Which bike(2012-2019) has the most reliable top end?

Silathar
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Silathar
I currently have a 2014 yz250f that needs to be shimmed every 30-40 hours at best, and I've been finding thats kinda ridiculous considering I'm inbetween C class and D class.

Ive been thinking about switching to a ktm 300 XC, my main concerns are reliability and ease of maintenance. I've never changed a piston before and just shimming my 4t was a big step for me.

Anyways, what's your thoughts on the matter?

Edit: I got about 200-400 hours on it so maybe it is time for a new top end! I do hit the rev limiter pretty often, as I'd like to call myself an aggressive rider. I think my problem mainly was lack of maintenance to where it was needed.
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zehn
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zehn 5/20/2019 4:12pm
5/20/2019 4:12pm
RMZ
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yamaharider471 5/20/2019 4:37pm
5/20/2019 4:37pm
Super strange. I had an 07 and 08 yz 250fs that I probably put 100+ hours on each and never changed anything but oil and air filters. Ran great when I sold them as well
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TeamGreen
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TeamGreen 5/20/2019 5:44pm
5/20/2019 5:44pm
Last year I spent the entire year on an RM-Z 450 that had a top-end that seemed "Small Block Chevy Dependable".
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The Shop

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TRAVO 67
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TRAVO 67 5/20/2019 7:57pm
5/20/2019 7:57pm
Rmz motors are very very reliable. I have had multiple bikes with over 100 hours and never put a top end or clutch in one of them. Never even checked valves
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usafwx
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usafwx 5/20/2019 8:10pm
5/20/2019 8:10pm
Dude I ran 80 some hours on my 14 yz250f, same as you in between D and C class before I sold it and valves never needed shimmed. Are you running it at the rev limiter all the time or not cleaning your air filter? Yamahas are pretty bulletproof/low maintainence.
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Tbteam
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Tbteam 5/20/2019 8:20pm
5/20/2019 8:20pm
Any year YZ250. (No “F”)
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colvin227
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colvin227 5/20/2019 10:02pm
5/20/2019 10:02pm Edited Date/Time 5/20/2019 10:07pm
Reliable top end and 250F rarely go in the same sentence. “Reliability” is subjective of course, but by design high reving high compression 250f engines are very hard on top ends. Chalk it up to some what of a trade off for the power you get out of the small package. 450s are much friendlier on top ends due to the lower Rpms since you don’t need to wring it out and lower compression ratio respectively.
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yz133rider
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yz133rider 5/21/2019 2:42am
5/21/2019 2:42am
colvin227 wrote:
Reliable top end and 250F rarely go in the same sentence. “Reliability” is subjective of course, but by design high reving high compression 250f engines are...
Reliable top end and 250F rarely go in the same sentence. “Reliability” is subjective of course, but by design high reving high compression 250f engines are very hard on top ends. Chalk it up to some what of a trade off for the power you get out of the small package. 450s are much friendlier on top ends due to the lower Rpms since you don’t need to wring it out and lower compression ratio respectively.
Disagree. Have had 4 250fs and adjusted valves twice in 300+ hours between them. No piston, crank, no internal replacements. Just 2 valve adjustments.

Stay off the limiter, keep filter clean, keep oil fresh. Bomb proof in my experience.
2008-2013 yz250f is my vote. Find the cleanest lowest hours example and treat it with care.
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kb228
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kb228 5/21/2019 4:02am
5/21/2019 4:02am
If youve shimmed them a couple times go ahead and get a valve job.
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Rotaholic
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Rotaholic 5/21/2019 4:03am
5/21/2019 4:03am
There's a reason suzukis are so heavy, those 450s are bullet proof.
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ama530
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ama530 5/21/2019 4:13am
5/21/2019 4:13am
RMZ450. I had a 2008 1/2 that had 250+ hours on it and I changed the piston once. (The piston looked perfect after 100 hours.) Never touched the bottom end or valves. Clean air filter and change your oil on a regular basis. Bulletproof! It is very heavy but still a great moto bike.
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fourfourone
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fourfourone 5/21/2019 5:36am
5/21/2019 5:36am
how many hours on the bike? Once you start chasing valve adjustments you might as well do a valve job.
sandtrack315
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sandtrack315 5/21/2019 5:53am
5/21/2019 5:53am
I put 100 hours on a 2012 YZ250F, no top end, no valve adjustments needed, and I rode the high RPM range most of the time. High quality oil change every 4-5 hours, filter every ride. Only have about 10 hours on my 19, so hard to judge.

