Hushed puppies!
By TMX Archives on 21st Sep 05
Words by Tony Marshall Photos by SuttyYamaha kick off the UK launches of '06 MX machines with a pair of blues - their YZ125 and 250 two-smokers. Words by Tony Marshall Photos by SuttyYamaha kick off the UK launches of '06 MX machines with a pair of blues - their YZ125 and 250 two-smokers. Allington Lane, near Southampton, is the venue of choice for the dbr mini-marvels - long-time tester Tony Marshall and new boy Chris 'too small' Hammal - to take to the hardpack...For their 2006 two-stroke models Yamaha have brought the noise level down to 96 decibels. I started the day on the YZ125 so it is officially the first production bike I've ever ridden that's fitted with a 96db rear silencer.Beforehand I thought it could result in a major decrease in power - this year's model runs a 98db silencer and you'd be surprised just how big a difference those extra couple of decibels can make - but I needn't have worried. The Yamaha engineers are used to producing a competitive two-stroke range and I found the bike performed pretty much the same as the '05 model.It does feels higher for next year and this is due to a 10mm increase in seat height. And the new seat has dramatically changed the feel of the riding position - it took me maybe one full session to get to grips with this as I felt as though I was sitting more on the bike rather than in it and my bodyweight seemed to be more over the front end than with the '05 YZ125.After speaking with the Yamaha guys I found out that if you really don't like the new seat you can bolt on this year's but I feel that you'd be better to persevere - I got on a lot better with the new seat after a bit. This was especially true in turns where the bike has a more positive feel - probably because my bodyweight was further forward.A couple of the guys at the test found the new seat more of a negative and initially I agreed but after a bit of time on the bike I changed my opinion and felt more comfortable and confident.The track was hardpack and based around a flat field with made-made jumps and plenty of high-speed turns and straights. Over the jumps the YZ125 felt slimline and predictable and the suspension soaked up the landings just fine. The stability of the bike along some of the fast straights into braking bumps was first class with no chopping about, something that should be helped by the forks that have a new wider pitch.I didn't need to change the adjustment on the clickers at all but the Yams have always been good handling and the more time I spent on it the better I felt. New for '06 is a titanium rear spring - this obviously helps reduce weight, although it didn't appear to make any difference to the effectiveness of the suspension which works great this year.So the handling's fine - what about the engine? Well, the motor's performance was good. It didn't feel as though it punched as strongly as previous YZ125s but it was smoother so it was easier to get the power down to the ground which could make this bike more competitive against the four-strokes. It was quite deceptive really - there was no initial hard hit off the bottom or mid but it was very progressive right the way through to the top-end.The '06 250 runs the same new seat as the 125 so it has the same riding position and feel but after a session on its little brother under my belt I knew what to expect. And, just like with the 125, it's a plus.When you go from a 125 to a 250 you normally feel a lot of vibrations going through the bike because of the bigger engine but I didn't get any of this from the '06 250. I felt a lot more comfortable - until I cracked open the gas and felt the strong motor!We could maybe have played with the jetting a little bit. At the very, very bottom out of slow turns it was a little hard to lay the power down - it's stating the obvious to say that a 250 two-stroke is more of an animal and will happily spin the rear a lot more, especially given track conditions that were rock hard in most places. But overall the delivery felt pretty similar to the YZ125 in the sense that it was good and smooth - they're obviously trying to get a four-stroke feel combined with 250 two-stroke performance.Out of the gate second gear starts on the 250 were easy - the only time I struggled was when I didn't have enough weight over the front end. It had loads of grunt and the front wheel wanted to lift.Brakes are great on both bikes - these days there never seem to be problems with stock brakes on any bike - and all the controls felt very comfortable while Renthal bars and grips as stock can only be