Sold the DR650 and picked up a WR250r
Let me start by saying I really enjoyed my time with the DR. It was my first off-road oriented bike, and after some easy and inexpensive mods, I reached for the keys often and rode over all types of terrain. I would still recommend one as a great adventure bike. However, I spend most of my off-road time in the desert, riding with guys on lighter bikes on 100ish mile rides. Great fun, but I often found myself at the back of the line, and getting dusted as I covered ground at a more Jeep like pace, wrestling the bike through softer/deeper sand. With my limited skills I wanted something lighter, that was still a factory dual sport, and not high maintenance.
Enter the WR250r
After selling the DR650 the empty space in the garage lasted about 40 hours. A 2008 WR250r now occupies that space. First impressions were pretty good overall. Light (check), plated (check), easy maintenance (check). The bike is lightly farkled with a slip on, “extra parts” removal, skid plate, rear rack, and a stiffer set of fork springs.
I spent the weekdays commuting to work and getting acquainted with my new to me mount. The step down in power is noticeable, but I’m pretty impressed with the little 250. Once its up in the revs it is pretty fun to run through the gears and gets up to speed no problems. The Transmission feels good, not the smoothest clicks, but solid and with appropriate spacing between gears for general riding on the road. The FI is very nice once the bike warms up. It seems to be a pretty cold blooded bike in the mornings and can have heavy hesitation after start up. The clutch took some getting used to. There is a very small window for engagement/disengagement, but I adjusted the cable slack and shift lever and I’m getting a better feel for it now. The seat height has me on my toes, but I can deal with it on the pavement. I was a little concerned how it would be off-road, more on that later. Fit and finish are very good. Nice looking welds, tight fit on all of the panels, with many common fasteners requiring less tools for removal and install. Seems like a very well thought out machine.
Today was the first chance I had to put it through a variety of riding conditions, and I couldn’t be happier with the newest addition. The ride consisted of surface streets, highways, and a mix of hard pack, sand, rock, and gravel two track through Joshua Tree NP. The WR handled it all incredibly well and in many regards better than the DR it has replaced.
Time for a few comparisons.
In town the DR and WR are about equally matched. The DR has a bit more power, but at speeds <50mph I don’t really miss the extra grunt. On extended Highway travel, I’d have to give the nod to the DR with its extra power and top end cruising abilities. The WR is no slouch on the slab though. I was cruising with traffic at 65-70 mph, but passing at those speeds is pretty much a thing of the past now.
Now for the scenario that put these two in my garage. On the two track, the WR is a revelation for my limited dirt skills. I never knew how hard I was working when I was riding the DR. The lighter weight and more dirt oriented suspension and wheels let it just glide over stuff that had me wagging the DR all over the place. I was rolling over sections faster and with less effort then I ever covered them on the DR. The seat height was not a problem either, as I rarely felt the need to dab a foot on the ground while moving. Keeping the revs up in 2nd and 3rd kept the WR on line and stable in the soft sand where I had the most difficulty on the DR. This bike is nimble too. I was easily dancing around larger rocks and swinging through the tighter turns. These are the areas of improvement I was hoping to see in a smaller, lighter weight bike and it delivered.
The areas of improvement I will address asap are the limited fuel range and the seat. At 1.9 gallons, even at 60mpg average, the range is not enough. It came with a 2 gal. Rotopax gas can and mount on the rear rack, but I think a IMS tank is in order. I’d rather use the rear rack to carry my stuff , not gas. The seat is not the worst, good for about 100 miles or so. Since I’d rather be closer to the ground, I’ll likely do a seat job similar to the widening job I did on the DR with some lowering as well.
Overall, I’m really impressed after today’s ride. Less fatigue, more fun, and capable road manners. I’ll remember the DR well, but I don’t think I’ll be missing it in most cases
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