WR250X for a youngster

Hello all!

I have been lurking around the forum for a little over 3 months now and Its stocked full of valuable information, one problem, I don't have a WR250R/X. I came to get the opinion if a WR250 is a good bike for a beginner street rider. I'm only 15, is that too young? I've been riding dirt bikes all my life, is taking it to the road really that different? Is 15 too wet behind the ears to take a bike to the road with little road experience? All opinions are wanted and NEEDED!

if you can get a motorcycle license at age 15, then your not too young. since you already feel comfortable on a dirtbike then a bike like the WR would be great to learn on .. if you are new to the street, i would recommend taking the motorcycle safety course, no matter what age you are. you will learn most of everything you need and it might just save your ass.

In texas where i live you have to take the motorcycle safety foundation school/course to get your liscense

cool its a fun class you will like it .. so when you thinking about getting a WR?

probably in April, a dealer has a few 2011 and 2010 wr250x/r's left and i was thinking about getting one...the price is $6,500 or somewhere in that area...and the 2010 is only $100 less...should i just get the 2011 for the extra $100?

yeah I would go with what ever one you like the most .. not much of a price difference .. I would watch for yamaha promotions, you might find some $500 or even $1000 cash to put towards the cost .. you never know .. just keep an eye out for something like that

I think it's a great bike to start on. You already know how to ride, so that makes one less thing for you to have to concentrate on while you're learning the rules of the road and how to keep the cars from running you over. Have fun and good luck.

thanks to all! and what do you mean by promotions? is that on top of negotiating price? and how much will they bend with negotiating about prices? I've heard dealers are not pretty lenient about prices...and my family already bought a $18,000 polaris rzr robby gordon edition from the same dealer so do you think they will look at our loyalty to their dealer ship and maybe hook us up?

yeah they should do something .. not sure how much .. but I would keep an eye on the Yamaha website for promotions and if you find one that the WR qualifies for, then negotiate a price with the dealer and then once they have given you the price tell them to subtract the promotion :)

Insurance.

I hate to be a dark cloud over your plans here, but have you looked into insurance costs for a 16 year old boy and a brand new motorcycle?

If you're thinking of financing the new motorcycle you'll have to have full coverage insurance.

Also, are your parents okay with "your plans"?

I know that in my state a 16 year old can't get a motorcycle. The first year of driving is under a very restricted license. Another licensed adult (legal parent/guardian) has to be with the newb-driver at all times at least for the first 6 months I believe.

If you plan to drive a car & ride a motorcycle you either have some very generous parents who are willing to foot the bill for massive insurance costs, or things are very different in Texas.

Also - why not look into used bikes? Save a $1000 or more on the cost. Start watching craigslist ads and search cycletrader.com and eBay for bikes in your area.

You'd be surprised at the deals that occasionally come along.

Perhaps you've already checked this, and if that's the case it shows you're doing your homework better than most 15 year old's, but in my state (Delaware) you have to have a full unrestricted license before you can apply for your motorcycle license. The tiered system here is a one year long path to get the restrictions lifted.

They want you to learn the basic rules of the road in a car before you even think about navigating that jungle on a motorcycle.

Check your local and state laws.

Just an idea...

Why not $3000 on a cheap car and $3000 on a decent used bike?

Use the car for primary transportation and use your play time to get solid on a bike.

Before I was 21 I had one friend die on a street bike and 2 get seriously injured...two of the accidents were due to the "I'm an indestructible teenager!" complex and one due to a drunk driver. Among them two were wearing helmets...all three...no armor.

Whatever you choose be safe, wear the armor.

As mentioned before, an investment in riding courses is a great idea.

All said the X is a great choice for a first bike in my opinion. I've had MX bikes but the X is my first road bike...and I'm an old dude by your standards. :-)

S.

When I was 16 (I'm 41 now) my first street legal bike was a KLR650. That was a HUGE bike, but I had been riding off road for 8 years by then, and so it was so easy for me to ride. Back then, there were no restrictions, you could walk into a dealership and buy a 1000cc superbike at age 16 without a single day of riding lessons and go. You had to pass a (silly) test on a parking lot through some cones and you got your M license.

Now, they don't do that anymore. It's super strict as to the size of bike you cna start on, when you can use it, etc. You have to take classes, have to have full insurance, the list goes on and on. I'm sure it will save lives. Not every kid had parents like mine who encouraged riding at a young age.