Honestly, no one has comprehensive enough data to give you a solid answer on this. Any judgement is certainly biased.
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H4L
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H4L 5/21/2019 6:15am
5/21/2019 6:15am
sandtrack315 wrote:
I put 100 hours on a 2012 YZ250F, no top end, no valve adjustments needed, and I rode the high RPM range most of the time...
I put 100 hours on a 2012 YZ250F, no top end, no valve adjustments needed, and I rode the high RPM range most of the time. High quality oil change every 4-5 hours, filter every ride. Only have about 10 hours on my 19, so hard to judge.

Honestly, no one has comprehensive enough data to give you a solid answer on this. Any judgement is certainly biased.
Agree. To many variables to give the right answer on durability. I will say the modern 4t engines have been improved & gotten better than the older versions.
Dirty Points 5/21/2019 6:17am
5/21/2019 6:17am
sandtrack315 wrote:
I put 100 hours on a 2012 YZ250F, no top end, no valve adjustments needed, and I rode the high RPM range most of the time...
I put 100 hours on a 2012 YZ250F, no top end, no valve adjustments needed, and I rode the high RPM range most of the time. High quality oil change every 4-5 hours, filter every ride. Only have about 10 hours on my 19, so hard to judge.

Honestly, no one has comprehensive enough data to give you a solid answer on this. Any judgement is certainly biased.
There are probably some large multi-line dealers/service centers who have a pretty good idea as to the patterns.
yz133rider
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yz133rider 5/21/2019 6:18am
5/21/2019 6:18am
sandtrack315 wrote:
I put 100 hours on a 2012 YZ250F, no top end, no valve adjustments needed, and I rode the high RPM range most of the time...
I put 100 hours on a 2012 YZ250F, no top end, no valve adjustments needed, and I rode the high RPM range most of the time. High quality oil change every 4-5 hours, filter every ride. Only have about 10 hours on my 19, so hard to judge.

Honestly, no one has comprehensive enough data to give you a solid answer on this. Any judgement is certainly biased.
Dirty Points wrote:
There are probably some large multi-line dealers/service centers who have a pretty good idea as to the patterns.
Yes but each owner is signicantly different with abilities habits and abuse.
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mxrose3
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mxrose3 5/21/2019 6:19am
5/21/2019 6:19am Edited Date/Time 5/21/2019 6:24am
fourfourone wrote:
how many hours on the bike? Once you start chasing valve adjustments you might as well do a valve job.
Exactly. Many things cause the valves and seats to start wearing, including over-revving, or sucking dirt into the air filter, lots of hours, etc. Send the head off for a valve job and new valves. A good shop will do a 3-angle valve job to re-cut the seat, or you can have new seats installed. Throw away the old valves, as they are probably worn and will just wear out a newly cut seat. If it has a lot of time on it, you may want to have new guides installed. Or just buy a new head/valves.
1
Dirty Points 5/21/2019 6:22am
5/21/2019 6:22am
sandtrack315 wrote:
I put 100 hours on a 2012 YZ250F, no top end, no valve adjustments needed, and I rode the high RPM range most of the time...
I put 100 hours on a 2012 YZ250F, no top end, no valve adjustments needed, and I rode the high RPM range most of the time. High quality oil change every 4-5 hours, filter every ride. Only have about 10 hours on my 19, so hard to judge.

