Yamaha FZR250R
Yamaha FZR250R | |
Manufacturer | |
---|---|
Production | 1990 - 92 |
Class | Sportbike |
Engine | Four stroke, transverse four cylinder, DOHC, 4 valves per cylinder. |
Compression ratio | 12.0:1 |
Ignition | CDI |
Transmission | 6 Speed |
Frame | Steel |
Suspension | Front: 38mm Telescopic forks Rear: Monoshock preload adjustable. |
Brakes | Front: 2x 285mm discs 4 piston calipers Rear: Single 210mm disc 2 piston caliper |
Front Tire | 100/80--17 |
Rear Tire | 130/70-17 |
Wheelbase | 1375 mm / 54.1 in |
Seat Height | 750 mm / 29.5 in |
Weight | 146 kg / 321.8 lbs (dry), |
Recommended Oil | Yamalube 10w-40 |
Fuel Capacity | 14 Liters / 3.7 US gal |
Manuals | Service Manual |
Engine[edit | edit source]
The engine was a Liquid cooled cooled Four stroke, transverse four cylinder, DOHC, 4 valves per cylinder.. The engine featured a 12.0:1 compression ratio.
Drive[edit | edit source]
Power was moderated via the Wet plate.
Chassis[edit | edit source]
It came with a 100/80--17 front tire and a 130/70-17 rear tire. Stopping was achieved via 2x 285mm discs 4 piston calipers in the front and a Single 210mm disc 2 piston caliper in the rear. The front suspension was a 38mm Telescopic forks while the rear was equipped with a Monoshock preload adjustable.. The FZR250R was fitted with a 14 Liters / 3.7 US gal fuel tank. The bike weighed just 146 kg / 321.8 lbs. The wheelbase was 1375 mm / 54.1 in long.
Photos[edit | edit source]
Overview[edit | edit source]
Yamaha FZR 250R
Review
by Simon Hargrevious Bodily Odours
Suzuki's GSX-R250RKSP and Yamaha's FZR250R Exup Grey
Imports: lesser versions of the real things or screamingly insane in their
own right? To find out, Hargreaves and Smith take mindless, head-down,
no-nonsense boogie at 18,000rpm to Exmoor National Park on the Devon and
Somerset border.
Suzuki's GSX-R250RKSP
A damp, deserted moorland road jiggles left and right into
the distance across tussockv fiekls and windswept hedges. Smiffy, in front,
hits the gas on the FZR and darts away so I chase him, flying backWards and
forwards across both sides of the road, straightlining and redlining,
skimming verges and scaring sheep. The GSX-R revs to infinity, howling in
and out of harmony with the FZR. Life's a scream at 18 000rpm.
It's also a scream at 50mph, 'coz that's how fast we were
going most of the time. Big, GSX-Rs are stifled by their exhausted riders
trying to contain the overwhelming power and weight, but the 250 is fun
without intimidation. Once you gel over the disappointment of 39bhp to play
with it's a giggle, hurtling around Devonshire's hills, bouncing off
roadside verges, pinning the GSX-R's front end down on cold, sodden tarmac,
teetering into corners expecting a front-end washout, and wailing out the
other side searching for another horsepower or two to scrabble the back
tire.
"These hikes are fun... for about five minutes," said
Kevin after riding the FZR for five minutes. A day later he changed his
mind: "Actually, once you forget about big horsepower they're all right
really. Neither would stand a chance in a Ministock race my TZR125 was
faster but they 're good fun in their own way."
It's astonishing that the tiny motor's rinky-dink 62.25cc
pistons, micro valves and minuscule cams can take this sort of abuse without
going, pop. The Suzuki is impossible to treat gently; to go faster than a
restricted moped you have to bounce the needle off the redline in every
gear. To get up Devon's 1:3 gradients you have to bounce it off the limiter
in every gear.
Sometimes all these revs are good: the shrieking cacophony
from a surprisingly loud exhaust makes you think you're doing a million
miles an hour when you're only doing 50. Good for the ego and licence.
Sometimes they're bad: when you're trying desperately to tip-toe through a
quiet Somerset village without having pitchfork-waving locals chase you down
the road, or trying not to rouse a rotund Devonshire traffic cop from his
in-car slumbers.
