2026 Yamaha YZ250F vs 2026 KTM 250 SX-F - Spec Comparison
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2026 Yamaha YZ250F
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.
2026 KTM 250 SX-F
The KTM 250 SX-F is a lightweight motocross machine designed for intermediate to advanced riders seeking competitive performance on the track. Powered by a potent 250cc four-stroke engine with fuel injection, it delivers sharp throttle response and reliable power delivery. The bike is renowned for its agile handling, nimble acceleration, and class-leading competition credentials in the 250F motocross category.
2026 Yamaha YZ250F vs 2026 KTM 250 SX-F: the key differences
Both are motocross bikes, so this is a like-for-like choice.
- On paper the two are very closely matched - power, torque, weight and seat height are all within a few percent of each other, so fit, feel, equipment and price will decide it.
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 KTM 250 SX-F: Built purely for motocross competition and off-road riding, excelling on tracks and rough terrain rather than pavement.
| Specification | 2026 Yamaha YZ250F | 2026 KTM 250 SX-F |
|---|---|---|
| Other | ||
| Category | Motocross | Motocross |
| Comments | Torque is a rear-wheel dyno figure. | Connectivity. Torque is a rear-wheel dyno figure. |
| Color Options | - | Orange/white/grey/red/yellow |
| Engine | ||
| Capacity: | 250.0 ccm (15.26 cubic inches) | 249.9 ccm (15.25 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) | 81.0 x 48.5 mm (3.2 x 1.9 inches) |
| Compression | 13.8:1 | 14.5:1 |
| Cooling System | Liquid | Liquid |
| Fuel System | Injection | Injection |
| Starting | Electric | Electric |
| Ignition | TCI | Keihin EMS |
| Valves Per Cylinder | 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 | ✓26.7 Nm (2.7 kgf-m or 19.7 ft.lbs) @ 9300 RPM |
| Power/Weight Ratio | 0.4649 HP/kg (dry) | 0.4236 HP/kg (dry) |
| Chassis & suspension | ||
| Frame | Bilateral beam aluminum frame | Central double-cradle-type 25CrMo4 steel. Aluminum-reinforced polyamide subframe. |
| Front Suspension | KYB Speed-Sensitive System, inverted fork: fully adjustable | WP XACT-USD (AER), Ø 48 mm |
| Rear Suspension | KYB fully adjustable single shock | WP XACT Monoshock with linkage |
| Front Wheel Travel | 310 mm (12.2 inches) | 310 mm (12.2 inches) |
| Rear Wheel Travel | 312 mm (12.3 inches) | 300 mm (11.8 inches) |
| Rake (fork angle) | 27.0° | 26.1° |
| Trail | 119 mm (4.7 inches) | - |
| Ground Clearance | 351 mm (13.8 inches) | 343 mm (13.5 inches) |
| Transmission | ||
| Gearbox | 5-speed | 5-speed |
| Transmission Type | Manual | Manual |
| Final Drive | Chain | Chain |
| Clutch | Multiplate wet | Wet multi-disc clutch, Brembo hydraulics |
| Brakes & wheels | ||
| Front Brakes | Single disc. Hydraulic. | Single disc |
| Front Brakes Diameter | 270 mm (10.6 inches) | - |
| Rear Brakes | Single disc. Hydraulic. | Single disc |
| Rear Brakes Diameter | 220 mm (8.7 inches) | - |
| Front Tyre | 80/100-21 Dunlop® Geomax MX33F | 80/100-21 |
| Rear Tyre | 110/90-19 Dunlop® Geomax MX33 | 110/90-19 |
| Dimensions & weight | ||
| Wheelbase | 1481 mm (58.3 inches) | 1493 mm (58.8 inches) |
| Overall Length | 2184 mm (86.0 inches) | - |
| Overall Width | 826 mm (32.5 inches) | - |
| Overall Height | 1275 mm (50.2 inches) | - |
| Seat Height | 970 mm (38.2 inches) | ✓958 mm (37.7 inches) |
| Dry weight | ✓92.5 kg (203.9 pounds) | 101.5 kg (223.8 pounds) |
| Wet Weight | 107.0 kg (235.9 pounds) | - |
| Fuel Capacity | 6.10 litres (1.61 US gallons) | ✓7.20 litres (1.90 US gallons) |
| Oil capacity | 0.90 litres (0.95 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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This tool puts up to four motorcycles side by side across their full specification sheets, drawn from a database of 43,000+ models and 1.60M+ individual specifications. Wherever a spec has a clear "better" direction - more power, less weight - the strongest figure in that row is highlighted automatically.
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Specs are pulled from the same categories used throughout the site: engine and transmission (capacity, power, torque, gearbox), physical measures (weight, seat height, fuel and tank capacity), frame and dimensions, speed and acceleration, and brakes, suspension, frame and wheels (including tyres) - plus general information and maintenance data where it's on record for a bike.
How the highlighting works, and its limits
A highlighted cell means one bike has the clearly better raw number for that spec - more power, less weight, and so on. Fields where "better" genuinely depends on the rider - seat height above all - are deliberately never highlighted: a lower seat isn't automatically the right choice, it's a fit question only you can answer. Winning a row also isn't the same as winning the comparison - a bike can lead on paper in half the rows and still be the wrong bike for you.
Frequently asked questions
Can I compare bikes from different categories, like a scooter against a superbike?
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