Now, 30 years later, and without a single street crash (plenty of dumps in the dirt, though) I can say it's my favorite hobby, and I wouldn't trade my experiences riding through Europe or America for anything.

So if you can afford the bike, and the insurance, and you have a good head on your shoulders (nothing has caused me more close calls than showing off for friends and girls) then the WR is a perfect first bike. It's probably the best all around bike in the world. I've had dozens of bikes, and this one is my favorite.

Here's to you, and to a long, fulfilling and safe motorcycle career. May you die someday from a heart attack riding your Gold Wing at age 110. :)

Go for it Blackhawk!

I did some really dumb stuff in vehicles at that age. I probably would have died on a bike I totaled my first 3 vehicles. None of them ruled my fault but I also wasn't experienced enough to avoid them. Mostly lack of caution. I really haven't changed much, I've just been driving so long now that Its easy to predict what the bumbling idiots are going to do. Sort of like how after you've seen a bazillion movies, you know exactly whats going to happen. Same deal.

If you've been riding dirt bikes all your life, than a 250 WRR or WRX would be the perfect transition to a street bike.

motokid wrote:

Insurance.

I hate to be a dark cloud over your plans here, but have you looked into insurance costs for a 16 year old boy and a brand new motorcycle?

If you're thinking of financing the new motorcycle you'll have to have full coverage insurance.

Also, are your parents okay with "your plans"?

I know that in my state a 16 year old can't get a motorcycle. The first year of driving is under a very restricted license. Another licensed adult (legal parent/guardian) has to be with the newb-driver at all times at least for the first 6 months I believe.

If you plan to drive a car & ride a motorcycle you either have some very generous parents who are willing to foot the bill for massive insurance costs, or things are very different in Texas.

Also - why not look into used bikes? Save a $1000 or more on the cost. Start watching craigslist ads and search cycletrader.com and eBay for bikes in your area.

You'd be surprised at the deals that occasionally come along.

I looked in on getting a motorcycle in Texas and the requirements are you must be at least 15 years old and you must Already have taken the class to get your car permit and you have to have your permit. Then your must take the motorcycle Safety course then go to dps and do their road course on your bike. And the bike must not exceed 250cc of displacement. And do you know How much insurance is?

Also, I see a 2008 wr250x with roughly 6,000 miles on it in my area for 4,250 ...is that a good deal? I'm pretty sure no after maker mods either

Blackhawk wrote:

Also, I see a 2008 wr250x with roughly 6,000 miles on it in my area for 4,250 ...is that a good deal? I'm pretty sure no after maker mods either

You should be able to find one for $4000 or less with equal or less mileage.

CA Joe wrote:

Blackhawk wrote:

Also, I see a 2008 wr250x with roughly 6,000 miles on it in my area for 4,250 ...is that a good deal? I'm pretty sure no after maker mods either

You should be able to find one for $4000 or less with equal or less mileage.

Yep. Mine was $2800 in great shape with 5500 miles. I know I got a smoking deal, but you should be able to do a lot better than $4250. Worth a shot seeing how low he's willing to bargain, though.

But what about the fuel pump problems in the '08 models?

Blackhawk wrote:

Also, I see a 2008 wr250x with roughly 6,000 miles on it in my area for 4,250 ...is that a good deal? I'm pretty sure no after maker mods either

I paid $3400 for mine a year ago with the same mileage in Houston. I don't think the value on these bikes has really dropped much since then but it certainly hasn't gone up 30%.

Blackhawk wrote:

I looked in on getting a motorcycle in Texas and the requirements are you must be at least 15 years old and you must Already have taken the class to get your car permit and you have to have your permit. Then your must take the motorcycle Safety course then go to dps and do their road course on your bike. And the bike must not exceed 250cc of displacement. And do you know How much insurance is?

Either you got bad info, or the DPS has different rules for a 15 year old.

For us "old guys":
1) They no longer do a driving test at the DPS. That's covered during the MSF course and they give you a form to take with you when you get your license. You're suppose to have to take a written test when you go in, but some offices just mark it exempt with the MSF form.

2) There is no restriction on engine size/power in texas. I've got friends that started on Hayabusas (and one of them scared himself so bad he sold it and hasn't ridden in 4 years)

Follow this link

http://www.txdps.state.tx.us/DriverLicense/motorcycleLicense.htm

Find the section labeled "under 18"

Wow that's a pain in the ass... I'd just buy a small truck and wait 3 years dude.