Got a dual sport WR250R today - Mixed thoughts

[worker1]

Today I bought a used 2008 Yamaha WR250R off of craigslist. It's a dual sport and I've never ridden one or any dirt bike.

I like it and don't like it at the same time. I started on a Ninja 250, then Ninja 300, then FZ-09, now FZ-07.  My FZ-07 is sweet, it's really dialed in for me, upgraded suspension and all. 

On the WR-250R, going around curves is weird- handling is weird. The bike handlebars are twitchy and any input results in the bike moving. The gears of obviously really short (250cc) so there's a lot of shifting... The shift lever is tall- you really need to kick it up to shift. It's not crazy fast obviously. The bike is sort of buzzy with vibrations. Anyway, with so much pavement all around and no (legal) off road riding areas in my neighborhood, I keep thinking I may sell it. Yes I could upgrade the suspension, get a power commander, all that stuff. They even have big bore products to turn a 250 into a 280. I COULD upgrade suspension and more, but I don't know. I think for now I'll have it serviced and plan a ride which starts about 30 minutes from where I live (there's a trail) and take it from there.  I had a little fun trying to slide around in a dirt parking lot today.

I'm just really conflicted about whether I should have bought this thing. Can someone tell me to relax? ha

Edited April 30, 2019 by worker1

[Zephyr]

Like you said.. It's a different world of riding than you're used to.  The trail riding should give you an idea of whether or not it will awaken something in you or if you just prefer road riding, which is fine.  Good thing is that there's a ton of riding left this year which will give you plenty of time for fun or a decent opportunity to sell.

[NRWhiteKnight]

First, relax. 

Second, yes, it is a dual purpose bike, but you will need to ride it a bit different than a street only machine. The suspension is going to act somewhat different than that of your FZ-07. There is a lot more travel for one, which is intended more for off-road than on-road, which makes it sit taller, which gives it more ground clearance, which makes it handle different. Since you have never ridden a dirt bike, search out some off road trail riding videos.

I started out on dirt bikes and moved to street bikes. Riding them is takes two different techniques, but there are similarities, such as pressing on the bars to turn at higher speeds. One difference is that, at least on dirt, you use a counter weight technique more that hanging off in the direction of the turn, since this helps the tires dig in to the dirt for traction.

While I cannot explain it all here, I can suggest taking a dirt bike riding course if one is available and you have the funds. This will at least give you a better understanding and feel for riding a dirt bike.

 

Most of all, have fun and relax. You will learn it either way.

[FZ07R WaNaB]

4 hours ago, worker1 said:

I'm just really conflicted about whether I should have bought this thing. Can someone tell me to relax? ha

First off.... Congrats on your new purchase!!!

Now the real talk, it's a dirt bike which means it's a completely different animal from all of your other bikes. More simply put, it's not meant to feel or ride like all of your past street bikes. The WR250 in particular leans way more to the dirt than a Kawasaki KLR650, Suzuki DR650, Honda XL650, or those beastly BMW dual sports. It is a lot more like the street legal KTM's as far as dual sports go.

Now the great news.... if you keep this bike and learn how to ride it in the dirt, you will be a MUCH better street rider on any street bike which obviously includes your FZ-07. Think of it as cross training. Inherent in dirt riding is that you will often be riding on or past the edge as in you will need to learn how to handle your WR250 in situations where either or both of the wheels are sliding, making split second moves to keep you from hitting something on the trail, as well as a TON of other bike handling maneuvers that you will rarely get an opportunity to do on your FZ. You will learn how to jump your WR, as well as riding standing on the footpegs on a regular basis. How does this help you on a street bike... first, you will know how to handle your FZ in unplanned/dangerous situations. More importantly you won't freak out in those situations.

For example, a car stop suddenly in front of me, and my FZ did some rear wheel sliding (no ABS on my FZ). That is a situation where a street rider could crap there pants, screw up and wreck as they never encountered that before. It was no big deal to me, and my first thought after was... so that's what my FZ feels like when it's sideways - COOL!

