YAMAHA XT250 TOP SPEED UPHILL TEST IN TRAFFIC
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 1 ต.ค. 2024
- How capable is the #YamahaXT250 at top speed on a steep uphill freeway climb? Can it hold its own or will you get swallowed up by the traffic whilst trying to dodge monster sized trucks and M5 BMW lane hoggers? Here I test how tractable the little engine is as I subject it to the South Eastern Freeway climb up through The Heysen Tunnels towards Stirling in the #Adelaide Hills. Does it have the power to keep you safe or should you pick an alternate route and stay off the highway where you're unlikely to encounter so much danger?
It was a bit of a risk buying an 'old school' enduro type #motorbike for #MrsRiderGuider as it was important she wasn't left wanting when she needed some power when we hit the trails and highways together once she passes her test. Should we have gone with a liquid cooled more modern alternative such as the KTM390 Adventure? Or even waited for Yamaha to make us an MT03 engined Tenere? Watch and see for yourselves whether this reliable, cheap, air cooled 'plodder' can cut it when it needs to ...
#THERIDERGUIDER #YAMAHAXT250REVIEW
I have the 2021 xt-250 and this bike does not lack power at all. I am at 1000 miles now and I am still having a blast.
It never fails to make me smile 😃 … my wife just got her license so I may not get much chance to ride it now 👍🏼🤣😎
2018 XT250 has upgraded engine which gave it greater fuel efficiency, lower emission, and whopping 20 hp. So 2021 version have that one for certain.
I weigh 250 pounds and my '17 does fine at 60 mph uphill in 5th gear. I also have a kawasaki z650 and when it came time to take one to California I took the xt250 with me because it's much more fun and nimble to ride. I got it new in December 2018 and have 5,300 miles on it now.
My wife is loving it. She wants bigger newer etc. then rides the XT and goes … “nah I’ll keep this” 😁
How tall are you?is this bike good for taller people?
@@sadnessinside123 I’m 173cm (5’8”) but I think anyone who is looking at buying one should get to a dealer and sit on. I reckon something taller would suit a 6’ person. The Yamaha TTR250 is another awesome bike and definitely bigger.
@@TheRiderGuider thank you
@@sadnessinside123 I'm 5' 11 with 31" inseam. My hips cramp up sometimes, mostly if I'm doing any sort of slow technical offroad for more than an hour or in stop and go traffic where I'm putting my feet down repeatedly. Otherwise I'm comfortable on it. Both feet lie flat on the ground when stopped.
Bought one this year. Amazing, fun little bike to zip around on. I have a Royal Enfield road bike that weighs around 450 lbs. Much rather zip around on my XT it does everything very well and is so light. I hate heavy bikes which is about 90% of them now. Plus I went up a tooth on the counter sprocket that helped a lot with traffic speed and still very adequate through the gears. If you can't keep up with traffic you don't know how to ride....
Thanks Wally, yeh you're right mate, this is a more than capable bike with the right rider ;-)
Exactly what I wanted to know.
Looking at getting rid of my Super tenere and getting two XT250's.
One for me and one for my wife. Will be perfect for our adventure trips. Fast, reliable and lightweight enough.
Greetings from down here in South Africa 🇿🇦
And great value. I love riding this XT. One each. That will be ace 👍🏼😎 thanks for visiting my channel 👍🏼
Are you happy with your choice of 2 XTs?
They are great bikes but thanks to our exchange rate, don't come cheap in the RSA.
I run a bike lessons/adventure bike rides - sideline business and currently own the following (very much used) dual-purpose bikes (which I bought over a period of about 3 years - all initially with their own issues) 2015 Honda XR150 / 2010 Zongshen ZSM200 / 1981 Suzuki GSX250 ("Scrambler" as per my profile pic) / 1997 Honda XL400V TransAlp / 2010 BMW F800GS - ALL 5 for less than the price of a new Honda 125 Monkey Bike!