At 50mph the GSX-R is spinning at 7,500rpm, and by 70mph
it's at a fit-to-bust 9,500. Sounds painful, but doesn't feel it thanks to
the super smooth engine. The vibes are probably there somewhere, but they're
so high pitched even a dog wouldn't feel them. On the long M4/5 drag to
Bridgewater the only part of my body that went numb was my brain, but that
was down to boredom. Or an accident at birth. Eventually the endless drone
gets tiring, but a full to reserve tank range of 100 miles offers plenty of
opportunities for recovery.
The transmission is less slick. The close ratio box is miles
better than the FZR's, but knackered cush rubbers on this particular bike
made it difficult to ride smoothly.
And smoothly is the only way to ride the bugger. It's
peakier than a two-stroke, and the slightest lapse of concentration when an
incline steepens or an exit suddenly appears means you've had it; the bloke
on the pushbike will be zooming off into the sunset while you're pumping on
the gear lever like a man trying to stub out a tab with bare feet. Even when
you get the right gear, the long haul back into the power takes an eternity.
The geezer on the pushbike stands a good chance away from
the lights as well. 14 seconds over the standing quarter could be bettered
with complete disregard for the clutch and by turning a blind ear to the
torture being heaped upon the engine, but three runs were all we could
stand.
The GSX-R250 is still fast enough to be scary. At least, it
is if you're tailing a manic Kev Smith on the FZR across the blustery roof
of Exmoor in the dark. That evening, relaxing over a slow game of pool and a
long pint of Guinness in Porlock's Castle Hotel bar, I said, "Nice ride
today, Kev. You were tramping on a bit."
"Plenty in hand," he replied tersely. Well bugger
that. I didn't have plenty in hand. I had plenty in my undergarments though,
and it's not often I can say that.
The 250 isn't quite a perfect replica of its bigger
brothers, despite fully adjustable suspension and oil/aircooling. A pair of
Spondon-lookalike alloy beams wrap around the engine instead of the GSX-R's
trademark double cradle looping over the top. It's tempting to say Suzuki
should've gone this way with all GSX-Rs, but the 250 shares the same
handling characteristics as the 1100 and, to a lesser extent, the 750 so it
doesn't make any difference.
My first balls-out ride on the Suzuki came in the photo
session. I found a corner we'd used on the 600s test in '92, and was happily
grinding the FZR away when photographer Kenny called a break. Kev didn't
think much of the corner: "It's crap. It's got a huge bump halfway round
and the GSX-R steps out and slides over it." I berated him gently:
"You great Scottish poofta." "You 'kin try it then."
I did. I never got the FZR back. The GSX-R steers exactly
like the 1100 reluctant to change direction, needs strong countersteer to
turn, stands up dramatically if the brakes are stroked mid-corner, and feels
for all the world like the tires are flat or the head bearings are too
tight. They aren't on both counts.
After a quick ride at Bruntingthorpe, Editor Roop was
convinced the frame was bent. Il isn't because the GSX-R steers straight
with hands off the bars, and tracks events over white lines and camber
changes, I reckon the problem stems from the grippy-but-suspiciously-wide
Yokohama tires and Kev agrees! "It feels like it's got an oversized
front. I know what it's like 'coz my CBR used millions of tires I'd nicked
from race slips and none of 'em matched. You just get used to it."
And you do. It only bothers you when you first get on the
bike, and then only if you've just jumped off something that steers
normally, like the FZR. After the first ten miles the feelings go away'
The Suzuki's suspension is multi adjustable, and a good job
too. On the motorway down to Porlock the GSX-R rattled around over bumps
and beat up my wrists and kidneys (too much compression damping front and
rear), and during the photo session the rear end squirmed around over the
aforementioned bump (not enough rear rebound). At least, that's what I
thought. I backed off the rear compression, upped the rebound and behold,
it was exactly the same as before. Well it was a bit better, but that may
equally have been me getting used to the GSX-R's quirky handling. At least
you get a choice, but how come Yamaha's engineers can get it right on the
FZR and don't need to add all the adjustment strews and collars?
