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New to off road, thinking of a wr250r. Any thoughts?

  1. #1
    Lifer bryco13's Avatar
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    New to off road, thinking of a wr250r. Any thoughts?

    So the more time that goes on with me being unhappy with my cruiser purchase and not riding at all, I've been thinking of taking the financial hit and just trading it in towards a smaller on/off road bike. I was looking into the kawi/Suzuki/Honda 650's, but I know they seem to suffer in the woods. I live right up the road from HVD, and was thinking of something small and light that I can ride legally on the street to the trail, and still have some fun. I like the smaller stuff, especially for their prices, and like the looks of the wr250r, but at 250# I don't want to kill the little thing. Any thoughts on going this route? Mainly just an around town bike that can still have some fun off road? Thanks.

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    Lifer Garandman's Avatar
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    Arrow Re: New to off road, thinking of a wr250r. Any thoughts?

    Those of you who have met me know I am 6'2 and 240. (I should be about 220 but anyway). I talked to Theothersean, who owns or has owned many if not all of the popular enduros, and he suggested the WR250R was the best fit, which for me was mostly to chase my son. I found a used 2012 in Maine.

    It's a remarkable bike. Huge suspension and ground clearance, yet I've gone 70mph on the highway and it seems to suffer less from buffeting than the KLR650 I had. With more off-road oriented tires they've been taken just about anywhere. Pretty expensive for a 250 but remarkably capable for the money.

    Hit he most common complaints/alterations are gearing for off road and fuel range off road. New sprockets are an easy change. Most Eastern riders don't have a problem with fuel range but there are larger tanks available. Finally, like most competitors they are tall so the short of stature have to make some adjustments.

    There are several mega-threads on Advrider: the main one is 2,500 pages. Really popular bike.

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  3. #3
    Lifer bryco13's Avatar
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    Re: New to off road, thinking of a wr250r. Any thoughts?

    Awesome, thanks! No problem pullin ya around around town, like in the 30-45 mph range?

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    Lifer Chippertheripper's Avatar
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    Re: New to off road, thinking of a wr250r. Any thoughts?

    You can't go wrong with it, I don't think. I think it'd easily return 35-40 around town, I'd guess that it's probably up in the 60mpg range though. Even with woodsy gearing and knobbies.

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    Get Weird! maxim_X's Avatar
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    Re: New to off road, thinking of a wr250r. Any thoughts?

    WR 250 and drz400 come to mind when ever anyone asks about this. The Wr should easily do 50+ around town. My ttr250 does that speed with my fat ass on it. I saw a Honda CRf250l at the dealer the other day for around 5000 new. I don't know how good it performs though. It's worth looking into.

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    Lifer bryco13's Avatar
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    Re: New to off road, thinking of a wr250r. Any thoughts?

    Not super worried about the mileage, it's more just to get on something that will make me smile when I think of it. Just wasn't sure how good it would be off road, I know a lot of the enduros suffer from being ok on road and ok off, but not great at either. I know small and light is the way to go in the woods, just don't want to tax it out at 1cc/pound.

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    Lifer Garandman's Avatar
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    Re: New to off road, thinking of a wr250r. Any thoughts?

    The WR is substantially more expensive but lighter and has a more sophisticated suspension with more travel than competitors and EFI. You can find all kinds of comparison tests, and plenty of large riders with them.

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    Last edited by Garandman; 12-24-13 at 03:44 PM.

  8. #8
    Lifer
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    Re: New to off road, thinking of a wr250r. Any thoughts?

    Several NESR'ians have had or currently have WR250R or 250X'es. All spoke very positively about them.

    My KLX/DRZ400 is shockingly big 'n heavy off road.. but insanely thin and light on pavement. I would have a hard time enthusiastically recommending it if your primary goal is off-roading.

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    Last edited by nhbubba; 12-24-13 at 03:20 PM.

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    Lifer bryco13's Avatar
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    Re: New to off road, thinking of a wr250r. Any thoughts?

    I'm going to go see what's around, looks like the Honda version fits the bill as well, and then there's the drz400s, but I worry about that being too big for a beginner on trails. Thanks for the info so far guys, wasn't sure if it would be able to handle my weight, and never actually had a big that small as far as displacement.

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    Expert Agitator GearHd6's Avatar
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    Re: New to off road, thinking of a wr250r. Any thoughts?