@@TheRiderGuider Also from RSA, it seem you have quite a selection. Maintenance gets esier when you run the same bikes, but of couse buying bargains has its obvious benefits. I have a T700 (Upgraded from a GS1200) and a XT250 "for my girlfriend". In the end, i ride the 250 most of the time, more that the T7!! No issues with performance.
Yamaha bikes are very reliable....
Yes indeed. We have one each 😎👍🏼
Here in Thailand smaller usually = better .
Does Yamaha sell the XT 250 in Thailand?
I'm impressed that the bike doesn't sound frantic or stressed.
I was too Gerald, the pick up as soon as I started to go up the freeway was quite effortless. When I was young a 500cc bike was almost a thing of wonder and amazement and in superbike territory, and a 250 still a big bike ... but nowadays they're seen as little commuters which is unfair, when you see this performance it proves just how capable these 'little' bikes can be. Thanks for watching mate.
@@TheRiderGuider same here too. I was in Asia and 15-20 years ago (and short time 50 years ago) 125-250 consider a big bike. You need a special license for it and Harleys only issues and use for parade in the military.
It's revving hard and won't last huge miles. Will also need regular oil changes.
@@redtobertshateshandlesso how many miles does it need before it's needed oil change?
I have a TW200 and my only wish is for a bit more oomph for an occasional highway jaunt…. Thinking the XT 250 might be a good answer.
Even just that extra 50cc can make quite the difference. No substitute for more cubic centimetres :-)
I had TW200 in the past and recently rented XT250. I like both but go with XT250 for highway capable.
YES this bike can do it XTZ 125 goes up the province mountain ok , yes you need more ❤
Bottom line: you hit 100 Km/Hr. indicated, Correct? Which is 62 mph on the optimistic speedometer which is commonly 55-57 mph top speed on an incline. My XT225 indicated speed vs gps speed: 80 mph speedo, 71 mph; 70 indicated/62 actual; 60/53 actual. So they can be 10 mph slower than speedometer. You were probably doing 55 mph balls to the wall up the incline!
YEH I can't see it being much different to the 225. It went well up that hill.
@@TheRiderGuider But whatever it's worth, my TW200 is the only one that is pretty much spot-on when compared to my GPS. It's the only bike that I have like that. On average my bikes are about 5 mph optimistic. So Speedo has to say 65 for me to be going 60 mph, on most of my bikes.
Top video mate
I am a yamaha man at heart.
I had new DT250 back in 1981 I did top speed on the flat 140km a d up steep hills I used to overtake every car.
The DT250 is my era too. I would love one of them in my shed 😁
Apparently they make 19hp and 14 torque
Very useable power 👍🏼🙂
Great video. Please more XT250 videos .. maybe one on GPS vs Speedo , and how about a talk about typical range and how much can you do from the moment a reserve fuel light till empty.
Peter I will do some for sure ;-) ... I like your idea's.
@@TheRiderGuider You can go 22-26 miles once the reserve lights up.
I'm getting one soon, can't wait!
Hi Bill, when you getting it? Great bike mate!
I came into Adelaide from Melbourne on the M1…. Through the hills on a CT125.. the only thing I overtook was a B Double up the hill😂
NOW that is a great ride on a CT125!!!
I find it odd when people don't think 250cc bikes can cut the mustard on highways and hills etc. We have gotten convinced by marketing and the media that bigger is better.... is why all the noobs in the USA only want 1000cc sports bikes and think supersport 600s are no good.... it is possibly also why so many crash! :D
Yes it was nice to show just how capable a little bike can be. Not out of its depth at all here.
@@TheRiderGuider I started on larger bikes (KLR650, Bandit S 1250, then went smaller and have settled on the XT250 and XT225. I think I made the right choice. It forces me to not be lazy and jump on the 100km Highways in Canada. I enjoy mapping out my routes on long rides.
