Using the WRX as a dirt bike?

I bought my bike last year and honestly it has less than 1500 miles on it, I just don't ride it very much as a sumo. I've done a few trackdays and farting around town on it. To be honest, it was fun at first, but then the novelty kind of wore off and now it feels slow. To be honest I'm not a very big fan of how the fuel injection/throttle response feels either.

The good thing was this bike got me interested in dirt bikes. I also bought a kx250 2 stroke which I started riding trails on. I love playing in the dirt but the kx250 is too much bike for me to handle. I struggle with it, and on top of that the kick start is a bitch. I'm planning on selling that bike and getting something more beginner friendly, like a 125 smoker or 250 four stroke.

I thought about buying a set of dirt wheels for the wr and using that instead. My biggest concern is I have no idea how well this thing will handle the trails and occasional MX track in it's stock form. I'm just starting out so I don't catch huge air or anything like that, but for example today we rode trails with some pretty rough whoops, and I was kind of hesitant whether the motard suspension would have been able to handle it, or whether I would just be bottoming out and getting kicked off the bike.

I guess my question is would the wr250x with some dirt wheels/knobbies make a decent trail/play bike? Or is it more of a dual sport fire road type of bike? I would really like to use it because of the E start. But in the end it is quite an expensive route to go since I have $5k into the bike and another $1k for wheels/tires. For that kind of money I could get myself a decent used dirt bike like a ktm 250exc F that is leaps and bounds better suspension wise, and quite a bit lighter to throw around.

I originally chose the wrx as a street tard because of the long maintenance intervals and bulletproof engine. But now I'm realizing that with my work schedule and the chances I get to actually ride, I'll never touch that 26k marker for the first valve adjustment. I try to get a couple of hours each weekend at best, and never take this bike on the highway.

https://wr250rforum.forumotion.com/adventure-reports-f9/4-days-of-mud-rocks-rain-adventure-in-utah-10-10-t3191.htm

Check my blog, too, in my sig.. this is a great dirt bike.. many of us x'ers put knobs on it & ride it ruthlessly in the dirt.

If I wasn't so far into turning mine into a street only machine I'd be bagging it in the dirt without a doubt... Lots of folks on here seem to have tones of fun doing it so that's gotta count for something.

But I guess if you end up banging the bike up taking it off road I have lots of stock parts kicking around locally for ya if you need em :P

From what I have read, there are only small differences between the X and the R. Suspension is the same, just the settings from factory:
http://www.motorcycle.com/manufacturer/yamaha/2008-yamaha-wr250r-wr250x-review-76600.html

These aren't english but you get an idea of what its capable of stock on a track:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e--Elu58k0s&feature=mfu_in_order&playnext=1&videos=A_Ld1HMiAVA
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i7bcfqo8IOc&feature=mfu_in_order&playnext=1&videos=bR9btCItG1g

Ive only picked up an X a few days ago but I have plans for a dirt future. My plan is to get a 21" front from Wheeling Cycle and fit a knobbie/dual sport 17" rear (I reckon I will try something like a Mitas stoneking or E09 dakar 130/80/17) and just swap the fronts out as needed. Gives me the dirt/motard combo without spending too much on a full set of wheels. Plus Im lazy, if I can get away with just changing one wheel instead of two then I will.

But then again, if you are hardly using the bike perhaps your mind is made up and its easier just to get a dedicated trail bike? Weigh up the costs and options I guess...

The WR handles great in the dirt. As a bonus it's street legal so you don't have to worry if you're technically on 'roads'.

I have a set of dirt wheels from wheelingcycle and swap them back and forth with my stock sumo wheels. It takes about 20-30min.

The WR is a little heavier than a true dirt bike but not unbearable so. It's still easy enough to pick up and drag around if you're careful. I think the better suspension of the WR more than makes up for the weight penalty when comparing it to a lower end/starter dirt bike.

Gany wrote:

Ive only picked up an X a few days ago but I have plans for a dirt future. My plan is to get a 21" front from Wheeling Cycle and fit a knobbie/dual sport 17" rear (I reckon I will try something like a Mitas stoneking or E09 dakar 130/80/17) and just swap the fronts out as needed. Gives me the dirt/motard combo without spending too much on a full set of wheels. Plus Im lazy, if I can get away with just changing one wheel instead of two then I will.

But then again, if you are hardly using the bike perhaps your mind is made up and its easier just to get a dedicated trail bike? Weigh up the costs and options I guess...

Is there a reason why you wouldn't use a 140 or 150/80/17 for the mitas E09 ? Is it because they don't fit or just because you want a narrower tire ?