a good thing.Just like the 125 the front forks have changed with a wider pitch for improved steering. Admittedly the bike steers very well but there doesn't feel to be all that much of a difference over the '05 machine.The 96db silencer I feel is a big plus. It makes the power delivery a lot more user-friendly which has got to benefit 99 per cent of Yamaha owners.introducing...New boy Chris steps up to the plateWords by Chris HammalBack when the 125 class was full of 125s I raced Yams for a good few years - seven in fact - before the four-stroke revolution took me under its wing. So I was more excited than Rick Waller in a cake shop to throw a leg over the zinger and see how they've progressed.At first glance it looks the same as last year's with not much change to the cosmetics, the trick ally frame and Renthal bars as standard.When the time came to jump on it was easier said than done - I know I'm only knee high to a grasshopper but the seat is high. And once out on the track the ride position was odd as with the seat high the bars felt low. I felt like I was perched up on top of the bike instead of in it. But with the seat cut down the ride position would feel great.Once wound up this bike's fast - it would rev forever but off the bottom it was flat. You couldn't just roll it on - you had to give it loads of clutch to get the revs up then it was off. I think this could soon be sorted with a little tweaking of the jets.In corners this bike's great, it has a really good balance and stable feel to it and wherever you pointed it, it went. The only problem I had was sitting so high meant my foot was nowhere near the ground. I weigh less than one of my mechanic Spode's lunchboxes and the suspension in the corners felt too hard. It had a rigid feel to it that had little give although along the straights it felt good, absorbed the bumps well and the more I rode it the more confident I felt. And on heavy landings it was great - it just soaked them all up.To sum up this is a great 125 that in the right hands could hold its own in a class of 250Fs. Nice and light, it can be thrown around a lot and feels very stable. This is a bike that gives you more confidence the more you ride it - and it's also great fun to ride. I could have ridden it all day and gone home happy. After I'd changed the seat height.On to the quarter-litre YZ and after riding a worn-out '04 250 all year I was excited to have a chance to ride a new bike. There's nothing like a new bike - light clutch, snappy throttle and no rattles!The main thing about this bike was speed! The motor's awesome - anywhere in the powerband it was good and it would rev and pull forever. You could just roll or snap the throttle on in corners and the power was instant. No matter how hard I tried I couldn't get it to bog on landing and when practising starts it hauled as soon as I dumped the clutch. And it was also very useable power - anyone from a novice to a pro could enjoy this bike.Like the 125 it also has the nice Renthal handlebars and the not-so-nice high ride position! Apart from the high seat the bars are in a nice comfy position, the titanium footpegs feel at a good height, the ally frame looks the nuts, there's not much change to the plastics and the seat cover's a nice gripper unlike the old slippery style.The suspension was, for me, way too hard all round - over small braking bumps it bounced about and over the others I felt a little wary as though it was going to bite back and spit me off. Hopefully after a few hours it would loosen up and feel less rigid.In corners it still turned well, it had good feel to the bike in the ruts and for a Open class bike it felt light and nimble - I mainly noticed this over jumps where you could throw the bike around.All-in all this is a fast 250 that will rev and pull until you shut it off and, just like the 125, it would have a great ride position with a cut-down seat. The suspension needs some adjustment but if you got this right it would be a very good and competitive two-stroke.specificationsYZ125Capacity: 124ccBore and stroke: 54mm x 54.5mmTransmission: Six-speedCarburettor: Mikuni TMX38Front suspension: Kayaba USD (300mm travel)Rear suspension: Kayaba (315mm travel)Front brake: 250mm discRear brake: 245mm discWheelbase: 1443mmSeat height: 998mmDry weight: 86kgspecificationsYZ250Capacity: 249ccBore and stroke: 66.4mm x 72mmTransmission: Five-speedCarburettor: Keihin PWK38S/1Front suspension: Kayaba USD (300mm travel)Rear suspension: Kayaba (315mm travel)Front brake: 250mm discRear brake: 245mm discWheelbase: 1481mmSeat height: 997mmDry weight: 96kg