Has anyone ridden both? I'm curious which would have faster acceleration on the street.

 

Yeah, I have had a test ride on both. On paved roads, I reckon the KLX might have the edge as its gearing is more suited to paved road riding than then shorter gearing of the WR gearbox.

Offroad I think the WR is far superior thanks to its weight advantage, setup that allows you to loft the front wheel easier, and its engine/gearing combo.

Just my opinion.

 

An uncorked ( opened up exhaust/intake, jetted ) KLX will run all day with any WR250.

A 351 should out run it without breaking a sweat.

HP numbers are one thing, but torque will always win out. A WR250 only makes 14-15 ft. lbs of torque. A properly tuned big bore KLX can get into the low 20's pretty easily.

 

That WR is TALL!

Completely different bikes in my book. Value check goes to a tweaked KLX. However, I sure wouldn't turn down a WR if it were priced right....say, about 3000.00 with almost no miles on it.

 

No comparo, I've ridden my buddy's 08 WR250 and 06 WR250, both of which felt like mopeds compared to my 351. I like the WR's suspension better, nice and tall, but you really can't fairly compare the power of the WR250 to a big bore KLX.

 

Arctra, I'm not sure on the weight comment. From all the info I've seen where people or magazines actually weighed these bikes, they're almost identical, aren't they? I haven't weighed them, so my info is just from other sources.

I have ridden them both and own an '06 KLX. If we're talking an OEM WR250R with no mods, the KLX351 is faster and pulls harder. OEM to OEM between the two bikes, the WR is faster. When you put a pipe, FI programmer, and an airbox mod on the WR, even at 250cc the WR is a screamer and close if not equal to the KLX351 on the top end. The 351 has better low end torque, and I think that works better for the dirt. The WR runs like crazy on the top end. I've ridden a WRX and a WRR.

On the suspension, when Kawasaki dropped the '09 travel to about 10" from 11", this made the WR and KLX almost identical in that area. Both bikes have almost identical forks and shocks, and both need revalving for optimum off road performance. Dirt Rider mag even did a good test on the suspension of the WR last year and came to the same conclusion. I don't why both Yamaha and Kawasaki can get the valving spec'd properly on their suspensions on these two bikes.

These are both good bikes...very reliable and durable. The Kawasaki needs a little more help from bone stock in the power department than the WR does, but IMO they both need it. If I owned a WR, I'd have an FI programmer, pipe, airbox mod, and suspension revalve in a heartbeat. I wouldn't leave either bike stock, so maybe it comes down to purchase price. Some of us like the '06/'07 KLX models because of the extra inch of travel, but this isn't the end of the world kind of deal either.

 

I have a good buddy with a WR. His main complaint was he couldn't find reasonably-priced accessories for it, when compared to the KLX (skid plates, racks, etc.). Either bike is capable. It's easier and cheaper to make the KLX more than capable.

 

Green is a faster color than blue. It has something to do with how the universe bends light combines space and time into a single continuum or something.

 

Lol. And you did not mention the quantum mechanics being designed in the KLX...

And this is from companies that know how to build competitive motorcycles. I must admit being a little unhappy about this.
May be they think that since it goes on the road, it must get a differently tuned suspension? But then even the motard people seem to benefit from a retuning (re: David R, in particular).

 

Talk to the motocross guys, the XC guys, and just about everybody else, and they all bitch about the same thing. Not too many people are happy with their stock suspension, no matter what bike it comes on.

I'm not convinced it's the suspension that's the problem