Just want a narrower tyre for the dirt. The stock WRR tyre is 120/80/18 vs the WRX 140/70/17. I guess a 130 width would be a compromise between the two. Subject to availability I might run with a 140 width tyre.

Gany wrote:

Just want a narrower tyre for the dirt. The stock WRR tyre is 120/80/18 vs the WRX 140/70/17. I guess a 130 width would be a compromise between the two. Subject to availability I might run with a 140 width tyre.

I already run a 130/90/17 MT21 on the rear. The width of the rim changes the shape of the tire. That's why I wonder what is better between a 140 at it's true shape or a 130 that gets larger on the rim.

Interesting, how do you find the 130/90? I guess if a narrow tyre is on a wide rim it would make it more a 130/80 profile? or in the case of a Mitas it would make it more round at 130/70 or the such... Do you like the MT21? I had one on the front of my other bike, I really liked it but never used it on the rear.

twowheeled wrote:

My biggest concern is I have no idea how well this thing will handle the trails and occasional MX track in it's stock form.

I guess my question is would the wr250x with some dirt wheels/knobbies make a decent trail/play bike? Or is it more of a dual sport fire road type of bike? I would really like to use it because of the E start. But in the end it is quite an expensive route to go since I have $5k into the bike and another $1k for wheels/tires. For that kind of money I could get myself a decent used dirt bike like a ktm 250exc F that is leaps and bounds better suspension wise, and quite a bit lighter to throw around.

No offense, but you seem a bit confused. Personally, using trail/play bike in the same post with occasional MX track day and KTM250 doesn't seem right. For trail bike, yes, it will work. I take mine all the time to the OHV park (no trailer required). The Yammy is in fact a DS bike, and marketed as such. KTM et al are enduros and marketed as such. Pick what you want and go from there.

jlpred wrote:

twowheeled wrote:

My biggest concern is I have no idea how well this thing will handle the trails and occasional MX track in it's stock form.

I guess my question is would the wr250x with some dirt wheels/knobbies make a decent trail/play bike? Or is it more of a dual sport fire road type of bike? I would really like to use it because of the E start. But in the end it is quite an expensive route to go since I have $5k into the bike and another $1k for wheels/tires. For that kind of money I could get myself a decent used dirt bike like a ktm 250exc F that is leaps and bounds better suspension wise, and quite a bit lighter to throw around.

No offense, but you seem a bit confused. Personally, using trail/play bike in the same post with occasional MX track day and KTM250 doesn't seem right. For trail bike, yes, it will work. I take mine all the time to the OHV park (no trailer required). The Yammy is in fact a DS bike, and marketed as such. KTM et al are enduros and marketed as such. Pick what you want and go from there.

I don't know much about dirt bikes, as I just started offroading. I want a bike that is a little less hardcore than a MX bike, I'd like the electric start. But I also want to do trail riding and casual playing on MX track, not racing.

The question is can the wrx with dirt wheels handle this sort of thing. I honestly don't know. I look at the wr and then look at my kx250 or my buddies ktm 250 and they look absolutely different to me. For one thing the rear shocks on the latter two bikes are more than a foot long and look MUCH beefier than the wr's unit. Then there's the huge difference in ground clearance. And when I go to throw my kx250 on a stand it's manageable, whereas with the WR it feels like I'm about to give myself a hernia.

What I "want" is a 230lb bike with an electric start and competent suspension that will handle rough trails without tossing me off, or blowing apart into an oily mess if I land a jump wrong on the MX track. Is that not the KTM250?

jlpred: Good track bikes don't make good dual sports. Dual sports don't make good track bikes. Sport bikes don't make good dual sports or adventure bikes. Adventure bikes don't make good (serious) dual sports or sport bikes. Everything (most everything) is a compromise.

Just a suggestion... Don't get dizzy on the orange kool-aid so soon.

You can pick up the last years of YZ and CRs in great shape all day long, in most cases for < $2K.

Pick a clean one up, sort it out, rebuild as required for the intended use (for cheap) so then you can then just use the WR when and where and how you want without worrying about crashin' or trashin' it.

I think the result will be learned appreciation for both (especially the MX bike) in their own environment(s).

My opinion is that if you don't want to win a race the WR is the choice. If you intend to ride all day long getting to the trail, ride on it and come back from it the WR is the choice.

Now if you want to run like hell in tight trails with big sharp obstacles everywhere, with highclimb hills all over and with buddies that wont put their ass on the seat for a minute during the day an enduro bike is the choice.

You just don't feel the same way at the end of the day.

