Hi folks,
I began lurking a couple of months ago when I decided I was in the market for a WR. I've had a DR650 for the last 3 years and have no plans to sell it.
In September I started shopping on both sides of the Canada-US border. After getting the lowest price quotes I could for new models from dealers in eastern Ontario and NY state, it was a local dealer in Ottawa who gave me a quote that made the most sense... The cheapest price was in the US, but only about $400 cheaper the Ottawa dealer -- so not really worth my while to cross the border to buy it.
But just before I laid down my cash, a friend spotted an ad for a very gently used '09 WR250X on the outskirts of New York City -- all blinged-out with tasteful upgrades, and with 2 full wheel sets: sumo wheels & dirt wheels. Considering it only had 1,800 miles, and with all the upgrades, it was a no-brainer. I PayPal'd the cash to the seller after numerous emails and phone calls, then I drove 8 hours south from Ottawa to pick it up.
For those Canadians who may be curious, the export-import process was remarkably simple and not expensive at all. By the time I had the bike home and registered for the road (it took 4 days to complete after crossing the border) the final bill including purchase price, taxes, import fees, licensing, etc, was $6,600 CDN dollars. That's
on-the-road. The best price I had for a new 2011 WRR was $7500... and that was for a totally stock bike -- for which I'd spend at least $2-3K in upgrades.
Anyway, I'm loving this new bike. It may not have the same power and torque of the big DR, but she makes up for it with her light weight and nimble handling. I've put a lot of sweat and cash into building the DR into a very capable machine, but I will use it for longer trips that will involve easier terrain. The WR will be used for more challenging offroad riding, and also for tack days with the supermoto tires.
A couple of photos:
And the trusty DR650:
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