No more WR250R ?

I just read in Trail Bike magazine last night that Yamaha is no longer going to offer the Wr250r in Europe.
Wonder What the future hold here?

Maybe they didn't selll like they do over here in NA?

Something I have been waiting for quite a long time. One of the best motorcycles at the market is being stopped in EU, if this article is right. Well, hopefully not.

Obviously, we do not deserve such a lightweighted sporty DS enduro bike (once more something I have been awaiting several years long).
The only thing we deserve are >250kg monster bikes for blocking the Dolomites roads.

If I had the money I would instantly get me another WR.

The subject got covered over in ADV a few weeks ago.

Normally, it seems it's North Americans looking enviously at what the Europeans get...

Jäger wrote:

The subject got covered over in ADV a few weeks ago.

Normally, it seems it's North Americans looking enviously at what the Europeans get...

Yes, I realized that. However, in Europe it seems, there is no coexistence between (more or less traditional) bigbikes and small lightweighted bikes.
Most of the small motorcycles got stopped after a short period of time over here. There is no more space for funbikes, funny bikes, cool little motorcycles, single cylinder enduro bikes. I tried to get hold of a TW200 formerly. No way. I rode a tricker for 3 years. It had been available for a year or so, then they stopped it. The BMW X-Challenge got stopped. Even well known KTM 690, a great bike, is selling weakly. Its predecessor, the 640 and 620 LC4, had been a big success.

We have nearly no offroad riding areas apart from some few and small MX and enduro tracks. However, we have nice roads, but people seem to refuse riding anything below 100PS onroad, for whatever reason. Also there is no way of stopping old fashioned thinking of motorbikes. There are no problems at all selling bikes that look like 20 years ago. Motorcycle riders are aging out over here. Maybe we are some sort of dinosaurs.

If I had the money, I would get me another WR immediately. Unfortunately, this is not affordable right now. Let us see what happens. Stopping the WR250R model would be a great loss at our market, that I would regret deeply. But needless to say. It is the people who decide.

Phil

Yeah, I haven't seen another WR X or R around here EVER!! See the odd DRZ & KTM, but mostly big sportsbikes & Harleys (sorry, I can't stand 'cruisers'...). Oh, quite a few wannabe adventurers on massive GS1200s, totally pointless...... Seems most bikers are middle-aged, weekend, 'fair weather' people, who lock up their machines in garages all winter. Some of us commute ALL YEAR, & keep our WRs under cover outside, as no garage. Plenty of ACF50/cleaning etc., & all is OK.
Seems a shame, but this will probably be my one & only WR....

The sales are going down everywhere and the manufacturers aren't able to adjust.

I think our choices are going to be limited in the futur.

wow that sucks. I wonder if they will still build them for the US / Canada and possibly other markets?

Canada is a side market for them. US is the market and the customs are still kings in this market.

I was told they have no desire to cut them from NA. They still are a hot seller here.

SheWolf wrote:

I was told they have no desire to cut them from NA. They still are a hot seller here.

I don't know what is a hot seller nationwide !

Well, it seems that the WR doesn't stay long in the dealers around here. I've only ever seen one used one come in and it was sold the day it came in.

We have some 2009 left around here.

Many of the dual port community around here like to run at 150 mk/hre and more on roads like the Translab or Transtaïga. They go on gravel roads so there is less risk of being caught by the cops. So 950cc, 990cc, 1000cc, 1100cc, 1150cc and 1200cc are very popular.

For others the trend is around ktm 450cc and 530cc and the like.

We are a minority with 250cc except for enduro competing guys.

Every summer tuesday night there is a bike gathering in a parking lot near Montréal. There are always around 200 customs and around 12 dual sports participating.

I grew up in Germany and Offroading is 99% illegal. Not much point for a dual sport bike, no big market. One of the reasons I moved to Canada.

I had a quad in Germany, it was legal driving it on the Autobahn between 40 ton semis and 250km/h Porsches, but illegal in the woods. Ridiculous, isn't it?

WRXR wrote:

I had a quad in Germany, it was legal driving it on the Autobahn between 40 ton semis and 250km/h Porsches, but illegal in the woods. Ridiculous, isn't it?

That is crazy. I have been on the Autobahn and I cannot imagine a quad out there.

njbill wrote:

That is crazy. I have been on the Autobahn and I cannot imagine a quad out there.

That was the reason I sold it after 1.5 months. 120kmh on a quad with cars tailgating you just didn't seem to be safe.

