Back in December of 2016, after one afternoon where my brother had let me ride his Vespa 200cc scooter for about 4 hours, I came home and had mentioned to my wife how much fun I just had riding it. Right away she says that now that the kids are older(like 5 and 6), that I could get hurt or killed and it would be just fine-ha!!! I spent the rest of the night shopping scooters, I know, pretty funny but I was just thinking of going back and forth to work and riding around on the streets.
Until 2010, when my first child(son) was born, I had CR500R's(an 85 and a 96) that I'd trail ride, bone stock. Before that, I had a Honda XL250 dual sport and thought that someday, a 250cc four stroke would be more than enough for me for a dual sport. I had changed my thinking from a scooter to a CRF250L. I had then considered the WR250R, then a KTM 500 EXC-F, and finally BYOB'd a 2017 Beta 500 RR-S. I had enjoyed the 500 RR-S until this past April when I had been riding the bike all the while neglecting to ever check the oil level in between all the 30 hour oil changes and eventually, due to my supernatural idiocy, ran the engine out of oil and seized the motor, that was just not repairable. As I had so many spares for the bike and had enjoyed it so much, I got a new Beta 350 RR-S as I knew I did not need 500/60+ HP anymore and wanted lighter and easier to handle and the 350 RR-S was the bike.
This past January, as the bike was using oil and eventually needed new valves, valve seals, a new piston, rings and cylinder(all replaced under warranty, I just had to pay the labor), which was no problem as I had put on 300+ hours and 5,000+ miles in about 8 months, I had decided that I was starting to tire of 30 hour oil changes and considered all the dual sports available. I had also wanted a dual sport that I could put a Rekluse in as both the Beta's I had and the wife's/son's TT-R 125 all have them and I love how they work. I wanted the nice, long maintenance/oil change interval of 3,000 miles and an easier going dual sport as I no longer needed or craved the fire breathing monsters that I had ridden in the past and with all the dual sporting I do, I knew that a 250 was all I needed or wanted nowadays as with the Beta 350 RR-S, I didn't even need the power it had, and to me, it still has a lot.
The WR250R that I had considered back in 2017 was once again, what I wanted/needed. I got lucky as a fellow, 200 miles north of me up in Maine, had a 2020 that had 711 miles so I drove up, handed over a stack of $100 bills and got the WRR home. I think if I had ridden this bike last May, when shopping for a new bike, I'm pretty sure I would not have gotten another Beta. The WRR is excellent. Knowing also, that it has been called the most durable and reliable bike in the world, a pretty incredible accolade, sure helped making the choice easy.
The power from the motor, now that it has <1,400 miles, is perfect for me. I'm not big, 5'8" and 160 lbs so I'm the one that they make most all smaller to mid sized machines around. I find that the engine has more than enough low, mid and top end, even with the stock 13/43 gearing. I had ridden the bike for >300 miles without a Rekluse but had installed the EXP 3.0 Core as soon as it came and it made an already great bike even better. Because as some other poster had called it, a "Tactical Scooter", the bike is a point and shoot weapon. I twist, the bike goes and as the dual sport trails I travel are almost always easy in my neck of the woods, the need for any gearing change is just not necessary for me.
The smoothness and quietness of the motor is exactly what I was looking for. I could add the FMF Megabomb to the Beta to quiet it down a bit as the Beta is nowhere near as quiet as the WRR is. Anytime I pull the clutch in or let off the throttle and coast, the engine is so quiet that I have surprised many people that I have come up from from behind. If the Megabomb makes this WRR even quieter, I might consider the $314 for it.
I thought that the stock TrailWing tires did pretty good on the trails and were also really smooth on the roads as I got no slip on any of the trails that we always ride on and I was trying to get the front to slip or wash out but even with 700-1,000 miles on the tires, they shockingly stuck. I considered getting a new set but decided that I'd finally try a set of D606's front and rear in the stock sizes and much to my surprise, while there is a bit more vibration on the road, the vibration has not been enough to make me want to go back to a TrailWing like ADV tire, plus, off road, the tires do have good traction. Traction has been as good as the Motoz Tractionator H/T's that I've been using for tens of thousands of miles on both Beta's I've had.