Honestly, no one has comprehensive enough data to give you a solid answer on this. Any judgement is certainly biased.
Dirty Points wrote:
There are probably some large multi-line dealers/service centers who have a pretty good idea as to the patterns.
yz133rider wrote:
Yes but each owner is signicantly different with abilities habits and abuse.
Sure, but I think the OP is more interested in general pattern failure data. But the reality is, even those who probably have it will not be publishing.
#434
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#434 5/21/2019 6:28am
5/21/2019 6:28am
Use clean filters AND let the oil dry before you use them. If the filter hasn‘t dried out before you use them, you might as well use a dirty one..
BD233
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BD233 5/21/2019 6:31am
5/21/2019 6:31am
I've never had any reliability issues with any 4 stroke I've had, and I've had all 4 Japanese brands...I think maintenance is key...
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H4L
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H4L 5/21/2019 6:45am
5/21/2019 6:45am
yz133rider wrote:
Yes but each owner is signicantly different with abilities habits and abuse.
Yep. I don't believe any data can account for that unless a questionnaire would be filled out with honest answers at the dealer.
BroFoSho
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BroFoSho 5/21/2019 8:58am
5/21/2019 8:58am
Silathar wrote:
I currently have a 2014 yz250f that needs to be shimmed every 30-40 hours at best, and I've been finding thats kinda ridiculous considering I'm inbetween...
I currently have a 2014 yz250f that needs to be shimmed every 30-40 hours at best, and I've been finding thats kinda ridiculous considering I'm inbetween C class and D class.

Ive been thinking about switching to a ktm 300 XC, my main concerns are reliability and ease of maintenance. I've never changed a piston before and just shimming my 4t was a big step for me.

Anyways, what's your thoughts on the matter?

Edit: I got about 200-400 hours on it so maybe it is time for a new top end! I do hit the rev limiter pretty often, as I'd like to call myself an aggressive rider. I think my problem mainly was lack of maintenance to where it was needed.
If you truly have 200-400 hours on a 250f, that is a MIRACLE and also a testament to Yamaha reliability. I remember all of my Honda 250F's religiously started to eat Ti valves around the 50-60 hour mark. SS valves helped fix that.

Keep the bike, drop in some SS valves and do a full rebuild from the crank up and you'll be good to go.
BobPA
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BobPA 5/21/2019 9:14am
5/21/2019 9:14am
All of the modern 450's are dependable....
Silathar
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Silathar 5/21/2019 9:40am
5/21/2019 9:40am Edited Date/Time 5/21/2019 9:41am
Silathar wrote:
I currently have a 2014 yz250f that needs to be shimmed every 30-40 hours at best, and I've been finding thats kinda ridiculous considering I'm inbetween...
I currently have a 2014 yz250f that needs to be shimmed every 30-40 hours at best, and I've been finding thats kinda ridiculous considering I'm inbetween C class and D class.

Ive been thinking about switching to a ktm 300 XC, my main concerns are reliability and ease of maintenance. I've never changed a piston before and just shimming my 4t was a big step for me.

Anyways, what's your thoughts on the matter?

Edit: I got about 200-400 hours on it so maybe it is time for a new top end! I do hit the rev limiter pretty often, as I'd like to call myself an aggressive rider. I think my problem mainly was lack of maintenance to where it was needed.
BroFoSho wrote:
If you truly have 200-400 hours on a 250f, that is a MIRACLE and also a testament to Yamaha reliability. I remember all of my Honda...
If you truly have 200-400 hours on a 250f, that is a MIRACLE and also a testament to Yamaha reliability. I remember all of my Honda 250F's religiously started to eat Ti valves around the 50-60 hour mark. SS valves helped fix that.

Keep the bike, drop in some SS valves and do a full rebuild from the crank up and you'll be good to go.
Sounds like a plan brother! This thread was mainly data collection as some have assumed. This definitely cleared my head a little. Time for a rebuild with some nice SS valves!

Think I might go for one of the newer ktm 450's as well. Been eyeing one of those for a while..

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