I've gone around the 'net looking for Yamaha WR250R (http://www.yamaha-motor.com/sport/pr...95/0/home.aspx) ride reports and comparisons to similar motorcycles. All I'm really finding is stuff about the claimed 30HP at 11,000 RPM.

For a $1,000 you can do a Kustom Kraft 331cc upgrade to our KLX-250S's so, for pure power I think that is a great option. However, the fuel injection seems to have some benefits and I'm wondering how the suspension and other bits are sorted out in this Yamaha dual sport. I'd consider a Husky 250 and dual sport it myself but, their dealer network is too thin for me. Plus the dollar to Euro conversion rates are killing KTM and Husky in terms of price.

My "fair-weather friend" has me considering putting street tires on it for sunny day pleasure rides and commutes when the weather is warm,and getting a second motorcycle that is more dirt oriented. Before I bought my KLX-250S, I looked at the Honda CRF-X and Yamaha WR's but, I didn't like the 10 hour service intervals for a street ride. This new Yamaha might be a good balance of better performance and reasonable service intervals since it is a dual-sport and not a dedicated race machine.

What's the consensus on the WR-250R's? Are they more dirt worthy then a KLX-250S? Do they have more maintenance requirements then the KLX but not as bad as a hard core 4-stroke race bike? What other models should I consider in a motorcycle that is less then 300 pounds and dirt worthy?

Thanks!

 

Since they are a brand new model & notm out yet I doubt you will fins any hard info.

That said, on paper, I would get one over a KLX. That said, on paper, I see no resson to trade in a decently modded KLX on one either.

But if they came out with a 450[sm=groupwave.gif]

 

The local dealer had one in the crate which I will be taking a look at this coming Friday if it's isn't sold off the showroom floor. I would have thought there would be enough interest in them to have a few out on the street and trails by now.

And yes, if Yamaha or Kawasaki or Honda would come out with a slightly detuned for reliability 450 4-Stroke I would be all over one. 10 hour service intervals on a race bike just ain't my thing and I'm happy with the longevity trade-off in a large 450 motor in a sub-300 pound motorcycle with a good suspension. The more I ride the KLX-250S the more trouble I have understanding the appeal of the 650's which seem waaaay too heavy to me; plus they generally have suspensions that aren't that good. I'm glad I went with the little 250 for my initial purchase.

 

I bought a french magasine that did tried the bike. The bike should have been named TTR instead of WR. Its built to replace the ttr250. So suspension are soft, And in the plus side they review a good hight RPM performance and on the minus side, not so good low RPM performance cause all the horsepower is way hight in the rpm. Personnaly I think its going to be a pain in the a$$ to mod the Efi system and the rest of the bike...

 

For $1000 you could get a 331 kit and tm33/34(or tm36)carb from Bill Blue and a pipe if you look around and find a deal. i feel that the 06-07 klx wil be more dirt worthy than the Wr. But until they are out and put through there paces no one knows. It will be interesting so see if one of the mags will do a dualsport shoot out this year. Husky sells a te250 that is already street legal, but like you said dealers are far and few between. If you are looking for another bike maybe consider another used klx and set it up for straight dirt riding.

 

After a trip to the dealer for service for a "frozen" battery issue in southern Arizona and a pat on the back from the service guy I'm a might miffed right now. They did load test the battery and checked the charging voltage though. The battery tested out good and the charging system is fine. I just have a motorcycle that won't run. [sm=boohoo.gif]

I like the little KLX-250S overall when it runs. It is well suited to my riding style for most things. When I got into sand, it didn't have enough low end and it's twitchy above 65MPH indicated on the highway. However, sand is something I avoid when I can and I generally ride at ~45MPH ongood roads. For off road, I can see a need for more but the little KLX-250S would keep me happy for a long time if it would run.

It's got so many liability safety switches in it, I'm guessing one of those has gone wacky on me. I don't really want to spend the next few weeks sorting out the electrical system and voiding my warranty but so far the dealer hasn't inspired confidence either.

A $1,000 would go a long ways to trading rides. It would also do a good upgrade in the motor department too. A Kustom Kraft 331cc in a KLX-250S that will run would certainly solve the power issue I have and would probably fix the front suspension too. Add $150 for the KX-250 front master cylinder and another $100 for stainless brake lines and I'm sure it would really improve things. However, if it's going to be a total basket case it's time to cut my losses. []

 

There's only 2 safety switches, the kickstand, which is disabled by following its wires up under the seat and plugging them into themselves to complete a circuit, and the clutch one which is behind the headlight. The clutch switch, as long as the bike is in neutral, it doesn't matter if its hooked up or not. Not to be a jackass but take a look at your kill switch, it might be stuck, the button may be out but the internals might not be. After crashing in sand a few time my kill switch is all but useless, it sticks and is a pain to get free again so I don't use it anymore.



Oh, as far as the WR, there is a lengthy thread in www.advrider.com and they have several vids of a few guys hitting some large jumps on an mx track and it looks like the bike flat out rips. Appears to have much more grunt and better stock suspension than the KLX....but then again, the guys riding are pros, and are kinda scrawny.

 

The latest version of trailzone mag in australia has a review of them, the look pretty awesome, especially for the money 9999 aus$, I wouldn't get rid of the klx to get one though, maybe in a year or so but not yet.

Cheers
CHris.

 

Safety switches and other things seem to be a little over done. When I put on the radiator guards, I left a stray wire loose and it was DOA. I finally found the wire, grounded it, and it started up. The electrical stuff seems a little overdone to me. I've read a few threads with guys complaining that one loose ground wire somewhere killed their motorcycle until they found it. I never had these issues on a Honda XL 20 years ago.

And, I did play with the kill switch. I didn't take it apart but, I did check it for the action. No grit, no sticking, etc.

Thanks for the ideas so far! If I keep working on it, I'm going to find the culprit. It just ticks me off that I'm sweating in the sunshine wrenching on my motorcycle instead of riding it; it still pretty darn cherry after all.

 

I don't trust a youtube video of professional rider on the internet. These guys don't represent me at all. A pro rider can make anything look good on youtube.



I'll take a "normal" group of guys in a forum like this over the pro's anyday. I'll never ride like a pro but, I can ride with most of you on normal trails though I'll never do a hare scramble.