Some WRR Observations

On Sunday myself and two of my riding buddies (Bud1 and Bud2 for the rest of the message) decided to head out of GA and over to Alabama on our Lineville DS ride (270 miles). Bud1 had discovered Dam Road Loop and added that into the mix as something new to try.

Dam Road Loop actually proved out to be one hell of an addition! The Road Closed sign gave us an early indication as we got onto the 'road' and after a rather uncertain water crossing we were rewarded with some 'pseudo' single track in the woods which actually appears to be over grown and rutted two track - so maybe the road was really closed?.

While we were riding this section I was really impressed with my WRR and how it was handling the terrain. Then it dawned on me this is the first real workout it had since I went with the GoRace suspension setup. The last three rides I had taken my Beta 520 RR. After spending the day riding I would have to say the WRR is probably setup better suspension wise than my Beta right now. I guess that should not be much of a surprise to me since I have not really played with the Beta suspension that much since I did not think I needed too.

Meanwhile, Bud2 had just gotten his suspension back from a local shop that went with the Race Tech setup. I rode it the day before on a 130 mile DS ride to Warm Springs and back and it was a big improvement over the stock setup but I felt the GoRace setup still gave a better ride. However, that we before he started adjusting the clickers and he says he has made a nice improvement with those adjustments - which I believe since I think he had everything at full hard setting. He absolutely fell in love with his setup while we were on the Dam Road Loop. He was a some what typically WRR first time buyer... started doing engine mods for that extra HP or two before really getting to know the bike. Right now he views the suspension work as his best investment in the bike since he purchased it last year (2015 model).

We had an impromptu race on one of the straight paved sections of road which was interesting.

Bud1 has a 2008 model with GoRace Suspension, FMF tuner, and a stock pipe (no EXUP) where the end baffles have been drilled out. He is running 14/49 on his gearing with a worn D606 rear tire.

Bud2 has a 2015 model with FMF Q4 pipe, FMF Tuner, Airbox door removed, and 14/48 gearing and a newish D606 rear tire.

My bike is a 2012 model with the Ultimate Plus Airbox mod, stock muffler (less the catalytic converter) with EXUP installed and working, no FMF tuner, and 13/48 gearing with a worn Pirelli 110/100 XCMH rear tire.

We are all big guys in the 230 to 250 lb range with me probably being the heaviest.

On our little high speed run I could pull a lead on both of them. To be fair Bud1 had a set of soft panniers on his bike that I am sure were not helping him much sicne they were acting like a nice little parachute.

Bud2 however had a clean bike and was not carrying any extras - I was carrying the spare tubes, irons, and such in a cheap Emgo top box. He is still in denial about what happened.

To me I think it was my lower gearing that allowed the motor to pull a little bit higher into the power curve but I am keeping that to myself.

I still think the best way to approach the WRR is to leave the motor alone, set the stock suspension up for you, change the gearing, and then start putting the money into the suspension.

They are great little bikes.

They are running close to 13-45 and 13-46 so your 13-48 would help thats for sure, I believe in just opening up the air box and the pipe just a bit, the gearing seems to make more of a difference than the full fmf pipe and programmer, just my thinking, im more into ergonomic`s, good tires make a difference also.

Thanks for the additional motivation to start playing with the gearing. I put a 12T on for a few weeks, but immediately started to see more wear on the slider. I'll have to scout the Lineville area. Ridden around Cheaha in TNF before, but its been awhile.

bronco wrote:

Thanks for the additional motivation to start playing with the gearing.  I put a 12T on for a few weeks, but immediately started to see more wear on the slider.  I'll have to scout the Lineville area.  Ridden around Cheaha in TNF before, but its been awhile.

After I bought the bike I went to 13/48 gearing and ran that for about 6000 miles including a trip on the COBDR. When I got back from my COBDR trip I ran with a 14/50 set up and while that was ok around town but I did prefer the 13/48 when I was on single track and hilly trails so I switched back at 10,000 miles.

