New Yamaha YZ250F Leads Small Army of Off-Road Competition Bikes Into the New Model Year

We've already seen Kawasaki step forward this week with motocross and off-road machines, including the brand-new KX327. Now, it's time for Yamaha to show us what it has up its sleeve for the upcoming, 2027 model year.

This company decided to kick off the party with its own off-road four-stroke competition bikes. There aren't that many of them, at least not as many as in the case of Kawasaki, but that doesn't mean we don’t have a lot to talk about. Especially since one of Yamaha’s most important models in this segment, the YZ250F, has been completely overhauled.

By that, I mean the Japanese reengineered pretty much everything when it comes to this bike, including the chassis, suspension, and engine. We'll break each of them down in the lines below, starting with the chassis.

Overall, the bike continues to be underpinned by the same bilateral aluminum frame as before, only it has been subjected to dedicated tuning to help it optimize performance. In fact, we're now dealing with the exact frame that Yamaha’s flagship off-road competition model, the YZ450F, is built around, tailored to deliver "improved absorption capability of bumps and edges." 

As far as the suspension system is concerned, Yamaha went for components and parts that are used on the YZ450F and added a new base valve for the rear shock absorber unit. Furthermore, the damping force of the tech has been increased, but Yamaha does not go into the specifics of what that means.

And now, a thing or two about the beating heart of the machine, which has been revised to produce more horsepower and torque. The engine, a single-cylinder liquid-cooled four-stroke, displaces 249cc, and in this form it uses an all-new valve system, rocker arms borrowed from the R1 supersport model, and, as a first for a YZ model, a double-spring design for the intake valve springs.

Yamaha increased the compression ratio of the engine from 13.8:1 to 14.1:1, and went for a new piston design with a thinner and lighter top ring. On top of everything, the bike maker tampered with the crankshaft a bit to optimize balance and reduce weight, and the maximum rev limit of the engine was pushed 700 rpm higher than before.

The new YZ250F benefits from a revised breathing apparatus, in the form of new intake and exhaust. Finally, the powerplant is now tied to a revised gearbox and the same hydraulic clutch that's deployed on the 2026 YZ450F. 

The parallels with the larger motorcycle continue in the way the 2027 YZ250F looks, to the point that it has become almost impossible to distinguish between the two from a considerable distance.

The platoon of bikes the YZ250F leads into the new model year comprises the YZ85, YZ250, and YZ65, each of them towing along a series of upgrades from before, including engine tweaks, swingarm modifications, and bodywork upgrades.

Yamaha confirmed some of the new bikes announced this week, but also existing ones (YZ450F, YZ250F, YZ250 and YZ125) will also be treated to Monster Energy Editions that will officially tie them into the company's official racing efforts.

What sets them apart from the standard production run are factory team-styled livery and colors meant to "make them the most desirable replicas of the season," and something that could be used with equal prowess by both expert riders and weekend warriors. 

The 2027 Yamaha YZ250F in Icon Blue will be available from September 2026, but it is already listed on the company's American configurator with a price tag that reads $9,099. The corresponding Monster Energy Yamaha Racing Edition lands two months later, and this one will set people back $9,299.

As for the rest of the two-wheeled machines, including the ones destined to serve the needs of young riders and noobs, below you'll find a short list of availability and pricing. You know, so you can start prepping for the future if you are in the market for such a motorcycle.

Before getting into it, it's important to note that in the case of most of them, we're only dealing with minor color and graphics upgrades, with no major modification announced for any of them compared to before.

Also, keep in mind that the prices listed below are the ones before options, and they do not include the almost mandatory apparel items a rider must wear when going off-road on such a machine.

• 2027 Yamaha YZ85 - $5,199
• 2027 Yamaha YZ125 – $7,199
• 2027 Yamaha YZ125 Monster Energy Yamaha Racing Edition - $7,399
• 2027 Yamaha YZ250 - $8,099
• 2027 Yamaha YZ250 Monster Energy Yamaha Racing Edition - $8,299
• 2027 Yamaha YZ450F - $10,299
• 2027 Yamaha YZ450F Monster Energy Yamaha Racing Edition - $10,499
• 2027 Yamaha YZ65 - $4,499
• 2027 Yamaha PW50 - $1,899