A step in the right direction....

Well I saw my first real r2 today. I was in the stealership getting a blinker for my vstrom and thought I would check to see if they had any in stock. Well low and behold they had a 08 model sitting there just waiting for an owner. My biggest complaint about the looks of the bike both on the web and live is the IMHO the ugly pipe guard thingy. What kind of mods are guys doing to beautify the heat sheild? I was surprised as well how tall this bike looks. I didn't sit on it but it definitely was up there in the same range as my old xr650's. Not a problem for me as i'm mediumely tall but just an observation.

Another thing that is surprising to me is that this bike is not that light for its displacement. In looking online it is about the same listed weight (270ish) as my old xr650r's which we affectionately called pig's. Does this bike carry it's weight low and still retain the nimbleness you would expect from a 250 class motorcycle?

Anyway i'm not put off.....just surprised. I still want one!

I improved the looks of my muffler by repacing it altogether with an FMF Q4 muffler and Powerbomb headpipe. :)

The bike is tall, although the ride hight is adjustable with the lower shock clevis and sliding the fork tubes up in the triple clamps.
This drops seat height nearly an inch.

The bike is heavy compared to 250cc off-road-only bikes, but compared to other street-legal dual-purpose bikes, it's right up there with the rest of them.
They all have EPA and DOT gadgets stuck on them to satisfy somebody. :)
The bike doesn't feel hard to handle off-road at all.

YZEtc wrote:

I improved the looks of my muffler by repacing it altogether with an FMF Q4 muffler and Powerbomb headpipe. :)


The bike is tall, although the ride hight is adjustable with the lower shock clevis and sliding the fork tubes up in the triple clamps.
This drops seat height nearly an inch.

The bike is heavy compared to 250cc off-road-only bikes, but compared to other street-legal dual-purpose bikes, it's right up there with the rest of them.
They all have EPA and DOT gadgets stuck on them to satisfy somebody. :)
The bike doesn't feel hard to handle off-road at all.

Yeah the aftermarket mufflers are a big improvement over the stock setup aesthetically.

Thanks for the reply....

Most folks that don't like the stock muffler gurad replace it with an FMF Q4.

As for it's weight and nimbleness; no it's not a true "dirt bike", but it handles extremely well. I've done trails on my X (with my Conti SM tires and 17" wheels) that would have been technical challenging on a Mountain bike. Oh, and I used to race mountain bikes. So, I wouldn't worry about the weight. To me it carries it OK.

ZED wrote:

Most folks that don't like the stock muffler gurad replace it with an FMF Q4.

As for it's weight and nimbleness; no it's not a true "dirt bike", but it handles extremely well. I've done trails on my X (with my Conti SM tires and 17" wheels) that would have been technical challenging on a Mountain bike. Oh, and I used to race mountain bikes. So, I wouldn't worry about the weight. To me it carries it OK.

Coming from a KLR this thing is a flyweight indeed! My dad had a KLR for quite awhile and though a bike with an incredibly loyal following I never really got the mystique. Being a barebones kind of guy I loved my xr650r's dual sported so much more....but that was just me. I know they are trusty steeds.

If you are looking for an esthetically pleasing bike, simply go buy a bike for it's looks.

I would suggest that you grab a bike by the handlebars, point it in the direction of choice and judge it by it's ability to go through where you expect it to go and meet your expectations.

The result will either be appreciation, or disappointment, or something in-between. Rider's choice.

My opinion: Never judge a bike by the looks of it's muffler.

lukachuki wrote:

My biggest complaint about the looks of the bike both on the web and live is the IMHO the ugly pipe guard thingy.

Maybe I'm not agile enough.

I have to confess I can't see "the ugly pipe guard thingy" when I'm riding. Come to think of it, I don't even see the instrument cluster much - mostly I just look where the bike is pointed.

The idea of looks never occurred to me.

Except that I'd kill for the old Yamaha bumblebee paint job, though...

I've read some folks paint the heat shield black and like the looks much better.

Sarah

click here

The search feature here works quite well.

Jäger wrote:

Except that I'd kill for the old Yamaha bumblebee paint job, though...

X-Racer wrote:

If you are looking for an esthetically pleasing bike, simply go buy a bike for it's looks.

I would suggest that you grab a bike by the handlebars, point it in the direction of choice and judge it by it's ability to go through where you expect it to go and meet your expectations.

The result will either be appreciation, or disappointment, or something in-between. Rider's choice.

My opinion: Never judge a bike by the looks of it's muffler.

Your right of course! I do own a vstrom which aint the most beautiful bike on the road, and I'm not being critical of the WRR I'm just noting my first thoughts upon seeing one of these critters. As I've said I am still on the path to purchasing a wr2. I have a soft spot for little yamah enduro. My first bike was a little purple yamaha enduro 100 which i wish i still had. I bought it for 50 bucks and rode it for years and years and years.

Anyway thanks for the comments people....

motokid wrote:

click here

The search feature here works quite well.

Yep a big improvement as far as the pipe goes. I have to confess that I have been a good boy and done countless of hours reading on the wrr and for the most part know the answers to my questions. My intial post was just to fire up a little conversation so sorry for misleading everyone.

motokid wrote:

Jäger wrote:

Except that I'd kill for the old Yamaha bumblebee paint job, though...

That is one sweet 'tard. Just wonder how it would look with lights, reflectors, and a plate? That side number plate may be the right answer for our ugly muffler shield.

motokid wrote:

Jäger wrote:

Except that I'd kill for the old Yamaha bumblebee paint job, though...

Now that is what a Yamaha is supposed to look like! This blue crap sucks!

zrider wrote:

motokid wrote:

Jäger wrote:

Except that I'd kill for the old Yamaha bumblebee paint job, though...

Now that is what a Yamaha is supposed to look like! This blue crap sucks!

Amen.

motokid wrote:

zrider wrote:

motokid wrote:

Jäger wrote:

Except that I'd kill for the old Yamaha bumblebee paint job, though...

Now that is what a Yamaha is supposed to look like! This blue crap sucks!

Amen.

i wanted to quote the pic too. A little bit to be like everyone else, but mostly because that is frikken sweet lookin

motokid wrote:

Jäger wrote:

Except that I'd kill for the old Yamaha bumblebee paint job, though...

Can we get a trophy chick posing next to that??? thap...thap...thap...thap...thap

inspector wrote:

i wanted to quote the pic too. A little bit to be like everyone else, but mostly because that is frikken sweet lookin

Actually, I want the bumblebee look, but I don't find that one sweet looking. Somebody posted a pic of a limited edition WRR from Japan or somesuch at some point in the ADV thread. That one I liked - looked right from the past. This one here is too cluttered looking. Nice simple clean graphics, that's what I like.

Almost makes me want to go find the other pic to compare the two.

This ain't a bike...



Now this is a bike!




Not the picture I was looking for... but it will do. Clean.

I like that yellow....