Looking at 2016 WR250R for sale with bent bars

Hey there, I'm a noob with a question. I had a 2010 WR250R and liked it but sold it to get into MX. Now I miss it. There's a 2016 WR250R for sale with 1500 miles on it. Says it needs new bars so I'm wondering how easily the stock handlebars bend. He said he dropped it on the right side once in the woods going 2 mph and then it fell over on the left side a different time on the sidewalk. Who knows... Attached is a few pics of the bike. Does it take a good hit to bend these bars? If so, I'll be patient and pass on this one. Otherwise, its a 2016 with 1500 miles that i'm trying to get for 4500 and I think that's a pretty good deal. Can anyone tell from the bars or pics how bad this one was crashed? Thanks!!!!!!

The story may be true since the stock handlebars are not the strongest out there, and they could bend just by falling over from vertical.
That's how all dirt bike handlebars used to be.

Other than the bent parts and scratches, the bike looks good.

I'd ask for a look at the air filter condition because that tells a lot about how much the owner knows and/or cares about the bike.

Looks like normal wear from trail riding.just make shore its never been over heated.I had a small pin hole on water pump hose and over heated mine petty bad but didn't hurt it at all. Have 10000 hard miles 50/50 dirt road and still run strong. You can't kill them.

YZEtc wrote:

The story may be true since the stock handlebars are not the strongest out there, and they could bend just by falling over from vertical.
That's how all dirt bike handlebars used to be.

Other than the bent parts and scratches, the bike looks good.

I'd ask for a look at the air filter condition because that tells a lot about how much the owner knows and/or cares about the bike.

To your point, I asked him if he had done maintenance. He said he had the dealer change the oil at 500 miles. I asked him if he ever cleaned the air filter and he said he has never looked at it. I asked if the dealer would have cleaned it (I would hope any dealer with a clue would) but he said he didnt think so. I race MX and have 3 clean filters at any given time for my bike. I change it after every ride and sometimes in the middle of the day. I too have told people selling bikes that I think the air filter is more important than the oil.... So why am I even considering this one? I had a wr and the airbox is so tight, the air filter never seemed dirty, ever. But I cleaned it anyway. So, I could look at it when I see the bike. The guy needs me to pay off the bike and then he'll send me the title. It's common but pretty scary. I'd get the bike and a bill of sale and meet him at his bank to pay them the 4500. Then they would mail him the title, he would sign it and then I'd come pick it up. If there were more of the available, I wouldn't even consider it but there arent many for sale. Is there a place other than craigslist to look for a used one of these? Thanks.

If he wanted he could have slapped on new bars cheap off eBay and not have to make any excuses about how they got bent.

Just sayin'.......

I bought a toy hauler that way, except I the bank sent me the title and then I took it to the seller to be signed that way I didn't have to rely on someone I didn't know to finish the transfer. As far as the mileage 1500 is nothing and there is a good chance the air cleaner didn't need washing if he was not in dust. When I buy a used bike I'll take the air cleaner out and look deep into the boot with a flashlight, if clean you are good. The bars need to be changed anyway as the stock bars are cheap as mentioned. I think it's a pretty good deal money wise. Good luck on your decision

It may be the picture, but it looks to me like the crossbar is bent; if that is indeed the case, then this is definitely not something that happens at a 2mph drop. Plus, the right hand guard is missing, which again should not have been damaged in a slow fall.

The bike looks otherwise clean, but the above inconsistencies would bother me a bit; then again, 4500 is a good deal for such a new bike with such low mileage.

I've seen people that couldnt clog up an airfilter even if their life depended on it.
1500 of easy miles should be no problem for the airfilter.
Doesnt sound like he used the bike as an MX/enduro weapon.

I too change mine often, because the places I go make it dirty.

Bent bars are no big deal, or handguards or grips. I would be more worried about the radiator and cooling fan, which are like $200 each. Also check carefully for leaking fork seals in case the fork might have been bent.

I did buy the bike. I looked it over pretty well and it seemed clean aside from the components that too a whack from the drop. I have a bit of a sick feeling in my stomach because if the bike is damaged bad (bent forks or something) and I just didnt notice it, I'll just feel- duh, what were you thinking. But my choice was this one with 1500 miles for under 4500 or a real clean one with 500 miles for 5500. I did not want to spend almost as much money as a new one. If I throw bars, grips, a mirror and footpeg on it for about $150 and the bike is great, it will have been a good choice. If I come out to a puddle of oil under the motor or forks tomorrow, I'm going to puke first then cry. The guy really seemed genuine and not the least bit knowledgeable about bikes. He didnt know anything about them. I used a video called "how to buy a wr250r" from you tube and literally played the video on my phone through ear buds while I walked around the bike and listened to the instructions. It was the closest I have ever looked a dirt bike over and I have owned over 50 of them in my time. He said he dropped it once on the sidewalk and the other time he was doing a donut in the dirt and lost the bike. I race mx and think those two scenarios are harmless compared to some things that have happened to me. Anyway, he didnt seem like captain GNCC or mr. motocross so I doubt he pushed the bike. I asked him if the bike could wheelie and he said he didnt know, he was too scared to try. Let's hope he was telling the truth about all of it. Fingers crossed....

Thanks. Gotta tell you guys those stock bars are soft and weak as butter. I’m waiting for a new set on backorder so I decided to bend the ones I have back into shape. I could almost do it by hand and I am not a beast (170 lbs). I could even bend the crossbar by whacking it with my fist. I used a flathead screw driver to bend everything back - no heat, nothing. They are soft. I wouldn’t hesitate to buy a wr with bent bars... it doesn’t necessarily mean the bike went down hard. Just FYI.