The powerband is actually allot easier to ride on a 1000 sport bike as opposed to a high strung 600 that you always have to have revved out. That's why people like 1000s over 600s
Great stuff. That’s awesome. Such a lovely little engine too 👍🏼
They have their place for sure. The litre bikes can still have a power band as well but having plenty of power also without trying too hard is nice. They’re effortless 👍🏼
Shes got about 18 horsies kickin' full blast
And they feel like thoroughbred horses 🐎 too 😉
@@TheRiderGuider Just bought the bike a month ago as my first, brand new. I've put 700 miles on it so far and I love the bike. I'm a bigger dude, but I really just like having the low seat height, it's more approachable. It's a pretty forgiving platform, even in stock form.
@@BLOOKERIA congratulations mate. It’s a fantastic choice of bike. A good purchase too as they’re dropping the model after this year, so great to get one of the last of the line. Ride safe 😀👍🏼
@@TheRiderGuider You jinxed it!! Just had my first drop today, luckily on dirt. Didn't realize a monsoon had hit last night. Running stock tires and thick mud don't mix well lol. Bikes fine though, which is good.
OMG 😆 … glad you’re okay mate 🤦🏻♂️ … they’re certainly robust enough to handle it thankfully 😅
Very hard to find the old DT250 now so I am looking for an XT250.
Hi mate. Yeh the old DT250. A rare 2 stroke find. You will love an XT250 though 😉👍🏼
Hey mate I recently got my girlfriend into riding. She bought a brand new 2022 Navi from my cousin and has been riding it pretty much every day. My question is about this XT and the XR150L (if you have ridden one). My girlfriend grew up riding, training and breaking horses so the Navi is fun but she wants to get into dirt bikes and even though she had never ridden motorcycles she commanded horses from a child and commuted in NYC on bicycles daily. I grew up on dirt bikes and have been riding for 27 years. I started the day I turned 4. I dont want her to get a bike that she grows out of too quickly. She wants to start hitting the trails with me. I currently ride offroad on a BMW G650 XChallenge. I dont want to buy her a bike that wont keep up on the highway to the trail and on out of town rides. She's 5'8". I have been interested in this bike and the Honda. Whats your opinion? I feel like the Yamaha might be an all around better bike but I havent ridden either.
This is a capable bike, would suit her height but she could get something taller at 5'8", also consider the Kawasaki KLX?
Yep, I like this little bike but w/ any lower powered bike, I think it wise to ride defensively & even when you can go the speed limit
you probably should allow other vehicles to pass you by..... whenever possible. I find that a wise way to ride but I still see these
guys going the speed limit but they won't let others who want to go faster, go on by them. I think they ought to let em' go on so
their ride will be safer but some just don't get it? I do like this bike & I hope you & the wide enjoyed it. peace
Stock gearing the XT250 speedo over-reads by 6kmh mines a 2016 I speed checked mine with satnav & google maps.
A lot of bikes and cars read higher than true speeds. We never really knew until we got GPS 😄👍🏼
Salford accent??
Haha - absolutely not, wrong side of the Pennines ;-)
Hey, thanks heaps. Was the gearing, front and rear sprockets standard size ?
Standard gearing yes. Thanks for watching mate 👍🏼😎
I have a 2023 XT250 I took it on the freeway at 78mph and got tossed around from the wind. Other then that I love my little bike
Awesome little bike, ours on this video is the non fuel injected version, the new one must be great! I'm tempted to get another later model!
Love the video. Other than you're riding on the wrong side of the road (to me) LOL, and km instead of mph (also a difference on which side of the pond you ride), I'm impressed with the bike and the rider. Came here looking for insight on the Yamaha KT250 as I'm seriously considering getting one after looking at many other such bikes. A good combination of power, agility, ergonomics, and it's a nice looking ride. I have the big Harley Tri Glide for touring but this would be perfect for the purpose that started my search for such a bike. Thanks for posting. 🙂
Thanks mate, haha yeh we're an odd bunch us left hand side of the roaders. These little XT's are very capable.
I have a 2022 on order ( arriving in March ) So nice to see this video , it’s very confidence inspiring.