There are several things that are without doubt on the
Suzuki: the mirrors are the worst I've encountered and the front of the
fairing is ugly. "I he lights are good, the indicators illegal and
beautiful with it, and the clocks are calibrated in kph
The riding position is pure racing crought; anything else
feels silly, but it's bearable on the straight bits. The seat is soft, the
pegs high, and the bars well forward, low and splayed apart. As with all
sports bikes, it's possible to find a comfortable riding position
eventually. 350 miles in one hit is no problem, and it's not inconceivable
that the GSX-R could go all the way to the South of France without too much
discomfort. For the rider anyway. Dunno of the engine would make it....
The Suzuki's brakes feel exactly like their 1100
counterpart's: not much initial bite but rapidly building to
eyeball-poppers. Some people like 'em like this, some don't. I do; really
progressive with loads of sensitivity. They pull great stoppies too.
Apart from the fairing nose, the GSX-R is an exquisite,
beautiful little gem. It's so cute it's a shame to ride it around at all,
let alone in the middle of winter. But to sit back and admire it would be a
waste: this baby exists to be thrashed stupid over and over again. It's nut
last enough to be serious competition to a bigger bike on 90% of roads, but
somewhere out there is one twisty enough for the GSX-R to beat anything.
Apart from an FZR250, that is...
Yamaha FZR250R Exup
Conservation of momentum is the name of the game: wind 'er
up to a flat out and don't back off for anything.
Overtaking must be planned carefully 'coz there ain't no
surplus power to rely on. Measure the distance with your senses, weigh it
up, make imperceptible changes to throttle position to keep speed constant,
drop back to wind up...now...full throttle, suck up behind the car, whip out
of its slipstream and past. And onto the next one.
It's a rewarding way of riding and it makes you a better
rider too: you learn to read traffic and anticipate its movements.
More than the Suzuki, the Yam encourages hedonistic lunacy.
Maybe it's because it revs even harder that the GSX-R - 10,500rpm at 70mph
and redline at 18,500rpm. Maybe it's because it's more of a proper
motorbike than the toy-like GSX-R - heavier, larger and rougher. Or maybe
it's because the FSR's got a better engine.
Performance figures don't tell the whole story. At the top
end both bikes are roughly equal, and absolute top speed has more to do
with which rider had the museli and which the fry-up breakfast. What counts
is the ways the Yam's throttle response and roll-on power romper-stomps on
the Suzuki. From low down the FZR eggs all over the GSX-R only pulls it
back at the very top end. On the road, the Yam's more flexible and less
rev-critical - the difference between going down three gears to accelerate
instead of going down one.
Just as well, because this FZR's box is sloppier than a bowl
full of runny porridge. False neutrals lurk behind every change
(particularly nasty on a bike that revs so high, and none too pleasant
changing down into a corner either) apart from the one between first and
second.
But what and engine. No ride is ever an easy dwadle; every
trip turns into a mad, headlong dash for oblivion. Never before has the
reason for travelling been so much for the journey and so little for the
arrival. It's breathless and exhausting stuff.
Sweeping comers are taken flat oot fer the lads with the
throttle wide open none of this big bike on/off/on nervousness. Just get
yer head down and go for it. The featherweight FZR skittles about, bars
giving the occasional twitch over bigger bumps, but always in control and
always fun. The Yam's unadjustable suspension manages to be supple and taut
at the same time; soft enough to soak up the bumps and well-damped enough to
let the rider know they're there and that the bike is doing something about
them. The GSX-R is vague in comparison.
Tight corners are a chance for some demon late braking
before flicking the Yam in so fast your knee's on the deck before you
remember to hang off. In fact the FZR is so immensely capable of high
turn-in and cornering speeds that overreacting is a real problem. The
wailing exhaust and silly figures on the tacho make you think you're going
much faster than you really are. At the first hint of a bend you bang it
down a couple and lunge at the brakes, then wobble round the corner at a
fraction of the speed you could. With a red face you get back on the power
and hope no one from Team Roberts was watching. Which they're unlikely to be
in the pissing rain in the middle of winter on some Godforsaken moor in
Devon, but you never know. I could've sworn the sheep were laughing. Again
the FZR teaches about riding; reading the road and watching for vanishing
points through corners is vital to maintain maximum speed and avoid those
shoulda-gone-faster blues. And to avoid having to wade through piles of revs
to get back up to flat-out again.
