highlights of the 2008 WR250R

[B-rent]

In my insanely popular thread,  , "Any reasons not to buy a WR250R from those who own one?" http://www.sport-touring.net/forums/index.php/topic,29454.0.html, I expressed some apprehension that the WR250R may not have enough power. Since I've already put over 200 miles on it, I thought I'd share some highlights of the bike so far, with some pictures to boot. For those that want to know, I'm 6' tall 205 lbs with an inseam of 30.

I got it home Saturday evening about 4pm.



On the ride down from Altoona, PA to MD, I had a chance to open it up on route 220/99. Once I hit 90mph I backed off. The bike is pretty darn smooth at highway speed. The mirrors on it, which vibrate a lot on the Sprint at higher speeds due to wind blast, were virtually still at 90mph. I thought this was pretty impressive for a modified dirtbike with mirrors. The tires, while not perfectly quiet, were quiet enough that I had to think about them to notice their sound. The engine has a raspy quality that's reminiscent of Yamaha's dirt bikes. I laughed in my helmet a couple times because of the aggressive growl it makes when throttling on hard. It's bark is louder than it's bite!   It's a pretty quiet bike though, especially at idle when the only indication you have that it's running is a low end rumble.

Here's the 25hp stock powerplant. (good details here for those that want to know http://motoaus.com/dirt/dirt-news-and-features/2008-yamaha-wr250r-and-wr250x.html)



It's been a long time since I've ridden a dirtbike. I grew up riding a Yamaha MX80 in the 80s. On the Sprint, I barely ever go past half throttle. On the WR250R, I found its sweet spot is at least half throttle to full throttle. This is why I thought the power on the WRR was anemic. I was throttling it like I was on the Sprint. Once I opened the throttle up and got used to a larger range of motion, as opposed to subtle differences in throttle, the bike took on a new light. I found I was easily able to keep up with traffic (one concern), and also pass them. (another concern) Furthermore, later that weekend I'd ride into town with my girl (she's 110lbs) on the back and I found it even had plenty of power to pass cars two up. She said she felt safer on the WRR then the Sprint, because I couldn't go as fast.    

The looks on some peoples faces when a dirtbike (to them it looks like a dirtbike) passed them on the highway going 80 was priceless. I had one guy in particular who took it personally. Once I passed him in his Ford 250 truck, he sped up and passed me 10 seconds later staring me down as he passed. And, I never got a thumbs up from any old timers on my Sprint. Not only did this occur, but a big overweight construction worker gave me a fist pump in the air.  

Some more pics:







The little black box in the pic above is a toolbox.

Another concern of the bike was comfort. The biggest drawback of this bike right now is the seat. My ass HURT riding home 150 miles. I stopped 3 times to get some relief. My girlfriend said it felt like getting screwed by a really skinny guy.    Hopefully, some aftermarket providers will step forward and offer an alternative. If not, I'll spend the money on a custom modification of the current one.

The bike's not even 300 lbs, so I was also concerned about wind buffeting and stability of the bike at highway speeds. I'm happy to say that the wind buffeting was totally doable, unless you're behind a big vehicle. I've never ridden a motorcycle where this isn't the case. The lightness of the steering never gets scary nor do the bars shake unless you're in a situation like that above. Even then, the bike seems to cut through the air in such a way that stability's always maintained. I passed numerous tractor trailers on the PA turnpike and it was fine. Another plus was the lack of helmet buffeting caused by a fairing. My Shoei X-11 felt great riding it as it just seemed to slice through the air. (I laughed to myself sometimes too thinking of how much of a badass I was wearing a Shoei X-11 with a silver mirror shield on the WRR.  )

Yet another concern was night riding. How effective are the headlight and lights after hours? I was very pleased with these. In fact the two orange signals on either side of the headlight remain lit even when you're not using the turn signals. The extra light projected to the sides of the bike provide excellent sideways visibilty at night. I feel safer riding this at night than the Sprint.







The digital odometer/speedometer (above) is easily readable. There's two trip computers. There's also a stopwatch which I haven't used yet. The backlighting is a light blue which makes the black numbers/letters easily readable in the dark. I'd imagine the plastic and smallness of the unit helped to decrease weight while still providing functionality, as well as make it easily replaceable in the event of some off-road, or on-road, damage.

The only other drawback I can think of the bike right now is heat. I really don't see this as a drawback but others might. Dirtbikes, at least the 80s/125s/250s I've ridden, have always put out heat. The heat output is pretty equal to the Sprint, which some say is excessive. That's why I mention it. The only time I noticed the fan running is when the bike was off.



The best I saved for last. I love this bike off road. Everywhere I've taken it, which isn't much right now but it's enough to know, is really where this bike shines. The suspension is fantastic, as are the brakes. The reinforced tail end is capable of 400 lb loads. I've already ordered DirtBagz for it.

I think Yamaha's got a winner here. I found myself outpacing the roads I go on with my Sprint with this thing. It's just so light and flickable that turns feel like nothing. When I get home from riding my Sprint after 2 hours, I feel like it's enough for a bit. On this thing, I'm ready to go back out. The lightness of it seems to translate emotionally as well.

On my ride home from the dealer I rode past this small park close to home. It has railroad tracks which protrude on the way up this large hill. On my Sprint, I have to slow way down and crawl over them. While I was ascending the hill I thought fuck it, I'm taking this thing at a different pace. I caught sight of some kids off to the side and they turned as I got closer. I caught some nice air over those tracks, turned and saw the kids clapping and waving.   When I rode onto my girl's property, I drove up on the grass, flew around back over some tree trunks, down the hill into this large grass field, tossed it around some bumps, through the gravel of this church parking lot, drove off the curb, back up to my girl's place through the grass, threw my leg over the side, pulled off my helmet and had a smile from ear to ear. I think I got the right bike.  

You owe it to yourself to check this bike out if you're in the market for a bike entirely capable on road, and even more so off road, with an emphasis on being light. The 71mpg isn't too bad either.

[Scratch33]

  Nice pics; much too clean though.  Please dirty it up and post back.

[JReazor]

The 71mpg isn't too bad either.

Congrats on the bike and thanks for the write up!

Have you actually done the math on a tank of gas? I'd like to know what kind of real world mileage you're getting.

[SWriverstone]

Great write-up!  

I'd like to take credit for introducing B-rent to the WRR and tipping him off to a dealer who actually had one! (The '08s are not easy to find right now.)

...but of course now---after I decided *not* to buy a WRR---I'm finding my resolve weakened by all of B-rent's rants and raves.  

Like JReazor said Brent, I'm also really curious to know what kind of real-world mileage you're getting? (If you actually get 70+mpg, that could be an excellent reason for me to justify buying one! Then again, the KLR's not bad at 52+mpg..._

Scott

[Yamadog]

 :thumbsup:Sweet! Sounds like the interweb reports were pretty accurate (for a change). I had read about 80mph top end and was a bit skeptical but 90mph!

[B-rent]

  Nice pics; much too clean though.  Please dirty it up and post back.

Will do Scratch33, thanks! 

Congrats on the bike and thanks for the write up!

Have you actually done the math on a tank of gas? I'd like to know what kind of real world mileage you're getting.

Thanks JReazor. I'd read on ADVRider a guy who was seeing real world of 73mpg on his WRR. I didn't save the link but if you do a google on ADVRider and WR250R, you'll get a number of hits. It's one of these. I plan on calculating this more for myself, and my riding style, in the near future. I'll post with the results.

Yeah, I do owe a bit of gratitude to Scott for hooking me up with Keystone Motosports. Thanks Scott!  I'm going to forward this thread to Keystone Motosports too and thank them for the great deal. You guys should consider them for your next Yamaha or Kawasaki bike.  

 :thumbsup:Sweet! Sounds like the interweb reports were pretty accurate (for a change). I had read about 80mph top end and was a bit skeptical but 90mph!

Thanks Yamadog.  Yeah I could've gone faster too, but not much I suppose. It was throttled all the way on and was only slowly accelerating. Also on a thread on ADVRider, I read a top speed of 93mph for it, with GPS verification.

[1moreroad]

D**n, you!  I was all set to decide that 26 hp wasn't enough.  Now... f**k, I got to re-think things.

(nice write up)

I've read enough on Supermotojunkies that the power is fine on the freeway.  How is power pulling away from a stop light?  Are you slipping the clutch riding two up?  How is power at 30 mph or 40 mph?  Do you have to rev the snot out of it to get it to accelerate?

[R Doug]

Nice write up and pictures.  I really want to test ride the WRR.  I've read that Yamaha has put all of its top shelf components on this bike when it comes to chassis, engine, brakes, and suspension.  I'm just not 100% convinced it would do everything I would want it to.  

The other bike I'm considering is much more in cost, about the same weight, and can do everything I want.  But, at nearly $9,000 (!) the KTM 690 Enduro may end up being too much of a reach.  

[1moreroad]

The other bike I'm considering is much more in cost, about the same weight, and can do everything I want.  But, at nearly $9,000 (!) the KTM 690 Enduro may end up being too much of a reach.  

Then really, really, REALLY don't compare service intervals to the WR-Rs.

[R Doug]

Then really, really, REALLY don't compare service intervals to the WR-Rs.

That's so true.  I still can't believe how far you can go between service intervals w/ the WRRs.  

[bubba2much]

scott I got one left.  lol.  Brent I'm glad you like the bike.

[B-rent]

D**n, you!  I was all set to decide that 26 hp wasn't enough.  Now... f**k, I got to re-think things.

(nice write up)

I've read enough on Supermotojunkies that the power is fine on the freeway.  How is power pulling away from a stop light?  Are you slipping the clutch riding two up?  How is power at 30 mph or 40 mph?  Do you have to rev the snot out of it to get it to accelerate?

  Thanks man.

Power pulling away from a stop light is ok. 1st gear's almost useless.   It's good for parking it, that's about it. You'll read this everywhere.

Once you get the rpms up though, it flows nicely into 2nd, then 3rd, then 4th. The strongest gears are 2nd and 3rd by far. They pull nicely, especially when applying more throttle, which is the key to getting this bike to perform. I wouldn't say that you have to rev the snot out of it to accelerate, just that it takes getting it into at least the mid-rpm levels to start the greater torque. One way to put it is that I feel I use the entire engine, almost all the way up to redline, in riding the WRR. I only use half or less of the Sprint's on average.

I didn't experience any clutch slippage riding two up no.

Power at 30 to 40 is it's sweet spot. I'm sure it was designed this way, since you'll spend a lot of time at these speeds off road. Once again, you'll be in the two best gears 2nd and 3rd doing 30 to 40, so I'd say it's the WRR's strongest zone. This comes in handy accelerating from stoplights too where you'll find you can easily out accelerate vehicles around you to get out front.

Nice write up and pictures.  I really want to test ride the WRR.  I've read that Yamaha has put all of its top shelf components on this bike when it comes to chassis, engine, brakes, and suspension.  I'm just not 100% convinced it would do everything I would want it to.  

The other bike I'm considering is much more in cost, about the same weight, and can do everything I want.  But, at nearly $9,000 (!) the KTM 690 Enduro may end up being too much of a reach.  

Thanks R Doug. I'm thinking about doing your October outing as well as the Shen. 500. You're free to take it for a ride if I'm available to take part.

Yeah the service intervals on the WRR were a selling point too.

scott I got one left.  lol.  Brent I'm glad you like the bike.

Uh oh. It looks like we've got a rep from the dealer onboard.   Welcome! Thanks bubba2much.

[SuperHans]

I've been thinking about the WRR's brother, the WRX.

[1moreroad]

Test rode the X at lunch at the local dealer.
































