The Yamaha WR250R

[Greg]

The Yamaha WR250R... I've been following these bikes since they were released in 2008. I really like the direction Yamaha has taken this new dual-sport, as the bike is unlike anything that has been built before.

Here's a good list that breaks down the WRR-

http://www.totalmotorcycle.com/photos/2008models/2008models-Yamaha-WR250R.htm


Just a quick list of things that stand out from the crowd... It's fuel injected! No more worrying about elevation changes with a carb. The engine is a copy of 1 cylinder from the Yamaha R1 (1000cc, 4 cyl) sport bike, giving the WRR a very simple maintenance schedule and a high-revving RPM range (Rev limiter kicks in at 13,500 RPM!). The transmission is a wide-ratio 6 speed, giving you gearing down low for trail work and a good overdrive, for highway duty. All this adds up to a bike that turns out 70-75 MPG!

I have been watching for a used WRR for a couple reasons... #1 is so that the wife can go riding with me on the WRR. She has a Yamaha TTR 250 and while it has been a good starter bike, it's not plated and not too road friendly. I think the WRR will be a great bike for her. The 2nd reason is that I would like a smaller/lighter adventure bike when I'm going without the wife, for those technical trips. My Suzuki DR650 is a great bike, but it's a pig... especially with a 8 gallon Safari tank!

Caleb pointed out a used '08 WRR on KSL that was priced very well, much less than any other WRR's that I had seen. I already had plans to be in Utah for an upcoming weekend, so I contacted the seller and made arrangements to buy the bike. The seller was kind enough to stick to his word, hang on to the bike in the mean time and get it in my hands. I really appreciate his willingness to work with someone calling from out of state.

Riding the stock bike is fun, but it doesn't really have a lot of bottom-end power. It will putt around town just fine in the lower RPM range, but in order to make the bike move, you really have to get the RPM's up high, then it pulls smooth and hard. It's nimble, quick and pretty easy to ride, although the seat height is a bit tall for folks with shorter legs.

The day after I picked it up, I hauled the bike up American Fork Canyon for some single track riding. I was leary to ride without a skidplate and hand guards, using the stock gearing and the questionable Trailwing (aka Deathwing) tires, but went for it. Here's a quick ride report and pics from that trip-

http://www.rockymountainextreme.com/showthread.php?t=77392&page=3

The WRR did very well, but it was apparent that the tires and gearing needed changes if more technical riding was in the future.

 

[Tacoma]

Fuel-injected eh? That sounds handy. I'll read the trip report, but you've found the 250 sufficient?? I remember talking with you a little and the opinion that <400's kinda sucked for road use.... Sounds like you've got this one for shorter, more technical trips???

"Deathwing" hahah nice one.

 

[Greg]

Here's the WRR in stock shape, plus the rear rack that the previous owner fabbed up-

With the need for better protection for the bike and added power in the future, the initial list of mods was made.

- Skidplate

- Bigger 1 1/8" bars, Woods bend.

- Hand guards

- 12 tooth counter sprocket (stock is 13 tooth)

- FMF Power Programmer


I had already added big bars and hand guards to the old TTR, so I decided to make a swap and put the big bars and hand guards from the TTR onto the WRR, then move the stock bars over to the TTR. I was also lucky to have another RME member give me a set of new handguards, thanks Ben!

I went to Rocky Mountain ATV for the rest of the parts, they had a Ricochet skidplate, 12 tooth sprocket and the FMF programmer in stock. I like supporting local companies, so the order was made.

I swapped the handlebars between the 2 bikes, bolted on the skidplate and changed out the front sprocket.

I decided to hold off on installing the FMF Power Programmer, because I want my wife to get used to the bikes power stock first, plus I didn't want to reduce the incredible stock fuel mileage.

After taking the bike for a ride, I was happy with the new position and height of the handlebars, the feel great while standing up. The 12 tooth counter sprocket really changed the gearing down low. It's almost too deep, but good for cruising around town and technical trail riding. In the future, I may play with re-gearing the rear sprocket and see if I can find a happy medium between the low gearing of the 12 tooth and high gearing of the 13 tooth counter sprocket.

 

[Greg]

Both my wife and I were able to get out on the bikes this weekend for a nice and cool Fall ride above Glade Park, into the forest. It was Catherine's first ride on the new bike and I was excited to see how she liked the bike. We did a 90 mile loop, getting up towards 10k feet and riding a good mix of asphalt and dirt. We didn't get too many pics and the Fall colors while nice, weren't that great. No matter, it was fun to get out on both of the bikes.