I am loving the idea of 3,000 mile oil change intervals and that 26,000 valve check interval. I'll admit that I was getting pretty tired of having to change both the engine and transmission oils and filter on the Beta every 30 hours and my OCI has been averaging 24 hours. The time, energy and even the expense of it every 450 to 600 miles as I average 15-20 mph, was just too much. Just having to check chain tension and keeping the chain lubed(with Bel Ray Super Clean) is going to be nice. I had put in a new Twin Air air filter as the OEM filter was clawed at by a rat when the bike was with the previous owners and I didn't want to chance a hole opening up for the $40 or so for a new filter. I'll be ordering another as a spare so anytime I need to change/clean it I can swap it out and clean the dirty one at my leisure. I know it will be hard for me to leave oil in the shared sump for 3,000 miles so I'm sure I'll be changing it before 3,000 miles.
The suspension has also been pretty good. It was why I had considered the WRR back in 2017 as most all the other Japanese DS' had, and still lack, the suspension that the WRR has. I have softened up the compression all the way on both the forks and the shock. I have also set the rebound to full slow on both the forks and shock. I also feel the fast shock rebound on bigger hits or whoops and so far, have been ok with it as I don't ride like a maniac anymore and realize the limits of the rear shock. I think about the Gold Valve for the shock or buying a new shock or sending it out to have the rear rebound addressed but so far, I can live with it and overall, the suspension has been every bit as good as the Beta's. Even though the WRR has like 50 lbs on the Beta, I don't even notice it, ever, while riding. The WRR has been that good.
I did take the passenger footpegs and tool case off. I keep tools in my USWE RAW 12L pack. Otherwise, I'll be leaving everything else alone. I'll keep the AIS as I like that those riding behind me will have cleaner air. I'll keep the EXUP and the airbox valve the way it is as I don't need any more power and don't want the bike to be any louder, at all.
I have put on the ASV F4 levers that were on the wife's/kids TT-R 125. I have another cheap set from eBay and China on the way as the ASV's are just nicer and more expensive and the TT-R just doesn't need the level of levers that the ASV's are. I had also swapped the handlebars for a ProTaper YZ High that my brother had given me that he used to have on a Honda Grom and they have been perfect. I might get a 7/8 to 1 1/8 converter to fit a set of Neken bars I have from the Beta, only if the crossbar gets in the way and I decide to add anything to the bars and I need the space.
I've been enjoying the better mpg's as well. The Beta got around 45 mpg so getting from 50 to 70 mpg has been phenomenal. I will keep the stock tank as our riding area in this world has gas stations never more than 10 or 20 miles from anywhere we go so fuel is never an issue for us. The only tank I would consider is one that would be lighter and I have seen that the 3.0 gal tank does weigh less but I just never want to pay just to save some weight.
I will leave the tail section alone. I think of the DRC tail(tidy) as it does look good but just like with the tank, I just don't want to pay. I also feel better with the big tail and feel safer on the roads as the big tail light and directionals, and license plate light help me to be seen.
I was surprised at how ok the OEM 55/60W headlight was my first few nights of riding. In pictures, the WRR headlight looks like it has that old sealed beam fluting on the glass lens that would suck the already weak output, but the lens is clear and the output is not bad. I put in a 80/100 and had adjusted the light all the way down and I'm happy with it as the low beam is good and the high beam is really good, for a halogen setup. I think of adding the Baja Designs Squadron Pro that is mounted on the Beta for insane output, or the JNS LED plug and play setup to save on some weight, if it is lighter, and wattage draw but again, am sort of too cheap to spend the $150 just yet.
I have also removed both mirrors and put a Touratech mirror on just the left side as I have had good luck with it from both of the Beta's and I had a spare one on my spare shelf as I tend to break them every now and then.
I enjoy this WRR so much that I think of either selling or trading the Beta to either get the money for it or to get another bike as I think about a Zero FX, just for quiet and no exhaust for when riding with the family and like NO maintenance save for the chain conversion that I'd do if I ever did get one but the Beta is so perfectly set up(also with a Rekluse RadiusX) and it has been running even better after the recent rebuild that having a back up bike is such a nice luxury/treat.
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