Hey what kind of mirrors do have there ? I like those a lot better than the little round ones that come equipped with the bike . Any information to improve upon the little Serow is much appreciated.
Thanks from Michigan in the USA here !
Hello Bruin ... great stuff, what a superb bike hey? The mirrors have been taken off the T7 when I bought some Double Take Mirrors for it. They do look great and work very well on the XT for sure. Well spotted!!! Keep an eye on the channel, we've got some more cool things happening around the XT in the near future ;-)
@@TheRiderGuider awesome 😎 I look forward to seeing more from you
I had an xt225 which had the 6th gear. Pulled very easy on the highway. I wish I never sold that bike.
Hi Kevin, the 250 would definitely benefit from a 6th gear I reckon, or certainly a smaller front cog - going down a tooth wouldn't hurt anyone using a 250 for road use.
Man. I had a XT225 great bike had a blast on it !
@@markcollins5026 these ‘little’ bikes are so cool and fun to ride.
That’s the only thing this XT250 is missing is a sixth gear .
Now the question is how will the performance be affected if I drop 4 teeth off the rear sprocket? Because I hear the highway fuel consumption isn't that great.
Hi Brian, I'd instead go with one tooth larger on the front, would definitely benefit and a cheaper easier option as you probably wouldn't need to adjust any chain length. As for performance, I think you would find it quite good enough even on the uphill but top speed on the flat might be less frantic, definitely the way to go.
They get 65 to 70 mpg, this would be the least of
my concerns for this bike, I just wish it had at least
25 - 30 hp, for dirt riding.
@@TheRiderGuider Good alternative, going up in the front,
instead of the back.
I think if you added 4 teeth on the back you'd wind up
altering the geometry of the bike, as this would
shorten the wheel base by a little, not sure the exact
figure.
Bought my 2021 specifically for doing overseas trips, I think I have made the right decision!
It'll just keep doing everything you ask of it Chris. Good decision :-D
Great Motorcycle! When ride with two passenger, Does it feel some kind of power lacks?
Hi Efra, I would expect some reduction in how it performs, but it's still a 250cc, quite a reasonable sized engine, so I'd be concentrating on maybe adjusting the suspension and tyre pressures for two-up riding. We've never used this bike with a passenger but I wouldn't hesitate if I needed to. It has the ability, you just need to adjust your riding style and be aware the brakes will need extra thought too when wanting to come to a stop.
Many years ago I had a Kawasaki KL 250 did 135 kmh rain hail or shine, it to was a 5 speed.
TRUE!!! Newer 'greener' bikes are stifled with emission rules I reckon, when I was young a 500 was a monster of a bike, a KL250 a weapon!
People are such specwarriors. Once Rubber meets pavement is when you can really tell the truth. I've had my xt almost 3 years. When I bought it I weighed 330 pounds I've lost a hundred of that I never had trouble on the freeway at 65 mph sure it's not a super bike at passing but cruising is easy.
Devin, thanks mate. Awesome work on the weight loss too!!
@@TheRiderGuider thank you. what i found interesting though from losing that weight is that the bike has a practical high speed performance limit of 350-400 pounds. under 55mph its 500lbs.
I know the roads you are on very well. I'm a former Adelaideian.
The speedo over-reads by 6kmh with stock gearing.
Put a 36 tooth cog on the front & it will over-read by 1mph or 1.6 kmh.
Nice area around there mate yeh 😀 … great little bike the XT. Mrs RG now has a G310GS but still regularly mentions how good this little Yam was 👍🏼
@@TheRiderGuider no xt when I lived in Adelaide back then a vfr 750, then a R3 then a Mt03 & still have it, now the xt too.
Still breaking in my 2021 XT250 at 15 miles on the odometer at one third throttle for the first 500 miles and one half throttle for next 500 miles do not forget to read the owners manual. The bike is very nice and nimble at slow speeds off road with excellent clearance and very compliant on the road with lots of torque feels like a muscle car after owning a ct70 and ke100. Love a go any where bike that can runs very well and can achieve 72 mph with 2500 cm that woops larger bikes for power to weight ratios.
