1981Yamaha XS 250

27 fields on record

The 1981 Yamaha XS 250 is a Japanese roadster with a 248cc air-cooled four-stroke parallel twin making 27 hp. It weighs 165.5 kg dry and has a 6-speed gearbox and a 14-litre tank.

Capacity: 248.0 ccm
Engine: Parallel Twin, four-stroke
Gearbox: 6-speed
Dry weight: 165.5 kg
Seat height: 810 mm
Power: 27.0 HP (20.1 kW) @ 9500 RPM

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Other years 1980 1981

How it rides

Editorial estimate from the spec sheet - not lab tested

Off-road & trail10%

Cornering65%

City riding55%

Daily riding55%

Touring30%

Two-up35%

Track45%

Best for: Naked bike built for its class - everyday, practical use.
Built for: A naked bike from Yamaha, built around a 248cc engine - a real production model, but this profile is formula-generated from its class and spec sheet rather than individually reviewed.
Not ideal for: Not for serious performance or off-road use.

Scores are derived from the spec sheet using the same model across every bike, so they compare like for like.

Will it fit you?

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Your height

Inseam (optional)

Units

At 810mm, a rider of 68.9" with a 31" (estimated) inseam will reach the ground with both feet flat on the 1981 Yamaha XS 250, with a moderate knee angle of around 105 degrees and a forward-leaning riding position.

Assumes about 30mm of suspension sag once seated. This is an approximation from category-typical geometry, not a measurement of this bike or of you - sit on one before you buy.

More bikes at 751-820 mm — Middle Ground →

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Reliability & safety

Bike Reliability score, safety recalls and owner complaints

Bike Reliability

How the score works →

out of 100Poor

The 1981 Yamaha XS 250 passed its annual roadworthiness test first time 73.9% of the time, 11.0 points below expected for bikes of the same age and mileage. That beats 17% of models.

All years of this model: 23 / 100 (below average) from 1,392 tests.

73.9%Passed first time

15.7%Failed outright

10.4%Fixed during test

18,000Typical miles

452Tests

Pass rate by miles ridden

0-10k

82%

10-20k

78.5%

20-30k

74.2%

30-40k

73.5%

40-50k

66.7%

All years of this model.

Score by year first registered

1979198019811982

Against its rivals · ranks 5 of 6

#	Model (all years)	Score	Tests
1	Honda CM 200 T	34 Below average	1,188
2	Suzuki GS 450 E	33 Below average	563
3	Suzuki GS 450 S	33 Below average	563
4	Kawasaki Z 250 A	28 Below average	186
5	Yamaha XS 250	23 Below average	1,392
6	Honda CB 250 N	22 Below average	9,378

Rivals are the most-viewed bikes on MotorcycleDB in the same category and engine size, from within three years of this model.

From British annual roadworthiness tests, 2005-2025. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0 (DVSA MOT test data, Great Britain). How Bike Reliability works.