I should be picking it up this afternoon.

[B-rent]

I've been thinking about the WRR's brother, the WRX.

I didn't get to ride that ejworthen. Please give us a review if you, you and 1moreroad, with the X.

I replied to a pm from 1moreroad that I was surprised for the quick purchase. But, he may have been looking quietly for some time.  

[1moreroad]

I'll keep a running list of good, bad, and ugly.

More comments -- the blinkers are straight from the 8 year old R1 two or three generations ago.  The blinker mounts are skimpy and the blinkers shake at idle.  Annoying to see at the bottom of your vision.

Mirrors shake at freeway speeds, but you can see behind you.

So far the seat is comfortable.  I find myself sitting about 2/3rds of the way back in the thickest part when I'm just commuting.  Weight shift from the front to the rear of the seat does amazing things to the handling.  Choke up a bit on the gas tank to get weight on the front wheel and the thing rails.

The bar height is comfortable enough so that I can stand straight on the pegs and hold the handlebars.  I'm 5'10" with a 31" inseam.

You definitely sit on and not in this bike.  Initial fit and finish are Honda/Yamaha quality and not Suzuki/Kawasaki quality.

[R Doug]

I'll keep a running list of good, bad, and ugly.

Congrats on the new X!

[1moreroad]

EDITED TO ADD -- Ordered a rear rack from SR8Dirt on Ebay this week.  Should be here next week sometime.  It attaches at the helmet lock, so you have to take that off.  $105 shipped.  Rated to 10+ lbs.  Originally he offered to create a custom rack for me with a sissy bar, but later apologized because he is worried about liability if something should happen to the passenger.  Can't argue with him, but dang that's disappointing.  The guy is clearly worried about getting sued since his weight limit is something to the effect of "10 pounds and probably more but do NOT put a passenger on it."  Probably some idiot tried to put a passenger on the rack, it bent, passenger fell off, and he got sued.

Couple of more observations --
The rear pre-load was pretty much pre-set for my weight (175 + gear).  I got 1.25" of sag from the weight of the bike and 3.5" of sag while sitting on the bike wearing most of my gear.  Recommended is 1.5" and 4".  It's right in the middle of the adjustment AND at least one 225 lb rider set his sag right suggesting a 50 pound range.  Haven't checked fronts yet to see if I need different springs (no preload up front like Suzuki and Husq).

From 50 miles of riding (it's raining all this week :angry: ), I'd guess the rear needs a little less compression damping and the forks a little more.  Haven't made up my mind about the fork damping. It's more than I like, but that might just be the 10" of travel.  The brakes absolutely have more power than my 6R -- I chattered the back wheel then stoppied when I had to make an aggressive stop (short yellow on a 55 mph road that I decided not to blow through) on the brakes.

A little comment on Yamaha v. Kawasaki out of the box.  Coming straight out of the dealer the fork suspension settings were at factory recommended settings, both legs, and the rear were 1 click off.  Compare that to my ZX6R where the left and right were set completely differently causing a head shake in bumpy corners.

Also: there are rubber boots covering the fork compression damping screw, the brake and clutch cables at the lever, and the throttle and clutch cable adjusters.  Nice little touches.

The throttle play is just about right, but I want to tighten the clutch cable to reduce play.  Levers are non-adjustable but short.

The Yamaha has an easy to check coolant reservoir and a standard oil sight glass like most street bikes.  That I can tell, it's almost impossible to check the coolant level in the DRZ (it has an overflow bottle, not a reservoir), and awkward to check oil since it's in the frame.

My 5'4" wife who took the MSF course 7 years ago, can throw a leg over the bike and tippy toe it in the garage.  She wants me to take it to a parking lot so she can try it out.  She's talked about getting a little Vino scooter or something, and this has got her interested in a real motorcycle in the next couple of years.  I can not tell you how awesome that would be.

Monday I'm calling a buddy to sign up for the ERC next month on this bike and ordering my rear rack.

The black plastic above the rear wheel shows mud easily.  The 91 octane and always wear your helmet stickers were tenacious to pull off.  The rear plastic already shows some scratches from a slightly dirty rag and some Honda cleaner knock off.

The bad -- on/off throttle is abrupt

A friend who just sold his KLR rode my WRX.  Up to probably 40 mph the WRX had about the same acceleration as the KLR, but over 60 mph he though the KLR would pull away from the WRX.

The WRX does fine in deep, big rock gravel at my slow speeds, but do not try to climb a curb.  On my buddy's old KLR with Mifo DOT knobbies and full soft suspension, you could just roll up and over curbs.  Not this bike with stiffer suspension and street wheels/tires.  Rolling off curbs is easy, though.

[1moreroad]

A couple of photos from a short ride today.  I geared up, it started raining.  I took all my gear off, it stopped raining.  I geared up again, and got a great, if short ride in.  You can see a few more curves just under the front fender.



The reason I got a motard.  I like riding local paved roads.  And there are some great gravel roads connecting them.



Here is the intersection of county road 210 and county road 239.  These are signed roads.  They have traffic signs.  They just aren't paved.  The ZX was a handful on these roads, but the little WR just zips along.

[1moreroad]

Added a rear rack from SR8Dirt.  < $110 shipped.  Fast shipping (ordered to installed in ~ 3 days).  Easy install.  Appears to be durable.  Doesn't touch bodywork.





(installed torx screw back in its place after I took photo)



Fits a small Nelson Rigg tailpack perfectly.



(rerouted the straps to attach only to the rack and not near the exhaust)

SECOND TANK -- With mix of riding, none of it cruising at a steady speed, I got 60 mpg -- 69.5 miles out of 1.16 gallons.

[DogBoy]

Nice looking rack. Can you rest your foot on it during long standups?  

[B-rent]

Nice pics Greg. And thanks again for sharing details of the new rack. On closer inspection of the rack, it appears to only have a maximum capacity of 10lbs. I'll likely need something a little beefier to carry gear. The only other rack I know of right now is the Yamaha rack and the Cycleracks rack. I'll sit tight for a rack with a capacity of at least 20lbs.

Yamaha rack:
https://www.yamahagenuineparts.com/Motorcycle/moreinfo.asp?ID=887&shopcat=accessories&Class=Sport%20Bike&Year=YYYY&Model=XXXX

Cycleracks rack:
http://www.cycleracks.com/images/WR250RXjpg.jpg

I fit the DirtBagz on my WRR last weekend. I wasn't expecting that they'd want you to remove the passenger pegs. I ride with my girlfriend, so she needs those. I installed the DirtBags over top of the passenger pegs. It was doable, but not easy. For starters, Yamaha had torqued down the hex bolts so tightly I had to stand on the hex key to get them loosened. I ended up stripping a bolt and a hex key completely as well as deeply gauging the plastic around the bolts. I was using metric hex keys so the play was minimal, and yet it still stripped.

After getting the bolts loosened I found that in order for the DirtBagz rack to fit over the passenger pegs the mounting bracket had to be bent some. With two people, this would've been ok. I was by myself and it was hot out. I got the thing to fit finally but only after getting really pissed and exhausted trying to bend the bracket in place and screw it on. If you plan on keeping the passenger pegs on when/if you mount these, give yourself time and some help. If not, you'll be fine doing it alone as long as you don't strip too many hex bolts in the initial steps.

I'll post pics of the WRR with DirtBagz with passenger pegs still on shortly.

Overall, I'm happy with the DirtBagz. They're beefy, like a heavy duty duffle bag, but still light enough it helps keep the weight down on the bike. I also really like the low mounting of them in order to reduce messing up the COG. I can't even tell they're there when I ride.

I had a fun experience this weekend. While out getting some ice cream with my girl, she pointed me in the direction of a big construction site. She kept egging me on and before I knew it, we were getting our share of butt punishment from the seat of the WRR riding two up on dirt. It's hard to stand up with someone holding on for dear life behind you, so you just take have to take it.    I tried aiming for milder sections to spare our butts but I couldn't help but try a rough section every now and again.  

After finishing up around back and riding out in front to hop back onto the newly paved road which led to the construction site, we found a security guard staring at us through his windshield. The 15 foot section leading back onto the paveway was a mound of dirt and gravel about 1-2 feet high. I throttled on to get enough speed to better cross the mound and we pounced down on the pavement going 15mph or so with the security guard staring at us through an open window. I was close enough to see his face was a mixture of seriousness and ease at this point, and as he cracked a smile, we blew past him at a heart-pounding 25mph.    I nodded as we passed him and punched it for the main road which was at the end of the side road.

I thought this was the end too...

The side road ended a tenth of a mile up the road with another 1-2 foot high mound of dirt/gravel between it and the main road. As I got closer to the end I thought "shit, I might have to talk to this guy," and a quick glance in my mirror showed he was following closely behind. This mound was a little higher than the other one, but feeling the ping of urgency I rolled on again and we pounced up and over the mound this time hitting a substantial edge of the road as we attempted to make it up and onto the main road. We didn't catch any air, but the front end bounced up enough to make me think, "yikes, hadn't had the front end that high yet."  

There was no freaking way that car was going to follow us.  

I rolled on hard and tried not to crash as I was laughing so hard I started coughing. My girlfriend, Lisa, doesn't smile or laugh very much. I could even hear her laughing in my helmet with my illegal foam ear plugs in. And we kept laughing as we recalled the story to each other after we got home.

I'll take a picture of the miniscule amount of dirt on my WRR for your viewing pleasure.  

[1moreroad]

B-rent -- the Yamaha rack has the same weight limit.  I've seen one Cycleracks rack and it had rust all over it in under a year.  I wasn't impressed with the sample of one.

Nice looking rack. Can you rest your foot on it during long standups?

Sadly, there is a whole thread about that here: http://www.supermotojunkie.com/showthread.php?t=64708

Of course, I didn't need the internet to figure out you don't need the clutch to bring the front wheel up.

[pearsonm]

The reason I got a motard.  I like riding local paved roads.  And there are some great gravel roads connecting them.

So how much dirt riding is reasonable to expect from a supermoto? Are you OK if you just stick with dry dirt and gravel roads? I really want to learn how to slide around. Jumps don't interest me (I'm way too old and have got to keep my day job).

[B-rent]

Pics of the DirtBagz. Note how the right bag is out and over the exhaust.





A not so great pic of the DirtBag rack installed over top of the passenger peg. The metal clasp comes from a strap on the front of the DirtBag.



Inside of a DirtBag. These are the bigger model of the two, the Ranger.



While parked for lunch at a park in Bethesda, MD.



A park service road I found close to home. There was a nice river crossing up the road, but it was too dark to get any good pics.

[1moreroad]

So how much dirt riding is reasonable to expect from a supermoto? Are you OK if you just stick with dry dirt and gravel roads? I really want to learn how to slide around. Jumps don't interest me (I'm way too old and have got to keep my day job).

I'm always a little nervous about flats.  There is noooo problem sliding this bike (the teeny, tiny bit I can with my mad skillz  ) on gravel.  My next pair of tires will probably be Distanzias-SMs both for a little more longevity and that kind of gravel riding like the pix I showed.  The stock tires understandably have NO traction in wet grass.  Slides in wet grass are easily controllable with throttle, though.    I'll bet true mud would be hopeless, too, although I've had my Subaru with all season street tires on some pretty slick, muddy, unpaved roads (thin layer of completely wet mud over hard packed dirt).  You just need to keep momentum, and that should be easier on a sub 300 pound motorcycle as compared to a 3000+ pound car at night.