Don't mind my plate... the rear tire grabbed it and tried to eat it.

 

[Greg]

Fuel-injected eh? That sounds handy. I'll read the trip report, but you've found the 250 sufficient?? I remember talking with you a little and the opinion that <400's kinda sucked for road use.... Sounds like you've got this one for shorter, more technical trips???

"Deathwing" hahah nice one.

Pretty much, shorter & more technical trips will be great on the WRR. I hated taking my DR650 down Rose Garden hill! The WRR seems to make a great 2nd bike and is perfect for my wife.

If Yamaha would build a 'WR450R' based on this bike, with a fuel injected engine with a low maintenance schedule and a wide ratio 6 speed transmission, I'd be all over buying one! I think it would make great competition for the KTM's that are similar, but higher maintenance and price.

The 250 is "sufficient", but the bike stock lacks torque. Riding it on pavement with stock gearing in the mountains is pretty... boring? It's fun, but it's no powerhouse. IMO part of hooligan riding is excessive throttle... and the stock WRR needs to be wrung out just to get it going.

Stock power specs are pretty low... 29 HP and 17 ft/lbs.

There are many people who are using the WRR as their dedicated 'adventure' bike, loading it up with gear and taking off on huge rides. I think as long as you understand the limitations of the bike, it's great.

There are plenty of mods out there to open up the engine and make it run better. Most people seem to add some kind of Power Programmer, a better exhaust, then open up the intake box. That, combined with gearing changes, seems to be the ticket. I don't know that I will be selling my DR650 in exchange for my own WRR, simply because I really like the torque of a big thumper... even then, I want to make some engine mods to the DR650 and get it in the 46-48 horsepower range, versus the stock 36 HP.

There is a 290cc big bore kit out there for the WRR, but I haven't heard much about it.

I think with the basic mods, exhaust, intake, programmer and a good gearing setup, the WRR would make an excellent adventure dual sport that is still light and capable of running at highway/freeway speeds when needed.

 

[MattL]

Thanks for the write up. I have been waiting to hear from ya on it. One question is how does it handle to the other wr250 that you have/had. Can you do a comparison of the two. Thanks

 

[Greg]

Thanks for the write up. I have been waiting to hear from ya on it. One question is how does it handle to the other wr250 that you have/had. Can you do a comparison of the two. Thanks

Good to hear it's worth reading...

Honestly, there is really no comparison between the WR250R and the WR250F. The only thing they share in common is the name, beyond that they are both very different bikes.

The WR250F is a high-performance racing bike, built for hare-scrambles, tight & fast riding. Its a powerful, high maintenance bike. It rips off-road, is very light at 238 pounds and has a 5 speed transmission. The engine has Yamaha's 5 valve cylinder head, which is great for performance, but can be a handful to maintain. The seat sucks for any road-time, I hate sitting on that seat for the 5 mile ride to the desert from my house. In technical riding the WR250F is right at home, it will eat up gnarly riding with ease and be light enough to whip around when needed.

The WR250R is a dream on the street, it feels somewhat light, but weighs in at a heavy 298 pounds. The engine is built for longevity, ease of maintenance and smooth riding. The WRR is built for dual-sporting, long days in the seat and plenty of street riding. Even the stock seat isn't that bad and it's 10x better than the WR250F's seat. With the 6 speed transmission, you can spend a lot of time riding the highway and not feel like you're wringing out the bike. Even the vibes aren't that bad on the road.

All things said, they're both great bikes, but each one is build for very different uses.

 

[cruiseroutfit]

Great review Greg, I was very impressed not only with your riding skills but the way the bike handled the mix terrain we were on a few weekends ago, really made me re-think the 'bigger is better' thought process. I'd love to hear your thoughts and impressions after some more time on the bike and as you get it fully set up for your needs.

 

[Greg]

Great review Greg, I was very impressed not only with your riding skills but the way the bike handled the mix terrain we were on a few weekends ago, really made me re-think the 'bigger is better' thought process. I'd love to hear your thoughts and impressions after some more time on the bike and as you get it fully set up for your needs.

Thanks Kurt, you did quite well yourself! My skills aren't that good, I'm just comfortable with pushing my abilities on a dual sport. It really was nice to finally get out and ride with you.

I think you hit the nail on the head with the 'bigger is better' comment, the WRR proves that theory wrong.

