Had the opportunity to ride the new Yamaha this weekend at a Yamaha demo ride day with Jason Raines. First let me say Jason is a great guy, very easy to talk to and very knowledgeable. Really enjoyed my time talking with him, worth the trip just for that.
The YZ250X I rode had a bucket full of GYTR goodies bolted up, seemed pretty fresh, not many hours, everything tight and like new.
First thing, the Beta gives up absolutely nothing in the motor department. I found the YZ250X a little soft on the bottom moving to a mediocre mid with a bit of hit going to the top. Jetting wasn't as crisp as I'd like down low which didn't help. To be fair, you shouldn't expect the Yamaha to be as good as the Beta. The Beta comes with V-Force 3 read cage, full FMF exhaust and easily adjustable power valve. You could add an exhaust system and read cage to the Yammerha but there's not much you can do about the power valve. Heads up I give the Beta a fairly big nod on the motor.
The Yamaha has a very nice aluminum frame and excellent suspension. I thought the bike was very plush and handled everything I threw at it without any problems. I had to have my Beta Sachs units re-valved to get the type of action I wanted. I'd say now my suspension is as good as the Yamaha KYB stuff but I had to spend $300 to get it there. There is not a thing wrong with the steel frame on the Beta other than I suspect it's a pound or two heavier than the Aluminum frame on the Yamaha. Heads up I give the YZ250X the nod on chassis and suspension.
The Yamaha had a nice clutch pull but it did have an accessory GYTR lever on it. Even though, it still wasn't as good as the hydraulic unit on the Beta. I didn't mesh well with the tranny on the Yamaha either. The Beta has a 6 speed gearbox and, for me, provides a gear for every situation. The YZ250X's 5 speed is a little more gappy, but not terrible. Edge here goes to the Beta.
I thought the Yamaha was easy to ride while standing but the soft foam GYTR seat made transitioning from sitting to standing much more work. The Beta seat is firm, no doubt about it, but I find it allows me to move around and sit and stand much easier than the soft saddle on the Yamaha. Jason said there was a firmer GYTR seat available. I was able to stick the YZ into corners pretty well and could take the inside line away from the 4t's pretty easily but I think with my current set up I'm more precise on my Beta. Given time I may have been able to get the Yamaha to work better for me. I thought the Yamaha felt bigger and wider than my Beta. Really, my Beta feels svelte compared to other bikes, I like that. Edge goes to the Beta.
It's really hard to beat a Honda or Yamaha when it comes to fit and finish. The Beta is very, very good for an Italian bike, but not quite to Japanese standards. I'm willing to look past this but have to give the nod to the Yamaha.
Value....that's hard to determine. If you want a bare bones race bike the Yamaha is cheaper off of the floor. Add an exhaust system and reed valve and the gap narrows. You still can't fine tune the exhaust valve no matter what you do. I don't know if there are springs available to swap but that's still not as versatile as grabbing an Allen wrench and giving it a turn. If you want a bike to race enduros, ride the mountains, has lights and electric start the Yamaha isn't going to do it. The Beta has it all, already mounted up and ready to go.
Walking away from the demo ride my buddy who rides a KTM 300 and I both agreed...we wouldn't give up either of our bikes for the purple machine, even with all of the GYTR parts attched.
The Yamaha doesn't come with any goodies. The Beta has lights and the parts needed to make them work. The Beta has a button that woks very well. The Beta has a computer that gives you time, MPH, a couple of trip meters and more. I use that thing every time I ride and absolutely every time I race. it would be a big deal to put all of this stuff on the Yamaha.