Concerns over flats aside, the bike should do fine on double track, smooth single track, gravel, and fire roads.  Some issues would need to be addressed for "real" dual sporting: it gives up about 1" of ground clearance to the R due to the smaller wheels, but you can gain that back with a 21" front / 18" rear wheelset if/when it becomes available.  It is geared higher stock and really should be geared down for trail riding.  It has no protection (skid plate, rad protector, rad reservoir/ R/R protector, bark busters, etc.), but neither does the R really.  Between the small wheels, relatively stiff suspension, and gearing, it doesn't really want to roll up curbs like my buddy's KLR set to full soft suspension did.  This bike in stock form will have lots of issues on rocky trails or climbing over fallen logs.  But I didn't buy an SM to do that.

That said, all of these things can be addressed over time.  Dial in the adjustable suspension to full soft, swap wheelsets (and run a +1 sprocket on the dirt wheels), install protection and just leave it on.  Had I been able to find a used DRZ-SM for less money, I would have probably already been making those investments.  I could only find new bikes, thought, so that cut into my farkle budget for a few months.

[B-rent]

An update to the goings on of the WRR. I'm consistently seeing in the low 60 something MPGs. I'm not really concerned about this compared to Yamaha's stated 71mpg because I'm riding the bike quite hard to break it in.

While riding into work yesterday on I270 South, I was faced with 20-30mph gusts of wind and a consistent 10-15mph headwind. It's the first time I thought that riding it long distance might be an effort. The front end was experiencing a gust induced wobble that was exacerbated by trucks and tractor trailors around it. It wasn't altogether pleasant, and I found it a little scary one time. The wind gusts also had an impact on sitting upright, as from time to time I found them so strong as to require me to strain to stay put. If I planned on riding this long distance, I might invest in getting a screen for it as some have done on the ADVRider forum. I should also mention that in the extra wind, I nearly had the throttle pegged to keep it at 75mph. (see pic below for ADVRider member's WRR with screen)



I've been in touch with Renazco and Corbin about getting a seat for it. Corbin has mentioned the need to offer a seat for it, and in their email reply to me said, "We need to get one of those bikes into R&D so we can get tooled up to start the manufacturing process." They offered to make me a custom seat by shipping them my stock seat for alteration. I haven't commited yet.

I rode the WRR up in Michaux State Forest last Sunday, on gravel roads/dirt roads and on a couple single track trails. I've got many pictures from that and I plan to post a small ride report. I was still thrilled at the suspension and performance of the bike on gravel and dirt, but when the going got rough on the single track trails, I found it needed to have more give. (and that was standing up) I plan on adjusting the suspension for single track and just dealing with the reduced street performance.

I rode off the road onto this new plot of land for this house being built yesterday. It was up a daunting 100 yard incline which gave me pause before doing it. I started in slow 2nd and easily made it to 3rd halfway up the hill continuing to roll on and up and over the top of the hill. A quick turn around and I was like, "uhhh I don't know about going down." LOL I did though standing up, partially going sideways, in 3rd letting the engine doing the braking.

The oil change on the WRR is a cinch. It was refreshing to be able to fly through it faster than a car then having to deal with the fairing like on the Sprint, which doubles the time needed.

So far, 1300 trouble free smile sprinkled miles.

[oblivion]

You know, I'd been to ADV and TT, but hadn't thought to check out S-T.N for reviews on the WRR.  I rode a slightly used one around Chicago's urban dirt track last night (I-290, surface streets, and even some gravel and dirt in an abandoned lot or two).

I pick it up next week.

Nice thread.  You're helping keep any buyer's remorse at bay.  Now, when does next Wednesday get here?

[B-rent]

You know, I'd been to ADV and TT, but hadn't thought to check out S-T.N for reviews on the WRR.

I've been reading those as well. Unfortunately, due to the setup at work, I can't post to those forums. I primarily post when I'm at work.  

You might also check out supermotojunkie.com. I see Greg (1moreroad) is posting over there.

I pick it up next week.

Nice thread.  You're helping keep any buyer's remorse at bay.  Now, when does next Wednesday get here?

Nice! Thanks Oblivion. I'm looking forward to hearing how it complements your life too.  

[1moreroad]

You might also check out supermotojunkie.com. I see Greg (1moreroad) is posting over there.

SMJ is a little... different than STN, though.  Some threads:
What's your best police chase?  Here's mine.
Why is my tire worn out in the center since I corner with mad skillz and only occasionally wheelie?
Do you piss people off when you ride, too?  I can't help it!

[DogBoy]

SMJ is a little... different than STN, though.  Some threads:
What's your best police chase?  Here's mine.
Why is my tire worn out in the center since I corner with mad skillz and only occasionally wheelie?
Do you piss people off when you ride, too?  I can't help it!

Not to worry. I'm sure you will be posting in those threads soon enough.

[1moreroad]

Not to worry. I'm sure you will be posting in those threads soon enough.

This is wwwaaayyy too small a town to be getting into police chases or pi$$ing people off.

There is a time and a place for everything.

The BT090s are scuffed all the way over to the edge.  It is sooo easy to lean this bike over.  Just find a couple of empty farm roads and have fun.

[EricJ]

I was hoping Yammy would come out with a WR450R in '09...  

[1moreroad]

I was hoping Yammy would come out with a WR450R in '09...  

200 more ccs is not obviously better.  A WR450 could not have been price competitive.  It would probably have been $1000+ more than the DRZ and pushing into Husq/KTM territory.  Yamaha would have lost that fight for not being exotic enough.  Yamaha would have probably made it street legal and neutering the WR450X for sumo racing unlike the smaller displacement Husqs and KTMs.  Not too many people care about 26,000 mile valve adjustments if they only keep their bikes for 10,000 miles.  Some folks go so far as to view their $6k WR250s as "disposable" which a $7500 WR450 would not be.

Oblivion ~ did you pick yours up yet?

Mine continues to impress, although I have just 250 miles on it in a month.  On a cool morning with cold tires and too hot a turn, I easily saved a front then rear wheel slide with no drama.  Stupid on my part, but the bike saved my butt.  Floats over deep gravel.  I can aim for dirt and debris on the road without a problem.

Consistently getting 59 - 60 mpg (250 miles = 3 tanks   ) around town and local roads.

[oblivion]

Oblivion ~ did you pick yours up yet?

No sir.  

Between a money transfer cockup and the seller's availability, it'll either be Friday, or not for another entire week after that.  Cross your fingers for a Friday pickup or there will be blood.

This does give time for the gear and handguards (Acerbis Rally Pro) I ordered to show up, though.  I'll zip-tie the handguards to my Seca and make thumper noises.

[1moreroad]

The peanut sized gas tank sucks.  The low fuel light comes on in about 80 - 90 miles.  I'm running 87 octane pump gas since the local station was out of 91.  No audible pinging.  I ran a few tanks of 87 through my ZX6R with no problems, and this bike has lower compression.

No sir.  

Between a money transfer cockup and the seller's availability, it'll either be Friday, or not for another entire week after that.  Cross your fingers for a Friday pickup or there will be blood.

This does give time for the gear and handguards (Acerbis Rally Pro) I ordered to show up, though.  I'll zip-tie the handguards to my Seca and make thumper noises.

You buying a used one?    They're showing up on SMJ cheap.  They're too slow and all the newbie riders that started on them are "outgrowing" them.

Do the handguards have the full wrap around metal?  I think they're called barkbusters.

[oblivion]

Off to pick it up right now.  Getting one w/ 860 or so miles. Decent price. Saw one go about $600 cheaper on E-Bay w/ 95 miles after I'd made my deal, but I'm still happy w/ the price and condition of the bike.  As for the guards, I'm not sure what your'e asking, but I'll post up some shots when/as I mount them.  From product photos, I was lead to believe they're the full metal I think you're referring to, but I'll know for sure when I get 'em.  Expected them today, but according to UPS, my packages were held up due to a train derailment    They did make it to the next checkpoint, just not out for delivery today.

My new HJC SP-X helmet showed up yesterday, though. Yami-ish blue, of course.

Off I go to sit in traffic.  But this time it's alright because there's a new-to-me bike at the end of the road.  

[B-rent]

You enjoying your bike Oblivion?  

I finally had some time on my vacation last week to get some of the obligatory farkles on the WRR.    I opted for the Flatland Racing SkidPlate over the ThumperTalk plate because of the thread on Thumpertalk explaining many people having vibration/sound issues with the ThumperTalk plate. Those who had the Flatland plate didn't seem to have the issue. Plus, I really liked the look of the Flatland plate together with the extra airflow given to the engine by the small holes in the Flatland plate. Note how they left a large hole for you to still be able to access the oil drain plug. Nice!



I was thrilled to find how easy it was to install as well as how solid a product it was. It's huge too! You only need to remove Yamaha's white plastic engine protectors, place the plate over the engine, and screw down four hex bolts. It took me 10 minutes, as I didn't know at first that you had to remove Yamaha's white plastic engine protectors.

The Acerbis Rally Pro handguards were next. This was a two hour job. I'd never done anything like it before and the directions included sucked. There's a schematic showing how they mount to the bars; that's it. I used my Craftsman roto-cutting tool to cut the ends off the handgrips. The clutch side went without a hitch. The throttle side has a plastic cap on the end of the grip. It looks like a large white lifesaver. I read about this online but not in relation to the WRR/X. I couldn't find anything on this bike. So I just started drilling hoping for the best. I drilled a circle around the outside of the throttle grip and afterward, realized I'd also drilled through the end cap. Thankfully, it went ok and with a little fuss related to actually making it look nice, I got the handguards on and am happy with the result.

I was also impressed with the quality of the Acerbis handguards. I don't care for the large logo on the handguards, but the product is well-made, heavy, and will do, well, what handguards are supposed to do, protect the clutch and throttle areas in the event they meet something at a high rate of speed.    I also found that these not only keep the air off your hands riding, but keep them relatively dry in the rain.    I got home after testing them in pouring down rain on Saturday and my gloves were nearly dry.

They really need to get a new pic of these. These are much much larger in person.



Finally, I installed my hothands heated grip covers on the handgrips. Thankfully, I hadn't taken too much off the end of the grips installing the handguards to fit the hothands on. They just wrap around the grips and velcro on. They are so hot in fact you have to take your hand off the grip every once in a while to cool them off.



I took the seat off, thinking the battery would be under the seat. (two bolts you take off for the seat are under the rear fender. 9mm if I recall.) The battery's actually under what Yamaha calls Panel D. (the left hand side panel where the inside of your left thigh rests) You have a single bolt to take off for that, the front snaps off, and you pull the panel forward. Easy.

I'll take a pic of it and post it for you all to see with the new farkles. 1853 miles on the odometer when I hopped off at work today.

[1moreroad]

The Acerbis Rally Pro handguards were next. This was a two hour job. I'd never done anything like it before and the directions included sucked. There's a schematic showing how they mount to the bars; that's it. I used my Craftsman roto-cutting tool to cut the ends off the handgrips. The clutch side went without a hitch. The throttle side has a plastic cap on the end of the grip. It looks like a large white lifesafer. I read about this online but not in relation to the WRR/X. I couldn't find anything on this bike. So I just started drilling hoping for the best. I drilled a circle around the outside of the throttle grip and afterward, realized I'd also drilled through the end cap. Thankfully, it went ok and with a little fuss related to actually making it look nice, I got the handguards on and am happy with the result.

I was also impressed with the quality of the Acerbis handguards. I don't care for the large logo on the handguards, but the product is well-made, heavy, and will do, well, what handguards are supposed to do, protect the clutch and throttle areas in the event they meet something at a high rate of speed.    I also found that these not only keep the air off your hands riding, but keep them relatively dry in the rain.    I got home after testing them in pouring down rain on Saturday and my gloves were nearly dry.

