My Full WR250X review. ALL POTENTIAL WRX BUYERS READ THIS

Only bits I can disagree with are 2, 3, and 5 on the bad list.

I personally like towering over everyone around me, being able to see above and around traffic that normally would block my view.

I've crashed mine more frequently than I should probably admit but the extra height hasn't caused me broken bones or anything yet lol.

And frankly, the only 'safety' value of a motorcycle is its manueverability. If anything its height makes it more noticeable to the brain-dead zombies in cages that clog the roadways compared to a sport bike that disappears below the roof of the miata in the next lane, just my opinion. What makes you feel that the WR is less safe than another type of motorcycle? Just curious.

But yeah, otherwise I think you're spot on.

I just feel like if somone cut me off and my front wheel turned sideways, Id suddenly be 5 feet in the air falling face first, whereas on say an r6 where itd be laying it over.
But my other reason for the low safety rating would be the not so strong breaks. I tried braking fairly hard and it wasnt very reasuring how hard I had to squeeze and when I jammed the rear one to test it I could almost not get it to lock up.
Lastly theres a lot less padding between you and a cager.
BUT that is true, pretty close to the same on all sumos. guess that can be bumped up a notch.

I also have an fmf pipe, I think I should go ahead and do the airbox mod and get a fuel programmer from what Ive read...

I agree on the brakes too to a point, its definitely not like throwing out the anchor on a super bike when you squeeze the lever on these bikes. I can lock up my rear tire no problem, but its probably a difference between knobbies and street tires there.

What padding are you missing on the X? Are you wearing less gear riding it?

Not sure what you're getting at with the someone pulling out in front of you scenario. Why would you go flying on a SM type bike versus 'laying it over' on a R6? Maybe just not used to the manueverability of a SM type bike? Maybe I just have a broken safety scale where I realize there isn't any such thing as a safe motorcycle lol and like it that way. Not trying to attack or anything, I'm actually interested in what you're experiencing. I've always been a light-is-right type though, felt better in my little miata able to zip and weave through traffic than I did in my 3/4-ton Dodge pickup for example.

I think the review was fairly fair. It may be a little bias since being compared to a r6. I agree that if your used to riding a "rocket" bike it does feel like your way high in the air.(Same with any supermoto). I also disagree with not being able to push your limits with this bike. In my opinion any corner that can be taken under 100 mph can be pushed to its limits with the wrx. I never been on a track with the wr but on the street I had no problem hanging and a lot of times eating up 600cc street bike in the "twisties".( the twistier the better because they gobble me back up on the straights.) I did like the review and is a good review from a sport bike riders background.

no.17 wrote:

In my opinion any corner that can be taken under 100 mph can be pushed to its limits with the wrx.

As for the review, I agree with some parts and not others. Much of it has been debated over and over. At the end of the day, it's a 250 and people seem to compare it to all sorts of other bikes. To me, that just shows how good the WRR \X is that it's always under constant comparison.

Here's my review.

Bar none the wr250x is the MOST entertaining and smile inducing motorcycle I've ever riden.

I sold a 1000cc Yamaha R1 to get the X and so many people thought I was crazy. They were wrong.

The X is the bike that keeps on giving. On road, Off road, it does it all.

The old saying couldn't be more true:

"It's more fun to ride a slower bike fast, than to ride a faster bike slow." (or something like that....)

I've never once wished I still had the R1.

trav72 wrote:

As for the review, I agree with some parts and not others. Much of it has been debated over and over. At the end of the day, it's a 250 and people seem to compare it to all sorts of other bikes. To me, that just shows how good the WRR \X is that it's always under constant comparison.

Good point. It is a bit strange how the wr has to compete with full on 1 L sportbikes, ultra light, ultra powerful dirt racers, 100+ hp touring bikes, etc.. It is delusional to think the wr's are going to have the acceleration of a 1L sportbike or the suspension of an offroad only race bike. It's only a 1/4 L bike..

Other bad points of the wr:

1. It does not float like a good bass boat. It will not get you to the good fishing spots.

2. It does not get airborne like a 747, or cover the distances with one tank like the 747 does.. it will not even go as fast as a 747.

3. It does not offer the protection that a hummer does, or a good bomb shelter. You are much more vulnerable on it & may get injured if you crash at high speed.

4. It does not work well at mountain climbing. It has no carabiners, ropes, hammers or spikes with it.

5. It will not take down an elephant or a rhino.. best you can hope for is rabbits that get under a tire. But it will not bag a trophy like a high powered hunting rifle.. unless you like to mount rabbits on your wall.