My $0.02 would be to go to your local bike shop and ask around about places to ride. I'll bet there are more places than you think. Once you find some dirt bike riding buddies, your fun factor will go up big time! Depending on your vehicle, I would consider getting a bike carrier that fits into your bumper hitch with the bike being positioned at a 90 degree angle. Those carriers are cheap, and will easily handle the weight of the WR. Plus with a bumper carrier, you have no excuses not to go riding.

While taking a class wouldn't be a bad idea, just get out and take it easy as your learn. Plus, there is a lot to be said for riding with someone else in case you get into a wreck, or at least make sure you carry a cell phone when you are dirt riding.

Lastly, the Yamaha WR250 is a great choice to seriously learn how to dirt ride. It's light, has plenty of power, and handles well, and then there is that Yamaha reliability! Speaking of power, while it might seem to be not that fast on the street, trust me, there is plenty of power to scare the crap out of you on the dirt!

FWIW and IMHO, your WR250 needs no upgrades other than maybe a fresh set of dual sport tires such as Pirelli MT21 or Dunlop 606. You want to go with 90% dirt/10% street tires with that bike for sure.

Don't sell it, don't try to convert it to a street bike, and more importantly just get out and ride the piss out of it!!!

Enjoy and be safe!

 

Edited April 30, 2019 by FZ07R WaNaB

[shinyribs]

The WR250R uses a single cylinder borrowed from the R1. Yeah, it's bullet proof and has an awesome maintenance schedule for a dual sport, but that is a buzzy motor that has to be would up at all times. One of my buddies has one and every time we take off from a stop he sounds like a Formula 1 car taking off.  Good hp for a 250, so they cruise pretty easily, but they got nothing down low.

They are mini ADV bikes, or light dual sports, at best. They look like a dirt bike, but they are not. If you wan to experiment in the world of dual sport you can pick up  DRZ400.  Those engines will give it more guts on the street. Either way, go ahead and give it a try since you already own it. They are good bikes. Riding it will tell you if its for you or not, or what areas you don't like or want in your next bike. 

[Beemer]

First, I want to thank @NRWhiteKnight  and @FZ07R WaNaB for sparing my fingers the grueling workout, ha! I might add that if you can't find any dirt bike riding courses in your area to seek out other dirt bike riders (online perhaps or ask around at bike shops, anything to do with bikes) to ride with and exchange knowledge. One that's been riding a few years could help you immensely by taking away a lot of the guess work and show you a thing or two/get you up to speed faster. About that vibration, you can do as mentioned and get some dual sport tires to ease the vibration but once you get on the dirt you aren't going to be as happy with the traction they provide compared to that knobby that's on there now. Since you only know of one trail close by and you don't know if it's a good or crap trail I suggest getting the carrier that was mentioned. 

From the sounds of it, I have a feeling you may have to go some distance before you reach an actual decent place to ride so you could just save the money you spend on new tires and use it toward a carrier and you'll be happiest riding with the existing knobbies.  At least get some use out of them and when you do get around to buying new tires you'll also have a carrier to take your bike to those far away places, preferably with good knobbies. Give it some thought, don't rush anything. Just don't sell it whatever you do, that's just nuts, you just bought it! Give it a chance.

One last thing, I wouldn't ride alone in the dirt in a remote place unless I was verrrry positive I had service and good reception and a good phone case to help protect your phone in a wreck. If something bad happened there's no telling how long you would be stranded without food, water, or medical attention. GL!

[Beemer]

30 minutes ago, shinyribs said:

The WR250R uses a single cylinder borrowed from the R1. Yeah, it's bullet proof and has an awesome maintenance schedule for a dual sport, but that is a buzzy motor that has to be would up at all times. One of my buddies has one and every time we take off from a stop he sounds like a Formula 1 car taking off.  Good hp for a 250, so they cruise pretty easily, but they got nothing down low.

