does a yz 250 have the best power band for the woods? i heard it did but just want to make sure.

No

Speaking only to power delivery, I think a 450 four-stroke is best.

Or any of the Euro off road two strokes. Or a KDX or a… The list goes on and on. As far as a Jap 2 stroke mx bike? Ya probably the YZ 250.

no it has a black power band in it you gotta get a purple one and she'll riiiiiip!

^ .....hahaha, yup.  Get the purple one for sure, better materials and lasts longer!

if you love horror films and thrill rides, it's the best

Go to a hair scramble or cross country race and see how many are riding KTM. You will think you are in a pumpkin patch.

+1 for Purple powerband.  Switched from the black when I rebuilt my topend.  I'll never look back.

bunch of smart asses on here today

the yz250 makes a great woods bike. soften up or maybe re-valve the suspension for woods riding. i recommend a 9oz fly wheel weight. for pure woods riding you might want an 11oz or 13oz. some hand guards and you're all set. just as good as any ktm IMO. do a search on for "woods yz250" and you'll get more info than you could ever want.

 d_mac, on 02 May 2012 - 02:49 AM, said:

Yamaha claims 227 lbs wet weight for the 2012 YZ250.

It's been tested at 218 wet, no fuel. The KTM is 217 wet, no fuel, which is 5 lbs heavier than last year (since going to a linkage rear suspension). So the KTM is 1 lb lighter, and previous models were 6 lbs lighter.

While I love my YZ, it's been basically stagnent for 6 model years now. KTM is pushing foward and improving their bikes. Sure the YZ was better 6 years ago, but things have changed. I'd love to see Yamaha counter with a ubber light YZ250, adjustable ignition mapping and powervalve, improved ergo's, etc etc. So far they don't seem interested.

It's a personal preference thing. I ride a YZ. If I find a bike with better woods power I'll buy it. But I have been disappointed with a lot of the bikes that people seem to I should like.

DISCLAIMER:
If somebody says that a bike has tractable power. I expect that bike to be underpowered.

you know, i find the purple power band to have a bit too much bite for my taste, i do however enjoy the subtle nuances of the black power band.  although the black has many subtleties to make what could be one of the best power bands to date.... my loyalty has to lie with the green power band, sitting down at night next to the fire with the green power band, a warm blanket, and a nice book is truly one of the finer things in life.  

Edited by wilh108, 02 May 2012 - 09:07 AM.

in my opinion the best powerband for woods is a 300 exc i have one and when you hit the powerband no matter what king of terrain unless its really really muddy the front tire comes up in every gear

 CHILLI DOG, on 01 May 2012 - 02:55 PM, said:

Depends on how you define "best"

The YZ power delivery is broad and smooth FOR A 2t MX BIKE, without giving up any significant overall power, so if that is all you are comparing it to, the answer is a resounding yes!

But, not everyone rides or wants to ride a 2stroke mxer in the woods, and different people do vastly different types of "woods riding".  Are you plodding along at a mild trail ride pace or are you trying to win a race?  For pure recreational low-speed trail cruising in the woods, I'd say my old DR350 had a perfect powerband, it was super-tractable, and admittedly severly underpowered (and overweight as well), but I could cruise around the easy trails with my buddies all day long and never break a sweat and all I had to do to get over a rock or root in my way was ease up to it and twist the throttle a little.

I'm still no top racer, but my appetite for speed and challenging trail obstacles has increased, and I'm far quicker through the techy tight woods trails aboard my YZ than I have been on any other bike (including my brother's '04 KTM 200exc, which is an excellent woods bike in its own regard).  The YZ is light, the handling is point and shoot as it goes exactly where I tell it to, and the powerband is just broad and smooth enough for me while still having lots of teeth to really light things up if I want.  I still think I might like a little added flywheel mass, but the more I ride the bike and get used to it the less I think it is "needed".  As an overall package, I think a modded YZ that has the suspension dialed in is about as good a woods racer as any bike you'll find.

 corndog, on 01 May 2012 - 03:02 PM, said:

I have a RMZ 450, and I love the bike for mx but I don't think it would make a better woods bike then a 2 stroke 250 or any 2 stroke. They over heat faster and are prone to flame out at low speed. These bikes are meant to go fast and keep moving.

 NSF3537, on 02 May 2012 - 10:45 AM, said:

Each bike has pros and cons, all of which can be addressed to varying degree. However, he's asking if the yz250 has rthe best powerband for woods riding and my opinion is that it does not. Further, I'd say that pretty much any 450 has better power for woods riding, or any type of riding for that matter.

Add the Rekluse to that 250 and its a great woodz machine.

There is no perfect bike for everyone due to varying ability and the terrain in which they ride.  I ride Eastern US single track (rocks, roots, tight trail - you get the idea).  As an old guy (60 at the end of the summer) who used to be an 'A' level enduro rider (but not a very successful one!) I think you have to build your own.  I like the steel frame bikes even though I also presently own a '08 YZ290F-WR  as well as my current 'project' bike and rode a '05 YZ285-WR for 3.5 years.  My project is a '03 YZ265 with Eric Gorr low-to-mid porting, Fatty pipe, stock flywheel and timing, Rekluse Pro auto-clutch, 1-3-4-5 WR gears from a WR426 (kept the YZ 2nd gear), '08 forks and rear shock, 1/2" fork travel limiter to make the bike steer a little quicker, Steering damper, billet kickstand, etc. Might not be right for you but it's getting close to being the best I've ever ridden FOR ME.  Good luck on finding the right combination - the YZ250 is the most flexible bike out there!  Best of all this bike can be built relatively cheaply with mostly used parts if you shop carefully.

What good is the best power band for the woods when your bike handles poorly, barely stops, doesn't like to change direction rapidly, deflects off small woods bumps, overheats easily, has bad carburetion, poor reliability, etc.?

Not saying one bike has all that above but you hafta weigh all attributes of bike. I've found a few YZ subsitutes (KX and CR) that I just happen to like better for technical slow woods riding. That's not to say the YZ is bad or worse than these bikes I just like them better as a "package".

Also, while the CR has "tractible" power the KX does not - Shagger.   It is a stump puller torque wise though.