2015 WR250F: Project Bike Update

When we advertised Transmoto’s 2015 Yamaha WR250F project bike on our Transmoto Trader a few months back (for a ridiculously cheap $8000, including all the parts fitted for the Stage 1 and Stage 2 magazine articles), there were plenty of takers. First cab off the rank though was Jamie Taylor, a former Pro off-road racer who’s been out of the enduro scene for a few years while he’s chased back-to-back snowboarding seasons around the globe.

This week, Jamie checked in with Transmoto HQ to give us an update on the quarter-litre Yamaha – how much fun he’s been having aboard it, the things he’s learned about the machine, and what he plans to do with it from here. Over to you, JT…

FIRST OBSERVATIONS

The first time I was able to ride the bike, it was on a freshly cut in grasstrack and the first thing I noticed was how well it turned, either in a rut or on a flat corner. It’s really apparent how the more centralised mass improves how the bike responds in corners. It’s such an easy bike to ride. There is plenty of power right off the bottom to get out of the turns, and if you want it to really get up and go, a light feather of the clutch will do the trick.

When I got the bike onto a proper motocross track, I really got to see how it worked on the big straights, braking bumps and jumps. I was really impressed with how the little blue bike just kept on revving. It’s no slouch power-wise, but after hitting a few jumps I quickly knew I needed a much stiffer set-up suspension wise. In standard trim, the suspension package works perfectly in the bush and the grasstrack, but for a guy with my speed it feels soft on the jumps and wallows in the sand.

^ Now he’s traded snow for dirt, you reckon Jamie’s having a bit of fun? Sure looks that way to us!

MODS MADE/MAKING

The first thing I did when I got the bike was to get rid of all the ‘clutter’ up front. I took off the speedo and all associated wires (ie, the speedo cable, and replaced it with an aftermarket wheel spacer), clutch lock-out sensor cable, and tucked all excess sections of the wiring loom as low and out of the way as possible. I also removed the cooling fan from the back of the radiator and replaced the heavy stock battery with a smaller, lighter aftermarket one. I’ve cut a few small holes in the top of the airbox to let it breathe even more, and I reckon I could get away with making them even bigger.

I’m currently waiting on heavier fork and shock springs to put in the bike, after which I’m confident this will be a perfectly capable AORC or 4-Day race bike.