The baby Exup's motor is rougher than the Suzuki's. This one
is much rougher, needing a good lean on the starter button before it deigns
to fire up, hot or cold, racing at 4,000rpm before a quick fiddle with the
fairing-mounted choke knocks it back, then slapping away to itself on
tickover as the camchain flaps around. The Suzuki starts and idles more
easily, and runs cleaner on the bar-mounted choke. Life can survive in the
most inhospitable climates, but how long an engine can last at 18,000rpm is
anybody's guess. Probably as long as a man can survive on a diet of Guinness
and cream teas, which turns out to be not much more than three days judging
by the time Kev spent on the loo.
The Yamaha looks more like big brother Exup than the Suzuki
does the 1100. While Kenny was fussing over the photos in sunny (not)
Lynmouth, Mr and Mrs Matching Honda Paddock Jacket sauntered past. Eager to
impress his other half, Mr MHPJ nodded wisely at the GSX-R and said,
"That's a Grey Import 400, isn't it?" then, "And what's that? An
Exup?"
I can forgive him his errors, if not his choice of apparel:
the GSX-R looks small where the FZR looks... bigger. They both look dated:
the five year old Suzuki wears its years better than the younger Yamaha in
terms of looks, but both have suffered minor chips, knocks and dints.
The Yam's mirrors are only marginally less useless than the
Suzuki's; it takes a tilt of the head and a tuck of the elbows to see
anything behind. The FZR's riding position is less comfortable over long
distance mainly because its seat is so bloody hard, otherwise there's
nothing in it. Or the seat, har har. The pillion seat is a joke until you
sit on it, but it's not as funny as the Suzuki which has pillion pegs and no
pillion seat.
Odd that anyone bothered to build a 250 four stroke in the
first place. Who buys them? They're nowhere against a KR-1S or RGV in
handling, torque or power. But they are a few years old, so maybe a
comparison with the TZR250 would be more appropriate. But then five-year-old
TZRs don't cost two and a half grand.
The FZR and GSX-R's appeal must be very specific. You'd have
to hate two strokes, love regular valve clearance checks, have impossibly
high insurance, 11 points on your licence and the mechanical sympathy of a
bike journalist to be able to put up with them for long and remain sane.
The FZR is the best choice. It hasn't the trick suspension
of the GSX-R, but it doesn't need it. It doesn't look as cute or as trick as
the Suzuki either, but its engine is much better. And when you're only
packing 40bhp, you need all the engine you can get.
Make Model | Yamaha FZR 250R |
---|---|
Year | 1990 - 92 |
Engine Type | Four stroke, transverse four cylinder, DOHC, 4 valves per cylinder. |
Displacement | 249 cc / 15.2 cu-in |
Bore X Stroke | 48 х 34.5 mm |
Cooling System | Liquid cooled |
Compression | 12.0:1 |
Induction | MIKUNI BDS2600 carburetor |
Ignition | CDI |
Starting | Electric |
Max Power | 45 hp / 32.8 kW @ 14500 rpm |
Max Torque | 25 Nm / 2 kgf-m @ 11500 rpm |
Clutch | Wet plate |
Transmission | 6 Speed |
Final Drive | Chain |
Frame | Steel |
Front Suspension | 38mm Telescopic forks |
Rear Suspension | Monoshock preload adjustable. |
Front Brakes | 2x 285mm discs 4 piston calipers |
Rear Brakes | Single 210mm disc 2 piston caliper |
Front Tire | 100/80--17 |
Rear Tire | 130/70-17 |
Rake | 25.5° |
Trail | 88 mm / 3.5 in |
Wheelbase | 1375 mm / 54.1 in |
Seat Height | 750 mm / 29.5 in |
Ground Clearance | 140 mm / 5.5 in |
Dry Weight | 146 kg / 321.8 lbs |
Fuel Capacity | 14 Liters / 3.7 US gal |