For years, enduro riders have been asking the same question: “When will Yamaha finally give us a proper 2-stroke hard enduro machine?” The YZ250X was a solid platform, but it never quite matched the demands of South Africa’s brutal terrain. No electric start on the steep climbs, loose rock gardens, deep ruts, and riding in the extreme heat exposed its limits. Then whispers began of a secretive project brewing quietly in South Africa. When Adrian Bac from Yamaha South Africa called to invite us to the official unveiling at Titans Racing near Harties, we knew this wasn’t going to be just another prototype, it was something special.
Enter the Yamaha YZ250X-HE, the “HE” proudly standing for Hard Enduro. This is no stickered up stock bike. It’s a locally developed, South African refined machine designed from the ground up to handle everything our terrain can throw at it. From the Magaliesberg’s forested bushveld climbs to the rocky, technical sections that make events like the Roof of Africa legendary, this bike is built to dominate.
Adrian Bac tells us that the YZ250X- HE project was initiated to refine the factory supplied YZ250X for hard enduro, where steep climbs, technical rock gardens, and extreme heat test both rider and machine. The development program took over three years with extensive testing carried out in South Africa.
Yamaha SA stripped the YZ250X, tested it, broke it, and rebuilt it multiple times, improving until it could withstand the harshest climbs, steep rock gardens, and punishing heat. The results are obvious in every detail.
At its heart, the YZ250X motor remains, but Yamaha SA made some clever local modifications. The stock flywheel was increased from 7oz to 11oz, easily accommodating the Fisch Moto electric start system, a robust, reliable unit chosen specifically by Yamaha South Africa as the best option for South African hard enduro conditions. The GYTR 11oz flywheel wasn’t compatible with the Fisch Moto starter kit, so the standard flywheel was locally modified, a great example of homegrown engineering. The gearbox has also been tweaked, shortening first and second gears to give better low speed control, while sprockets were changed to 13/51 from 14/50 for improved traction when crawling over technical terrain.
Cooling was a priority, the bike now sports PSP radiator braces and a 1.8 bar radiator cap with a Yamaha Cooling Fan kit, and a dual-battery setup ensures the starter and cooling fan run independently. The fan can push at full power all day without ever draining the battery fully, and a handy charging connector for quick easy hook ups to a charger. Currently the bike does not have an onboard charging system but a Magneto pack is in development and should be available within the next week or two and can be retro fitted easily, which will make long rides easier.
Protection isn’t overlooked either, 69 Designs bash plate with linkage guard, PSP rear disc guard, and GYTR Teflon chain guide are all standard, ensuring durability in the harshest sections. Suspension duties remain with KYB’s Speed Sensitive System (SSS), fully adjustable for any rider or terrain. The chain guide mount, which possibly has the potential to be knocked off with a big impact on rocks, has been welded and properly reinforced.
Well, it is still a carb bike – we hear you chirp, well Yamaha SA thought about that as well during their years of testing and developing on this machine, each bike will be perfectly jetted for where it will be used in SA, sea level or up at altitude, by Yamaha SA before it gets shipped to the customer, and you had better believe they have been fastidious about data collection over all their years of racing.
Each unit is hand built at Yamaha’s technical facility in Johannesburg and comes with an individual identification plaque, (so “Number 1 of 30” for example) which will make them highly collectable and retain their future value, and Yamaha SA is the first in the world that to develop and commit to the production of these bikes, so you really want one of the first batch just to own a little bit of that history. The Yamaha YZ250X-HE is available exclusively through Yamaha dealers in South Africa. Due to limited production numbers, early demand is expected to be high.
That is a full Race Ready – Pro rider level suspension, electric start, properly geared, 2 stroke Hard Enduro weapon – fully loaded for just R210,000.00 all in. Just tweak the settings to your liking and GO FOR GOLD!
Mike Wessels was first out on the machine, and his ride at Titans was not for the faint hearted. MX style jumps, deep ruts, loose shale climbs, and tight switchbacks winding through the African bushveld gave him a complete picture of the bike’s capabilities. Then came the brutal rock garden, a stretch littered with boulders the size of South African potholes.
“The first thing that hit me was the electric start,” Mike said. “On steep, loose rock climbs, where balance and traction are minimal, being able to hit the button rather than wrestle with the clutch and kickstarter is a game changer. It allows you to focus on line choice and body position instead of just keeping the bike upright.”
He also loved the gearing and flywheel changes, “The torque down low is phenomenal. The 13/51 sprocket combo, combined with the heavier flywheel, makes crawling over rocks and technical climbs effortless. And the KYB SSS suspension is still as smooth and controlled as ever, soaking up everything and keeping the bike composed in rough terrain. Add in the upgraded cooling, and this is a complete hard enduro package.”
James Lottering followed shortly after, taking a slightly different perspective. “I might not be the smoothest rider out here or the most experienced hard enduro rider, but this bike blew me away. From the factory, it comes ready to go, electric start, KYB SSS (Speed Sensitive System), suspension, full PSP protection, and the upgraded radiator cap. Everything feels cohesive, like the technicians really thought about the demands of hard enduro racing in South Africa. The dual battery setup is brilliant, one battery for the starter, one for the fan, so you can ride technical sections all day without worrying about heat or power loss. It’s such a clever solution.”
James also really enjoyed the traction and torque improvements. “The bike just hooks up over rocks, logs, and tight climbs. You can crawl, balance, and attack technical sections without constant clutch abuse. And with the suspension tuned to absorb everything while still feeling lively, this isn’t just a factory bike, it’s a fully realised hard enduro machine. Knowing that so much of this development happened locally makes it even more special.”
Both riders agreed that the YZ250X-HE isn’t just an upgrade, it’s a transformation. Electric start, upgraded flywheel, dual batteries, enhanced cooling, sprocket and gearing tweaks, KYB SSS suspension, and full protective components make it ready to take on anything.
So, in summary, the YZ250X-HE is a locally refined, ready to race hard enduro machine that ticks every box, from power, traction, suspension, reliability to protection. Limited in production, (for now…), but big on capability, it’s a serious weapon for South African terrain. You can order yours through any Yamaha dealer nationally, and for riders who’ve long awaited a factory level 2 stroke hard enduro bike the team at Yamaha South Africa have heard you and have built the machine you have been asking for.
And just in case you were wondering, Yamaha South Africa has confirmed that pro riders Brett Swanepoel and Adam will compete on the new machine at the upcoming Roof of Africa, and we really look forward to seeing how well they do.