    I've got a CRF250X that is road legal. I'm pretty much a beginner off road, I've done it years ago but it's been a while. I opted for the smaller 250 and so far I'm happy with the choice. The X is basically a more woods oriented R which has electric start which gives you a charging coil rather than just a lighting coil. The suspension is also a little more plush than the MX based R version. The compromise is the gearing. Seeing it's only a 5 speed you lose a little street-ability. If you needed to ride long distance to the trails you'd probably haves to make some sprocket changes. It sounds like I'm lighter weight than you though at about 175 lbs.


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    Lifer Chippertheripper's Avatar
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    Re: New to off road, thinking of a wr250r. Any thoughts?

    Quote Originally Posted by bryco13 View Post
    I'm going to go see what's around, looks like the Honda version fits the bill as well, and then there's the drz400s, but I worry about that being too big for a beginner on trails. Thanks for the info so far guys, wasn't sure if it would be able to handle my weight, and never actually had a big that small as far as displacement.
    It's not that the 400 will overwhelm you with power, it's just that it physically is bigger and heavier (and probably with worse suspension) that makes the wr a better woodsy weapon.
    The newer 250's don't mind being wound up. It's not going to pull your arms out the sockets, but it's better than driving a scooter around. (Ok, probably not a burgman, but you know what I mean)

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  12. #12
    Lifer
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    Re: New to off road, thinking of a wr250r. Any thoughts?

    IMO - If you are serious about having *Fun* off-road, stay with the smallest, lightest bike you can find. All of them can be modified (read: re-sprung) for your weight. I weigh over 200 lbs, and have a KTM350. I *never* need the power. Ever. I do sometimes wish that it was lower to the ground, though.

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    Senior Member bstnsboy's Avatar
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    Re: New to off road, thinking of a wr250r. Any thoughts?

    I have an xr 400 that i will part with. not street legal but i hear vermont can fix that....looking to deal this thing.http://www.nestreetriders.com/forum/...400-1800-O-B-O I'll let it go for 1400.00 bottom dollar.....

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    Wizard loudbeard's Avatar
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    Re: New to off road, thinking of a wr250r. Any thoughts?

    Quote Originally Posted by Chippertheripper View Post
    It's not that the 400 will overwhelm you with power, it's just that it physically is bigger and heavier (and probably with worse suspension) that makes the wr a better woodsy weapon.
    I will second that the drz is a fairly useless bike....compared to what else is available in the class. It's heavy at ~325 pounds, slow at 35 horsepower, improperly geared for trails, and has a weak suspension setup -particularly the front. It's too heavy for a good woodsy bike and too slow for a lot of highway fun. As a matter of fact, I believe every dual sport available that isn't a DR650 or XR650L will do a better job than this bike. I will likely keep mine because I won't be able to get anywhere near a reasonable return on my "investment."


    Should have bought a KTM.



    To add, I also have a CRF250R. I would rather ride a race bike in the woods than a drz anywhere.....and that's about how it goes. I think the only time I ride the drz is to run into the city on occasion.

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    Lifer
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    Re: New to off road, thinking of a wr250r. Any thoughts?

    I don't know if I would say that. I owned a DRZ400-S, and I had a great time with it. Sure, it is tall and heavy, but it is also extremely low maintenance, and quite capable in the right hands. I sold mine for a DR650, because I wanted better street-ability, but I could snap up a 3rd gear wheelie, and carry it for a long time. I had a blast with the DRZ, and took it some places that it should not have been.
    Besides less weight, the only thing it really needed was a 6th gear. You still see plenty of them at any NETRA Turkey Run.

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    Expert Agitator GearHd6's Avatar
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    Re: New to off road, thinking of a wr250r. Any thoughts?

    Greg, you're a good dirt rider by the sounds of it. You could ride circles around most guys in the woods on a tank of a bike. A beginner dirt rider needs something a little more forgiving to do the same job.

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  17. #17
    Lifer
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    Re: New to off road, thinking of a wr250r. Any thoughts?

    The DRZ400 is relatively cheap too.
    Deep aftermarket too.

    I'm liking mine. But it isn't a dedicated dirt toy. Nor did I buy it as such.

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  18. #18
    Wizard loudbeard's Avatar
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    Re: New to off road, thinking of a wr250r. Any thoughts?

