You're joking about there not being much weight difference, right? You must be if you've ridden both bikes.

The 2009 KLX250S is 135kg and the WR is 118kg (both curb mass I believe). Without even seeing those figures, just by taking the bikes off their stands and pushing them forward you can feel the weight difference (easily). My mates WR is pretty much stock with the exception of drilling out the exhaust, while mine should be quite a lot lighter than stock thanks to the removal of bits and replacing them with lighter aftermarket parts (muffler, handlebars, and rear sprocket to name a few of the heavier bits) and the weight difference is still noticeable.

I think we need to be honest about the strengths and weaknesses of our KLX's when people are asking for advice like this. I love my KLX and although I am looking for another bike for my weekend trail riding at the moment, I will be keeping my KLX (probably till I have run it into the ground). The KLX has many strengths and redeeming features, but she is one heavy bike when compared with her peers. With that comes a rock solid and easily repairable steel frame, and a near bulletproof engine, which the WR can only aspire to match (in spite of the fact that it is very reliable itself). She's like the fat girl in the class - really nice personality, but at the end of the day she's still fat.

 

I have a '09 KLX 351. My 44 year old son has a wr250. The 351 is easier to ride in every situation except on a dirt track with big jumps. Torque wins. I went to a 15 tooth front sprocket to take advantage of the torque. I have only had it to an indicated 95 mph. It was still pulling. It will still out drag his WR. In tight trails it works on a par with his and is still easier to ride due to the torque.

 

Arctra quote--"You're joking about there not being much weight difference, right? You must be if you've ridden both bikes."

I think you may be quoting the weight of the WR250F. Even Yamaha claims the weight of the WR250F as 260 pounds, which matches pretty well with your 118kg...259.6 pounds. The WR250R does not weigh the same as the F racing model. The numbers I see for the WRR range from a low of about 288 pounds to a high of about 298 pounds. The '09 and later KLX's hover around the 298 pound area also by all reports I see. Judging the weight between these bikes by pushing them might not be the best measurement. In fact, the height of the WRR makes the Yamaha feel heavier to me, even though I know it's not.

Yes, I've ridden both models of WRR and WRX. The guy I bought my KLX from bought a WRR. He's a street only guy and liked the WRR better for pavement ripping. I don't like the height of the bike...even though it has an inch less travel than my '06. The WRX I had experience with was on a trip to Big Bend National Park which is a fast desert area. The guy had knobbies on his X along with a pipe, airbox mods, and a Power Commander on the FI. That thing absolutely ripped. We rode together for several days.

I totally agree with you on the reality and application of the KLX. It's no race bike. But it is one of the more competent, true, dualsport bikes available. KTM's and other great off road bikes used for DS'ing are just race bikes with plates. That's not what many people want or need. It took a few bucks to get mine where I want it, but it's a real DS bike that works extremely well.

 

Fair enough. I plead ignorance on the difference in WR models. You are more than likely correct in that case, and my comments on the gearing etc should be ignored as no doubt the R version of the WR is different to my mates one.

 

Don't knock fat girls until you try them. You'll never go back to skinny girls and all their bitchy princess complex issues again.

 

Feral what's the old saying "fat girls are like mopeds they're a lot of fun to ride until your buddies see you"

 

If I had it to do all over again, I would get the KLX. I've ridden both bikes (two WR's in our group), and three KLX's. The KLX's shine with a Big Bore and suspension upgrades. Even with the costs to upgrade, the KLX's total monetary outlay is less than the WR. I'll take heavy steel frames over aluminum every day on a dual-sport...much easier to repair steel. That being said, I would THINK that a precise EFI map would be great to have on a bike, as long as it is reliable. There's really no "repairing" of an EFI possible on a trailside out in the middle of no-where...so, again, I'll take a carburated version.

 

^ Yep, to everything.

The WR is very expensive to mod. My buddy spent a lot of money on the fuel computer, exhaust, etc. and it still felt like a moped.

The KLX with a $550 BB kit is freakin awesome.

Unless the WR was given to me for free, KLX all day.

 

That's unfortunate about your buddy's WR result. That guy in that pic in my post above had done the exhaust, airbox mod, and Power Commander, and that bike ripped. The airbox mod to the Yamaha isn't quite like ours. There's a funky flapper piece that has to be modded or any other mods won't really do any good. Don't get me wrong...I'm not trying to promote the WR over the KLX by any means, but the WR was pretty impressive IMO when modded properly. I like the torque of the KLX with a big bore for trail riding over the modded WR. The Yamaha has to be revved a good deal. There's a guy over on the ADV site who did a 292cc Athena kit for his WRR, and with a remapped fuel program it seemed to produce some noticeable power increase.

 

I dunno, maybe my buddy just got a dud.. Or maybe the programmer isn't programmed correctly? Or maybe I was just so use to the 351 that the lack of torque made it seem slower than it really was?

I dunno.

But it is a more expensive bike all around. You can't go wrong with either!