They really need to get a new pic of these. These are much much larger in person.

Good to hear.  Any photos of the installation would be welcome.  Mine should show up with the brown-suited Santa today.

Chornbe sold me a battery voltmeter/temp guage that I want to install sometime but probably not until next weekend.  It fits perfectly between the speedo and the headlight cowling.

Then heated grips and a spare fuse box from CAsporttouring hopefully by the end of October.

[B-rent]

Hey Greg. I didn't take any photos of the installation for the Rally Pros. It's easy to understand how the parts come together though. The schematic provided does help with this so you'll have no problem there.

The problem is the cutting of the grips, mostly the throttle grip. If you have a rotary cutting tool, like a Dremel, this will make it a lot easier. If not, you may have a tough time getting the white lifesaver out of the throttle grips tubing. You may be able to knock it out with a screwdriver and hammer, I don't know.

I'd recommend doing the clutch side first, as it was easy and made me more confident. I worked from the middle of the grip end and worked outward. When you do this, you eventually run into the metal tubing of the handlebar so it acts as a natural stopping point. This worked great for the clutch side. The throttle side I did the same thing and found that because of the plastic cap on the end of the bar, the cutting tool will keep going around the grip end and start into the main part of the grip. (NO!  ) It will not stop you from cutting. You have to choose a point to stop once you get the cap off. I went all the way to the metal of the bar which shortened the throttle grip a half inch or so. This did shorten the throttle sure, but it's long enough for me and I have wide hands, and was still long enough to have the HotHands over top the grip and have the HandGuards installed.

I found having a utility knife on hand made it easier to cut flat edges out of the rubber grips and make them look nicer. The rotary cutting tool does a good job of getting you there, the utility knife did a better job of making it look finished.

I forgot to mention that for the throttle side, I also had to very subtlely nudge the mirror/front brake to the left a bit to have it fit properly inside the Acerbis HandGuard. There are two bolts you unscrew to loosen this. You can't miss them as they face you when you're sitting on the bike and are on the right side mirror housing.

Hopefully all this didn't confuse you but gave you a better feel for installing the Acerbis Handguards.

Good deal on the voltmeter/temp gauge. I'd like to do that too. We need to find a good tach for this bike too.  

Brown-suited Santa...  

[1moreroad]

Chornbe sold me a battery voltmeter/temp guage that I want to install sometime but probably not until next weekend.  It fits perfectly between the speedo and the headlight cowling.

Installed it last night.  Took just over an hour including all the time for figuring out where I wanted to wire everything.  The wires for the guage are so thin I just inserted them at the fuse box and used the screw holding the front brake line guide for ground.

[1moreroad]

Did my first fun day ride.  Just shy of 280 miles yesterday.  I had to adjust my route continually because I had originally laid it out for a solo ride over gravel roads as well as paved ones.  A buddy from work with his Z1000 joined me so all the gravel roads were out.

* First fill up was just befor the fun ride.  It consisted entirely of commuting on 55 mph two lane straight highway -- 79 mpg!!!

* Gas mileage drops to just under 55 mpg when you're having fun on fast sweepers.  You really do have to wring the little guys neck on 70 mph uphill sweepers.  Tank range SUXXORS!!1! when gas mileage is that low.  I'm going to get that flat 1 gallon ATV gas tank, clamp it to the rear rack, and strap my tail bag over it.
* The bike is absolutely tapped out by 85 mph or so.  In fact, I can't hit redline in 5th or 6th gears.  The stock WRR front sprocket is -1, so I'll install that ASAP.

* Seat is just fine so long as you keep cornering.  It gets mildly uncomfortable in about 40 miles of dead straight, but doesn't get any worse after that.  It's easy enough to stand.

(Finally) time for a 600 mile service.

[B-rent]

Hey Greg and everyone. I've been meaning to reply more here but haven't had time. Quick thing I found out though, Corbin's released a seat for the WRR/X!   I'm going to order mine today.

http://www.corbin.com/yamaha/ywr250rx.shtml

[1moreroad]

Hope the Corbin works for you.  FWIW, I don't find the Yamaha seat too bad.

Went to the local shop today and picked up the little, itty, bitty oil filter and 2 quarts of oil -- and I'll have some leftover.  I also ordered a 12T Moose steel front sprocket for a WR250F.  I don't need a lot of horsepower, but the bike got wheezy in fast sweepers.  Right now 5th and 6th have the same top speed and 4th is only a few mph behind.  The gearing change should take care of that.  I'll also be able to use 6th when I'm puttering around local highways at 55 mph without feeling like I'm lugging the engine.

[B-rent]

I promised a pic of the bike with the Acerbis Rally Pro Handguards and the Flatland Racing Skidplate.



That's great news your seeing some good fuel mileage there Greg!  (79mpg  )

Thanks about the seat. I'll let you know how it works out. Hopefully your new sprocket will work out better for you.

[oblivion]

You enjoying your bike Oblivion?  

Heh, yeah, too much to waste time posting here.

I put Acerbis Rally Pros on as well and ran into exactly the same issues you did - moving the right-hand mirror/brake assembly inboard a scoche, cutting off the endcap, etc. Wish I'd seen your post before I dug into it. But I tackled the difficult side first so once that was done, it was downhill. FWIW, instead of using a rotary tool, I used a coping saw. I took the whole grip/throttle tube off, cut the grip off the end, rolled it back enough to expose the end, and simply sawed it off. Then I rolled the end of the grip back down.

All of my WRR pics are here: http://flickr.com/photos/oblivion/2926180948/in/set-72157607365672590/

I've commuted about a half dozen times on it but stick to my Seca as my primary mover - especially with cooler, wetter weather at hand. I've also had a few opportunities to screw around offroad at work and at my aunt/uncle's. Nothing hard-core, but enough to build some confidence.  It's annoying how easy it is to stall out in 1st, but overall, it's great fun.

I'm at about 1150 miles on mine - got it with 860 or so. I did MY first oil change on it mostly to ensure winter weight oil was in it. I was an idiot and overtorqued one of the filter cover bolts - luckily an easy-out fixed my goof. You don't need to crank those things down hard - hand tight is about it.

I'm going to try to get a 4-5 hour ride in this Sunday and hopefully find some fire roads and such.

[B-rent]

Heh, yeah, too much to waste time posting here.

I put Acerbis Rally Pros on as well and ran into exactly the same issues you did - moving the right-hand mirror/brake assembly inboard a scoche, cutting off the endcap, etc. Wish I'd seen your post before I dug into it. But I tackled the difficult side first so once that was done, it was downhill. FWIW, instead of using a rotary tool, I used a coping saw. I took the whole grip/throttle tube off, cut the grip off the end, rolled it back enough to expose the end, and simply sawed it off. Then I rolled the end of the grip back down.

All of my WRR pics are here: http://flickr.com/photos/oblivion/2926180948/in/set-72157607365672590/

I've commuted about a half dozen times on it but stick to my Seca as my primary mover - especially with cooler, wetter weather at hand. I've also had a few opportunities to screw around offroad at work and at my aunt/uncle's. Nothing hard-core, but enough to build some confidence.  It's annoying how easy it is to stall out in 1st, but overall, it's great fun.

I'm at about 1150 miles on mine - got it with 860 or so. I did MY first oil change on it mostly to ensure winter weight oil was in it. I was an idiot and overtorqued one of the filter cover bolts - luckily an easy-out fixed my goof. You don't need to crank those things down hard - hand tight is about it.

I'm going to try to get a 4-5 hour ride in this Sunday and hopefully find some fire roads and such.

Cool Oblivion. Glad to hear things are fairing well, and you got the Rally Pros on with little trouble.

I adjusted the suspension for the first time the other day. I went to about 75% full soft on all the settings. So far I'm happier with the result offroad. It's taken the edge off the bumpiness that's for sure. I haven't really noticed much of a difference riding on road so that's good. One of my favorite things to do with this bike in twisties is to take a curve at what would be too fast of a speed for my Sprint and just slice right through it. The feeling of lightness with this bike is definitely confidence inspiring in tight turns.  

Another little thing which has made the chincy first gear be less of a factor is if I'm going to do a rolling stop, I'll knock it all the way down to first then bump it up to second, look both directions, and go. You can easily accelerate from ~7mph with this bike in 2nd. You have more headroom and can more easily out accelerate cars if the need arises too. I do it all the time now.

I'm still waiting on the Corbin seat so once I get that I'll post with impressions. Until then, here's a pic I took this morning when I just got back from an overnight camping trip to Gathland State Park, MD.

[1moreroad]

I was an idiot and overtorqued one of the filter cover bolts - luckily an easy-out fixed my goof. You don't need to crank those things down hard - hand tight is about it.

I snapped the head off the bolt that holds the brake lever collar after moving it to install the handguard.  A quick Harbor Freight order, and I now have 1/4" and 3/8" socket torque wrenches to compliment the 1/2" that I already had.

[oblivion]

Is that one o' them thar electric bikes? I see a cord running out of it waiting to get sucked into the chain.  I'm really liking those Dirtbagz on there.  I need to reign in the budget a little after buying the bike and gear and such, but I'm going to keep those in mind.

Speaking of spending, this past weekend I picked up one of those hitch-mounted bike carriers. I'll be hauling my baby up to my folks' for 4 days this coming weekend. They've got 40 acres of woods in NW Wisconsin and we know lots of landowners up there. I hope to get some good 'us time' with the bike.

[B-rent]

Is that one o' them thar electric bikes? I see a cord running out of it waiting to get sucked into the chain.  I'm really liking those Dirtbagz on there.  I need to reign in the budget a little after buying the bike and gear and such, but I'm going to keep those in mind.

   I wish it was. I'd love to ride through the woods tearing it up on a nearly silent dirtbike. That's a good eye Oblivion.    That wire's for my heated gear. I'd literally just hopped off the bike, disconnected the heated clothing cord, and hadn't velcroed it to the bike yet. Thanks about the Dirtbagz. The Dirtbag you can see in the picture has my sleeping bag stuffed in there.    

I know what you mean about reigning in the budget. I still want to get a Wolfman tank bag, this one (http://www.wolfmanluggage.com/Tank/EnduroTank.html) and a windscreen (this one? http://www.twistedthrottle.com/trade/productview/1865/349/) but I just sank $400 into the Corbin.   (which I'm still waiting on) I'm also probably going to get the turbo that's being designed and talked about over on the Thumpertalk forum. I don't know if I can turn down an additional >20 horses, even if it means having the bike not last as long. We'll see.

Speaking of spending, this past weekend I picked up one of those hitch-mounted bike carriers. I'll be hauling my baby up to my folks' for 4 days this coming weekend. They've got 40 acres of woods in NW Wisconsin and we know lots of landowners up there. I hope to get some good 'us time' with the bike.

I forgot to add, that sounds like a blast. I'd love to see some pics if you've got the self control to stop and take any shots while you're having a great time riding.  

[1moreroad]

Took my wife to lunch in the next town over.  20 mile round trip.

She is MORE comfortable on the WR than on the ZX.  She also hugged me closer when I threw it through a chicane.

In some ways it is easier to be smooth with just 26 hp.  Suspension did not bounce around as much as I expected with the extra weight.

57 mpg riding dirt, 2-up, and a little commuting.

[1moreroad]

  Sent e-mails to IMS and Clarke -- neither is planning to make a larger tank.

Looks like I'm following Vivid's example and bungeeing one of these to my tail bag.

[B-rent]

Took my wife to lunch in the next town over.  20 mile round trip.

