WR250R vs WR250x for Adventure Riding Dilemma

I have been riding my WR250X as adventure riding bike doing trails, fire roads, explorations, and some day trips. I always had fun with it, have some Kendas on it, but thought the smaller and wider wheels were a pain to go over stuff and very bouncy. Recently picked up a WR250R for more of this kind of riding in comfort. Right now it has some Distanzias on it, and I plan to put some Dunlop 606. However, it sits me much higher (about 1 and half inch), and I don’t feel that I don’t have much of that stability and control that I had with the Wr250x. Maybe I just have to keep riding it.
I’d like to know the pros and cons of this bike to help me decide which one I should keep. It’s been a dilemma for me ;-)

Give yourself some time to adjust to the higher seating position before you drop $$, It has it's advantages: 1) less stress on lower back 2) more aggressive "dirt" riding position.

You can alway get an aftermarket seat that will sit lower.

gatorfan wrote:

Give yourself some time to adjust to the higher seating position before you drop $$,  It has it's advantages: 1) less stress on lower back 2) more aggressive "dirt" riding position.

You can alway get an aftermarket seat that will sit lower.

What? Both bikes will feel the same for your back and have the same position while riding. You're just higher up on the R vs the X.

I have done some trail riding with my X and have been quite surprised by what it can do offroad, even with the stock street tires.
I have thought about getting a set of Warp9 R wheels so I could put some 606's on there for the rougher trails I have around here. My concern is the higher ride height since I'm already on my toes when I put a foot down to stop on my 17's. (I'm 5'8")

I say give the R a chance if you feel you need the offroad wheels/tires. The street stability of the X's street tires on the road can't be matched by a knobby tire, just like the grip of the knobbies in the loose stuff can't be matched by a slick street tire. You need to figure out which is more important for the type of riding you want to do.

Evol wrote:

gatorfan wrote:

Give yourself some time to adjust to the higher seating position before you drop $$,  It has it's advantages: 1) less stress on lower back 2) more aggressive "dirt" riding position.

You can alway get an aftermarket seat that will sit lower.

What? Both bikes will feel the same for your back and have the same position while riding. You're just higher up on the R vs the X.

Sorry, you misunderstood me or I wasn't clear enough.

Both bikes have the same seating position NOW, but he is uncomfortable being higher up. A lower aftermarket seat will change his sitting posture. I should have said a lower aftermarket seat has disadvantages - so wait and try to adjust first.

Hi guys…
To me the WRR feel more heavy and tippy (when leaned over, it feels much heavier) because it is a higher bike and the center of gravity is much higher than the WRX. I think that is the reason I do not feel that comfortable on the WRR. Anyone feel the same?
On the WRX, the center of gravity is about 2 inches lower, and it feel more lighter, nimble, and controllable…

Thoughts?

fijiman

I guarantee you the only reason you are noticing the difference is because you're going back and forth between the 2 bikes. If you never rode the X the R would not feel "high".

It's always about what you're coming off.

I think you are right about that!!! I think I just have to make a decision and stick with it....

I never rode an X, but I do agree with you on the heavy tippy feeling, I'm 5-9 and have a 1.5 inch lower seat, that helped a bit. You get used to it.

We have one of each of the bikes in our garage - My wife rides the WRX with IRC knobby/trials type tires and I ride the WRR. Both are set up with lowering links, oversized tanks and Wolfman racks and soft luggage. The WRX has a stock shaved seat and the WRR a Spiral Step seat. On longer trips we carry all of our camping gear, water, food, etc.

So essentially the same bike with the main difference being the X with it's 17" wheels. We've ridden the northern half of the UTBDR, off road - multi day loops through Canyon Lands and day trips around the central Rockies of Colorado. Here's what I can tell you -

- The X feels surprisingly lighter in it's steering on and off road. 4" wheel size in the front is very noticeable.

- On really tough sections I get to ride both bikes over/through an obstacle. The R is much more predictable and nimble on rocky steeps and river crossing as well as deep sand. The X bounces over obstacles...

- On the R I do a lot of solo rides in rocky, harsh, steep terrain. I can't imagine doing this comfortably or with as much confidence on the X. (I have a 200XC and CRF230F that do an even better job, by a large margin - to put it in perspective)

I think your answer will come down to first, how hard you ride and second, the terrain. Will you be pushing hard with a lot of gear? The R is probably the best bet. Shorter dual sport forays into mild woods with a moderate load? The X may be just fine and far more comfortable (and NOT a compromise because it's a great bike unto itself!)

I hope this helps!

sanluissound wrote:

We have one of each of the bikes in our garage - My wife rides the WRX with IRC knobby/trials type tires and I ride the WRR. Both are set up with lowering links, oversized tanks and Wolfman racks and soft luggage. The WRX has a stock shaved seat and the WRR a Spiral Step seat. On longer trips we carry all of our camping gear, water, food, etc.

So essentially the same bike with the main difference being the X with it's 17" wheels. We've ridden the northern half of the UTBDR, off road - multi day loops through Canyon Lands and day trips around the central Rockies of Colorado. Here's what I can tell you -

- The X feels surprisingly lighter in it's steering on and off road. 4" wheel size in the front is very noticeable.

- On really tough sections I get to ride both bikes over/through an obstacle. The R is much more predictable and nimble on rocky steeps and river crossing as well as deep sand. The X bounces over obstacles...

- On the R I do a lot of solo rides in rocky, harsh, steep terrain. I can't imagine doing this comfortably or with as much confidence on the X. (I have a 200XC and CRF230F that do an even better job, by a large margin - to put it in perspective)

I think your answer will come down to first, how hard you ride and second, the terrain. Will you be pushing hard with a lot of gear? The R is probably the best bet. Shorter dual sport forays into mild woods with a moderate load? The X may be just fine and far more comfortable (and NOT a compromise because it's a great bike unto itself!)

I hope this helps!

Thank you Joe for your input, it does put things into perspective for me. I am 6' 1" and I am beginning to like the WR250R more.

Glad to help!

Thanks for all your help guys, I do have to admit that after riding both bikes over some rough terrain, I was able to see how superior the WR250R was compared to the X!
Here is what I decided to do. I just bought a set of 2012 stock OEM WR250R set of wheels with disk/sprockets, front brake assembly (caliper, MC, etc) , front fork shrouds and kickstand for my WR250x, got a pretty decent deal off e-bay. This way, I'll have the SM set-up with 17s, and adventure riding setup with 18/21.

in the mean time, I slapped the wheels off my WR250R onto the X and love it! Here are some pictures....

The suspension is tard stiffer on the X, and I'll have to mess with it to make it softer. Anyone have any cheat sheet on how to do this easily? ;-)

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