Howdy from Idaho- new '15 WRR owner

My name is darngood1 (David), and I live in Idaho where there are more trails than one will EVER get to blaze through.

I haven't ridden anything with 2 wheels since 2007, and that was a large cruiser (Honda Valkyrie).  I'm looking to ride my WRR as a trail bike, but the 71+ MPG for commuting vs 11.5 MPG fuel for my diesel is what got me the kitchen pass from the wife to be able to buy it.

I will be changing elevation A LOT, so the fuel injection was a major +.

Since I'm not terribly experienced, and totally new to dual sport bikes, I hope to gain some insights from the forum and take advantage of the vast experience of the many other WR and WX member riders.  I will certainly add to the discussion and be helpful where I can as well.

1st on the list will be accessories and adjustments.

What I've got going so far...

Lowering link
Stiffer springs all around (I'm FAT)
IMS 3-gallon tank
Wrenthal bars
LED headlight bulb replacement- Cyclops 3800LM
Shark EVO-ONE helmet (had to order from Italy) and Uclear 100+ communicator
Rear rack and soft bags
Hand guards

Tabled for later...

New comfy fat guy seat
xtra lighting
Tire upgrade
sprocket adjustments?

darngood1 wrote:

but the 71+ MPG for commuting vs 11.5 MPG fuel for my diesel is what got me the kitchen pass from the wife to be able to buy it.

HaHa That's the excuse I used. LOL

Welcome to the WRR family.  I also live in SW Idaho and would be happy to confidently dispense highly opinionated (and marginally accurate) advice over adult beverages sometime.  I picked up a used 2011 WR250R with 700 miles on it a little over a year ago.  I've put 1800 mostly dirt miles on it since then and made a few changes to reflect my riding style and experiences with the bike.  If interested you can see a few photos and comments about my bike and rides in this thread here. I'm sure you'll probably recognize a lot of the countryside in the photos.

My suggested initial mods for Idaho mountain riding:
- Skidplate.  This bike's vulnerable underbelly comes fromt the factory with no protection.
- Lower gearing.  When I first got mine I rode a loop from Boise up Rocky Canyon, down Robie Creek, and back to town on Hwy 21 past Lucky Peak. I'm 210 lbs without gear and was amazed to find I couldn't pull the highway hill from Spring Shores high bridge to Hilltop Cafe in 6th gear.  I also had problems stalling in 1st gear while trail riding.  I replaced the stock 43 tooth rear sprocket with 51 tooth and that problem went away.  Most other folks opt for something in between, like 47 or 49 teeth.
- Better dirt tires.  I like the Dunlop D606 DOT knobbies, but I ride 80% to 90% dirt.  Next time around I might try Pirelli MT 43 DOT trials tires for fun.  But the stock Bridgestone Trailwings tires and I didn't get along at all in Idaho dirt.

I'm also a big fan of steering stabilizer/dampeners, but am reluctant to suggest them to anyone who hasn't discovered their own need for them.  For me they work great on Idaho's rock-strewn root-infested narrow mountain trails.  Plus, at 51 years old I'm looking for all the equalizers I can find when chasing the younger kids up and down the hills.

Not sure if our riding styles and objectives are similar but I'm happy to visit and chat about these fun bikes sometime.

Another welcome from someone who lives in SW Idaho. Second the motion for a skid plate, better tires and gearing. I ended up at 13/48 on mine. My wife and I work in Boise, and are about to move out to Elmore county and reverse commute. About halfway between Mt. Home and Boise, blm land on a couple sides. We'll be pretty close to the Danskin Mt. riding area.

Id love to drive out to Idaho and hit some trails.

Thanks, wwguy and Traveller for the great Idahoan advice. I will chase down a skid plate right away. I enjoyed wwguy's riding picks... damn you are really getting out there and hitting the trails! Mucho respecto.

I was waiting to mess with the gearing until I rode for a while, because when I asked the guy at Snake River Yamaha for advice, his eyes kind of glazed over with vapidity, and he asked me why I would ever want to mess with a factory setup. From what both of you are saying about the sprocket change, I'll be looking into that pretty soon as well. Probably around a 49-toother, as I want that torque bump but also plan to run this from Meridian to Boise on the regular and hope to be able to pull 70mph.

Once I get a little riding time under my belt, I might contact you to see if you would like to meet up so we can talk bikes and trails.

Thanks for the welcomes from all!

csmart wrote:

Id love to drive out to Idaho and hit some trails.

And you SHOULD. We have so much public land to explore here that the hardest part for you will be trying to prioritize what and where.

You can easily run into Oregon, Washington, Nevada, Montana, or Utah during your trip as well. By the way, August-September is a damn fine month as far as temperatures, dry weather, and fishing along the trails.

My wife and I love exploring here. We have been spending a ton of our good weather time down South in the Owyhees. There's around a million acres of land down there to ride around on, just leave the cattle gates the way you found them when you ride across some of the "access yes" pieces of private property down there. You literally won't be able to hit all the trails in a year of riding. The Silver City area is interesting if you like rough country and old mining area. Everything from desert riding to tight woods trails, to high altitude ridge running. Some wonderful scenery that's only accessible via dirt roads and trails.

We're going to explore some of the area North of the new house this year. We'll be checking out the Danskins when they open for use, the area around and above Idaho City, and the USFS and state land East of the Danskins. Also going to hit the Owyhee front some more, this time to the Eastern side of it down by the Fossil Butte area, and try to hit the Back Country Byway this year. Lots of trips planned!