She is MORE comfortable on the WR than on the ZX.  She also hugged me closer when I threw it through a chicane.

In some ways it is easier to be smooth with just 26 hp.  Suspension did not bounce around as much as I expected with the extra weight.

This is precisely how my girl feels. She said she has a lot of fun riding on the WRR, except the seat of course. I mentioned this on the other post in General Discussion about 250s but no one believed me. I can ride on Interstate 15 (a flat road where we ride) on this bike with my girl and it's fine. I'm about 200 lbs; she's about 115 lbs. The other day we took a ride over to Middletown, MD where I grew up. While riding through the park which was practically empty, they have these big pia speed bumps. I rode off down into the grass around the speed bumps then back up onto the road. We were cracking up.

The engine on this bike is so smooth isn't it? It's amazing they've made a thumper which is this smooth and easy to ride.

  Sent e-mails to IMS and Clarke -- neither is planning to make a larger tank.

Looks like I'm following Vivid's example and bungeeing one of these to my tail bag.

I hadn't heard that. That's lame. I'm going to have to write Clarke an email encouraging them to make one. I mean come on, they almost already have the design with the 250F tank.  

I got the Corbin last night and put it on today. I'm having problems with it already I'm sorry to say. To explain what's going on, here's the email I wrote to Corbin asking them for help:

--------------------------------------

Hello. I'm having a problem with the seat I purchased from you guys for my 2008 Yamaha WR250R. The original seat has a scoop at the front of the seat which slides onto a protruding plastic post. This keeps the seat from pulling up in the front.

After I install the Corbin seat, ride around for a while, then look at the seat the front of it has popped off the post. I've tried numerous times to get the seat as far forward as is possible to latch on the little plastic notch you guys have in your seat. It doesn't seem to latch onto and over it though like the stock seat; with your seat it just fits firmly up against it and it looks like the pressure from the bolts in the rear were to keep it in place. Unfortunately, I'll tighten down the screws tightly, pull up on the front of the seat, and again it pops right off.

--------------------------------------

It looks to me like they hurried through the design process. This is my first Corbin. I was expecting more from the design department, especially for $400. The latch they have at the front of the seat looks just barely functional. I wondered if it would work before I even tried to install it. I hope they take it back and get me one which works. I really don't want to be stuck with a seat which keeps popping off in the front. You can definitely tell when it does it too cause the seat sticks up a little in the air.

By the way, from a comfort perspective, the seat feels nice. I was expecting more padding, or at least to have the padding feel more substantial. The thickness (or lack thereof) of it makes the stock seat look thick. It does make up for it in a little width. The stock seat's widest section is 7.5 inches. The Corbin's widest section is 9 inches. I haven't ridden the Corbin further than around the immediate area though. I'll definitely have more to add after I ride it to work (43 miles one way) and in some off-road areas.

[B-rent]

Update on the Corbin, I rode the WRR into work today despite my problem with the front of the seat being unsecured. I figured my fat ass would be enough to keep it there while I tried it out.   I'm pretty impressed. After the 43 mile trip into work, my butt wasn't asking for a Tylenol. In fact, no pain whatsoever. I was fearful the stiffness of it would make it feel hard. It does, at first, but over time you can feel that there's a little more cushion than what you'd originally thought. The additional inch and a half of width of the Corbin was great. When I hopped on interstate 270, I slid back on the seat and was comfy the rest of the way to work.  

Still waiting on a reply from Corbin about the problem though...

[1moreroad]

GPS installed.  I handed out candy tonight from the garage.  Not sure if I like the exact location, but it is functional, if ugly.  Hard to see from the photo, but the viewing angle is perfect.  From the seat it looks like it is just above my little temp/battery voltage readout.



It follows the existing wire routing.  You can see the bad arrow drawing where it comes out from the gas tank.



I've got a big wire loop under the seat.  The inline fuse for the heated vest is just in front of the battery under the seat rail and the fuse for the GPS just behind the battery under the seat rail.  Ace Hardware had a 7 mm bolt maybe 1/4" longer than the stock battery screw.  It was the perfect length inserted into the GPS and vest terminals.



Still waiting for the wider JC Whitney mirrors I ordered (they were supposed to arrive today).  After I moved the brake lever inwards I can mostly see only my right elbow.  Someday I'll find time to swap sprockets.  Electrical wiring is easier.

[DogBoy]

functional, if ugly.

The SuperMoto Creed.

[nomadmax]

Anybody know the stator output on the WR250R-X ?  Specifically, how many watts are free for clothing given that the ECM uses juice as well.

[1moreroad]

Anybody know the stator output on the WR250R-X ?  Specifically, how many watts are free for clothing given that the ECM uses juice as well.

My carbureted ZX6R had 250-ishW IIRC (denisep or mk96xj can correct me) and probably had 80-ishW free.  If you assume that the ECU, FI, etc. suck another 30W (and that sounds high to me), you'd be using 200W and have 150W free except right when you're starting the motor.  You could free up a tiny bit going to LED blinkers.  That should be enough for anyone this side of an IB'er.

[nomadmax]

Shoot, give me a spare 100 W and I'm calling it good.  Heated grips and a Gerbing liner.  I'll take the turn signals off and on the trails unplug the headlight.

[Jeff]

Hey B-rent, do you have a link to where you got the hot hands heated grips?

Also, do you guys no of any decent hand guards that don't have the brand name on them in HUGE letters? I just want good, plain blue or black guards.

Thanks,
Jeff

[R Doug]

Thanks R Doug. I'm thinking about doing your October outing as well as the Shen. 500. You're free to take it for a ride if I'm available to take part.

I just got to ride B-rent's WRR from the campsite to breakfast this morning.  What an amazing bike!  

The trip was about 12 miles and included gravel, twisty two lane, and interstate.  It was a perfect test ride for it.

My thoughts are...

   Amazing 250cc motor
   Smooth with very little vibes from the engine
   Excellent suspension and chassis
   Excellent brakes
   Excellent tail / brake light

   Quickest first gear ever  
   I stalled it three times when taking off forgetting it likes the revs
   I fell like the engine is going to grenade at highway speed (but, I know it's designed that way)


This bike is VERY much on my short list as possible replacement for the DR someday.  

[B-rent]

I've got some more information for you guys on this thread, but it'll have to wait until tomorrow. I just wrote up the installation of the windscreen on the WRR though. Here's the link:
http://www.sport-touring.net/forums/index.php/topic,32735.new.html#new

Anybody know the stator output on the WR250R-X ?  Specifically, how many watts are free for clothing given that the ECM uses juice as well.

I'm running heated grips, a heated liner, and heated gloves and haven't had a problem. I'd read on ADVRider the output measured as somebody had actually slapped a meter on it, but I don't recall. I do remember them saying it was amazing how much this bike put out, and I can vouch for that given what I'm running on it.

Hey B-rent, do you have a link to where you got the hot hands heated grips?

Also, do you guys no of any decent hand guards that don't have the brand name on them in HUGE letters? I just want good, plain blue or black guards.

Thanks,
Jeff

Sure Jeff, here's where I got mine: http://www.lockitt.com/AccessoriesGrips3.htm#hothands Here's the review on them at WebBikeWorld: http://www.webbikeworld.com/r3/heated-motorcycle-grips/ There are also nice semi-permanent models sold like these at the Aerostitch site: http://www.aerostich.com/catalog/US/Hot-Gripsreg-p-16717.html

About the handguards, those huge letters are a drag aren't they?   I'm like you, I'm not a logo kind of guy. I'll probably spray paint the label off eventually. I really don't know of any plain guards that have been noted as being compatible with the WRR/X no. There's gotta be something though...

[Jeff]

Thanks B-rent. Overall do you like the grip covers? The review from wbw sounds promising.
Jeff

[B-rent]

Hi Jeff. I like them a lot. There's pluses and minuses to having a non-permanent heated grip cover.

I'd originally bought them for my Sprint, but when I got the WRR, I bought the Triumph heated grips for the Sprint and transferred the Oxfords over to my WRR. Had it not been for the fact that they could be installed on any bike, I would've had to have bought new heated grips for the WRR too. It's nice being able to remove them when you don't want them on there too, in warmer weather for example.

A downside to them, although small, is that they make the grip bigger. It takes a little getting used to grabbing a larger diameter grip. That's about it. They are fricking hot too. I'll turn them on for 15 minutes or so and when my hands start feeling like they're cooking I'll turn them off. There have been times when it looked like I had burns on the palms of my hands from the heat from these things. I didn't; it was just an impression.  

[B-rent]

Greg had some questions about R Doug's WV outing that I wanted to post answers to here. (this is the ride report for the trip http://www.sport-touring.net/forums/index.php/topic,32663.0.html) Here are Greg's questions:

How did the WV trip go?  Happy with the bike?  The windscreen?  What kind of gas mileage did you get?  Was it easy to find gas stops?  Were you the first one to gas up all the time?

1. How did the WV trip go?

A: The trip was great. Scott and I met up Friday morning, picked up my Sprint from the Triumph dealer in Winchester, VA, I rode back following Scott to his house, then after a break at Scott's house, we left Friday afternoon for Morgantown, WV. We slabbed it the entire way there, which was a bit of a drag, but the scenery was more and more beautiful the closer we got to Morgantown. This was the maiden voyage of me riding with the new windscreen, so I was eager to see how it would perform, especially on the highway. It was everything I'd hoped it would be. See my thread on the windscreen installation for more impressions there. (http://www.sport-touring.net/forums/index.php/topic,32735.0.html)

2. Happy with the bike?

A: The WRR has no problems, as I've written before, doing Highway speeds. Where it struggles is maintaining 70mph going up a large hill or mountain in 6th gear. This happened often as we neared Morgantown, which is in the mountains of course. When this would happen I'd downshift to 5th and then would resume accelerating to catch back up to the KLR. Other than that, I was right with SWRiverstone on his KLR650 the entire way. Doug noted above, "I fell like the engine is going to grenade at highway speed." Once you own this bike and you become accustomed to running it into its upper RPM range you don't even think twice about it. The WRR, even at the indicated 88mph I did on I-81 and I-70 for an hour on the way home, is still more smooth and less vibey than a KLR at moderate RPMs. My mileage did suffer this last stretch of high speed highway riding, with a fuel mileage of 53mpg.  

Off road, which is what I really bought the WRR for, I loved it. I told Greg in a PM that in all of my riding as a kid, I never rode stuff as intense as some of the stuff we rode last weekend. It was a great test for this bike, and I'm so happy it performed like I wanted it to. I told Doug I only wish we had some jumps and hill climbs as well.   I'd adjusted the suspension on it to be 3/4 soft a week or so before the weekend. I'd also noticed a tendency of the bike to go wide in turns. Softening up the Rebound Damping helped with this so it tracks better in turns now on-road. I never once felt lacking in power or in need of better suspension. I did question the bikes ability to do some of what we did but it made it easy. It's so nimble and responsive that turning it and riding the optimum line was easy. I did have a scare once while going down a steep rock/dirt/gravel road that I couldn't get the bike stopped. The bike has great brakes, don't get me wrong, but the weight of this bike being what it is and not having larger knobs made it feel like it just wanted to slide on top of the stuff. We were riding down these roads at a pretty good clip and there was a deadly drop off waiting for you if you weren't careful.

