newly registered

Howdy all,
Long time rider here, from back in the days when I bought a new Yamaha 1972 CT2 175 reed valve Enduro. Here's one of my first Enduro's after the 175, my 1972 DT2 250.



I've recently been riding the Kawasaki KLX250. My one man company is associated with Bill Blue, we make parts for the KLX250, including Bill's KLX351 big bore kit.
Here's a couple of my KLX.







And I guess a few pics from over the years. The 1983 Honda Ascot500 that I dual-sported in the Collegiate Peaks area of Colorado.







Here's a couple of my 2000 Yamaha XT350







I'm down to just one bike now, my street bike, which is a 2008 BMW F800ST. It's a great all arounder.





I'll be in the market for another Enduro bike , probably in a year or so, and the Yamaha WR250R with the 290 kit is what I'm most interested in.

I'm not here to spam anybody, but I will be selling the RotoPax carrier for the WR this Spring, hopefully before, by March 1st. The man that developed and sold it first, has handed it off to me. I'm going to change a few things, and add it to my product list. Here's my website www.bakerdistancetanks.com
Some of the things I'm doing for the Kawasaki's I want to also do for the WR. Along with the carrier, I think I'll do a larger luggage rack plate maybe, something that would allow a bit of minimalist touring, overnighters and the like. My stuff leans towards being Severe Use type stuff.

I hope to learn a great deal about this bike here. I've really always been a Yamaha man!



(a few more of my previous bikes, some of the old timers might recognize)









Thanks for having me

BakerDT

Sure, those are very recognizable bikes:
RZ-350, RD-400, YZF-600R.
Very nice. :)

I started on an old-timer Yamaha, too:
A 1972 AT-2, the 125cc 2-stroke dual-purpose bike (they always called them Enduros back then) that had electric starting.

Welcome aboard.
Hope you buy the WR-250R and enjoy it.
I've had many Yamaha dual-purpose bikes over the years, and the WR-250R is the best one that was imported into the USA.

I have to admit that the very best one I owned was a 1990 DT-200R (smuggled in brand-new from a Canadian Yamaha dealer), a neat 2-stroke with liquid cooling, electric YPVS power valve, and modern-for-the-time YZ styling.
It was relatively light weight and was a fantastic off-road bike that could scream around on the streets just fine.
In fact, when I was (very often) riding it off-road, I forgot all about it being a dual-purpose bike. :)

BakerDT wrote:

I'm not here to spam anybody, but I will be selling the RotoPax carrier for the WR this Spring, hopefully before, by March 1st. The man that developed and sold it first, has handed it off to me. I'm going to change a few things, and add it to my product list. Here's my website www.bakerdistancetanks.com
Some of the things I'm doing for the Kawasaki's I want to also do for the WR. Along with the carrier, I think I'll do a larger luggage rack plate maybe, something that would allow a bit of minimalist touring, overnighters and the like. My stuff leans towards being Severe Use type stuff.

You might want to post in the vendor area when you have those carriers good to go.

One thing lacking, in my opinion, in the WR market is a rear rack that is sturdy enough to load down with lots of weight (i.e. bike being used as a packhorse), attachment points for strapping on a gun case, chain saw carrier, etc along the side of the rack, and yet doesn't make the bike look wide and high like a Rokon or something like that. Cycleracks has a very capable rack according to those who buy them, but (again in my opinion) increases the width of the bike far more than necessary. If the rack would also go on/off easily enough using stock mounting points... score! Nice to just pop it on in a couple of minutes so it's only there when you need it.

Yes, thank you, I will make announcements, in Vendors, each time one of my WR250 support items is ready.
I find the forums to be the best "inventor". I want to be able to say, "designed for us, by us."
I see these huge companies like TourTech supporting the big expensive bikes like the BMW 1200ADV GS, but other than a caliper guard or a skidplate, many of these smaller bikes get ignored, and I would rather support the smaller bikes, as those are what I'm interested in, those are what I ride.
Imagine a WR250R kitted as a KTM 690 Dakar might be (less the Rally route book!) As light as the bike is, and with the 290 kit, maybe that would be a different bike altogether, if only the pieces were out there. I wonder if a 350 kit could be made. I bet I could do it.
This is kind of where we've been heading with the KLX351, with my auxiliary tank and the major increase in power, you've got a bike that can ride the desert, it has the power and the range to do so.

Thanks for the welcome, and I'll listen to any advice on how the forum is best used.
My concept for the luggage plate appears to be along the lines of what you're describing. My KLR650 rack cover is adaptable, larger, and heavy duty, along with a reasonably quick disconnect.

Ahem.... .... that is not your regular RZ350 (or YZF for that matter). ...BOTH are dual-sported !