WR-250X a decent trail bike?
With WR-250R wheels, yeah, it's a decent trail bike.
"Decent", to me, means being able to get out there and ride trails without feeling like the bike is totally out of place.
The faster you try to go over rough terrain, though, the less decent it becomes because it has budget suspension in stock condition.
Not budget in the way it looks while parked, but certainly in the way it works at speed.
If you're riding at a casual pace, it'll do OK, but not fabulous.
It is, after all, a typical dual-purpose bike that was built down to a price as far as suspension performance is concerned, and in my opinion, that's the biggest thing holding the bike back as far as off-road performance goes, with weight being the 2nd on the list.

In other words, nothing really has changed as far as that goes.

WR-250X on a motocross track?
Sure, only if you plan on touring around just to say that you were out there to have a bit of fun without getting in anybody's way.
Don't plan on trying to ride it like you would if you were racing motocross, though.

My basic opinion is:
If you're not taking your dirt riding too seriously, the WR-250R or X will do just fine and dandy.
They're at least as good as the 1981 Honda XR-250R I rode when I was a teenager, having a great time.
If you're simply out to have fun without any racing or even trying to up your pace for any reason, they're OK.

If you want to up the pace because you want to keep up to your faster buddies or for any other reason (and it's only natural to want to improve your pace if you enjoy it), park the WR-250X (or R) and get a bike that was sold from the start to be a honest-to-gosh dirt bike without the compromised (kind way of saying cheaper and lower-performing, by far) suspension and extra weight.

X-Racer wrote:

jlpred: Good track bikes don't make good dual sports. Dual sports don't make good track bikes. Sport bikes don't make good dual sports or adventure bikes. Adventure bikes don't make good (serious) dual sports or sport bikes. Everything (most everything) is a compromise.

ummm thats what I was trying to tell him.

twowheeled wrote:

What I "want" is a 230lb bike with an electric start and competent suspension that will handle rough trails without tossing me off, or blowing apart into an oily mess if I land a jump wrong on the MX track. Is that not the KTM250?

Sure it is. But it is NOT the WR250X with dirt wheels. You guys need to listen to what this guy is posting. His expectations will not be fulfilled with the WRX. It will never be 230lbs. Like mentioned before, don't dismiss YZF/RMZ/KXF 250's also in enduro form.

Knobbies aren't necesary in the dirt. I have a set and use them for the harder and steeper trails. But a lot of the trails out here in Colorado are covered in loose ass pea gravel, where knobbies don't really help much more. I mean you can't obvisiously do a whole lot of gnarly stuff with street tires but you can easily ride itermediate trails.


At a trail riding area with my 17" street tires. Weeeeeeeee...............

Again I am an extreme dirt noob. Please help me understand this a little better...


I imagine myself doing a jump like that, flat landing, and hearing a loud POP, looking under the bike to see the rear shock blown and fork seals blown, leaking oil everywhere. I'm picturing myself hitting the whoops on my local trail (about 2 feet high whoops for miles) and blowing through all the travel, slamming into the bump stop, and the bike pitching me head first into the woods.

I really don't know if the WR can handle this kind of stuff. I'm not sure if the trails I'm riding right now are considered easy or intermediate or hard. They aren't exactly fire roads and my old MX bike suspension does get a work out. I tried my buddies KTM and it felt much smoother, it floated over the smaller ruts and bumps, and I didn't have to work as hard. I'm just afraid that putting the WR on these same trails will be even worse than my 98 kx250, and I'll just get tossed off over and over.

Also I don't want to be overstressing the poor bike. Maintenance is maintenance, whether it is doing a valve check/oil change on a KTM or replacing fork/shock seals on the WR. There is also the fact that my dirt riding abilities are pretty poor, and I use the throttle a lot to get myself out of trouble on the kawi. The WR feels like it has no low end at all, and can't pick up the front wheel to save it's life barring a huge clutch drop. I wack open the throttle hard on the kx250 whenever I come across an unexpected obstacle, so I don't sink the front and go over. I don't know how well that would work out on the WR.

I guess it depends how much you weigh as well as to whether you are likely to bottom out the suspension...

Almost sounds like a motocrosser is what you want. See if you can ride the two bikes back to back and decide from there?

Gany wrote:

I guess it depends how much you weigh as well as to whether you are likely to bottom out the suspension...

Almost sounds like a motocrosser is what you want. See if you can ride the two bikes back to back and decide from there?

about 190lb geared up

Matty wrote:

At a trail riding area with my 17" street tires. Weeeeeeeee...............

Looks like the supermotos are going to good use.

Matty wrote:

Knobbies aren't necesary in the dirt. I have a set and use them for the harder and steeper trails. But a lot of the trails out here in Colorado are covered in loose ass pea gravel, where knobbies don't really help much more. I mean you can't obvisiously do a whole lot of gnarly stuff with street tires but you can easily ride itermediate trails.
...