Congrats on the new bike. I’m amazed by how the XT250 goes, after years of bigger bikes, being able to ride this now and again (it’s my wife’s) is a bit of a treat to be honest 🙂 … a fantastic bike for the money that will do pretty much everything you ask of it.
I’ve have 19 miles on mine, the 1/3 throttle is a bit unrealistic where I live and to be honest unless you mark the throttle marked I’m not sure how anyone doesn’t at times. Would have been nice to have a tachometer.
Running in ‘rules’ are just a guide line. Despite the XT having been around for a while it’s still an engine with modern tolerances. Don’t get too stressed about stressing the engine. As long as it’s warmed up properly before you do any spirited accelerating it will be fine. The things to avoid are often too high a gear and ‘labouring’ the engine going up hills. Use the gearbox often and generally use the controls smoothly like a dimmer switch.
The Rider Guider I agree I’m 65 and I’ve been riding since I’ve been 12 years old I break in my vehicles like I drive them daily just with a bit more care.
@@56Spookdog XT250 engine would take some breaking I reckon 💪🏼👍🏼
If this is the 2018 version it should be capable of 20 hp
Actually this is an old 2009 model, still very low miles, awesome little bike :-)
Thinking the XT 250 might be a good answer.
It's a safe bet - can't go wrong really. Grin factor is great value.
By far this is the best video I've seen because just about everyone complains about the xt250 is not a highway bike but you proved them all wrong because you are doing 100km plus uphill.
I just bought my xt250 today
Souhail, congratulation on your new XT250. Fantastic bike. Take care.
@@TheRiderGuider I took it on 150km round trip mostly 100kph speed and the bike went fantastic..I don't know why a lot of people say is not good for highway run, I was surprised because it felt so comfortable at 100 to 110kph and it an do it all day long.
Excellent - if you're doing lots of highway work, you can also look at raising the gearing slightly, won't negatively affect it much going up hills but will allow for slightly less revs at higher speeds, maybe consider a one tooth larger front sprocket. Cheap but worthwhile upgrade.
Hi, how's the xt 250 going for you? I have a 2017 I recently acquired with only 220 klms on the clock. The only problem is I find it dangerously scary in the wet. Do you find that with yours? Maybe its just the knobbies.
G'day mate, I've had an 2008 xt for about a year and the speedo since I bought it is horribly wrong. It's reading 135k in second gear and so on. Any ideas on why or how to remedy it? Thanks.@@TheRiderGuider
I have the 2021 XT 250. Not lacking power uphill at all and I weight 180. Has good torque in all gears and don't know why they're not made with 6 gears. I was about to buy the 2021 CRF300L but chose the XT instead. I do not regret my decision.
Good decision Bent. The Honda will still be a nice bike but the XT is great. Won’t be many left after this year. For general use I agree re the 6th gear too, but an easy option is to put a front sprocket on with an extra tooth.
@@TheRiderGuider I probably will end up changing the front sprocket in the future but now I'm riding as much as I can. I'll probably do it when I put on the Bridgestone Battlax AX 1s I bought.
@@not1au yeh we need new rubber for ours, such a shortage of tyres at the moment.
@@TheRiderGuider I bought mine about a month ago. My XT only has about 1300 miles and the tires are in great condition but when I need new tires they will be on hand.
Thank you
Thanks for watching and commenting 😀
carb or fuel injection? thx
Hi Joseph, this bike is a 2009 model, good old carb style.
My first road registered bike was a 1983 XT250. Top speed about 90 km/h. I got to about 100 down hill behind a truck. Loved it.
Wouldn’t ya just love to still be the owner of that bike? 🥰
@@TheRiderGuider Yeah man for sure.
It topped out at 56 mph? My XT will easily hit 70 mph (112.5 km/hr).
Yeh but we’re talking about a bike from 38 years ago. Different beastie?
@@Johnny-lr5jt The '77 Honda XL125 I still had back in '83 would do 112km/h and my current 2015 Honda XR150 does the same. I think that '83 XT250 had shorter gearing or engine issues?
