There’s a lot to like about winter. For starters, the grass doesn’t need cutting. And owing to the long, dark nights, casual alcoholism is widely accepted (or so I keep telling myself). But the biggest appeal for me is the chance to get down and dirty with some off-road antics… assuming you have a bike to play on. In my case, I don’t, and for some reason my brother’s stopped lending me his, so you can imagine how delighted I was when an invite arrived from Yamaha, asking if I wanted to try out the new WR250F. I waited a whole three seconds before saying yes – and left it another hour before breaking the news to my wife and kids that I was leaving them again.