5 Likes and 5 Dislikes for my 2021 Yamaha YZ250FX

[@craigguy5756]

Great review. My mate has this bike and I have a WR250F. The terrain you are riding in this video, the WR250F is hands down better out of the box. Try one...you'll be amazed at the difference

[@DirtBikingwithDonnie]

Thanks for watching! I used to have a 2017 WR250F. It was a great bike!

[@Evadingmoto]

Why would the WR be better

[@illhaveanother4365]

@@Evadingmoto it's not

[@markgunnison]

Great review. You forgot to mention: "it is not orange" :-) Our trails are still closed due to fire danger. They seem to be using a new standard to shut things down as there is still quite a bit of moisture in the forest and it is no longer that hot.

[@DirtBikingwithDonnie]

Lol, I still like my orange bike too. Hopefully you’ll get to ride soon. Thanks for watching!

[@northerntoyota7584]

Great review, sounds like a wr250f with the gytr ecu would fit your riding style better

[@Randy_Cox]

Good stuff. Like hearing people's real experience after long use.👍

[@DirtBikingwithDonnie]

Thanks for watching!

[@tieoneon1614]

Im surprised hardly no one addresses the clutch drag issue. Its definitely a reason its harder to start after stall, the motor never fully disengages with clutch pulled in unless trans in in neutral. It gets better as the oil warms up, but It drove me nutts on my '15 and its a small reason I didnt buy a '21WR250F. Soaking the clutch plates in oil over night fixes it I heard. But anyway, the WRF/FX are great bikes. Especially like the '21s and up with the all blue scheme.

[@fynn8252]

I noticed the drag issue on my '20wr250f as well! Even with warm oil, the starter has a difficult time turning in-gear. When donnie installed the rekluse cx auto, the starting became much more reliable.

[@bradenriley9066]

I couldn't agree more on the stock suspension. It's valved way too stiff for off road, especially out west where you run into tons of rock washes. I couldn't believe how much stiffer the 21FX is VS my Yz250x.

[@f308gtb1977]

Excellent video, very professional. Bike seems awesome!

[@DirtBikingwithDonnie]

Thanks for watching!

[@rollinwiththeolins8998]

Thanks for the video! I have a 2021 YZ250x that I've been considering trading in for a 250fx. I like my bike but I really like the steady power and stability of the 4 stroke.

[@DirtBikingwithDonnie]

Thanks for watching!

[@colebaldwin143x]

I have a 2020 yz250f and I can hear where you are coming from on hot starts. I dont know I'd the dealer told you but slightly open the throttle a little bit and the bike fires right up. If you have stock grips on there is a dot on the inside of the grip that you line up to a line on the throttle housing. If you dont have stock grips well then it's just spending some time finding the sweet spot.

[@PennsylvaniaEnduroRiding]

agree!

[@MrDangermouse069]

Agree with everything, but Hot start I resolved with tweaking the Idle, it’s night and day now… also try Slaterskins air-box cover, just transforms the Bottom to Mid.

[@DirtBikingwithDonnie]

Thanks for watching. Are you still running the stock battery?

[@MrDangermouse069]

@@DirtBikingwithDonnie changed from day one to AntiGravity 👍

[@smooth_speed13]

Wow please elaborate about that you did with the idle... what mapping are you using also

[@MrDangermouse069]

@@smooth_speed13 Kiefer Map and just added a little more Idle, start small until you find a good start 👍

[@randall_4126]

just ordered my super flow kit. opened up my intake and it was full of dust

[@Captain250FX]

What a great video, your spot on with your Analysis! Even though mine is an 2018 I’ve been saying they are so underrated for a few years now. Thinking about a new one, just wondering if I should wait for the 23’s or not?

[@DirtBikingwithDonnie]

Thanks! The only way I would wait for the 2023 model is if I heard they were going back to Keihin FI, but I don't think that will happen.

[@goon.1]

@@DirtBikingwithDonnie does the 19 still have the keihin fi if so what would be the best option 2019 yz250fx or 2021 yz250fx?

[@asdqwe9988]

100 hours without top end rebuild? is it same for yz250f?

[@emmagardner418]

I have a 2009 WR250f and considering getting the fx instead? Which do you prefer? Or any insight is appreciated

[@DirtBikingwithDonnie]

I had a 2017 WR250F. They are great bikes. The US version of the WR needs to be uncorked to perform like the FX and the ECU needs to be replaced for full potential. But if you want milder power the WR is the way to go.

