Looking at the 2016 WR250R

I was going to look at what Kawasaki had to offer in the 250 class and found they have discontinued their model? So it was off to the Yamaha store to look at the 2016 WR250R. Seems like a well thought out pretty serious dual sport but a bit pricey. I am reading the forum now to see if it will be my new ride or if I should look at a European brand. I know Yamaha makes reliable machines but a bit concerned about the power for highway use. Any feedback would be appreciated.
Thanks in advance.

Nightwind15 wrote:

I know Yamaha makes reliable machines but a bit concerned about the power for highway use. Any feedback would be appreciated.  
Thanks in advance.

Thats been answered so so so many times, search is your friend....
I own a 2016, im 220 lbs without gear and my bike will do around 75mph flat out. around 86 down hill with a tailwind.

Why do you want a dualsport for highway use....... Go buy a Husky 701 for that.

What European brand offers a less expensive 250cc dual-sport?  Regardless of price I'm not aware of anyone else in the 250cc class that offers 60 MPG 10000 RPM fuel-injected engine with 3000 mile oil change intervals and 26000 mile valve adjustment intervals.  Not to mention the wide range transmission, 8 years of class-leading popularity with riders, and a wide offering of aftermarket parts.

If you want less expensive you can always look at XT250 or CRF250L.  I did that, and quickly decided the WR250R was the bike for me.

P.S. - Congratulations on your first forum post after being a member for over 3 years!  

Bike will cruise all day at 75mph on the high way, no worries about that.

Yeah, it is more expensive than the honda but it's got more top end and a better suspension off the bat.  It's a good bike out of the box and easily made into a great bike.

Recommend.

I have been here before when I considered one of these bikes in the past. In the interim I bought a WR450F and converted it to street. In Alabama you can slip one of these through the DMV and get a tag. The 450 was fun to ride but I never felt comfortable with the higher maintenance engine on the road. In the dirt it was a beast. I rode moto-X back in the day and always felt more comfortable on a 250 so that brought me back here again after selling the 450. I will be getting the 2016 Saturday and as usual will not be leaving it alone in stock form. Thank you for the input and I will be lurking here for ideas on what to do to the bike next.

I was worried about the same thing. I had just picked mine up this wed. it took me 3.5 hours to get it home from the dealer. My last bike was KLR 650 so i was concerned with power as well, and laying out the cash was a bit painful for a second bike too. I didnt do highway but found the times when i did 55-60 it did so effortlessly. it was way smoother than the KLR at speed. you will notice the build quality after riding one for a little bit of time with it. the shifting was butter, couldnt have been more impressed. with whe 2016 we are not supposed to have recalls to worry about. The fuel pump and stator should be solid. the 6th gear makes all the difference. the bad in my short ownership for me is the seat after 3.5 hrs on it is like sitting on a 2x4, and the handle bars could be a bit wider. both of those things will be fixed in 2 weeks when parts arrive. great bike with good dealer network and lots of aftermarket support. i hope that helps you with your decision. buy it and enjoy the bike is great and i never want to have another carberutor again.

Thank you for sharing your experience. It really helps to know from a new owners perspective.

bought mine in january of this year and have just over 500 miles on it, no complaints here!