So what did we ride? It was always double track but some of this stuff I couldn't imagine a truck or jeep doing it. Here's the just of it, if you really want to read all this:

Loose gravel roads winding through dense forest and scenic rural WV, sometimes with nasty protruding rocks and unexpected dirt sections, on occasion areas of protruding rocks and large smooth faced rocks would occupy the entire road, it looked like you were climbing up the face of a rock structure but with loose gravel all about you, many stream crossings and water and mud to ride through, we lost one person in the mud in the deepest and densest muddy section, the mud was about 8-10 inches deep, snow with sections of ice and slush through windy high altitude double track, we lost another person to this which was like riding on an ice skating rink, a couple of the stream crossings were nothing but two large rock structures split by a stream, the descent down to the stream was wet, had rounded protruding rocks, and was like riding down off of an 18 wheeler, the way up was smooth rock face, with ledges to climb, and loose rocks strewn about, and one of these ledges was about a foot tall, it was basically like riding into a foot high curb going 15mph, from time to time you'd have to ride over a log or dodge a fallen branch (which one slapped me in the knee cap, thanks to the armor), and on one occasion we rode up and over a large exposed pipe

3. What kind of gas mileage did you get?  Was it easy to find gas stops?  Were you the first one to gas up all the time?

A: After the day described above, I calculated my mileage at 64.3 mpg. Doug took care of the gas stops which were every 80 miles or so. I think the furthest we went was 100mph before a fuel break, which was fine since the WRR can ride to 110 miles before it gets scary. Ask me how I know.  

After my ride in to work today, the odometer was just shy of 4,000 miles. I'll be switching to semi-synthetic next oil change, then fully synthetic after that.  

---------ADDED LATER-----------

I also wanted to talk about the special Bridgestone Trail Wings made for the WRR. I've heard others call the Trail Wings "Death Wings" and that may be true of the other Bridgestone Trail Wing models. The Bridgestone BT020s on the stock Sprint sucked. I haven't been turned off to the WRR Trail Wings yet. They stick well on the road, and I thought they did pretty darn well last weekend. But, the jury's out on this one for now. Because I've been away from dirtbikes for so long, I need more experience with other tires to compare. Other tires may be better for more on-road, or more off-road, but these seem to be doing the trick well enough for now. It's a perfect case of ignorance being bliss.    Maybe, when I have some more experience with other tires on this bike, I'll say these suck. But, these make little noise on road, vibration is at a minimum on road, they stick well on road, they grab good off road besides the downhill gravel descent I described above, they've got almost 4000 miles on them and still a little more to go, and they look cool. If all else fails, you've gotta look cool.  

[reppans]

Shoulda known, only STNers would farkle a dirt bike/sumo like this  

Well, here's some more considerations to add:

- Escort Solo Radar + MP3 mixed to Etymotics
- Garmin 60csx GPS, full street routing capable (also have a 2610 but really like having detailed hiking/Topo maps for off-road)
- These are all NiMh AA rechargeable based, I prefer it that way as I constantly swap to my cages

- Swapped the moped horn for a Freeway Blaster.
- Just rigged my Gerbings jacket liner & Gloves to the bike... ready for winter

Next up:

- Dirtbagz brackets (only)
- But I think I'm going to go with these Ortlieb saddle bags, their dry bags are unbelievably good: http://www.aerostich.com/catalog/US/Thin-Dry-Bag-Saddlebags-p-16158.html

[B-rent]

Welcome Reppans. Those Ortlieb saddle bags look sweet. Let us know how they work out.

[Black Ice]

My girlfriend said it felt like getting screwed by a really skinny guy.  

Dude, it was totally before you guys were dating.  Please don't hurt me.  

[1moreroad]

Shoulda known, only STNers would farkle a dirt bike/sumo like this  

   Me, too.

GPS, heated vest, barkbusters, rack and tailbag for carrying capacity, thermometer and voltage meter, and wider mirrors (to compensate for moving the left mirror/brake lever inwards to fit the barkbuster).  Need to find a couple of hours to install a 12T front sprocket, but I'd rather be riding most of the time.  

Haven't bothered with any performance mods because I don't want to sink $250 into a PCIII before sinking another grand into an exhaust.  This is a benefit to carbs and jet kits over FI, I supposed.  Sure it would be nice to have the extra 5-ish hp, but for the riding I do around here, just the sprocket change should do what I want.  I don't need any more power.  Of course, even 5 more hp probably wouldn't be enough if I were back to commuting on Los Angeles freeways again.  It's a niche bike, and I don't need to try to make it something it's not.

Given a choice, right now I'd rather buy a pair of dirt wheels over an exhaust.  Better yet, I'd rather take a couple of hours of "no pay" and go ride mid-week.

EDITED TO ADD: Survived a lap on a motocross course this afternoon.  I didn't actually plan to ride it, just go see it.  Then I asked the owner if I could do a lap.  Filled out a waiver and hopped on the track.  The long travel suspension saved my a$$ (and the rest of me and the bike) when I landed front wheel down after I hit a whoop too fast to keep the wheels on the ground, but too slow to actually jump properly.

After I get dirt wheels I will DEFINITELY be going back.  Woohoo!

[reppans]

Haven't bothered with any performance mods because I don't want to sink $250 into a PCIII before sinking another grand into an exhaust.

I put a PCIII on, my only "performance" mod, not so much for extra power/speed, but to smooth the FI out.  My bike had an annoying on/off throttle snatch that was bugging me - really made difference in rideability and feels like power delivery is more linear through the entire rev range.  Don't think I want an exhaust.... silence is very important where I ride.

[Jeff]

I put a PCIII on, my only "performance" mod, not so much for extra power/speed, but to smooth the FI out.  My bike had an annoying on/off throttle snatch that was bugging me - really made difference in rideability and feels like power delivery is more linear through the entire rev range.  Don't think I want an exhaust.... silence is very important where I ride.

I'll have to keep this in mind. I'm so used to riding carb'd bikes that the on/off throttle snatch bugs me too. I'm hoping it mellows out some once I get more miles on the bike.

EDITED TO ADD: Survived a lap on a motocross course this afternoon.  I didn't actually plan to ride it, just go see it.  Then I asked the owner if I could do a lap.  Filled out a waiver and hopped on the track.  The long travel suspension saved my a$$ (and the rest of me and the bike) when I landed front wheel down after I hit a whoop too fast to keep the wheels on the ground, but too slow to actually jump properly.

After I get dirt wheels I will DEFINITELY be going back.  Woohoo!

More details on this please... was this with the stock tires?

Jeff

[B-rent]

Dude, it was totally before you guys were dating.  Please don't hurt me.  

   

[ZED]

I'm with you there 1moreroad.  I'd sooner spend the performance money on wheels. 
But, I do have the twitchy throttle at the bottom end.  We'll see how annoying it is off road when spring hits.

I'm impressed you managed your "jump" ok with the wrx front end.  
I find it kind of stiff.  Nice for the street and paved track, but bad for rough gravel.  I haven't had it truly "off-road" yet and the motard scene here was done for the season when I got it so I'll have to wait till next year to see how the dirt jumps go. 

I understand the wrr front end is a fair bit softer.  I got the x because I wanted a motard, but of course, like all my bikes, it will see dirt.
Anyone here ridden both the x and the r for suspension comparison???

[1moreroad]

Good news!  I got this e-mail from R&V Aqualine:

Dear Gregory,
Thank you for your email. The web is working well.
We are doing a tank for the WR250R which is the same as the X (this being
the motard version). It will be approx 15 litres [4 gallons] and available early
December but as there is a back order initial supply will be a bit slow.
We will put information on our web page as well as get information to our US
distributors....
Regards
Veronica

Looks like www.dualsporttouring.com will be the US distributor.  (I edited out specific e-mail addresses)  The "web... working well" comment comes from my original inquiry stating that the internet rumor was a 3.5 - 4 gallon tank available this month from Aqualine.  Other 4 gallon tanks from Aqualine cost about $360.

I'm impressed you managed your "jump" ok with the wrx front end.  
I find it kind of stiff.  Nice for the street and paved track, but bad for rough gravel.  I haven't had it truly "off-road" yet and the motard scene here was done for the season when I got it so I'll have to wait till next year to see how the dirt jumps go.

About halfway through the MX track I realized how over-my-head I was.  The biggest problem was the whoops.  They were small but so steep on the sides and sharp at the top that I didn't know how to get over them gracefully at modest speeds.  Any slower and I might have fallen over and there was no way *I* was going to go any faster.

I'm actually very happy with the WR suspension set up right now.  On stock settings, I originally thought that the rear was a bit stiff on bad pavement -- it bounced me off the seat once.  The front was too soft -- I locked the rear brake in an emergency stop in part because the forks dived (dove?) so badly.  

I've got the front end dialed 1 click stiffer in compression damping.  I realize it's still a long travel bike and the front will always dive, but this seemed to balance the rear a bit better.  Now it's easy to control the forward pitch when braking hard and the rear end doesn't pop up like it did the first day I owned it.  I didn't need to touch pre-load -- sitting on the bike in full gear, I had 3.5" of sag, which is probably right for the street.

The two biggest things slowing me down on gravel roads are sight lines and braking distances, not suspension.  Twice I've had full size SUVs come around a corner at 40 mph on a 1.5 car wide gravel road.  I keep my speed down, but I need to learn how to brake aggressively on gravel.  It's made worse because I'm usually diving for the shoulders of the road, off the hard pack dirt into deeper gravel.  When I do have a straight stretch with lots of visibility letting me open it up, the bike just gets on top of the gravel.  It will float around a bit underneath me, but it's controllable so long as I'm heading straight.

[lizard]

 For those that want to know, I'm 6' tall 205 lbs with an inseam of 30.

How is it regarding height? Does the suspension go down much when you are on the seat? Can you flatfoot at a stop? I'm curious because I weigh about the same and have a 29" inseam. I have been kind of scared away from dual-sport and SM bikes due to the published seat heights. I like to be able to get the balls of both feet down at a stop and it's hard to find bikes I like where that is possible. Plus the light weight and fuel mileage make these types of bikes interesting.

[B-rent]

How is it regarding height? Does the suspension go down much when you are on the seat? Can you flatfoot at a stop? I'm curious because I weigh about the same and have a 29" inseam. I have been kind of scared away from dual-sport and SM bikes due to the published seat heights. I like to be able to get the balls of both feet down at a stop and it's hard to find bikes I like where that is possible. Plus the light weight and fuel mileage make these types of bikes interesting.

Hey Lizard. Sure the suspension goes down some, but not enough to flat foot both feet at a stop. For me, and I don't have Yamaha's lowering link (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3YpC4pyOSSc), I can't flat foot it at a stop if I sit as I sit regularly on the seat. I have to move my butt down off the seat some to flat foot my left foot at a stop. My left butt cheek's off the seat; my right one's still on there.   I really don't know how much the Yamalink will lower the bike and make the WRR (or possibly the X although I haven't ridden one) able to be doubly flat footed by people our height.

If it's any consolation, I'm able to flat foot both feet on my Sprint, but it weighs so much more than the WRR, that even with a single foot down on the WRR at a stop, I feel more confident. The light weight really does make a huge difference.  

[lizard]

If it's any consolation, I'm able to flat foot both feet on my Sprint, but it weighs so much more than the WRR, that even with a single foot down on the WRR at a stop, I feel more confident. The light weight really does make a huge difference.  

Thanks for the info!
I think the sensation of less weight really contributes to my comfort level if I have to tippy toe at stops. I chose to lower my 2000 VFR (using the free lower shock mount rotation method) to get it low enough to feel comfortable, but it weighed a lot and seemed to be top heavy to me. Looking at DS or SM bikes with 35" seat heights makes me think "that's too tall", but if they weigh 150 lbs less than the VFR that may not be so bad. I sat on a DR650 last year at a dealer (with the "normal" seat height, not the "low" seat height) and felt like I needed it to be another inch or so lower.