[@mikehebronsr264]

You can run a 2 hour hairscramble on the stock tank? I'm sure it differs for everyone based on riding abilities I race 30+ B class. I feel like the aftermarket fuel tanks just add way to much weight to the top of the bike and I think they look weird. Thanks for an info I enjoyed the video.

[@DirtBikingwithDonnie]

Yes, I’ve done 2:20, but like you said it depends a lot on speed. I’m 40+ C. going to B next season.

[@mikehebronsr264]

@@DirtBikingwithDonnie Nice thank you for the info and good luck in B next year.

[@rezkidgamingyt4725]

It’s not free in Canada it’s an option $1300 option

[@fynn8252]

My dream would be to own this and a CRF450RL. Unfortunately, as a college student I can only afford one! So the Honda may be the better bet just because it has the dual-sport versatility. But the Yamaha is definitely on my list. Great review and straight to the point!

[@DirtBikingwithDonnie]

Thanks for watching!

[@vegasromaniac]

Great video. I didn't know the ne yamaha has map switch on the bad.. Damn, still not buying one.. Just for that.. Does it even feel anything when you push it?

[@shoefly757]

Depends how different the two maps are you load. On my wife's I run a very aggressive map and a super smooth map. Big difference between the two.

[@DirtBikingwithDonnie]

Thanks! You can load different maps to each setting on the map switch so you can tell the difference when you put very different maps on them.

[@vegasromaniac]

@@shoefly757 when I load a new map with my stupid hendheld computer for my 17, by the time I start riding again I can't feel shit feel the same.... :(

[@vegasromaniac]

@@shoefly757 i tried agressive and low grunt map ... had my friend upload them randomly , absolutely no clue ... what im using

[@shoefly757]

@@vegasromaniac lol. The aggressive map we have on her bike gives a ton of over rev and a lot of top end power for faster paced races, wide open sections, or MX. The smooth map helps prevent flame outs and gets rid of the hard hit from 0 throttle to tip in, but when you wind it out it doesn't have the top end power.

[@1down5up_enduro]

1st dislike, took me awhile to figure out why my spark plug kept on flooding. Hopefully gets covered by bulletin.

[@Bobsonomatic]

I recently bought a ‘24 YZ250FX. It’s my first bike and I still have less than 10 hours on it, but I love it so far. Great power, suspension feels good, very fun to ride overall.

[@colindilworth7492]

How is the low end on the bike? Does it stall real easy?

[@tbgtbg6311]

Is the turning radius any different from the 2020 model?

[@DirtBikingwithDonnie]

I don't think so. Thanks for watching!

[@NATE-yp9or]

Im thinking about getting this as ive been riding a 125 yz for a few years now, do you know the top speed of this bike? And also what prices should i expect?

[@DirtBikingwithDonnie]

I don't know the top speed. I ride in the woods and I rarely get over 25mph. New ones are in short supply and I've had friends that paid over $10k USD.

[@NATE-yp9or]

@@DirtBikingwithDonnie but its fast enough so u wont get problems when going up a big hill or something like that?

[@coast2coast950]

@@NATE-yp9or plenty fast . I dont understand the whole thing about top speeds not like youll reach it in the woods..

[@b.c.h4120]

That's a fine riding area. Can I come over and ride ?

[@DirtBikingwithDonnie]

I was at the NATRA club in Westpoint, TN. I think 2022 NATRA memberships are open until the end of January.

[@TubolMotoadventures]

when you say suspension is stiff. Are you not even using 50% of the travel after this ride?

[@DirtBikingwithDonnie]

I had my suspension revalved and resprung after the first couple of rides so all of this video was taken after the suspension work.

[@TubolMotoadventures]

@@DirtBikingwithDonnieI'm thinking also to have a revalve. I've already changed the spring even using 2.5w oil but I think it is still a little stiff. How soft is the suspension after a revalve? Does it mean you're now using past 60% or more of the suspension travel in this video?

[@DirtBikingwithDonnie]

@@TubolMotoadventures Yeah, definitely using more than 60%. On a typical ride I’m using about 80% and 95-100% in races. I had my shock revalved too as it was really stiff as well.

