The 2026 Yamaha YZ250F is a lightweight 250cc motocross bike engineered for intermediate to advanced amateur racers and serious trail riders. Its liquid-cooled four-stroke engine delivers strong mid-range power and excellent reliability, while the compact 231-pound chassis provides nimble handling on technical terrain. Known for its responsive fuel injection and predictable powerband, the YZ250F excels in competitive off-road racing.
The 2026 Honda CRF250R is a competition-focused motocross bike engineered for intermediate to advanced amateur riders seeking serious off-road performance. Built around a liquid-cooled 249cc four-stroke with sophisticated fuel injection and a fully adjustable suspension package, it delivers the power delivery and handling precision demanded by competitive weekend warriors. The CRF250R is renowned for its reliability, rideability, and dominance in amateur motocross racing.
Both are motocross bikes, so this is a like-for-like choice.
2026 Yamaha YZ250F: Designed purely for motocross and off-road track competition, prioritizing light weight, sharp handling, and high-rev four-stroke power delivery over any road-going comfort or practicality.
2026 Honda CRF250R: Built purely for closed-course motocross racing, it excels at jumps, whoops, and hard-charging berm-to-berm riding rather than any form of road use.
Verdict: Choose the 2026 Honda CRF250R if you want a lower seat. Check the full table below for every figure, and the size comparison for fit.
| Specification | 2026 Yamaha YZ250F | 2026 Honda CRF250R |
|---|---|---|
| Other | ||
| Category | Motocross | Motocross |
| Comments | Torque is a rear-wheel dyno figure. | Torque is a rear-wheel dyno figure. |
| Rake | - | 27.6º |
| Engine | ||
| Capacity: | 250.0 ccm (15.26 cubic inches) | 249.0 ccm (15.19 cubic inches) |
| Engine Type | Single, four-stroke | Single, four-stroke |
| Bore x Stroke | 77.0 x 53.6 mm (3.0 x 2.1 inches) | 79.0 x 50.9 mm (3.1 x 2.0 inches) |
| Compression | 13.8:1 | 13.9:1 |
| Cooling System | Liquid | Liquid |
| Fuel System | Injection | Injection |
| Starting | Electric | Electric |
| Ignition | TCI | CDI |
| Valves Per Cylinder | 4 | 4 |
| Lubrication System | Wet sump | - |
| Performance | ||
| Power | ✓43.0 HP (31.6 kW) | ✓43.0 HP (31.6 kW) |
| Torque | ✓24.9 Nm (2.5 kgf-m or 18.4 ft.lbs) @ 10000 RPM | 23.7 Nm (2.4 kgf-m or 17.5 ft.lbs) @ 9800 RPM |
| Power/Weight Ratio | 0.4649 HP/kg (dry) | 0.4249 HP/kg (dry) |
| Chassis & suspension | ||
| Frame | Bilateral beam aluminum frame | Aluminium twin tube |
| Front Suspension | KYB Speed-Sensitive System, inverted fork: fully adjustable | 49mm fully adjustable leading-axle inverted telescopic Showa coil-spring fork; 12.2 in. travel |
| Rear Suspension | KYB fully adjustable single shock | Pro-Link system; fully adjustable Showa single shock; 12.1 in. travel |
| Front Wheel Travel | 310 mm (12.2 inches) | 310 mm (12.2 inches) |
| Rear Wheel Travel | 312 mm (12.3 inches) | 307 mm (12.1 inches) |
| Rake (fork angle) | 27.0° | 27.6° |
| Trail | 119 mm (4.7 inches) | 117 mm (4.6 inches) |
| Ground Clearance | 351 mm (13.8 inches) | 330 mm (13.0 inches) |
| Transmission | ||
| Gearbox | 5-speed | 5-speed |
| Transmission Type | Manual | Manual |
| Final Drive | Chain | Chain |
| Clutch | Multiplate wet | Multiplate wet; 9 plates, 5 springs |
| Brakes & wheels | ||
| Front Brakes | Single disc. Hydraulic. | Single 2-piston hydraulic caliper (30mm, 27mm) w/ 260mm petal-style disc |
| Front Brakes Diameter | 270 mm (10.6 inches) | 240 mm (9.4 inches) |
| Rear Brakes | Single disc. Hydraulic. | Single 1-piston hydraulic caliper w/ 240mm petal-style disc |
| Rear Brakes Diameter | 220 mm (8.7 inches) | 240 mm (9.4 inches) |
| Front Tyre | 80/100-21 Dunlop® Geomax MX33F | Pirelli Scorpion MX32 80/100-21 w/ tube |
| Rear Tyre | 110/90-19 Dunlop® Geomax MX33 | Pirelli Scorpion MX32 100/90-19 w/ tube |
| Dimensions & weight | ||
| Wheelbase | 1481 mm (58.3 inches) | 1483 mm (58.4 inches) |
| Overall Length | 2184 mm (86.0 inches) | 2182 mm (85.9 inches) |
| Overall Width | 826 mm (32.5 inches) | 828 mm (32.6 inches) |
| Overall Height | 1275 mm (50.2 inches) | 1262 mm (49.7 inches) |
| Seat Height | 970 mm (38.2 inches) | ✓955 mm (37.6 inches) |
| Dry weight | ✓92.5 kg (203.9 pounds) | 101.2 kg (223.1 pounds) |
| Wet Weight | 107.0 kg (235.9 pounds) | ✓106.1 kg (233.9 pounds) |
| Fuel Capacity | 6.10 litres (1.61 US gallons) | ✓6.40 litres (1.69 US gallons) |
| Oil capacity | 0.90 litres (0.95 US quarts) | 1.40 litres (1.48 US quarts) |
"Best" (✓) reflects that single spec only, not overall suitability - a bike can win on paper and still be the wrong choice for you. Ties are all marked; specs with no clear better/worse direction (e.g. displacement, wheel size) are never marked, only tinted where bikes differ.
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