Gauloises Blondes Edition Yamaha 250 from Holy Moly Motorcycles…
The Yamaha WR250F is the off-road / enduro version of the company’s YZ250F motocross bike. In other words, it’s a high-performance trail bike — a race bike for the woods. The bike has a wider ratio gearbox and is designed for better power delivery at low rpm than its motocrosser sibling. Dirt Rider found the 2005 YZ250F nearly as fast and much more agile than the larger 450 version:
“There’s one word to describe this bike: fun. Receiving nearly all of the same updates as its bigger stablemate yet weighing in 16 pounds less, the WR250F feels more compact and is certainly less brutish. You can ride the 250 harder without getting into trouble nearly as quickly as with the bigger WR… The 250 has more bark [than last year] and decent bottom-end grunt, but best showcases its new power on the top end — it screams.” –Dirt Rider
This ’05 WR250F comes from our buddy Francisco Menezes of Lisbon’s Holy Moly Motorcycles, whose Yamaha Ténéré 700 retro kit we featured last year — a solution for T7 owners who want their new, highly capable adventure bikes to more closely resemble the Ténéré models of old. In the last year, we’ve seen T7 retros with Holy Moly kits showing up at shows and rallies all over, and with good reason — Francisco nailed the nostalgic look without sacrificing performance.
Soon Francisco will be introducing a new dual-lamp Universal Baja Headlight kit, which gave him the excuse for another build. A WR250F fit the bill perfectly for his needs:
“I wanted to try something lightweight and with a smaller engine. Also wanted something to race at Wheels & Waves, Malle Canyon, and small vintage races. But at the same time I needed something powerful enough and recent enough!”
The donor Francisco picked up was in horrible condition — the worst bike he’s ever bought.
“Every single part was damaged or destroyed or not stock. I was doing three steps back every one step forwards the whole time.”
All that’s really left from the original bike is the frame. It’s now sitting on a set of Excel Tagasako wheels paired with 2014 YZ450 forks, a 2012 YZ450 swingarm, and an Öhlins rear shock. The engine has some light porting done and a set of YZ250F cams, and it now breathes through a custom airbox and full Akraprovič titanium exhaust.
There’s a bigger radiator with new silicone hoses to keep the beast cool, new brakes, a custom Baja memory foam seat, and of course the gorgeous Kings Stickers custom livery, which recalls the Gauloises Yamaha Factory MotoGP team of 2002 to 2005, which featured the Doctor himself, Valentino Rossi. The colorway also reminds us of an even earlier racer, the Yamaha YZ535 supermoto of Stéphane Peterhansel.
Francisco just finished the eight-month build, which cost three times as much as anticipated given the condition of the bike. He hasn’t had time to take the bike off-road yet, but he says this 250 was a hoot on the road during his initial test rides.
“On road, during the test was amazing! Around 10/11,000 rpm and a wide ratio gearbox — surprisingly powerful for a 250cc that’s 20 years old.”
This restomod YZ250F is sure to be a hit at the upcoming shows and races, and we’ll update you when the Baja headlight kit has been installed. Bravo to Francisco for transforming another Yamaha off-roader into a nostalgia-inducing belter!
WR250F Restomod: Builder Interview
• Please tell us a bit about yourself, your history with motorcycles, and your workshop.
I’m Francisco Menezes, born in Lisbon – Portugal.
I started working on motorcycles in Oporto where I grow up and lived until turning 18. When I was around 15 or 16, by need and lack of money (at the time my parents didn’t know I had bought a motorcycle so I hid it in a garage), I started the most difficult DIY of my life: Finding out how a motorcycle works and how to make it run again. It didn’t work very well; I end up saving some money and sent it to a mechanic.
After all the mechanical parts were fixed and working, I did the re-style myself with some old, some borrowed, and some stolen tools. Since then I started to custom, fix, and upgrade some of my buddy’s motorcycles.
A few long years later, in 2012, i started to build cafe racers and scramblers with some friends as a hobby. In 2015 I started to seriously work on motorcycles and started HOLY MOLY MOTORCYCLES. I was growing and learning as a person, a builder, and of course as a mechanic!
Ten years on, we have a slightly established motorcycle workshop in Lisbon, we have built more than 50 professional motorcycles and have been growing since then. It wasn’t a solo trip, I had amazing people around me in the last few years and I learnt a lot from all of them!
• What’s the make, model, and year of the donor bike?
Yamaha WR250F 2005.
• Why was this bike built?
It’s a mix of feelings, I wanted to try something lightweight and with a smaller engine. Also wanted something to race at Wheels & Waves, Malle Canyon, and small vintage races. But at the same time I needed something powerful enough and recent enough!
At some point I convinced myself that with would be the perfect excuse to promote the Universal Baja Headlight, something that we had in mind since we came from Bike Shed T7 build.
• What was the design concept and what influenced the build?
At this time I was very deep into the T7 retro kit, so getting a Yamaha kind of made sense. A classic heritage Yamaha Dakar seemed the perfect fit. After a few designs, i was sure this was the right path. Once again, old style with a modern enough bike.
• What custom work was done to the bike?
Ohhh…a lot! We saved the stock frame only!
Front forks from 2014 YZ450, Excel Tagasako wheels, Öhlins rear shock, and swingarm from a 2012 YZ450. Full titanium Akraprovič racing exhaust, YZ250F cams and some porting done. Custom air box, WR wide ratio gearbox. Bigger radiator with silicone hoses and guards. Custom Baja comfort seat with memory foam. New full brake system. And custom decals!
• Can you tell us what it’s like to ride this bike?
I have no idea, ahahahahahhahah! Eight months on the bench! Haven’t ridden it off road yet…but on road, during the test was amazing! Around 10/11,000 rpms and wide ratio box, surprisingly powerful for a 250cc that’s 20 years old.
• Was there anything done during this build that you are particularly proud of?
I’m proud of the patience, time, and energy that went into this build. It was the worst condition bike I ever bought. Every single part was damaged or destroyed or not stock. I was doing three steps back every one step forwards the whole time. This project cost 3x more than expected!
Follow the Builder: @holymolymotorcycles
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