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Before the latest Phazer, Yamaha tried phase-two in its establishment of entry-level sleds for the general public. That replacement was the Bravo, a small machine meant to replace the Enticer 250 as an entry-level model.
Introduced in 1982, the Bravo was deemed by some as little more than Yamaha's attempt at building a slightly bigger Kitty Cat. Of course, that thought probably came from Cat riders and certainly not from Yamaha, which viewed the Bravo as setting the standard for lightweight machines.
Yamaha was probably more right in its assessment as a version of the Bravo is still being sold in Canada.
Futuristic?While not sold in the United States market for years now, the Bravo originally represented thinking similar to Ski-Doo's new REV-XP! What's that you say!? Are we totally bonkers?
Not really! In its 1982 debut, Yamaha proclaimed that its engineers had made a concentrated effort to take weight and cost out of the modern snowmobile (circa 1980s standards, of course). Retailing for less than $1,400 US, the Bravo packed a great deal of value in its 93-inch long chassis.
That chassis was made of aluminum and steel. Front suspension consisted of monoleaf ski spring with hydraulic shock assistance to reduce ski chatter. Its 30-inch center-to-center ski stance made the short sled quite stable.
The rear suspension proved a nice upgrade from the Enticer 250 that had come before the Bravo. The overall travel on the slide-rail suspension was longer, but there were no adjustments to make. So, you needed to take advantage of the Bravo's multi-layered foam seat.
Handlebars were adjustable, and you had a nifty little storage area under the bars to keep a cap.
Despite only 24 inches of track length actually gripping the snow, the Bravo proved deceptively agile in powder. Perhaps the torquey little engine and the sled's 281 lbs. worked to keep the machine moving ahead.
Only a few horsesThe unicast engine had been introduced just the previous season. Measuring 250cc, the single-cylinder 2-stroke delivered a mild, but extremely reliable 18 horsepower at 5,500 rpm. The small single was 20% lighter and ran nearly 30% lower in rpm than previous Yamaha singles. (Now, all the chatter is about how much more rigid the chassis is!)
With a fan-cooled design, the little Yamaha motor featured oil-injection (which Yamaha had pioneered in production sleds). Able to get upward of 30 miles per gallon, the Bravo's range with its mighty 4-gallon tank was easily more than 100 miles.
On its Web site, Yamaha lists this model as one of its significant sleds, noting: "The BR250 was a hit with everyone from beginners to veterans, thanks to its compact engine and incredibly light frame. The Bravo set the standard for lightweight machines."
If you want a piece of Yamaha history, you can check eBay for available historic Bravo models. Or, you can travel to Canada and buy a brand new 2008 Bravo 250 for $4,599 (Canadian,eh!). The Bravo celebrates a legacy of providing more than a quarter century of reliable on-snow service!