Yamaha's New Dirt Digger

YAMAHA’S NEW DIRT DIGGER

A MERE 10 YEARS AFTER the XT250, Yamaha is back in the lightweight four-stroke wars with the TT250R. This bike will take the load off the XT225 Serow by competing directly with Kawasaki’s new KLX250, Suzuki’s DR250S and Honda’s longstanding XR250L.

The idea here was to build a bike that would not intimidate the average rider. A primary goal was to keep weight to a minimum, so Yamaha chose a lightweight battery for the electric starter and used laptop computer technology for the trip meter/odometer. Maintenance chores were eased by

using quick-release axles and an air filter that can be removed in a matter of seconds. A liquid-cooled motor and upsidedown fork both were left out of the equation because of cost considerations, though designs for both were tested before the TT250R reached its final form.

At a claimed dry weight of 249 pounds, the TT250R is no bantamweight-at least in part because of its electric starter. But the bike’s engine provides good performance, thanks to excellent torque production at low and medium rpm. Front and rear disc brakes provide good stopping power and are laced to blue-anodized rims.

The little TT’s handling is better suited to trail riding and commuting than it is to more intense off-road activities, and it is in these uses that the TT250R probably will be most successful. Oh, it is important for one other reason: It has raised the ante in the lightweight fourstroke wars, a fact that won’t be lost on Japan’s other manufacturers.

Yasushi Ichikawa