Hear hear!.
I've ridden plenty of dirt on my 17" sumo tires on the WRX. The biggest dissadvantage is the small diameter. The tires grip dirt and rock quite well. You loose a bit to the knobbies in some of the corners but no big deal. Mud or grass (wet or dead/dry) are :ahem: another story.

twowheeled wrote:

Again I am an extreme dirt noob. Please help me understand this a little better...

I imagine myself doing a jump like that, flat landing, and hearing a loud POP, looking under the bike to see the rear shock blown and fork seals blown, leaking oil everywhere. I'm picturing myself hitting the whoops on my local trail (about 2 feet high whoops for miles) and blowing through all the travel, slamming into the bump stop, and the bike pitching me head first into the woods.

I really don't know if the WR can handle this kind of stuff. I'm not sure if the trails I'm riding right now are considered easy or intermediate or hard. They aren't exactly fire roads and my old MX bike suspension does get a work out. I tried my buddies KTM and it felt much smoother, it floated over the smaller ruts and bumps, and I didn't have to work as hard. I'm just afraid that putting the WR on these same trails will be even worse than my 98 kx250, and I'll just get tossed off over and over.

Also I don't want to be overstressing the poor bike. Maintenance is maintenance, whether it is doing a valve check/oil change on a KTM or replacing fork/shock seals on the WR. There is also the fact that my dirt riding abilities are pretty poor, and I use the throttle a lot to get myself out of trouble on the kawi. The WR feels like it has no low end at all, and can't pick up the front wheel to save it's life barring a huge clutch drop. I wack open the throttle hard on the kx250 whenever I come across an unexpected obstacle, so I don't sink the front and go over. I don't know how well that would work out on the WR.

You and only you can decide what you need, but I really think you're over analyzing this. The WR has good suspension. It isn't as long of travel as a true MX bike but it's good stuff. I'm not doing jumps with mine but I'll ride it at speed through the rocky rutted up trails and have complete confidence that the suspension will do it's thing.

Keep in mind that ANY bike and suspension can set you on your head. IF YOU RIDE YOU TAKE A RISK. BE MINDFUL OF THE CONSEQUENCES. But, life would be boring if we didn't take risks.

twowheeled wrote:

about 190lb geared up

You're about 15lbs lighter than me. I have had my rear shock re-sprung for my weight and re-valved for the riding I do. It is now much less likely to try to buck me off. If the suspension on a WR isn't working then it isn't set right.


If your main thing is jumps and MX track stuff, get an MX bike and learn to do all that maintenance after each ride.
If your main thing is riding trails, stick with the WR as it's very good at that.

twowheeled wrote:

I imagine myself doing a jump like that, flat landing, and hearing a loud POP, looking under the bike to see the rear shock blown and fork seals blown, leaking oil everywhere. I'm picturing myself hitting the whoops on my local trail (about 2 feet high whoops for miles) and blowing through all the travel, slamming into the bump stop, and the bike pitching me head first into the woods.

I really don't know if the WR can handle this kind of stuff.

Adjust your suspension...... Trust me, these lil bikes can take abuse. The only thing this bike lacks, is "Straight Away" power. But with a 250 you kind of already know that. I'm about 180lbs and have no problem hitting whoops at speed, lifting the front tire with the clutch or off a bump with the throttle. I've taken it off much larger jumps and no it's not an MX bike but it can handle 20 foot table tops no problem, even when you come up a lil short, lol!!!!!

This little over weight,under sprung street bike has done everything i have asked of it. Mine is an x and is a nice "little" street bike. Has also gone off road with its 17s.
With a second set of wheels has compeated at short track events,a 19-18 set up with dunlop K180s.
With a set of ice tires has raced ice as well. kenda k335s
Add a 21 front wheel and it will ride trails all day,i like trials tires myself.
Are you gonna "blow" your shock ? Well i have a dent in my FMF Q4 from the brake caliper. Hit a huge ditch that at 30-35 mph. No harm,no foul.
Its not a race bike,but some of us have raced it. I have had my shock revalved a few weeks ago and the fun factor is over the top ! Your not going to break this thing in half if that is what you want to know,just remember at the end of the day it is still a "over weight and undersprung street bike."

thanks for the comments guys, I have decided I will try to fix up my kx250 with a little of suspension work and figuring out the jetting so I can start it reliably. I just had another crack at that bike and turns out the previous owner did a bunch of very messed up adjustments that explain the frightening handling. In the mean time I'll keep my wrx stock and toss some tires at it, it'll just be a coffee/play bike.