[@joe0813]

Ive done the battery upgrade and the ECU update.... my 2020 still hot starts like crap

[@PennsylvaniaEnduroRiding]

slight twist on the throttle and you should be good. Only thing that worked for me besides hitting neutral.

[@Nikolaj978]

@@PennsylvaniaEnduroRiding How many millimeters are we talking about?

[@PennsylvaniaEnduroRiding]

@@Nikolaj978 twist until slack gone, then maybe 1/8 or 2/8 of an inch. Sorry. Not familiar with metric enough.

[@Nikolaj978]

@@PennsylvaniaEnduroRiding Ok, thank you! I ordered a Rekluse CX last week, and it came today. Maybe it also make things a little easier...

[@tlcaverly]

With the hot start issue. Press your kill switch crank it over a few times then let it go and it should fire up no problem.

[@michaelporter1229]

Does this bike stall on you any? Awesome video

[@DirtBikingwithDonnie]

Thanks. I don’t stall it very often after getting some time on it. It seems to be better than other 4-strokes in that regard.

[@林道中毒]

素晴らしいです。 2022モデルが楽しみです。

[@DirtBikingwithDonnie]

Thanks for watching!

[@nealcary6849]

Good video and content! I currently have the same bike I was wondering if you could provide some info on the maps that you are running for Woods riding? may be a video with contact regarding the custom creation on power tuner app? Thanks Neal

[@jonsmith9708]

What is difference between this and wr250

[@DirtBikingwithDonnie]

The WR250F comes stock with the headlight, taillight and fan. The US version of the WR250F has a restricted airbox, restricted exhaust and the throttle is limited to 3/8 by a throttle stop screw. You can't change the ignition and fuel mapping with the stock ECU. Of course that can all be undone and opened up. The GYTR ECU is the most expensive part.

[@shoefly757]

Taking a dirt bike trip with my wife for 5 days in August. Torn between Michigan, Tennessee, and southern West Virginia. Anywhere you could recommend where we could have 4 days of fun? I'm interested in tons of trails, she's interested in beautiful views.

[@DirtBikingwithDonnie]

Most of my riding is in Alabama, Mississippi and southern Tennessee. Not many beautiful views where we ride but there are lots of great trails. The Ridge Outdoor Resort in Springville, AL, Meridian OHV in Meridian, MS, Highland Park in Cedartown, GA, Trace State Park in Tupelo, MS. Not sure any of those places would keep you occupied for 4 days though, you may have to move around.

[@jimbo4203]

I live and ride in Tennessee, like he said there's great riding all over here but if you want scenic trails, views etc. West Virginia and Tennessee mountains are hard to beat

[@JDub.]

This good for desert trail ? Or go with 450fx? I live in Nevada

[@Nikolaj978]

Whats your spring rate in fork and rear, and your weight in gear?

[@DirtBikingwithDonnie]

.44 fork springs and 5.4 shock spring. 185 pounds with gear.

[@Nikolaj978]

@@DirtBikingwithDonnie Thank you! And your clicker settings, to the soft or stiff side?

[@josephcrapet1043]

Are you in Alabama? I noticed you had a FastLap decal on your forks and I had my suspension revalved by them. I live in Pelham and have been racing for years. Mainly MX/SX but I have done a few harescrambles at Perry Mountain. Ive been working at Pinnacle in Bessemer for a while now if you ever need anything hit me up. Great Video brotha.

[@DirtBikingwithDonnie]

Thanks! Yeah, I’m in central Alabama. I do most of the SECCA and SERA races. I’ll stop by Pinnacle the next time I’m down that way. Thanks for watching.

[@toddburgandy7904]

Can't decide between this and a CRF250RX

[@craigsteinman9807]

My y250x also came with stupid wheel bearings ..they last 200hrs before they gave out..but of course the spacer were grooved causing my front wheel to tilt just enough to cause a lil brake drag..replace with good after market ones is a must.. cmon. Yamaha your better than this

[@DirtBikingwithDonnie]

Thanks for watching!

[@Captain250FX]

Also how does this bike compare to the sherco 300 SEF In your opinion?

[@DirtBikingwithDonnie]

It's been a while since I rode that bike so I may have to go back and re-watch my video, lol. Seriously though, I liked that bike a lot even though I only rode it for a day. The Yamaha has the edge with stability and handling in my opinion.

