Yesterday was a big day in the industry. It was the launch of the new 2010 Yamaha 250F. The cool part was that all the press releases just came out on this bike and we were riding it a day later. It was like a North America launch instead of just in California. Thanks to Yamaha Motor Canada for inviting MXP to test out the new ride. Andrew McEwan, Kyle Carruthers and Ryan Gauld got a chance to ride and share there thoughts on the new machine. Enjoy are insite with some pics below. All Photo credits go to Allison Kennedy and Yamaha Canada 
2010 YZ 250F in Blue retails for $8599 
2010 YZ 250F in white retails for $8699 
The Yamaha crew had a great set up for the Media. MXP, IMX, DMX, Toronto Star, CEC and MX Forum got there shot on the new machine 
With the joint effort between Red Bull and Team Blackfoot Yamaha, it was only fitting to have Red Bull there with their kick ass set up. 
Each Media got a press kit along with some great gifts for supporting the day. 
The Carruthers facility is where the testing took place. The track has everything needed to test a bike and work out all the bugs of a new machine. 
Kyle Carruthers shared his thoughts on the 2010 YZ 250F Kyle Carruthers Junior Level rider Years riding: 4
What a kick ass day! Those five words pretty much sum up my first experience aboard the new 2010 Yamaha YZ250F. We arrived down at the track when the weather was good and track conditions were great. After watching Blackfoot riders JSR and Kyle Beaton spin a few laps aboard the new machines, I was more than stoked to try one out. The Yamaha Reps then took us through all the components on the newly improved bikes. Some of the changes included a new “Bilateral Beam frame”, new body work, engine changes, transmission modifications, as well as many more adjustments made to the bike. I geared up and soon after started spinning laps on the 2010 model. Right away I was quickly impressed. I noticed the difference the new frame made as soon as I hit the first corner. It was much easier to get the bike’s front end around in the corners and the rear end of the bike was quick to follow. The seating position was comfortable and the new body styling and gas tank made it very easy to slide your weight forward in corners. It is a huge improvement over the 2009 model as I always had problems getting along with any 2009 or older model Yamaha and their handling abilities.
The motor also had a noticeable change. It hit hard coming out of corners, but was smooth enough that I could maintain control. With the transmission changes and the longer gears, it pulled much longer down a straightaway, whereas before you had to shift compared to the ‘09 model. The suspension was smooth, and I feel that as a junior level rider I could be competitive with this suspension package right out of the crate. Overall, I had a great day at the 2010 Yamaha Press launch and was more than impressed with the new Yamahas. I could definitely see me owning one in the future. I would like to thank Danny Brault, Bryan Hudgin, as well as everyone else at Yamaha for putting on a great event! 
Carruthers adapted to the changes to the new ride very quickly. He was very impressed with the bike 
Andrew McEwan has been riding for awhile and had this to say about the 2010 YZ 250F Andrew McEwan Junior level - Riding for 10 years Over the past few years, I have been invited to numerous model launches. This year, Yamaha took a unique approach to revealing the 2010 YZ250Ff. This was done by allowing the Canadian media to ride brand new, out of the box 2009 models, immediately followed by the all new 2010 YZ250F. This gave our staff the opportunity to do a direct comparison of the all new 2010 model. First off, with this economy and slowing off-road sales, I was stunned when the first images of the new Yamaha were released on the World Wide Web a few days ago; this bike is obviously all new. Secondly, I couldn’t believe that I was given the opportunity to ride the bike only a few days after it was released on the web. Usually, we get to ride the new bikes in early fall, so it was a special treat to ride the bike so soon. Thank you Yamaha! The 2010 bike is awesome! It has an all new frame, which has dramatically changed the way the bike handles; it turns on a dime and feels very stable at high speeds. The power delivery was impressive in the mid range, and considering I am a Junior level rider, the power was always there when I needed it. On long straight away sections, the gearing seemed longer on the 2010 compared to the 2009 and had more torque even with less shifting. The suspension felt good stock and worked well on all sections of the track. This bike is going to be a big seller for Yamaha in 2010, and as they say “build it, and they will come”. I suggest you get a hold of one of these bikes. It is the real deal! 
McEwan thought it was a treat to be able to ride the bike so early in the year.  Gauldy has been on a Yamaha bike for 17 years of his 22 in racing. He had this to say Ryan Gauld
Pro level rider - Riding for 22 years
As always, it is very exciting to get invited to ride brand new machinery. Yesterday, the crew at MXP got the chance to ride the modified 2010 YZ 250F. The bike has been a dominant force in the MX2 class right since it was introduced in 2001. They have made improvements every year to the machine to show that Yamaha bikes are always at the top of the crop. This year’s changes are very significant and ensure that Yamaha is the bike that any racer could buy and feel confident with the entire package.
The first thing you notice is the look of it. The plastic has been shaved down, which makes it look very sleek and sharp for the people who just like to stare at a bike. Once I got on the machine, I really felt right at home with the new design of the seat that allows for way more room for body position and comfort. As I raced around the Carruthers’ farm, I could really feel an improvement in the motor. It revved more and pulled gears way longer down straights and into turns. This helped me because I always found myself switching gears too much on a 250F. The next best thing was throttle response. It doesn’t come equipped with Electronic Fuel Injection (EFI), but it sure feels that way. Yamaha made subtle changes to the carb that allows the throttle to feel like the power is at your fingertips with no hesitation. The more I rode the bike, the more I felt faster.
The other major change is the frame and the way it turns. No longer are you feeling like the bike pushes through turns, but now you can cut corners tight and carve them hard just like you were some supercross hero. My opinion is you need to run the bars in the position closest to your body with the mounts turned forward. That way it keeps you a little more neutral and disperses your weight back a little so you’re not diving in on the front end under heavy braking.
I constantly said all day that this bike, with a subtle change to suspension to suit the rider and a set of twin wall bars, it is ready to race. Finally, this is a bike you won’t have to blow a ton of dough on to be competitive. I’m sure the poser out there will spend the coin for some reason, but I feel it’s not needed. The motor, the bike, the look: all of this equals comfort and durability for any racer on the track. What more do you need?!!
I was very impressed at how good the bike was bone stock. Any racer could get on this an be competitive right away. So that wraps it up. The launch of the new 2010 YZ 250F was a huge succes as far as media goes and I am sure that Yamaha is happy with there product. For any further technical info or features on the bike go to http://www.yamaha-motor.ca/main.php MXP would like to thank Bryan Hudgin, Danny Brault, John Bayliss, Rick Lewis, Andre, Nick, and the rest of the Yamaha crew that helped out, Red Bull, and the Team Blackfoot boys for giving the media a great day. Thank you!!!
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