We suspect a dirty air filter or a weak clutch may have hampered its performance on the dyno. Regardless, all the bikes were tested in under the same conditions.

Honda topped the torque charts, but couldn't reproduce the effect in our shootout standings. Close, though. Very close.

As you can see, the Honda is easily the lightest of the bunch. The number in parenthesis represents the percentage of overall weight that is carried on the front wheel.

It was an uphill battle for the YZ250F in our shootout, but with such stiff competition, none of the manufacturers are getting off easy.

And your finalists are... All of the 250Fs are improved for '06, and not one is a disappointment. The continuous lessening of the performance gap makes deciding on shootout winners harder than ever. We're up to the challenge.