Also at 10,000 miles I changed my chain slider as a precaution. The old one still looked good so I saved it as a back up just in case I screwed something up.

I do tend to keep my chain loose and have started setting it using the method I used on my Husky TE250 where I would have the bike on the side stand put a 30 to 35mm spacer (big socket) between the top of the chain slider (on top of the swing arm) and the chain. Then I would tighten the chain until there is a little tension. For me my quick and dirty method is if I can fit my first three fingers between the top of the slider and the chain without squishing my hand. It is crude but it seems to work.

rsteiger wrote:

....To me I think it was my lower gearing that allowed the motor to pull a little bit higher into the power curve but I am keeping that to myself.

I still think the best way to approach the WRR is to leave the motor alone, set the stock suspension up for you, change the gearing, and then start putting the money into the suspension.

They are great little bikes.

Great write-up.
Mine is all stock motor, with 14/50 final drive. Convinced it holds higher cruising speeds better with this arrangement.
Need to get to the suspension tweaking soon.

I think your bike was a touch quicker because of your lighter smaller rear tire and lower gearing, those things make a huge difference on a bike like the wrr which doesn't have tq to spare.

My bike was faster with 13-50 gearing and a 1/2 worn out 100/100 trackmaster tire than it is right now with 13-48 and a newish 110/80 irc m5b (non dot mud tire just for all the mud in the fall).

This is why im always posting don't put a big tire on the wrr even tho a huge tire will fit in tire threads.

[quote="rsteiger"]On Sunday myself and two of my riding buddies (Bud1 and Bud2 for the rest of the message) decided to head out of GA and over to Alabama on our Lineville DS ride (270 miles).  Bud1 had discovered Dam Road Loop and added that into the mix as something new to try.

Dam Road Loop actually proved out to be one hell of an addition!  The Road Closed sign gave us an early indication as we got onto the 'road' and after a rather uncertain water crossing we were rewarded with some 'pseudo' single track in the woods which actually appears to be over grown and rutted two track - so maybe the road was really closed?.

While we were riding this section I was really impressed with my WRR and how it was handling the terrain.  Then it dawned on me this is the first real workout it had since I went with the GoRace suspension setup.  The last three rides I had taken my Beta 520 RR.  After spending the day riding I would have to say the WRR is probably setup better suspension wise than my Beta right now.  I guess that should not be much of a surprise to me since I have not really played with the Beta suspension that much since I did not think I needed too.

Meanwhile, Bud2 had just gotten his suspension back from a local shop that went with the Race Tech setup.  I rode it the day before on a 130 mile DS ride to Warm Springs and back and it was a big improvement over the stock setup but I felt the GoRace setup still gave a better ride.  However, that we before he started adjusting the clickers and he says he has made a nice improvement with those adjustments - which I believe since I think he had everything at full hard setting.  He absolutely fell in love with his setup while we were on the Dam Road Loop.  He was a some what typically WRR first time buyer... started doing engine mods for that extra HP or two before really getting to know the bike.  Right now he views the suspension work as his best investment in the bike since he purchased it last year (2015 model).

We had an impromptu race on one of the straight paved sections of road which was interesting.

Bud1 has a 2008 model with GoRace Suspension, FMF tuner, and a stock pipe (no EXUP) where the end baffles have been drilled out.  He is running 14/49 on his gearing with a worn D606 rear tire.

Bud2 has a 2015 model with FMF Q4 pipe, FMF Tuner, Airbox door removed, and 14/48 gearing and a newish D606 rear tire.

My bike is a 2012 model with the Ultimate Plus Airbox mod, stock muffler (less the catalytic converter) with EXUP installed and working, no FMF tuner, and 13/48 gearing with a worn Pirelli 110/100 XCMH rear tire.

We are all big guys in the 230 to 250 lb range with me probably being the heaviest.

On our little high speed run I could pull a lead on both of them.  To be fair Bud1 had a set of soft panniers on his bike that I am sure were not helping him much sicne they were acting like a nice little parachute.

Bud2 however had a clean bike and was not carrying any extras - I was carrying the spare tubes, irons, and such in a cheap Emgo top box.  He is still in denial about what happened.