Hopefully I will have more to share soon enough, either this weekend or next Catherine and I are going to ride to Moab, using parts of the Kokopelli to get there and back. If it works out well, we will be able to spend some time touring around Moab as well. That should be a great test for the WRR and it's abilities as a dual sport.

 

[Rot Box]

Nice writeup

I remember when Gas Gas was the only company making a competitive 250cc liquid cooled 4T. Man things have come a long way in the last 10-15 years! Hope it works out good for you guy's

really made me re-think the 'bigger is better'

Big bores have their place--especially in the desert but the tight woods are a whole other story. Check these guy's out http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zfcrm6PbWj4

 

[Greg]

So the latest mod has been to increase the fuel range. The stock WR250R fuel tank holds a measly 1.9 gallons. Not much fuel at all, but considering that the bike in factory form gets 70+ mpg, it's not all that bad. Since we've installed the FMF engine programmer, I expect mileage to suffer, so upgrading the tank now is worth considering.

I decided to go with another Safari tank, I have one on my DR650 and love it. I end with the neutral plastic color, so you can easily see how much fuel you have in the tank. The WR250R Safari tank holds 3.7 gallons, almost double what the factory tank does! Even if the bike now gets 60 MPG in modified form, that's still 220 miles out of a tank.

The install was a pain in the a$$, to be honest with you. You have to deal with the EFI fuel pump and a few hoses inside the tank. Getting the pump in the right spot where it will bolt up was challenging, but after a bit of struggling, I got it right.

Sitting on the bike, the tank is noticeably wider at the knees. With the WRR's 'space' frame, most of the new fuel tank ends up sitting outside the frame, rather than down inside, like the stock tank did. The tank is what you'd expect, well built and quality parts. The bulky size does effect my ability to get up on the front of the seat and aggressively attack corners. But this isn't a 'dirt bike', it's a dual sport... meant for covering lots terrain, dirt and asphalt. The new tank should be great for longer rides.

Here's the bike with the new Safari tank, the WRR on the right with Pauls WR450 on the left. -

 

[Caleb]

Nice, so now that you've had the 250R for a bit, what's your impression of it? More nimble than your 650 I imagine, but is it enough so that it could replace your 250F?

I'd still like to pickup a bike that could handle "adventure" duty a bit more gracefully, but not sure if I want a big 650+ bike again. If I do go big, I'll likely go very big and do a BMW F800.

 

[Greg]

Nice, so now that you've had the 250R for a bit, what's your impression of it? More nimble than your 650 I imagine, but is it enough so that it could replace your 250F?

I'd still like to pickup a bike that could handle "adventure" duty a bit more gracefully, but not sure if I want a big 650+ bike again. If I do go big, I'll likely go very big and do a BMW F800.

I learned a lot about the WRR yesterday...the Sovereign is tight, technical singletrack, lots of switchbacks, very rocky, big ledges, etc... and it doesn't let up. It's not super difficult, but it's a challenge to an average rider like myself. It was great riding and I don't consider myself all that good at technical stuff like this, but I still enjoy it.

While we were taking a break, we started to discuss the weight of a bike and how much it can effect technical riding. I made a comment about the WR250R that really summed it up in my experience. I said... "the WRR is all the weight of a Suzuki DRZ400 (with e-start) with half the power."

At least that's what it feels like to me... lots of weight and not enough power. The WRR stock weigh 298 pounds... It's pretty heavy for a 250 and I was feeling it yesterday.

Torque is what matters in my mind, so here's how they compare. Stock to stock, the DRZ makes around 26 ft/lbs, where the WRR makes 17 ft/lbs. Pretty big gap there, when they weigh about the same.

I was missing my WR250F yesterday, which I ended up selling a few weeks ago. That bike weighs in at 238 pounds, had deep gearing and plenty of power. It would have been ideal for what we rode yesterday, for me at least. The WRR is going to have to do the job as the singletrack bike, since I don't have the time/money for a 3rd bike. I'm thinking a auto-clutch would have really helped yesterday, since my skills with the clutch in technical places isn't that great. I think I wouldn't have worn out so quickly if I had an auto-clutch. Maybe down the road the WRR will get one, but it's not a necessity, so we'll see what happens.

BTW... I would also like to have a more road-friendly bike and there are some deals out there. I would love a Suzuki V-Strom in the 650 size, something that could tackle a big road-trip without flinching.