They are mini ADV bikes, or light dual sports, at best. They look like a dirt bike, but they are not. If you wan to experiment in the world of dual sport you can pick up  DRZ400.  Those engines will give it more guts on the street. Either way, go ahead and give it a try since you already own it. They are good bikes. Riding it will tell you if its for you or not, or what areas you don't like or want in your next bike. 

shinyribs is right. I just snatched this out of an 2008 article from offroad.com:

"The WR250R is much better in the dirt than previous 250cc four-stroke dual-sports, though the comparative lack of low-end means keeping the revs up for optimum performance."

So, it's a good bike but you just have to know how to ride it and be happy riding it that way. It's sorta like a two stroke in that sense, having to keep the revs up a bit compared to a torque rich thumper.

[michigan400]

Relax bro,,, it's juts a two fiddy dual sport. Ride it a while and if you end up not liking the off road thing just sell it. They get good money for those used so as long as you don't wreck it you can get most, if not all of your money back. Leave the motor and exhaust stock. The small HP increase will not be worth the cost. It will be barely noticeable other than making a bunch more noise. Ride it and enjoy it for what it is. A street legal trail bike.

 

[Grant31781]

Quote

On the WR-250R, going around curves is weird- handling is weird. The bike handlebars are twitchy and any input results in the bike moving. The gears of obviously really short (250cc) so there's a lot of shifting... The shift lever is tall- you really need to kick it up to shift. It's not crazy fast obviously. The bike is sort of buzzy with vibrations.

Sounds like a typical dirtbike on the pavement. I have a 200cc chinese dual sport.  This is the bike I started back riding on after not riding since the 90s. I thought it felt good on the road until I rode  my MT07. Wow what a difference in feel. So we are on opposite ends.

I also have a  KTM 250xc. It will vibrate your butt and feet off riding on asphalt.  My bike is a 2013 model with no counter balancer. The chinese bike has crappy suspension and is not great in the dirt. It is fine riding dirt roads and pavement. Rough stuff not so much.

I built a dirt bike course for the KTM on my property its a mix of woods trails and a few jumps.  Its a small but fun. Where I live there are also plenty of dirt roads to ride and explore. Pavement is ok for short trips on these bike. I am staying off the pavement for now due to getting a warning from the state patrol on the  KTM. Its not street legal. I have to cross a state road to get on the dirt road.

 

 

[Cruizin]

14 hours ago, worker1 said:

Today I bought a used 2008 Yamaha WR250R off of craigslist. It's a dual sport and I've never ridden one or any dirt bike.

I like it and don't like it at the same time. I started on a Ninja 250, then Ninja 300, then FZ-09, now FZ-07.  My FZ-07 is sweet, it's really dialed in for me, upgraded suspension and all. 

On the WR-250R, going around curves is weird- handling is weird. The bike handlebars are twitchy and any input results in the bike moving. The gears of obviously really short (250cc) so there's a lot of shifting... The shift lever is tall- you really need to kick it up to shift. It's not crazy fast obviously. The bike is sort of buzzy with vibrations. Anyway, with so much pavement all around and no (legal) off road riding areas in my neighborhood, I keep thinking I may sell it. Yes I could upgrade the suspension, get a power commander, all that stuff. They even have big bore products to turn a 250 into a 280. I COULD upgrade suspension and more, but I don't know. I think for now I'll have it serviced and plan a ride which starts about 30 minutes from where I live (there's a trail) and take it from there.  I had a little fun trying to slide around in a dirt parking lot today.

I'm just really conflicted about whether I should have bought this thing. Can someone tell me to relax? ha

That bike is meant for off-road man, it's a dirt bike . People buy them to putt around in town and ride to the trail, where it really shines. If you don't plan on riding off-road, then sell it because it's gonna be uncomfortable on streets. 