To me I think it was my lower gearing that allowed the motor to pull a little bit higher into the power curve but I am keeping that to myself.

I still think the best way to approach the WRR is to leave the motor alone, set the stock suspension up for you, change the gearing, and then start putting the money into the suspension.

They are great little bikes.

[/quote your right about the suspension mods, I have a stock pipe modded with less the catalytic converter and air box mod, I race hare scrambles and the motor is not the weakness, the supension and weight are the weakness, like you say revalve the suspension makes a world of differents, wrr has its advantage on single track in its size,a little lower and shorter if only Yamaha had taken 25Lb off and got the suspension valving correct.

[quote="rsteiger"]On Sunday myself and two of my riding buddies (Bud1 and Bud2 for the rest of the message) decided to head out of GA and over to Alabama on our Lineville DS ride (270 miles).  Bud1 had discovered Dam Road Loop and added that into the mix as something new to try.

Dam Road Loop actually proved out to be one hell of an addition!  The Road Closed sign gave us an early indication as we got onto the 'road' and after a rather uncertain water crossing we were rewarded with some 'pseudo' single track in the woods which actually appears to be over grown and rutted two track - so maybe the road was really closed?.

While we were riding this section I was really impressed with my WRR and how it was handling the terrain.  Then it dawned on me this is the first real workout it had since I went with the GoRace suspension setup.  The last three rides I had taken my Beta 520 RR.  After spending the day riding I would have to say the WRR is probably setup better suspension wise than my Beta right now.  I guess that should not be much of a surprise to me since I have not really played with the Beta suspension that much since I did not think I needed too.

Meanwhile, Bud2 had just gotten his suspension back from a local shop that went with the Race Tech setup.  I rode it the day before on a 130 mile DS ride to Warm Springs and back and it was a big improvement over the stock setup but I felt the GoRace setup still gave a better ride.  However, that we before he started adjusting the clickers and he says he has made a nice improvement with those adjustments - which I believe since I think he had everything at full hard setting.  He absolutely fell in love with his setup while we were on the Dam Road Loop.  He was a some what typically WRR first time buyer... started doing engine mods for that extra HP or two before really getting to know the bike.  Right now he views the suspension work as his best investment in the bike since he purchased it last year (2015 model).

We had an impromptu race on one of the straight paved sections of road which was interesting.

Bud1 has a 2008 model with GoRace Suspension, FMF tuner, and a stock pipe (no EXUP) where the end baffles have been drilled out.  He is running 14/49 on his gearing with a worn D606 rear tire.

Bud2 has a 2015 model with FMF Q4 pipe, FMF Tuner, Airbox door removed, and 14/48 gearing and a newish D606 rear tire.

My bike is a 2012 model with the Ultimate Plus Airbox mod, stock muffler (less the catalytic converter) with EXUP installed and working, no FMF tuner, and 13/48 gearing with a worn Pirelli 110/100 XCMH rear tire.

We are all big guys in the 230 to 250 lb range with me probably being the heaviest.

On our little high speed run I could pull a lead on both of them.  To be fair Bud1 had a set of soft panniers on his bike that I am sure were not helping him much sicne they were acting like a nice little parachute.

Bud2 however had a clean bike and was not carrying any extras - I was carrying the spare tubes, irons, and such in a cheap Emgo top box.  He is still in denial about what happened.

To me I think it was my lower gearing that allowed the motor to pull a little bit higher into the power curve but I am keeping that to myself.

I still think the best way to approach the WRR is to leave the motor alone, set the stock suspension up for you, change the gearing, and then start putting the money into the suspension.

They are great little bikes.

[/quote your right about the suspension mods, I have a stock pipe modded with less the catalytic converter and air box mod, I race hare scrambles and the motor is not the weakness, the supension and weight are the weakness, like you say revalve the suspension makes a world of differents, wrr has its advantage on single track in its size,a little lower and shorter if only Yamaha had taken 25Lb off and got the suspension valving correct.