[ZED]

Not only is the WR a bit lighter, but its weight also feels lower.  You really can't compare it to a 650.
Now, realize, I ride a stiffened up KLR and can flat foot it with room to spare, but I'll give you this as a comparison;

The other night I was shuffling bikes around in the shop and wasn't paying that much attention, caught the 650 kickstand on something and the bike started tilting.  It doesn't have to get far before it's all over.  The bike went crashing down.  Now, it's an armored KLR, so no harm, no foul, hoist it up and go back to the regularly scheduled program.

Compare that with the WR250X that until winter I had been riding to work and back.  I can certainly flat foot it at a stop light, but it's so light and toss-able, that I'm more likely to stand there with one foot down, one on the peg tapping time to the songe in my head, rocking the bike back and forth because I can.  It feels more like riding a mountain bike at a stop light than a motorcycle.  It feels even less than its claimed wet weight.

Either way, try to test ride whatever you are seriously looking at before getting it, just to make sure.

[1moreroad]

www.justgastanks.com is listing the 4 gal aftermarket gas tank.  Availability 12/31.    Price $390.  

[B-rent]

Thanks Greg. That is steep. But I've got an itch which just might require itching.  

[ctbandit]

Hey B-Rent and other WRR owners. Just wondering if you guys tried out the Kawi KLX250s or other similar bikes when purchasing these? Looking at the price it seems the Kawi is about 1k cheaper and I wonder how they stack up.

Side note, I can't believe how expensive these bikes are..  but I'm super poor so everything looks expensive to me..

[1moreroad]

Hey B-Rent and other WRR owners. Just wondering if you guys tried out the Kawi KLX250s or other similar bikes when purchasing these? Looking at the price it seems the Kawi is about 1k cheaper and I wonder how they stack up.

Side note, I can't believe how expensive these bikes are..  but I'm super poor so everything looks expensive to me..

I rode a few DRZ400s.  The bikes are more similar than different.  Of the two get the cheaper or more available one.  Never mind the MSRP, I bought the cheaper bike.  I also bought locally although I did talk to a few dealers 200 miles away.

I wanted a supermoto-ish bike (the WR-X is NOT a race bike, though) and the KLX-SF only came out a few months ago.  SWRiverstone has written a review on STN about both bikes.  Most folks regard The WRR/X is the better bike overall, so it's up to you whether the price justifies it or not.

[SWriverstone]

Hey B-Rent and other WRR owners. Just wondering if you guys tried out the Kawi KLX250s or other similar bikes when purchasing these? Looking at the price it seems the Kawi is about 1k cheaper and I wonder how they stack up.

Side note, I can't believe how expensive these bikes are..  but I'm super poor so everything looks expensive to me..

Hi ctbandit—I gave both the WR250R and the KLX250 good long, back-to-back test rides on the same day. In terms of handling, I liked the KLX250—it felt just as light and well-suspended as the WRR (even if it's not, technically). It felt like it would be awesome on technical trails, because it felt as small and light as a mountain bike!

But in terms of power and acceleration, there's no comparison. One is carbureted, one is fuel-injected. When I got on the WRR after the KLX, I was blown away at how much more powerful the WRR was.

On the street, I was seriously worried about how long it took to get up to a safe speed on the KLX (e.g. pulling out in traffic). I'd pin it in 1st...wait for the revs to come up...shift, then pin it in 2nd...wait for the revs to come up...shift, then pin it in 3rd...and I'd still only be going 25mph!   I mean, the KLX took a LONG time to get going on pavement.

The WRR, on the other hand, had tons more pep. Pin it in 1st, and it MOVES! I felt far safer in traffic on the WRR, as its acceleration was more like a bigger bike's.

So if all you (or anyone) planned to do with the KLX was ride offroad (maybe with a short bit of empty pavement between two trails), I'd say go for it and save some money! I think the KLX would be great offroad.

But as a true dual-sport, 50/50 street/dirt bike, the KLX is a failure in my opinion...whereas the WRR shines in this way. I wouldn't hesitate to take the WRR on an extended pavement tour with luggage!

(And by the way, I weigh about 220lbs.)

Scott

PS - I know plenty of KLX fans would say you can change the gearing and pump up the engine for more power...but to me, the KLX felt SO underpowered next to the WRR that I think all the KLX mods in the world would barely get it up to the WRR...maybe...

[1moreroad]

Just swapped the stock 13T front sprocket for a JT 12T for the '08 WR250F.

DO IT!  The bike pulls better everywhere.  I went out to a deserted parking lot.  The bike will pull throttle wheelies in first.  I can bounce it up in 2nd an inch, and I suck at wheelies.

It is in the 20s right now, and I was MOTG but not dressed for the weather.  Boots, jeans, summer gloves, perf'd leather jacket, helmet.  I don't have heated grips, and it was COLD!  All this is my way of saying I only rode 5 miles tonight.  Weather permitting, I'll get out on New Year's Eve for a few hours.

I took it out on the highway briefly (just 1 exit).  The engine tone sounds slightly different (maybe deeper?), but maybe it was my imagination?  It definitely pulls stronger in 6th gear.  I think I felt a little bit more vibes in the footpegs.  I'm sure I didn't feel any more vibes at the handlebars.  In fact, the mirrors vibrated less so I must have moved some resonance frequency.

Front sprocket costs under $20 and there is no reason not to do it with this bike except that it will throw the speedo even more off (but I use a GPS when it matters).

The whole job took me a little over an hour including pulling a bunch of little plastic pieces off and cleaning them and the rear wheel and running the chain through kerosene to get it cleaned off.

One thing to know -- not all '08 WR250F sprockets will fit.  I found out the hard way, although I later found it documented on TT or SMJ.  The JT and Sunstar sprockets definitely fit.  The Moose Racing definitely does not.  And lots of folks like Renthal don't even make a 12T, so stick with JT or Sunstar IMO.  My dealer confirmed it -- he thought I was nuts when I returned the Moose Racing and requested the JT, but he lined up the teeth for the splines and they don't line up.

[ZED]

Thanks for the report on the sprocket.   I look forward to your further review.  There are rumours that the 12t increases the vibrations, but no-one has given a first hand account.  I've been considering a 47 or 47t rear, but that costs significantly more due to the addition of a longer chain to go with it.  

[B-rent]

Chinks in the mighty armor of the WRR.
http://www.sport-touring.net/forums/index.php/topic,34332.new.html#new

[ZED]

Definitely a bummer.  Still, shit does happen though.  Still seems like a good bike overall.
I'll definitely be following your thread to see what happens.

[1moreroad]

B-rent -- sorry to hear.  Head over to thumpertalk and ask over there.  A couple of guys claim to have double the mileage you do.

[Jeff]

And the WR250X gets some press love. Now, I only have a few hundred miles on my 08, but based on my experience I'd say it's a pretty accurate article.

http://www.motorcycle.com/manufacturer/yamaha/2009-yamaha-wr250x-review-87755.html

[1moreroad]

Well, the way I've been riding the X, it had to happen sooner or later.


All I can say is that I am very impressed with this little bike.  We were the only 4 strokes on the trails yesterday, never mind my tires (or my buddy's shagged Trailwings).

We were going down a moderately steep, slightly bumpy, but not rooty downhill.  My front tire washed out.  I managed to catch the bike about 6" off the ground (did I mention how impressive a lightweight bike can be), but it was just easier to lay it down and reorient myself to pick it back up.

EDITED TO ADD:  We had to come back the same way, and with a little momentum it went up the hill with no problem.

I did a little over 100 miles with the 12T front sprocket over pavement, gravel, and some trails.  There is a little more vibration at freeway speeds at the pegs and the seat, but not much.  No more vibes at the handlebars.  It pulls better all the way to 70 (the fastest we went).  No change in gas mileage (mid-50s on fun rides).

Compared to a sportbike, 45 degrees is COLD!!!  Heated vest, but no heated grips.  You don't get the air whistling down the front of the jacket at the neck, but you get hit with a lot more of it.

[DogBoy]

 

[Jeff]

Well, the way I've been riding the X, it had to happen sooner or later.


All I can say is that I am very impressed with this little bike.  We were the only 4 strokes on the trails yesterday, never mind my tires (or my buddy's shagged Trailwings).

We were going down a moderately steep, slightly bumpy, but not rooty downhill.  My front tire washed out.  I managed to catch the bike about 6" off the ground (did I mention how impressive a lightweight bike can be), but it was just easier to lay it down and reorient myself to pick it back up.

EDITED TO ADD:  We had to come back the same way, and with a little momentum it went up the hill with no problem.

I did a little over 100 miles with the 12T front sprocket over pavement, gravel, and some trails.  There is a little more vibration at freeway speeds at the pegs and the seat, but not much.  No more vibes at the handlebars.  It pulls better all the way to 70 (the fastest we went).  No change in gas mileage (mid-50s on fun rides).

Compared to a sportbike, 45 degrees is COLD!!!  Heated vest, but no heated grips.  You don't get the air whistling down the front of the jacket at the neck, but you get hit with a lot more of it.

Nice!  

Oh, and 45 is cold? W-I-M-P  

Jeff

[1moreroad]

Nice!  

Oh, and 45 is cold? W-I-M-P  

Jeff

 

That's what I'm saying.  The little bike is MUCH colder.  I might have to get in on the heated gear group buy.  I rode through this for 3 days on the ZX6R at the end of 2007 with no problems.

[evilted]

Did the same mod to my WR-X.  On the dyno, with the air filter door removed, w/stock exhaust and appropriate map, my bike posted 3 more peak HP and 2 lbs/ft torque over a stock/unmodified WR-X run on the same dyno right after mine.

Like you said, I really got the PCIII to reduce the abruptness of the throttle on/off transition, but the extra power is definitely noticeable.

Incidentally, the bike pulled to an actual 90 mph on the dyno, showing an indicated 95 mph.

I put a PCIII on, my only "performance" mod, not so much for extra power/speed, but to smooth the FI out.  My bike had an annoying on/off throttle snatch that was bugging me - really made difference in rideability and feels like power delivery is more linear through the entire rev range.  Don't think I want an exhaust.... silence is very important where I ride.

[1moreroad]

1200 miles and my back tire is on the wear bars in the middle and about 1/16" off the wear bars on the edges.  I can't believe how fast I destroyed the OEM tire.  The front tire is maybe 1/8" off the wear bars.

There was a LOT of gravel road riding on this bike -- probably 20% of it's life.  Probably less than 10% what I would consider smooth asphalt.  Mostly patched chip seal.

I hope to get a few hundred miles in this weekend, and by then the rear will be toast and possibly the front.  Distanzias are readily available now, so I'll be trying to spoon my own tires for the first time.

Incidentally, the bike pulled to an actual 90 mph on the dyno, showing an indicated 95 mph.

But that's with no wind resistance, right?  Or does the braking on the drums compensate for wind resistance?

[evilted]

But that's with no wind resistance, right?  Or does the braking on the drums compensate for wind resistance?

It's a garden variety Dynojet.  I'd guess it only accounts for rolling resistance.

[1moreroad]

B-rent ~ what's the word on the bike?

EDITED TO ADD:  With about 1500 miles on the tires, I have...
0.05" on the center of the rear tire (just getting into the wear bar)
0.10" on the edge of the rear tire next to the wear bar

0.10" on the center of the front tire
0.08" on the edge of the front tire

I'll keep doing short, local rides and get some Distanzias once the weather warms up a bit.

[Chowdown]

for those that have it, how would the bike handle a bigger guy, im 6ft3 and 240pounds, figure 250ish with gear. 80% of the riding would be commuting on 45mph roads for 20 miles each way, and then dirt parks on the weekend. i would like the ability to slab it to places like moab, which means it would need to do 70mph all day for a couple of days there and back.

am i too big for it? will i be able to keep up (ahead) of traffic?