[@toddnewman2680]

How does the 250FX compare to the KTM 250 XC-F? I’m torn between the two as they are both great bikes. I do the same style riding you do and May start racing some hare scrambles down here in Florida next race season so I want a killer single track/scramble weapon. I’m currently a C class but may bump up to B class for more competition. Any advice? Keep up the great videos!

[@DirtBikingwithDonnie]

Thanks for watching! They are both great bikes. Generally speaking the KTMs start faster on dead starts if you're racing harescrambles. In my opinion the biggest downside for the KTM is the AER forks. It's really hard to beat the suspension and handling of the YZ250FX. The yamaha's are hard to find right now, not sure about the XCF. It may come down to which one you can find. You really can't go wrong either way.

[@jacemiller2593]

Hey, Great video. I really enjoyed it. Honest review of this bike. I also want to point out. You Sir, are an awesome rider. That single track is narrow as hell. I would have broke something including myself. I saw those trees and cringed. Great job on the video. Sincerely Jace.

[@DirtBikingwithDonnie]

Thanks for watching!

[@STONEDARTphotos]

2.2 gal. would be nice if someone was thinking about a 9hr. enduro.

[@DirtBikingwithDonnie]

Yeah, definitely won't last 9 hours. The large capacity aftermarket tanks I've seen for these bikes are nut busters, lol.

[@adler819]

I have a 21 wr250. First thing I noticed was how nimble it is on the trails. Really increased my confidence on tight trails and tougher hill climbs. I think the wr has softer springs than the fx, not 100% sure. The stalling is a little annoying. Hopefully when I install the gytr ecu that will help out.

[@DirtBikingwithDonnie]

Thanks for watching!

[@matiasmaldonado510]

Hello how's it going, I love watching your videos because they are good but also because I have the same bike you do, I'm in love with my 2021 yz250fx, however there's a few things that I need to fix for me to ride better, and I want to ask you for advice, I'm a little guy, 5'4" tall and weight 135 pounds, with gear and my backpack I would say around 160, and I feel that the suspension is too stiff for me, even though I already set tha sag and fix the clickers, I want to set the suspension for my weight, what do you recommend me, I also like to lower the bike one inch, thanks in advance.

[@DirtBikingwithDonnie]

Thanks for watching! Steve at Fastlap Racing Suspension did the work on my bike and I highly recommend him. He can set up your valving and springs for your weight and he can lower it as well. www.fastlapmx.com is the website and has the phone numbers on there. Call Steve and he can help you.

[@matiasmaldonado510]

@@DirtBikingwithDonnie thank you I really appreciate it

[@jimmyjames7770]

I just purchased a 2021fx I noticed a lot of parts I'm trying to get for the bike are not made yet or the other excuses backordered so I already crushed one of my radiators because I didn't haven't had a radiator guard or support just sucks still have to buy some I did get a carbon fiber skid plate which works great I already saved the water pump a couple times

[@DirtBikingwithDonnie]

Bummer on the radiator. Which carbon skid plate did you get?

[@jimmyjames7770]

@@DirtBikingwithDonnie I ended up getting the e line carbon fiber skid plate it's really thick very tough saved my water pump a couple times now I can see some pretty good scars on it

[@DirtBikingwithDonnie]

@@jimmyjames7770 Thanks, I’m going to take a look at that one.

[@bigdsshadetree338]

Nice video! Thanks for the detailed review. My 2015 FX has been very reliable. 200+ hours with nothing but oil changes, brakes, chain/sprockets, and wheel bearings.

[@DirtBikingwithDonnie]

Thanks for watching!

[@bigdsshadetree338]

@@DirtBikingwithDonnie Thanks for posting.

[@colindilworth7492]

I recently had my first legitimate trail ride at West Point, and have gone on a few rides since then but I had a problem with my bars being to wide, and if I cut them down it would be hard to keep my stuff on the bars

[@DirtBikingwithDonnie]

Thanks for watching. My bars are 31”

[@colindilworth7492]

@@DirtBikingwithDonnie My bars are full length and it’s a struggle getting in between those trees

[@jedsommer3803]

I absolutely hate the starting issue on my 2021 FX, other than that I love the bike. Did you have your ECU reflashed or is that just 2020? And did the battery make a huge difference?