That's pretty good - how heavy are you Rider Guider? And what's top indicated speed on the flat?
Hello Steve.
Not done a top speed on the flat but I would expect around 110 - 115 kmh maybe a bit quicker with a tail wind. I'm 70 kgs (11 stone) however I think anyone up to 90 kgs would get very decent performance from one of these. With my weight I could easily benefit from raising the gearing a notch with an extra tooth on the front sprocket and then seeing a very comfortable indicated 120kmh on the flat. Maybe I'll give it a test ;-) thanks for watching
@@TheRiderGuider thanks mate
@@TheRiderGuider I remember the old XT 250 it had allot of low end grunt and tractor like power for a 250 four-stroke great for poking around tight technical trails. This new XT 250 you are riding seems to have much much better power for the hiway which is where the old XT had issues. Anyway great review and look into the performance cababilties of this old new bike.
The xt is pricy new
Dean, I've never really thought of the price until you mentioned it, but considering the new G310GS is actually cheaper here in Australia that's nuts!! Blimey.
Any bike will perform perfectly well on highways at 250cc. Even 200cc, provided the bike is not too heavy, will easily keep up with A road traffic. There is too much nonsense written about the mythical need for powerful bikes, mainly promoted by the biking press and media who rely on advertising from big bike manufacturers. Thanks for dispelling this myth. I did a 3000 mile trip around Spain and Portugal on a 200cc Suzuki Burgman scooter and though I kept mainly to rural roads, when I had to go on a big highway or motorway, I easily kept up, achieving a very relaxed 70 mph (113 kph) for hours without a single problem.
Great comment. Absolutely correct mate. 250cc bikes were classed as decent sized when I was a young lad. If anything they’re even faster these days too. CHEERS 🙂👍🏼
Thanks that answered a question I had for our application which requires hill climbs
Good stuff. How high you going? 😀
@@TheRiderGuider It's about 1500m over 20km of winding road.
I'm wanting to buy one here October 22 US so been watching videos... good one ha it's strange with the left side driving gave me a scare at one point there Cheers
haha - thanks mate - great bike - good luck, they are a great bike mate.
It's tough to tell how steep the grade is.
Yes the footage does not do it justice at all. But my ears pop on the climb up 😄
@@TheRiderGuider Were you doing that in 6th? At what rpms?
@@jamesmziegler actually the XT250 has five gears! When I ride it I’m often searching up to an imaginary 6th which suggests for normal use you could comfortably go up a tooth on the front sprocket and raise the gearing a little. I wasn’t watching the revs but there was still some left … for info this bike tops out at an indicated 125kmh. I suspect that’s a realistic 70 - 75 mph taking in to consideration the general inaccuracy of speedometers 👍🏼
@@TheRiderGuider I ride my RX3 250 in the Ozark Mtns where our highways have really long, steep hills too. God help me if I have to pass anyone uphill at 65mph, cause the bike on its own won't do it. 🤷
@@jamesmziegler not a bike we have here in Australia as far as I’m aware but it looks like a nice thing!! One of the cheapest and easiest modifications for you in your case might then be to lower your gearing so you keep in the more powerful rev range? A tooth extra (sorry no a tooth LESS 🤦🏻♂️) on the front sprocket would give you a noticeable difference climbing hills for sure. The only downside is you lose a touch of maximum speed in each gear but probably not that noticeable. Have you considered that? It’s not expensive and well worth a try. One tooth difference wouldn’t generally even necessitate a change in your chain length either. Just swap and go 😎
1917 or 2022?
It's a 2009 mate - haha - I'm not sure I understand your question?
@@TheRiderGuider 1916? 2047? I was probably just pointing out that the year
matters to most of us, I'm guessing you
didn't tell us.
All I can say is I hate the metric system. Totally worthless system.
I've got used to it now ... brought up on MPH but moved country
Metric is a base 10 system. It’s far easier to use.