wr250r vs klr 650

So I've been thinking about downsizing from a klr to a wr.I know there is alot of other 250's to choose from but from a practical standpoint ie.price,aftermarket and dealers the wr seems to have it in spades. So a little help with the pros and cons would be appreciated. I will not be selling my V-Strom 1000 so I'll still have two bikes no matter what.
I live in the upper penninsula of michigan right on the border of wisconsin so dirt roads and trails are in abundance on both sides of the border!

If you also have a V-Strom 1000 I would definitely definitely go for a wr. There is simply no way to compare a wr to a klr off road. Its light years ahead and will be a blast to ride. Even if you have to drive several miles on the road to get to the trails its no problem (I do 400 road miles a day no problem). The wr is pretty much better at every single aspect than a klr other than comfort and cruising at speed. But for that you have the Vstrom.

KLR650 - 400lbs, 80s suspension
WR250R - 300lbs, late 2000s suspension

Its not particularly hard to pick one of those for off road duty ;)

I'm also 6'3 and 200 lbs. Any isues as far as roominess?

I'm about the same height and about 60lbs heavier. I look big on it, as I do every bike, but the ergos feel great to me. 10x better than my KX500s. You probably need to be at least 6' tall to be comfortable with the stock height on the thing. My old man is about 5'10 and its just too tall for him. I'm at around 6'2 - 6'3 and I can comfortably flat foot it.
I've never ridden a KLR though so I can't compare to that.

oic0 wrote:

You probably need to be at least 6' tall to be comfortable with the stock height on the thing

That's probably a fair assessment. I'm 5' 11" and with tall offroad tires on the X wheels I can only get the balls of my feet down. With sumo tires I can almost flatfoot it.

With an R wheel and tire setup I'd probably be stretching it to be stable in high winds while at stop lights (with the Shinko 705s the wind sometimes tried to blow me over during storms).

In my opinion, a WR250 is just a street legal dirt bike with fuel injection. There isn't much out there that I would trade mine for. It really fits the kind of riding I like to do. I get to go places that virtually none of the other dual sports get to go. Having said that, if you don't like riding a dirt bike then I am not sure the WR is the right bike for you.

Kreature,

I rode a 2006 KLR 650 for last three years and then sold it when I found a well-priced WR250R. I will share some of my thoughts on the KLR versus WR question but first should tell you about how I use my dualsport. It is sort of like asking me what kind of canoe you should buy and I start off by asking what you want to use it for.

My dual sport useage is for travelling woods roads, back roads, exploring and poking around. I am an avid camper/outdoorsman and so I like to get to out of the way camping spots as well. I usually end up on single track or rough trails about 5% of the time. I do my own maintenance on my bikes and I enjoy that aspect as well as I want to ensure that the bike is solid in terms of not letting me down because of a lack of attention. I am not at all interested in jumping the bike, mud bogging, trying to wade through swamps, racing. I do like challenging myself to technical terrain and improving my skills but I am not a motocrosser.

Having said all that I can honestly say that I do not feel that I have lost anything by going to the WR from the KLR except for some luggage capacity and wind protection. I swapped out the gas tank for a larger 3.1 gallon one and have lowered the bike a bit with yamalink and the shock adjustment. The lighter WR is so much easier to handle in the rough stuff and so much smoother on asphalt that I sometimes forget it is a 250. Speaking of that, one of the things you need to mentally deal with is the old style thinking that you need to go bigger in cc's. Less is more is a truism when it comes to dualsporting. If you look at some of the posts by bigdogadventures, Krabill, or Highfive you will start to really appreciate that the WR250R is truly a remarkable machine. I very much enjoyed my time with the KLR but have absolutely zero regrets with the decision to go to the WR. YMMV.

Good luck in your decision. Hope this helps. They are all good !!

saddletramp couldn't have said it any better,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,I went from an old KLR to my WRR and couldn't be happier,

I've got a 2006 KLR with a lot of extensive mods (USD fork swap, Britania fairing, etc etc), but after all the time and money, it is still a 400lb bike and just wasn't taking me everywhere I wanted to go.

After doing extensive research, I chose a WR250X with a dirt wheel set-up (just wanted the black frame...I know I know) and have now modded the WR extensively (pipe, PC5 with AutoTune) with plans for a bigger tank and pannier racks.

I have yet to do any big trips on the WR like I have the KLR, but the poor KLR just sits now. The WR wins out hands down in the dirt, and I find its not all that bad on the highway (especially with the 60+ mpg I'm getting over the 48 in the KLR). With all the money I've sunk into the KLR, I will probably keep it forever although I'd love to have something more highway oriented (V-Strom), but I have never, not once, regretted buying the WR.

I've got a 2006 KLR with a lot of extensive mods (USD fork swap, Britania fairing, etc etc), but after all the time and money, it is still a 400lb bike and just wasn't taking me everywhere I wanted to go.

After doing extensive research, I chose a WR250X with a dirt wheel set-up (just wanted the black frame...I know I know) and have now modded the WR extensively (pipe, PC5 with AutoTune) with plans for a bigger tank and pannier racks.