6. It does not ride 2 up comfortably like a 1200 cruiser, or let you sleep, shower, & use the restroom like an RV.

Sorry, bren, for being a little sassy. I'm mostly just poking a bit of fun at you for some of your review.. but you knew it was coming! I came from a drz, which i think is a great bike, & for me the wrx has been an upgrade. I still do not see anything around that will beat it in a head to head comparison of like features. There are lots of 250's out there. They are the main competition for the wr, & even the pricier models fall short in the same points of your review. A 250 racer has better suspension & is lighter & has a bit more power than the wr. But it will not cruise at 70 on the freeway for 8 hours, or go 20k miles before a valve adjust. So it does depend on your purpose with the bike. If you have specific requirements, it is very likely that another bike will meet those criteria better. But for all around balance of features, the wr's are tough to beat, assuming you want an all around balance of features on a 1/4 L dual sport bike.

I've no problem with the truth of your statements.. just the comparisons. This apple is not an orange.
scotty

My opinion:

Basically, it sounds a whole lot to me like you're still more used to a YZF-R6, YZ-450F, and YZ-250F than anything.

I know how that is, myself, because when I first got a 2008 Yamaha WR-250R in June of 2009, I also owned and rode at that time a 2009 Suzuki DR-Z400SM with many mods, including a 440cc big bore kit.
I wrote comments about how the WR-250R (all stock at the time) felt incredibly slow and the DR-Z felt "like a World Superbike in comparison".
Well, once I sold the DR-Z, modified the WR-250R to my liking, and, most importantly, had no other bike in the garage to compare it to, I grew to like it very much as a street bike.
The 2008 WR-250X I ride today is even better on the street.
So, I've gone through similar things, too.

Power:
First and foremost, the performance of the engine off the showroom floor is nothing to get excited about unless you are just moving up from an XR-100R or something like that.
It's lean, plugged-up, and working against very tall gearing.

Once you address those points with a fuel programmer, get rid of the airbox flapper, get rid of the stock muffler, and lower the gearing to something suitable to a 250cc bike (I'm using 13/49 sprockets), things improve quite a bit, all the way up to me being satisfied.

Personally, I never felt that FI was some kind of answer to anything or going to make-up for performance lost somewhere.

Front brake:
I feel the front brake on my 2008 WR-250X is very good.
I was concerned that I'd feel the same with this brake as I felt with my 2009 Suzuki DR-Z400SM, where the stock front brake sucked and was more show than go.
Happy to say it works very well, and to the point to where I feel I have to change nothing with it, other than having bled-in new fluid, cleaned the pads and disc, and lubricated the slide pins of the caliper.

I can see you not being satisfied if you're still used to the twin discs on a YZF-R6, or maybe your system needs to be bled, or maybe pads and rotor need to be cleaned.
Or, maybe, you'll simply never feel the same way I do about it.
I have to comment, though, that me saying the front brake on my bike is lacking is comical.
I do feel that the one on a WR-250R (with a much smaller disc and caliper, and the bike I rode on the street last year) is a pretty lousy front brake on the street, though, just to clear that up.

Vulnerability and feeling like you're perched up there too high:
Complete disagreement with all of that.
I'm short, too, at 5'5".
Maybe you need to use the lowering of the ride height option at the bottom shock mount clevis and slide the fork tubes up a bit.
To me, it feels just like it looks:
A dirt bike (dual-purpose bike, really) with sport bike tires and a big front brake.
I like it very much and feel secure, if anything.

Other than that, have fun on the bike because, once you tailor it to your liking (and I couldn't imagine somebody riding it stock), it's a great sport bike. :)

Well, mine isn't an X but it's the same bike more or less. Coming from a woman's point of view, I'll toss my shot at the pot.

1: It's tall, and for the vertically challenged it's scary as shit riding like that on the street stock. When you have to put a foot down you don't touch the ground unless you are literally half way off the bike, and at that point, the bike is leaning over a fair bit to be able to touch the ground with a foot. That being said, it can be overcome with a few simple mods that can be done at home.