 

[anderson750]

I think one thing that could help with a day of riding like we did yesterday would be a bigger rear sprocket. All considering, I think the bike did great on the single track.

 

[Greg]

I think one thing that could help with a day of riding like we did yesterday would be a bigger rear sprocket. All considering, I think the bike did great on the single track.

I agree, better gearing would have helped with yesterdays ride. I already dropped the front sprocket down 1 tooth and that made a huge difference, but really limited the top end. I'm not sure if I'd like dropping it any further, considering this bikes purpose.

The bike would probably have performed much better in the hands of someone more skilled and in better shape than myself... :guilty:

 

[Rot Box]

I made a comment about the WR250R that really summed it up in my experience. I said... "the WRR is all the weight of a Suzuki DRZ400 (with e-start) with half the power."

At least that's what it feels like to me... lots of weight and not enough power. The WRR stock weigh 298 pounds... It's pretty heavy for a 250 and I was feeling it yesterday.

Oh no!

Evey new bike is a learning experience for me. What looks good on paper doesn't always work in real life (ahem-KTM300 and ATK/C-dale 450 ). Either way I would rather push a broke down bike through 5MOH.... Again than spend a day at work. And that's what I did instead of joining you guy's. From the pics in the other thread I can tell I missed out--again. Maybe next time

 

[Greg]

Oh no!

Evey new bike is a learning experience for me. What looks good on paper doesn't always work in real life (ahem-KTM300 and ATK/C-dale 450 ). Either way I would rather push a broke down bike through 5MOH.... Again than spend a day at work. And that's what I did instead of joining you guy's. From the pics in the other thread I can tell I missed out--again. Maybe next time

It's still a great dual-sport, with an emphasis on what that means. It's not a dirt bike and it does well at what it's built for. For single track like AF Canyon that is pretty smooth, the WRR is great. If it's rocky Southern Utah singletrack, the WRR's weight shows. Not a big surprise to be honest with you and I'm still more than pleased that the WRR is able to handle it, though with some effort.

No worries on missing out, there will be plenty of rides in the future! I want to make it back out to AF Canyon next Summer and perhaps further up North. Perhaps you can be the guide and show a few other RME'ers the singletrack in your neck of the woods.

 

[Rot Box]

It's still a great dual-sport, with an emphasis on what that means. It's not a dirt bike and it does well at what it's built for. For single track like AF Canyon that is pretty smooth, the WRR is great. If it's rocky Southern Utah singletrack, the WRR's weight shows. Not a big surprise to be honest with you and I'm still more than pleased that the WRR is able to handle it, though with some effort.

No worries on missing out, there will be plenty of rides in the future! I want to make it back out to AF Canyon next Summer and perhaps further up North. Perhaps you can be the guide and show a few other RME'ers the singletrack in your neck of the woods.

Absolutely! Yamaha has really done their homework in the last 12 years and has built some outstanding 4strokes. I'm sorta in the same boat as I own a bike designed strictly for a motorcross/supercross track and I'm trying to make it work on single track. Either way nothing a little aftermarket support/gearing can't handle

I plan to hit it just as hard next year as I did this year. I can't put into words how much single track there is around No. Utah/So. Idaho and I would be more than happy to share it. This winter I think we all need to put an RME ride together and plan it far enough ahead that everyone can join :greg:

 

[Jared]

"the WRR is all the weight of a Suzuki DRZ400 (with e-start) with half the power."

Not to add insult to injury, but the DR-Z400E (e-start) weighs in at only 262 pounds, a whopping 36 pounds lighter than your 250. My kick start DR-Z400 weighs in at only 249 pounds dry in stock form. The street-legal-out-of-the-box 400S, the heaviest version, weighs in at 291 pounds dry. All share basically the same motor and have relaxed service requirements.

The WR has other advantages, such as better fuel economy and fuel injection... and I can't imagine it doesn't have a better gear spread in the transmission than the DR-Z. But, I just don't know where that little bike tucks all those extra pounds!

I think you hit it on the head when you said the WR250R is not a dirt bike, but is a true dual-sport. As long as somebody knows that when they are buying the bike I'm sure they would be happy with one, as they seem to be a very well engineered machine.

Jared

 

[SportSawyer]

FWIW, you're comparing claimed "dry weight" and "curb weight". Looking at the same class-of-bike as the WR250R (dualsport) and curb weight, the DR-Z400S dualsport version is 317lb.