[Jeff]

I think it would do 70mph for a couple days alright - but I don't think you'd want to do that. The bike was not built for slab. Your commuting duties would be fine probably. FWIW, I'm 5'9, 190lbs. Probably 200lbs or so with gear.

Have you sat on one yet? If so, how'd you feel on it? It's definitely not for the short of inseam, unless they're committed to it. Mine is 32" and I can get one foot down flat or both on the balls.

All that said, the bike is a blast. I've been riding to work most of the last week. Today's morning temp was 20 F.

Jeff

[Jeff]

Oh, a few other thoughts/comments/what-have-you...

My biggest complaint so far is the fuel injection. It's really hard, for me anyway, to roll on the throttle smoothly. It seems very twitchy at low speeds, like it's either off or on. I'm wondering if that will mellow out with break-in and warmer temps. I'm at about 350 miles on her so far. Are all FI bikes like this? This is my first injected bike, all others have been carbed, with my most recent being a 32 year old Honda. Talk about a difference between bikes!

Jeff

[ZED]

for those that have it, how would the bike handle a bigger guy, im 6ft3 and 240pounds, figure 250ish with gear. 80% of the riding would be commuting on 45mph roads for 20 miles each way, and then dirt parks on the weekend. i would like the ability to slab it to places like moab, which means it would need to do 70mph all day for a couple of days there and back.

am i too big for it? will i be able to keep up (ahead) of traffic?

I'm 6'2" and maybe 210lbs in gear.  For the style of bike, the WRX fits me quite well.  I feel it's a better fit than the DRZ or the KLX.
As for Slabbing, I have had mine up to 130km/hr.  You and I are taller than most and therefore take more wind than most.  I expect to take it on some highway trips this summer in order to ride some particular areas, but I don't expect to enjoy the highway parts and I won't be passing anyone.  These trips will be mostly on 90-100km stretches of highway to get to the good stuff.  Any bike of this style has terrible aerodynamics (makes a KLR seem streamlined).

However, for commuting, it's by far the most fun of the stable to ride.  I took it out on the road track one day just to see what it could do and was literally giggling in my helmet.  It's not a speed demon, but it's a blast at lower speeds with quite decent suspension out of the box. 

Oh, a few other thoughts/comments/what-have-you...

My biggest complaint so far is the fuel injection. It's really hard, for me anyway, to roll on the throttle smoothly. It seems very twitchy at low speeds, like it's either off or on. I'm wondering if that will mellow out with break-in and warmer temps. I'm at about 350 miles on her so far. Are all FI bikes like this? This is my first injected bike, all others have been carbed, with my most recent being a 32 year old Honda. Talk about a difference between bikes!

Jeff

The throttle on this bike is quite "snatchy" at the bottom.  My Ducati suffered from this also, but a new computer (on warranty) fixed it.  Many claim that a new exhaust and programmer (PCIII or FMF) smooth things out on the WR.  I expect they would but haven't decided to spend the cash as yet. 

Coming from an automation and controls background I think it's a control loop tuning issue.  I don't think it changes much with milage.  I rode a demo model with about 600km.  My WRX had about 5k when I got it and it now has about 6700km (it's winter up here) and all three stages felt similar.

[evilted]

The Power Commander smoothed the throttle response out on mine quite a bit.  It can still be a little abrupt feeling, what with the pliant suspension and extended travel, but the PC III was a big improvement.

Oh, a few other thoughts/comments/what-have-you...

My biggest complaint so far is the fuel injection. It's really hard, for me anyway, to roll on the throttle smoothly. It seems very twitchy at low speeds, like it's either off or on. I'm wondering if that will mellow out with break-in and warmer temps. I'm at about 350 miles on her so far. Are all FI bikes like this? This is my first injected bike, all others have been carbed, with my most recent being a 32 year old Honda. Talk about a difference between bikes!

Jeff

[Jeff]

The Power Commander smoothed the throttle response out on mine quite a bit.  It can still be a little abrupt feeling, what with the pliant suspension and extended travel, but the PC III was a big improvement.

Do you have a pipe on it too, or just the PCIII with the stock exhaust?

[evilted]

Stock exhaust with the airbox door removed.

Do you have a pipe on it too, or just the PCIII with the stock exhaust?

[reppans]

The Power Commander smoothed the throttle response out on mine quite a bit.  It can still be a little abrupt feeling, what with the pliant suspension and extended travel, but the PC III was a big improvement.

Same experience here.... bone stock other than the PCIII.  

This is my third FI bike, 1 and 3 "surged/hunted/snatched" annoyingly at the on/off throttle line.  #2, a BMW boxer, had a dual spark plug to eliminate the problem and it worked well.  I believe it largely due to lean fuel mixtures for emissions purposes.  

[atadaskew]

It seems that some mfgs try harder to get the FI "right" than others. Some leave it to the owners to be essentially the beta testers who will fix it with an aftermarket system.
My experience with FI bikes:
Suzi TL1000 - terrible
KTM 990 - bad surging
VFR Interceptor - snatchy throttle response
Kawi ZX12R - snatchy
Wing 1800 - perfect
BMW R1200 - perfect
BMW R1200st - perfect
Wing 1800 - perfect
Duc 800ss - perfect
Duc St4s - perfect
Harley Dyna - perfect

[1moreroad]

It seems that some mfgs try harder to get the FI "right" than others. Some leave it to the owners to be essentially the beta testers who will fix it with an aftermarket system.

The funny thing is that I thought the FI on a 2002 R1 was perfect.  Might be harder to get rid of snatchiness with a lighter crankshaft and less intertia.

...Duc St4s - perfect

The ST4 is geared so high, I wouldn't think you could tell if the FI is snatchy or not.

[atadaskew]

The ST4 is geared so high, I wouldn't think you could tell if the FI is snatchy or not.

I shortened my gearing with 14/40 sprockets.  Stock is crazy tall at 15/38.

[1moreroad]

With the help of a friend, I installed Distaniza SM tires and lubed all the bushings in the rear suspension.

My recommendation on the rear suspension is to check yours out.  It took 2 of us taking our time 2 - 3 hours to do it.  I have never done this before.  My friend has, but not on the WR.  Definitely have a service manual because the torque on every bolt is different.  The WR has some nice touches -- all of the bolts have cuts and ledges on the suspension so they will not spin freely while you're torquing them down.  Lube application was completely inconsistent.  Most of the bearings had some small amount of grease.  The right side of the swing arm was nicely lubed while the left side was almost dry.

The Distanzias fit no problem.  Breaking the bead was a bear.  The original tubes have < 2000 miles so I ended up re-using them.  They looked as good as the new pair I bought unnecessarily.  First impression (~ 10 miles) of the Distanzias was mixed.  They feel squirmy compared to the stock tires on pavement.  I don't know if that's because they're not scrubbed in or because the tread blocks are much taller than the BT090s ever were and move around a little.  The BT090s gripped better than any sport tire on my ZX6R (when it was warm) and the Distanzias have that slimy feel of brand spankin' new tires.

On the little bit of gravel I rode, the bike did not pinball sideways back and forth on the Distanzias like it did on the 090s.  It rode straighter.

EDITED TO ADD: Distanzias are 98% of the tire of the BT090 on the road (and I really liked the 090) and +10 Brazilian times better on dirt.  The suck about 98% as bad as the 090s on the mud because they become slicks.  You definitely need to be careful.  The 090s slid around everywhere, dry or wet.  The Distanzias grab pretty well in the dry but pack up unbelievably fast (Mississippi mud has a reputation for being sticky) and turn into slicks.

And 300 pounds is a LOT of bike in the woods.

[Jaynen]

Hey guys I am a STN lurker but didn't think to look for WRR stuff here.

I am the aforementioned ADV forum member with the windscreen on his bike. I have 4,800 miles on mine so far. Never experienced the issue B-rent is having with his regarding traction.

I have a PC3, Renthal 46T rear sprocket, K&N filter on mine performance wise however.

Anyone actually tried the corbin seat? Thats whats killing me on the bike right now

[1moreroad]

One negative on the WR that deserves to be mentioned: the front sprocket cover hoovers up mud badly.  I removed POUNDS of mud from behind the front sprocket cover from a 10 mile ride (in infamous Mississippi mud).  Wheeling Cycle Supply sells an open cage for the front sprocket that you should budget for if you ride in mud.

[JamesG]

[ZED]

Since the official STN WR250 thread has once again resurfaced...

I haven't done it yet, but I plan on fabricating my own aluminium cover.  It should be fairly easy, and I actually weighed the stock one once and couldn't believe how heavy it was.  I think there's lead or chunks of dwarf star in it.

My WR250X currently weighs in at 290lbs wet and I'm still looking at reducing that.

[birdrunner]

Since the official STN WR250 thread has once again resurfaced...

I haven't done it yet, but I plan on fabricating my own aluminium cover.  It should be fairly easy, and I actually weighed the stock one once and couldn't believe how heavy it was.  I think there's lead or chunks of dwarf star in it.

My WR250X currently weighs in at 290lbs wet and I'm still looking at reducing that.

I'm still trying to greatly reduce some major weight off my ride,  but Mrs. Birdrunner still insists on riding on the back.

[ZED]

  Can I quote that to Mrs. Birdrunner at the KBB this year?  

Fortunately I don't have that problem.  KLRChickie is rather insistent on her own ride.

[1moreroad]

Added driving lights and heated hand grips for the winter commute.



Write-up is here: http://wr250rforum.forumotion.com/oh-those-sweet-mods-f5/driving-lights-for-x-t2945.htm

Unfortunately my ideas for a few weekend trips are fast diminishing.  At least my commute will be safer and more comfortable.

[DogBoy]

Someone put knobbies on your bike.

[KLRchickie]

So the real question is - how much would you pay for a new on the floor 2008 like the original post?

I bought a brand spanking new leftover 2008 in June (of 2010).  MSRP in Canada for 2008 was $7699 & I paid $4599+ a silly amount of $ for fees & crap.  Less than people were asking for used ones & I got a warranty & the chance to break it in right

[Jeff]

The second that bike gets off the showroom floor it's now three years old. Without looking up nada or kbb, I'd say $4200 or so would be pretty decent.

Jeff

[KLRchickie]

  What does it matter that it is now three years old It is still a zero mileage bike.

I suppose if you wanted to turn around & sell i right away the "age" might matter - but why would you do that?

[1moreroad]

$5k sounds high.   A friend bought a 1 year old 2008 with lots of upgrades (pipe, header, fuel programmer, rad guard, skid plate, handguards, etc.) for $5k in 2009.

Maybe $4k or $4.5k at most.

[Jeff]

  What does it matter that it is now three years old It is still a zero mileage bike.

I suppose if you wanted to turn around & sell i right away the "age" might matter - but why would you do that?

It doesn't matter to me one bit. What matters is that if he were to need a loan for it, or in a year wanted to sell it, it is now a used bike just like all the other '08s. The only advantage it has is that it would still have a warranty on it. That's it.

[1moreroad]

Found the electrical output limits of the WR at idle -- about 150W.

Just got the Tourmaster heated jacket liner that consumes 75W.
Heated hand grips on high can be around 50 - 55W.
HID driving lights pull about 30W.

With all that, I'm sitting at 11.9V on the battery.

Low heat on the hand grips and medium on the jacket and I get about 12.8V at idle.

My old ZX6R with heated grips on high and a vest on -- probably 100W combined -- affected the battery the same.