I have yet to do any big trips on the WR like I have the KLR, but the poor KLR just sits now. The WR wins out hands down in the dirt, and I find its not all that bad on the highway (especially with the 60+ mpg I'm getting over the 48 in the KLR). With all the money I've sunk into the KLR, I will probably keep it forever although I'd love to have something more highway oriented (V-Strom), but I have never, not once, regretted buying the WR.

Hey Kreature, I'm just north of you up by the Keweenaw Peninsula and have about 400 miles on a new WR250R, and it's turning out to be a great UP Bike. Can cruise on the pavement at 60mph pretty leisurely and still handle most any trail you throw at it.

BUT....

If I still had a big street bike in the shed (sold my FZ1 a month ago), I might give some thought to something less pavement friendly like a WR-F or some kind of KTM.

After keeping both the FZ1 and a TTR-250 at the ready, I'm consolidating on one bike and the WR-R is great so far. But if I was still going to have two bikes, I might look at something on the more extreme ends capability wise.

I did the switch and couldn't be happier. I try to ride a lot of gravel. The WR rides on top of it and the KLR plowed throw it. The suspension on the WR made me feel like they left it out of the KLR. Loved the KLR as my first bike, but really love the WR and how more versitle it is for me. I'm 6'3", 245. I lowered the pegs, raised the handle bars, put a higher seat on it, and put a stiffer spring on it. I don't think I look on it. Especially with my Wolfman saddle bags, etc.

The WR is the really the final upgrade for the KLR, or at least it was for me. Rather than plunk down $600 for a Moab shock to try to fix the KLR's suspension, I sold my well farkled KLR and bought my WRR. Label me VERY happy.

p.s. I'm 6'2" and 215lb (without gear). No problems on the WRR.

well i have a 2013 klr650 and a 2012 wr250r and the wr gets alot more use then my klr

thornstein wrote:

...I'm 6'3", 245.  I lowered the pegs, raised the handle bars, put a higher seat on it...

Not to derail thread, but please do tell about the taller seat (I already have lowered pegs, but need more legroom).

BOT, my re-introduction to motorcycling (previously rode larger street bikes), and first time ever riding in the dirt, came from a friend letting me ride his Honda XR250 all over socal desert one day.  I was pretty much hooked on dirt riding and lighter bikes from that point on.  Being able to save what would be a definite spill on a heavier bike with a simple foot stomp, priceless.  Plus the WR is easy to pick up after it takes a nap, a KLR not so much.

Old thread, but I may be able to add a little perspective.

I have an 08 KLR (very well farkled) and an 08 WR that I have recently converted from an X to an R. I'm keeping both.

I consider the KLR an adventure bike that is mostly road oriented and can occasionally turn down that gravel or dirt road when I see one. It's comfy and can go across the country or around the world if that's what I want to do. Low tech and easy to fix in the middle of nowhere.

The WR has a lot of the same attributes, but is much more nimble in the tight stuff and a lot easier to pick up when i dump the thing. It's my choice in mostly off-road situations.

If I'm doing more intense off-road stuff, I'll take the WR. If it's more getting from point A to point B in a reasonable amount of time with a mild amount of offroad, I'll take the KLR.

Horses for courses.

[Horses for courses]

I agree. I have 2010 660 Tenere, which is a bit of a love/annoy relationship (mostly love...). And I have a 2012 WR250R. This thing is far and away a better dirt bike, but the 660 does tour much better and if you keep the speed down will get almost 70mpg imperial. I'm 110kg but the 250 doesn't give stuff about that in the dirt. On the road, it does struggle a bit, but for a 250 trailie it is amazingly competent.
 
I love my 250r - with the notable exception of those leaky bloody USD forks. I hate them.

I can load my WR on a hitch carrier, get out of the city fast, to destination, and ride for an afternoon. The KLR is probably to big/heavy to do that as easily.

rvsixer wrote:

thornstein wrote:

...I'm 6'3", 245.  I lowered the pegs, raised the handle bars, put a higher seat on it...

Not to derail thread, but please do tell about the taller seat (I already have lowered pegs, but need more legroom).

BOT, my re-introduction to motorcycling (previously rode larger street bikes), and first time ever riding in the dirt, came from a friend letting me ride his Honda XR250 all over socal desert one day.  I was pretty much hooked on dirt riding and lighter bikes from that point on.  Being able to save what would be a definite spill on a heavier bike with a simple foot stomp, priceless.  Plus the WR is easy to pick up after it takes a nap, a KLR not so much.

Me too. I'm 6'3" @ 235, and would appreciate hearing specifics about your pegs, bars and seat!

I owned a V-Strom 1000 from 2006 to 2008. I wanted to ride some trail, so i traded for a KLR650 2008. Big mistake. Not great on the streets or on the trails. That's why, i traded the KLR in 2011 for a WR250X. I'm very pleased with the WR. Now, i"m planning to do some bike trips again. But, i dont'want to trade the WR. It's a keeper.

The KLR is a do it all bike. Only that is enough to qualify the bike as a truly good one. But, i didn't have fun with it. The last 2 years, i didn't really believe that it's more fun to ride a slow bike fast. But after this year, my perception changed.