Does Yamaha’s Serow 250 need to come to the UK?

YAMAHA’S Serow 250 has just been released in the Philippines and Visordown wishes they’d send it over here for us to enjoy!

The Serow (or XT250 as it’s called in some markets) has been around for years, first launching back in 1986 in the golden era of road-legal dirt bikes. The low-stressed 250cc, long travel suspension, and rugged build quality made it a favourite with green lane riders and short distance commuters alike.

Fast forward to 2019 and the model is now only sold in Asian markets like Japan, Malaysia and the Philippines. The only examples available on these shores are grey-import items, brought to the EU via expensive, small capacity shipments. Sadly, those factors impact the price for the UK buyer, making a UK Serow an expensive option.

But with the recent boom in adventure bikes and road-going off-road machines, the Serow looks like the ultimate machine for taking on a gentle green lane this autumn. Yamaha’s UK adventure lineup is also devoid of lightweight, low-stressed off-road machines, with just the Tenere 700 and XT1200ZE Super Tenere on offer. Could the Serow be the answer to bikes like Honda’s CRF250L and CRF450L?

The Yamaha Serow 250 is powered by a 250cc fuel-injected, air-cooled, two-valve engine, that makes 18hp and 20Nm of torque. It weighs in at just 133kg making it a capable yet unintimidating off-road option. So, it’s easy to ride, simple to maintain and should be fairly reasonably priced. The only question is: Why don’t we get it over here!?