    Quote Originally Posted by gregp View Post
    I don't know if I would say that. I owned a DRZ400-S, and I had a great time with it. Sure, it is tall and heavy, but it is also extremely low maintenance, and quite capable in the right hands. I sold mine for a DR650, because I wanted better street-ability, but I could snap up a 3rd gear wheelie, and carry it for a long time. I had a blast with the DRZ, and took it some places that it should not have been.
    Besides less weight, the only thing it really needed was a 6th gear. You still see plenty of them at any NETRA Turkey Run.
    Didn't mean to imply that it was absolute crap, was speaking more in relative terms. It will get the job done. Ultimately I will keep mine, run taller gearing and some better tires, and enjoy it for what it is because showroom depreciation is a bitch and I'm a dumbass who makes impulse buys sometimes. Fact is there are definitely much better bikes in the class that if all else is equal (rider) will out perform the drz easily.

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  19. #19
    Lifer
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    Re: New to off road, thinking of a wr250r. Any thoughts?

    Which KTM do you wish you bought instead?
    Which models are better picks?

    OP, what's your budget?

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  20. #20
    Lifer
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    Re: New to off road, thinking of a wr250r. Any thoughts?

    To Bryco, I do think that the WR250R is a fine, street legal machine that can be used for dirt riding. As long as you have legs long enough to keep the bike upright in the tricky situations that often arise in off road riding, the bike should perform quite well. I would not hesitate to buy one, but I have learned to stay away from the big bikes. Most New England trails just do not suit them well. Most of the New England trails I have ridden are very rocky, with steep, often slimy up and downhills. Suspension can be made to work, but a heavy bike will almost always remain heavy.
    I do have a lot of off road experience, but my speed is decreasing by huge amounts every year now. These days I consider myself quite a capable trail rider, but not fast at all. My knees hurt so bad that I cannot stand up much anymore. More than anything, that limits how fast I can go.

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  21. #21
    Lifer bryco13's Avatar
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    Re: New to off road, thinking of a wr250r. Any thoughts?

    Thanks for all the info so far!
    As far as budget, I bought a cruiser last year that I've put a whopping 37 miles on. Every day I see my impulse buy sitting in my garage and it just bums me out. Due to what I owe on it and what it's worth, I'm in the negative, which pretty much keeps me from swapping it out at a dealer for a cheap bike, as they will more than likely only finance a new bike. I also don't have a couple thousand that I could throw down on a used bike, otherwise bstn's bike would already have been in my garage. So currently I'm looking for a place that will take my bike in trade and give me the most possible for it, and of course I'm going to want a deal on a leftover or new bike. I spend some time looking around at Performance in Shrewsbury and Motorsports Int in Auburn, but haven't had too much luck, and don't want to impulse buy again.
    Also, I'm almost 6' tall with a 32" inseam, don't know if that helps. I can sit on a klr650 and get the balls of my feet on the ground, not sure if that comparison helps.

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    Last edited by bryco13; 12-24-13 at 07:17 PM.

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    Expert Agitator GearHd6's Avatar
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    Re: New to off road, thinking of a wr250r. Any thoughts?

    37 miles!? What the heck did you buy and how do you know you dislike it in that small amount of miles?

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  23. #23
    Lifer
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    Re: New to off road, thinking of a wr250r. Any thoughts?

    37 miles is a trip to the shop to get the thing inspected in the spring.

    I'd be incredibly hesitant to buy a brand new motorcycle with money I didn't have that I wasn't 110% sure I'd love more than boobies and beer. (That's a lotta love, btw.) Especially in a segment you are new to.

    Unfortunately I don't think you'll land anything but a complete wreck for <$1k. A DR350 or DRZ400 is doable for as little as $1500. Maybe you can swing a decent 125 or 250cc dirt-only bike for around the $800-1k mark.. but I can't say for sure.

    My vote goes to saving until you have more fundage.

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    Last edited by nhbubba; 12-24-13 at 07:39 PM.

  24. #24
    Lifer bryco13's Avatar
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    Re: New to off road, thinking of a wr250r. Any thoughts?

    That would be the safest bet, to save up a bit. The reason for such little mileage is not having test ridden the bike first, and it's just very uncomfortable, the forward controls cause a lot of knee and hip discomfort and they aren't able to be made into mid controls. I find myself flip flopping between going back to a upright sports bike or an enduro. I've just become really depressed due to the lack of riding and that after such a long hiatus from riding on the road an off road toy that I can putt around town with might be the safest bet.

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  25. #25
    Lifer Garandman's Avatar
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    Re: New to off road, thinking of a wr250r. Any thoughts?

    What cruiser do you have?

    First thing to do is start paying as much extra on the principle as you can every month until you get right. Even $10 per month would help, though $100 would be better.

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