2: Power is like a dog dragging its ass across the carpet stock. For someone who has never ridden a bike, they won't notice it, but for those who've been on an array of bikes, this will be one of the first WTF moments. I think 'shit going thru a funnel' would best describe it. But, that can also be overcome with a few simple mods that again, can be done at home after your shipment comes in. For me, this thing rips like a raped ape going thru the trees once it's opened up and dialed in right. I've got a good expanse of varied bikes under my belt; I actually sold my 600 sportbike to get this little gem. To be honest, I've never looked back. No, it's not going to peel your skin off your face or ever reach hyperspeed, but it's probably one of the few (if not only) street legal enduro of it's type (out of the crate ) that can do 100mph on the flats. At least for me, anyway. The only other bike I did that with was with my DT200, but it was a 2T. The one thing it will do is leave you with that shit eating grin from the sheer fun factor...and after you pass all your buddies on their bikes while they fuel up and do maintenance.

3: Tires. Well, at least where the R is concerned the tires suck major balls in anything loose. Once that is rectified with the proper skins, this thing will stick and keep on sticking.

4: Handling. This thing handles like no other bike I've ever owned. It's not fair to compare it to anything in the sportbike classes because it's not the same style, and certainly not the same ergonomics. It's like comparing a feather to the entire bird. It's very responsive to whatever paces I put it thru, it maneuvers thru traffic way easier than my 600 ever could, and you can leave the pavement and hit the dirt without fear of having the front end shit out on you like sportbikes can (and most times, will). I can confidently say this bike far out handles the 200 I had, which was an incredibly nimble little bike.

As for vulnerability, I certainly don't feel more vulnerable on my little 250 than I did riding my 600 or 900. Maybe the fact that those sportbikes have more plastics up front, and the fact that the rider sits down and is hugging the fuel tank makes it give that impression, but quite honestly, when you're on a bike, it's not going to matter what/who hits you, it's gonna hurt. At least with the little bike you're going to have a much better chance at quicker turning and can shoot off thru the ditch and out the other side.

It is what it is. It's not a sportbike, it's an enduro. It's not a speed demon, but it certainly isn't a slouch once you uncork it. It's not a full on dirt racer, but it can certainly hold its own on the single track and anywhere else you take it. And you can take it home, put it away and do it all over again without having to do any major maintenance like your buddies do on their kool-aid cruisers.

trav72 wrote:

no.17 wrote:

In my opinion any corner that can be taken under 100 mph can be pushed to its limits with the wrx.

As for the review, I agree with some parts and not others. Much of it has been debated over and over. At the end of the day, it's a 250 and people seem to compare it to all sorts of other bikes. To me, that just shows how good the WRR \X is that it's always under constant comparison.

Yeah thats definitly true. I was kind of not considering that, because going fast around a turn's limit is always the riders limit. Heck I could take a ttr125 around a sharp turn with slicks going really fast and still be able to push my limits. I was thinking along the lines more of coming out of the turn acceleration, how on other bikes of more power you are limited by how far you feel comfortable twisting the throttle, whereas on the WRX for me personally I can twist it all the way and still feel like I could go a bit harder.

Ill be the first to admit that since Im coing off an r6 and 450f that it is biased, and youre def right, its a 250 being compared amongst 450's and up, so for the scale of things its actually pretty good for a 250.

Safety/Venurability: I guess in my opinion Its a direct comparison to an r6, where at high speeds I feel like If I hit a deer on a 250 Id be toast but on an r6 I might have a chance. However thats a direct comparison of supermoto to street bike so Ill go ahead and take that part out since thats not really wr250x specific.

We all have our own opinions. I didnt expect everyone to agree, but I think the one thing that we all CAN agree on is that the power could be a bit better and doing the stock mods of pipe, airbox mod, and fuel programmer brings it back up to par for 250's.
And we can all DEFINITLY agree that if yamaha made a 450X we wouldnt have this problem hahah

K there we go, edited to be more WRX specific and less general comparison of supermoto vs street bikes.

Hope that makes things a bit more agreeable.

Bottom line we can all agree on though: YAMAHA MAKE A 450X ALREAD!!

ok now I know what you mean about pushing the limits. I should have reliezed that in the first place. I agree that corner exit speeds can not be pushed to the limits. like you said, exiting a corner I so badly wish the back tire would break loose and drift out of a corner(which a 450 could do). I to wish after exiting a corner and snapping the throttle wide open that there was more throttle... ok now back to somthing positive about the 250 is that it can dip pretty hard in a corner entry.

True, I think the main BEST thing about the WRX is that its the perfect street ready sumo package while still being ultra maintainence free.

A few years back, at one of the Hedonistic Enthusiasm events, a semi-retired Wisconsin racer brought his NSR250 to put on the track with all the 600cc-liter 4-cylinder expert racers. Most of those bike bike guys thought he was kidding, but the laughing stopped as he shredded them everywhere around the track; corners, especially, but on every straight, too. Lap after lap, the under-powered 250 ripped by the liter bikes and played with them like they were old guys on bicycles. In the 70's, the AMA and other racing organizations banned 125's from competing in open class races because the manufacturers didn't want to lose the $ from the big bikes.