[@DirtBikingwithDonnie]

The reflash was only needed for the 2020 models is my understanding. The battery made a huge difference for my bike.

[@jedsommer3803]

@@DirtBikingwithDonnie cool I’ll have to try one out

[@Jake_Hynds]

yea my 450fx doesnt like to start sometimes when in gear and hot but other then that it's fine.. I need a better battery tho. 200 hours and still going strong

[@jetdr]

trail looks awesome

[@mathews0618]

Have you ridden the 250x or 450fx?

[@DirtBikingwithDonnie]

I have ridden a couple of my friend's YZ250Xs. I like those bikes a lot but the vibration and the lack of a e-start would keep me from seriously considering it. I have not ridden a YZ450FX. Thanks for watching!

[@sethwaterfall]

Another great video! I’m really thinking about switching to a 250fx, from a ktm 300, for mountain single track. I’d love to see a head-to-head comparison between your two bikes.

[@DirtBikingwithDonnie]

Thanks for watching!

[@edisonac638]

I made the switch from a 15 300xcw to a 18 yz250x and would never go back .

[@ddg9584]

@@edisonac638 I’m trying to decide between those two bikes. What do you like better about the yz?

[@PennsylvaniaEnduroRiding]

In my experience so far with my 21 FX... I was impressed with the Dunlop Geomax tires, both front and back and ran them till their ends. They are not my go-to tires... but impressive and almost equivalent. Hot start wasn't resolved with battery for me. Best fix so far is slight turn on the throttle when starting... I am getting better at it. Woods twitchiness and flameouts calmed down somewhat with a 49 T sprocket and throttle tamer.... but I have just learned to cover the clutch A LOT more. The bike just stands out in single track and you can get in the "flow" real easy with great confidence. Power is way more then I need and exhaustive. Cannot wait to get my suspension tune! Thanks for the great videos!

[@DirtBikingwithDonnie]

Thanks for watching!

[@tiagosantos5509]

0lp

[@Tankerman]

As always a fair honest review. Stay safe

[@DirtBikingwithDonnie]

Thanks!

[@Wathappn2u]

Looks like a fun race.

[@DirtBikingwithDonnie]

Thanks for watching!

[@johnnyjohnson2942]

If you do much of the trail in this video the WR250F is the better bike and actually the bike set from the factory for enduro/HS racing. A GYTR ign box is like $150 if that's your hang up and much cheaper than a suspension revalve.

[@DirtBikingwithDonnie]

I’d like to take a ride on your new wr250f when you get it. Thanks for watching!

[@johnnyjohnson2942]

@@DirtBikingwithDonnie The YZ250FX is a great bike and your video was very informative, I do get overly opinionated at times. Your right I don't have either. LOL

[@DirtBikingwithDonnie]

@@johnnyjohnson2942 I didn’t intend to imply that. I really do want to ride a newer WR to see how they compare to the 2017 WR250F that I had.

[@kiwi-moto]

@@DirtBikingwithDonnie have you seen that Aussie video on youtube? its called "The Power Trip" - Really shows there's becoming less difference in the WR and FX . Actually in Australia, the WR is sold without the EPA regulated corking that happens on the Nth American Models. Map Switch and CCU are standard on the WR there.

[@DirtBikingwithDonnie]

@@kiwi-moto Haven't seen that particular video but I have heard that the Australian WR is the same as the US FX.

[@evr-mr3cp]

The WR with the power tuner add ons might have been a better fit for woods riding🤷‍♂️

[@evr-mr3cp]

I do not dispute that the Fx can be ridden in the woods but it is designed as a cross country race bike. The WR has a heavier flywheel and a more mellow exhaust cam which makes it more rideable in the woods.

[@mauser8515]

Just noticed your shirt. I hope to see you at the up and coming Reynolds Run.

[@DirtBikingwithDonnie]

I’ll be there!

[@mauser8515]

@@DirtBikingwithDonnie Most excellent. I practiced between 6-7 today. The rain is coming at 1 pm today. Hopefully it dries a little the next 48 hours before the race. Knowing Alabama I’d say get your mud boots on.

[@DirtBikingwithDonnie]

@@mauser8515 Yeah, there will be some mud but Perry mountain is very sandy so it shouldn’t be a compete mudder.