[worker1]

Thanks everyone for the well thought out responses. I think I was mostly frustrated that when riding in the dirt, I had no idea what I was doing and I was getting used to the bike at the same time. It was a little like learning to swim in a pool and then being thrown into the ocean, skill wise. I rode it around a big dirt lot today which has lots of rocks. I don't like sucking at new things but I'm going to stick with it.

[kylerhsm]

The hardest part about riding in the dirt after being a road bike rider is learning to feel comfortable with the wheels sliding around, especially the front wheel. On the road we know that once your front gets loose you're pretty much dead, however, on the dirt this isn't the case at all. Both wheels will slide, and it's only practice and experience that is going to get you used to this.

I went from riding road to riding dirt, and I reckon it's much harder doing it that way rather than going from dirt to learning road. But persistence will pay off, and then you'll realise that riding dirt is actually more fun and you can act like a total hooligan without putting your life in as much danger or losing your license.

[Adkfz07]

I grew up on dirt bikes and the motorcycle  is a different animal.  Although I bought a motorcycle as light and as torqueeee as I could find...... I love dirt bikes and motorcycles

[wrxer]

That thing looks mint.  I drove a WR-X supermoto version as a daily commuter for over 11,000 miles & hence my name on this forum. Your uneasy feeling is called dual sport tires & no matter what you get they will always be too knobby for the street & not knobby  enough off road.  Learn to deal with it.  if the tires are old or worn funny it will be even worse.  I would not recommend 606s or the like unless you intend to use it almost exclusively as a dirt bike...& dont lie to yourself.  I've had them they are squirrly on the street especially to what you are used to.  the wr is a great bike other than a shitty cheap shock.  still no other dual sport I would want for both on & off other than the new Honda 450.

Edited May 1, 2019 by wrxer

[shinyribs]

7 hours ago, worker1 said:

Thanks everyone for the well thought out responses. I think I was mostly frustrated that when riding in the dirt, I had no idea what I was doing and I was getting used to the bike at the same time. It was a little like learning to swim in a pool and then being thrown into the ocean, skill wise. I rode it around a big dirt lot today which has lots of rocks. I don't like sucking at new things but I'm going to stick with it.

We all sucked when we first started riding, dirt or not. I love my FZ but will never give up dirt. Just have fun and go at your own pace. Things come to you faster if you don't push yourself. If you are riding inside your comfort zone you can focus more on other things,  whether you realize it or not, and then your skills will start building faster then you would believe. If you try to force yourself you'll just get overwhelmed and likely never progress. It's all about fun, so just roll with it and have a good time. 

I don't like to preach about safety equipment or gear because everyone has their own opinion and all. But when it comes to riding offroad I firmly believe that a good pair of offroad boots is every bit as important as a helmet. I'm not saying to run out and drop $500 on a new pair of Gaerne's, but I would definitely consider boots to be a priority. Fox and Oneal make some "entry level" boots that are actually pretty decent for the average rider. You can usually find some good closeout deals around the $100-150 mark. Man, my boots are so scarred up I know my feet would be dead had it not been for proper boots. I won't ride without my boots. Just think about it. 

[djfz07]

I have a WR250R too.  Use it with the dirt and supermoto setups.  I thought the same things when I first bought mine.  I kept thinking, "I heard this thing was slow but wow" lol.  Handles way different than any streetbike because it's at around 100lbs less.  Just give it some time though.  I've really come around to love the thing and have dumped a ton of money into it like my FZ07.  It gets great fuel mileage,  very very low maintenance, insurance is a third of what I pay for the FZ, and it can get dropped and abused all day long without a single hiccup. I have a feeling it'll have a permanent spot in my garage.

 

Here's a pic in it's current supermoto mode.  My brother recently got his permit and has been learning on it.

Dirt/adventure mode.  Yes, that's an MT07 windscreen I modified to fit the WRR lol

Edited May 1, 2019 by djfz07