RT3856 wrote:

I just read in Trail Bike magazine last night that Yamaha is no longer going to offer the Wr250r in Europe.
Wonder What the future hold here?

I emailed yam uk and they said "no UK WR250Rs for 2011". I had thought it strange that the bike wasn't at the Birmingham Motorcycle Show in the winter so I dropped them a line to find out why.

Well, here is the UK answer: http://www.yamaha-motor.co.uk/uk/products/motorcycles/index.aspx
It seems the R is still available, but the X is not..... However, my local dealer is still advertising: http://www.phmotorcycles.co.uk/bikes/yamaha/yamaha-wr250x-2010.html
The plot thickens....

From: Victoria.Langridge@yamaha-motor.co.uk [mailto:Victoria.Langridge@yamaha-motor.co.uk] On Behalf Of Marketing@yamaha-motor.co.uk
Sent: 11 February 2011 17:14
To: XXXX, Edward: IT (LDN)
Subject: Re: Enquiry - Yamaha WR250R



Dear Mr

This model is no longer being imported into the UK market. It was imported in small numbers throughout 2010 to gauge customer reaction and unfortunately there was not enough demand to warrant continuing the import of this model.

Regards,

Marketing & Communications Division
________________________________________________________
Y A M A H A M O T O R ( U K ) L T D

Sopwith Drive
Brooklands
Weybridge
Surrey KT13 0UZ

Telephone:
Fax:
E-mail:
Website: +44 (0) 1932 358000
+44 (0) 1932 358030
marketing@yamaha-motor.co.uk
www.yamaha-motor.co.uk

I have not ridden a bike for a very long time, so my local (UK) Yamaha dealer has recommended the WR250R for me, but told me that it was no longer available new in the UK. As I am currently working in Switzerland for a while, I checked out their website and a few others.

I have found the following European countries advertising it:

Switzerland: CHF 8'370 .00 http://www.yamaha-motor.eu/ch/de/produkte/motorrad/enduro/wr250r.aspx
Germany: € 6,850.00 http://www.yamaha-motor.eu/de/products/motorcycles/adventure/wr250r.aspx
Norway: NOK 80 900,- http://www.yamaha-motor.eu/no/produkter/motorsykler/adventure/wr250r.aspx


It would be convenient enough for me to export one from Switzerland or Germany, but I was wondering if I would be able to get parts for it in the UK without paying too much? I have imported cars from Europe and is not too difficult a process.

I haven't checked, but I assume there would be at least 12 months European warranty.

Is it worth it, or should I look for something different that can be bought in England.

alc wrote:

I have not ridden a bike for a very long time, so my local (UK) Yamaha dealer has recommended the WR250R for me, but told me that it was no longer available new in the UK. As I am currently working in Switzerland for a while, I checked out their website and a few others.

I have found the following European countries advertising it:

Switzerland: CHF 8'370 .00 http://www.yamaha-motor.eu/ch/de/produkte/motorrad/enduro/wr250r.aspx
Germany: € 6,850.00 http://www.yamaha-motor.eu/de/products/motorcycles/adventure/wr250r.aspx
Norway: NOK 80 900,- http://www.yamaha-motor.eu/no/produkter/motorsykler/adventure/wr250r.aspx


It would be convenient enough for me to export one from Switzerland or Germany, but I was wondering if I would be able to get parts for it in the UK without paying too much? I have imported cars from Europe and is not too difficult a process.

I haven't checked, but I assume there would be at least 12 months European warranty.

Is it worth it, or should I look for something different that can be bought in England.

If you buy it new from Germany you get 2 years warranty by default. then usually the dealer will throw in the 1 year extra warranty for free as he wants to get rid of the bike. (he did for me, but I bought mine in Italy)

I also transferred my bike from italian papers to german papers when I moved. total cost 80 Euro (40 for the TUV translation/verification of the data, and 40 for license and bureaucratic bs). So very fairly priced, and didn't take much work or running around. especially if you buy the bike new, as you don't have to go through the TUV which would cost you another 50-60 Euro.

I assume, in the UK it would be a similar process, but the prices may be different but not a problem really, I managed everything in an afternoon.

as for the parts, you can usually find a lot of stuff selling through british websites even if it is a US product. I know of several german sites that sell us/canadian or even british parts/accessories for the wr and the prices are fair (compared to the prices where it comes from), and you don't have to pay much for shipping since its national. so I wouldn't really consider that much of a problem