2025 Yamaha XT250 Preview

Yamaha knows the old adage of “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” works all too well in the motorcycle world, so it’s keeping its popular and price-friendly XT250 dual sport unaltered for the 2025 model year. With fuel injection, a low seat height, and an extremely manageable weight (for a dual sport), the nimble and dead-reliable XT250 has become one of the Tuning Fork brand’s bestselling new motorcycles over the years, and that’s likely the main reason the model is back in the lineup with no discernible changes, just a $100 price bump. Like to camp? The XT250 is perfect for weekend RV warriors as noted during the Top 5 Motorcycles for Camping in 2023 article.

In fact, even the Radical Gray color is the same paint scheme we’ve seen since 2021, and the bike will be available from dealers this month for $5,499. (Savvy shoppers will save a C-note, though, if they spot the cheaper 2024 model lurking in the back of the showroom.)

Related: 2023 Yamaha XT250 First Look Preview

Yammy’s fun-loving dual sport soldiers on with a simple, air-cooled 249cc single-cylinder engine that’s earned a reputation for being bulletproof, and while its power delivery won’t scare anyone any time soon, that mellow delivery is a great quality for new or even returning riders, whether you’re bopping around town or hitting up a nearby forest road on weekends. A generous 2.5-gallon fuel tank means you’ll be able to squeeze a good amount of range between refills too, as Yamaha claims the XT gets a healthy 76 mpg out of each tankful.

Most of the components are clearly spec’d for the casual rider, with a vanilla 35mm nonadjustable telescopic fork up front and a preload-adjustable single shock out back, attached to a 21/18-inch aluminum wheel combo. There’s a respectable 11.2 inches of ground clearance, and the fork has 8.9 inches of travel, with 7.1 inches of boing available out back, which should be enough to handle most groomed trails. Just don’t go fantasizing about doing the Erzbergrodeo on this thing.

For braking duty, the XT250 also keeps it simple, with single discs at both ends; a 245mm platter up front is pinched by a dual-pot caliper, while the 203mm unit out back pairs with a single-piston caliper. It’s nothing fancy, but the casual XT250 is still more than enough bike to get you off the pavement and having fun on your favorite trail.