LAYING on the lounge with nothing to do is not my idea of fun. The motocross playground that sits in the front paddock was looking perfect, and all signs were pointing towards some two wheeled excitement. There was just one problem, I had a broken wrist being held together with pins, plates and screws and a badly busted up bike.

I wasn't feeling 100 percent comfortable with my bike and was struggling trying to find the right setup and find myself at home, I was having fun but just couldn't seem to get everything together, my confidence was taking a battering and that's when disaster struck and I ended up in hospital with a buggered wrist. I decided that it was time to part ways and start fresh with a new bike once my wrist was all healed up.

I was set on a new Honda, I placed my order early and was playing the waiting game until the new models were released. My wrist was healing up quick and the doctor soon gave me the go ahead to get back on the track and go riding. The only problem was that it was mid-June and my new bike wasn't due to arrive in the country sometime in late November. Hmmm…For Sale – YZ 250, 12 months old, hardly ridden, one owner, still on original tyres, urgent sale. $6000.

The YZ was dirty and neglected, it had a few nasty scratches and looked pretty untidy. Old mate (the owner) bought it new at the local dealership, rode it a few times, crashed it a bit too often, scared the daylights out of himself, and was done with motocross. $5000 later, after some bargaining on my behalf, I was cruising down the highway with a YZ250 on the back of my Ute. I hadn't owned a two stroke in a long time and suddenly felt the urge to have one. The YZ sure looked filthy, but it was easy to see through the dirt and dust. Judging by the wear and tear on the some of the parts I could see that the YZ only had a few tanks of juice put through it and with a bit of TLC would come up a million bucks.

The bike.
The current generation YZ250 is a great bike, in the years between 2005 and the current 2011 model machine the YZ250 has seen very few upgrades. Apart from bold new graphics each year and some minor suspension updates, the YZ remains very much the same bike since its last major update in 2005. The YZ has a very reliable motor, with plenty of grunt to it and you can get the Yamaha running like a dream with the trusty old Keihin carburettor. KYB has done an excellent job taking care of the suspension department over the years and most riders find the stock settings right on the money. The aluminium frame tops things off and although it is now quite a few years old the chassis still remains somewhat current and up to date with technology.

Personalised.
It's now been over two years since I made the purchase on the YZ250, and over time I have made many changes and updates to make my bike that bit more 'me'. I really enjoyed the standard package and put quite a few hours on the clock before I went looking for a change. I've had the suspension re-valved at tweaked to suit my size and ability by the boys at Axis Motorsports at Cardiff, NSW. The Factory Connection suspension set-up works great and is a very valuable mod for those who are looking for that more than the stock suspension offers.

I gave the engine a freshen up at the 30hr mark. A new piston and top end kit gave the 2-stroke a new lease on life and the engine immediately felt fresh and new again. Some new plastic and new customised graphic kit soon rubbed away the dings and scratches and the YZ was looking better than new. I got my hands on some new black Excel rims and laced them up to the original hubs, and while the rims wont make the bike any faster you can't argue with the fact that they look really cool. I also lashed out some dough on a Pro Circuit exhaust system. The PC pipe and silencer kit is a great mod for anyone with a YZ250 and really makes the most of the powerplant by just bolting the system on.

So far, so good.
My trusty old two stroke is still going strong and I have no intentions of selling it. I still ended up getting my flash new 4-stroke Honda, but that's another story for another time. The YZ is a bike that is awesome on the right day and in the right conditions is as good as anything else on the track. When the track gets hard packed and nasty, today's modern four-strokes are certainly a step ahead, but I always find myself jumping back on my 250 for the fun factor that comes with riding a blazing fast 2-stroke.

– Todd Reed