White Brothers Yamahatt-R250
WHITE BROTHERS YamahaTT-R250
CYCLE WORLD PROJECT
Even better than the real thing?
THOUGH MOST OFF-ROAD RIDERS CONTEMPLATING A small-bore Thumper will probably run out and buy a new Yamaha WR250F, there are those for whom a TT-R250 might be a better bet. The TT-R's electric starting and torquey power output are much easier to deal with than the WR's kickstarting and rev-happy engine. And then there’s the whole cost issue: The TT-R is $1000 cheaper if purchased new ($4699 vs. $5699), and there are certain to be a bunch of used examples for sale cheap from those who have decided to upgrade to a WR. But no matter how you come by your TT-R, realize that a few simple, relatively inexpensive modifications will transform it from a humble trailbike into a serious off-road tool.
That’s what we discovered after some prodding by Gary Jones-yes, four-time AMA 250cc Motocross National Champion Gary Jones, now the man in charge of product development for White Brothers (24845 Corbit PI., Yorba Linda, CA 92687; 714/692-3404). Jones insisted he could make our TT-R work a lot better than stock, and we agreed to let him do the work on one condition: It couldn’t cost a lot.
When we got our bike back, it was surprisingly little changed. Engine mods consisted only of a higher compression piston ($112) and a WB ESeries exhaust ($300), plus the recommended jetting. The only other work was to the suspension, the fork and shock both revalved ($150 apiece) and fitted with stiffer springs-.45-kg in front ($80) and 6.2-kg in the rear ($90). Total cost for the mods was $882.
In stock trim, the TT-R is a fun little trail blaster held back by its soft, springy suspension and underwhelming engine performance. Now, our modified suspension acts more like that of a competition machine, holding the bike higher up in the stroke, using its travel more effectively and resisting bottoming. And while our lightly breathed-on TT-R engine still doesn’t rival a WR250F, it did gain a little pep, which makes the bike that much more fun to ride, even if the exhaust note is a bit too loud for our taste.
Best of all, the modifications in no way diminished the bike’s appeal to less experienced riders. As evidence, my fiancé Heather won the Women’s class at a few local offroad GPs as well as the gnarly Tecate Hare Scrambles, and the bike became a top choice on staffers’ fun rides. Which all goes to show that even with competition from its own
family, the TT-R250 can still pull its weight.
Jimmy Lewis