So, forgive me if I'm unimpressed by a non-pro rider's "power is like a dog dragging its ass across the carpet stock" comments. Any tool can go fast on a straight section of freeway, but real riders prove their point on the race track.

haha that is awesome. Yeah theres always the fact that the weight loss of downgrading to a smaller cc can compensate enough, but it still doesnt change the actual wr250x's pull as you come out of a turn ect, that whole feeling of that you could still go harder and faster if the bike let you.

My brother made the best comparison point between an r6:
"yeah I guess at slower speeds and in a real tight turns, but... it doesnt change the fact that:
2008 YZF-R6 0-60mph = 3.31 sec Top speed 172.3 mph
2008 WR250X 0-60mph = 7.5 sec Top speed 85 mph
doesnt matter how good you are at riding if the bike simply cannot do it"

It IS a dog power-wise, stock. No two ways about it. You don't have to be a 'pro-rider' to come to that conclusion. You also don't have to be a pro-rider on a race circuit to be considered 'pro.' It's all in experience.

Of course, needing to "pull out of the turn" is compensating for not carrying much speed through the turn. Guys like Bobby Hannah turned faster times on small tracks on his 125 than on the open class bikes. Actually, to be a professional at something you have to be good enough to get paid for it. Look it up. The NSR250 isn't even close to as fast (0-100mph) as all the bikes that NSR250 was slapping around the track. However, I'd take the WR250R/X over the NSR on every one of the roads I like to ride. If you can use 20% of the R1's power on a gravel road, I'd be truly impressed.

I'm considered/called a pro artist but I don't get paid for my work. Just because someone races and gets paid for it doesn't mean they actually know what they are doing. But I digress... the bike definitely wakes up after you uncork it and let it breathe.

I have some roads around me that anyone with an R6(or liter bike for that matter) is welcomed to come and ride with me. I'll be on my little slow WRR /X. The only question I'll have, is how long I'll need to wait for you at the stop sign that's at the end of the road.

If I could send you beer I would.

Yeah, I mean theyrell always be places where one bike is better over another. Stilllllll doesnt change the bike's abilities. and you can also only go around a turn so fast before your tires break free : /

Your comparison is significantly flawed. The NSR250 was a 250cc bike--a 250cc two stroke twin weighing in around 300 lbs. Common racing conversion comparison for two stroke to four stroke is two to one, so the NSR was right in the power window for running against 600cc four strokes. Rider capability can easily explain the track results for comparable bikes.

twday wrote:

A few years back, at one of the Hedonistic Enthusiasm events, a semi-retired Wisconsin racer brought his NSR250 to put on the track with all the 600cc-liter 4-cylinder expert racers. Most of those bike bike guys thought he was kidding, but the laughing stopped as he shredded them everywhere around the track; corners, especially, but on every straight, too. Lap after lap, the under-powered 250 ripped by the liter bikes and played with them like they were old guys on bicycles. In the 70's, the AMA and other racing organizations banned 125's from competing in open class races because the manufacturers didn't want to lose the $ from the big bikes.

So, forgive me if I'm unimpressed by a non-pro rider's "power is like a dog dragging its ass across the carpet stock" comments. Any tool can go fast on a straight section of freeway, but real riders prove their point on the race track.

Akasy wrote:

Rider capability can easily explain the track results for comparable bikes.

My point exactly.

Akasy wrote:

Your comparison is significantly flawed. The NSR250 was a 250cc bike--a 250cc two stroke twin weighing in around 300 lbs. Common racing conversion comparison for two stroke to four stroke is two to one, so the NSR was right in the power window for running against 600cc four strokes. Rider capability can easily explain the track results for comparable bikes.

OHHHHHH so thats why!!! WTF thats not a big wow at all!! I had a kx85 that we bored to a 110 and did a whole bunch of mods to, that thing was a frikin missle, wheelied in every single gear without even trying. it kept up with my 450f with absolutly no problem.
Yeah if that was a 250 four stroke I would have been astonished.

Doesnt matter how good you are if the bike cant do what you are asking it to do. EX you wont beat any 450f on a ttr90 no matter how dam pro you are. Sure a pro with a lower bike can beat an amature with a better bike, but that doesnt change the bike itself.....

you can take an orange and paint it red/green and put it in with apples , but its still an orange....