wr450 motor install

is it possible to drop a wr450 motor into this wr250x frame ???????

seeleyjp wrote:

is it possible to drop a wr450 motor into this wr250x frame ???????

If it was ECONOMICALLY feasible don't you think you'd be able to find that answer rather easily?

Anything is possible with enough money.

so what yoou are saying............its a no brainer.........everyone would rather have a 450 motor.................let me revise the question..........


I have a wr250x

and have access to a brand new wr450 motor ....same year

will it drop in and what issues am I gonna run into


Im looking for someone with experience..................thx

What he means is:

It ain't gonna' just drop right in, or anything even close to that.
The two engines and frames are not the same by a longshot, other than both being made in a Yamaha factory.
May as well ask if a Honda XR-600R engine will just drop right in.

If you got it done, it would be after some careful and well thought-out work and effort, as well as having the proper tools and equipment.

Of course, if you actually went ahead and completed such a thing, post some detailed pics and videos. :)

It could not be so hard to make it fit.

Yamaha says, that the WrR has got the same frame as the Yz250f. Only the connectionpoints for the plastics are different!?

Well, the 2012 Wr450F has got a Yz250F frame too... Should be true, looks same... But you need more than an engine: Airbox, injection system, exhaust, ecu, new rear wheel- for all that money you could get a good used 450f...

It could be hard to try it with the carbonator-model engine >2011 because they have different frames.

You're way off track, it has an 'inspired by' yz250 chassis. They are completely different...

germanwr250r wrote:

It could not be so hard to make it fit.

Let's just assume that was true for a minute.

From what I've seen, the majority of wr250x/r owners have wet-dreams about a Yamaha wr450x/r.

If removing the 250cc engine and slipping any engine over 350cc's was remotely feasible you'd have easily been able to find plenty of posts here about it. Plus plenty of posts at SMJ, Thumpertalk, and ADVrider.com as well.

As it stands I've never seen one post on any of those forums about such a project.

Which is a clear indication that it would indeed be difficult.

While we all eagerly await the first such adventure, the bottom line is this: it ain't going to be easy, and it ain't going to be quick, and most likely it ain't going to be cheap either.

In my Ltz- forum many poeple do that: A Ltz400 with a Gpz500 engine, a Ltz400/Yfm700r with fazer600 engines, a Ltz400 with a drz650 engine, Raptor700 teneré1200 engine...

But its very expensive and costs much more to make it streetlegal...

But if you are a good welder (WIG- alluminium), and have a hand for engines- you could Do a lot yourself...

I have allready wrote, that you could get a used wr450f for that money- but some poeple have fun with that...

Jeeze guys! Why all the bad mojo? Without the pioneers who have had the imagination and drive to make it happen, not a single one of the mods you have done to your bikes would exist.

I've seen all manner of engines being stuffed into frames they weren't meant for, some requiring extensive modifications to the frame and swingarm. Still, the goal was reached and the detractors were left with a healthy serving of humble pie.

I for one say bravo. Go for it! Not only will you have the satisfaction of achieving your goal (if you have the balls to actually attempt it), but you will also will have established yourself way above all of the folks who said that it was a silly pursuit.

Heh...did ya ever see the smart cars with the hayabusa engine in them.
I mean just ridiculous, what moron would even attempt such a project?
Dam, I want one of those things...

my issue is...........

I really like the ktm smc 690..........but they are very expensive......hard to find...hard to get service (delaware)

next in line is the wr250x.....there is nothing else........why the hell wouldnt yamaha make a wr450x or BIGGER

I have a wr450.........I dont want to go back to a 250....especially for street

BUT I WANT A freakin SUPERMOTO.....alot of people are scareing me away from this bike saying its underpowered

I love the look and I know it will handle well..............delaware is a pain in the ass about street legalization of dirt bikes....its impossible actaually......its gotta be titled from factory for street........I couldnt legalize my wr450

I guess its a pipe dream about this motor swap............by that time i could have bought the ktm


thx for all the replies

What about a DRZ400SM ?

seeleyjp wrote:

my issue is...........

I really like the ktm smc 690..........but they are very expensive......hard to find...hard to get service (delaware)

next in line is the wr250x.....there is nothing else........why the hell wouldnt yamaha make a wr450x or BIGGER

I have a wr450.........I dont want to go back to a 250....especially for street

BUT I WANT A freakin SUPERMOTO.....alot of people are scareing me away from this bike saying its underpowered

I love the look and I know it will handle well..............delaware is a pain in the ass about street legalization of dirt bikes....its impossible actaually......its gotta be titled from factory for street........I couldnt legalize my wr450

I guess its a pipe dream about this motor swap............by that time i could have bought the ktm


thx for all the replies

Where in Delaware??????????? I'm in Delaware.

Nobody said the motor swap was impossible,

The comments are that it's not going to be easy. It's not a simple bolt-in process.

The X will not hang with sportbikes. It won't hang with Aprilias or KTM's either. Not on the straight sections of road.


However, the versatility of the X means it's a grin inducing machine if you don't have unreal expectations and understand what it is.

25-30 horsepower tops. 300 pounds. Single cylinder.

It'll easily pull 75-80 mph in stock trim and with longer roads 90mph is possible too.

If you "need" to go 120mph then the X won't be for you.

If you HAVE TO HAVE something larger - go to supermotojunkie.com and search the want ads there. (you'll have to register)
Plenty of bikes for sale and some are very good deals that are not too far away.


By the way - Yamaha stopped importing the wr250x into the USA after the 2011 model year.

They won't get easier to find.

You can also buy big-bore kits and or turbo kits for the X.

Is this you all looking for?


Factory bone stock YZ450SM 2012. Ask your dealer!

skrew wrote:

Is this you all looking for?

Very nice, but unfortunately not available in the US. More details on the specifications would be appreciated!

why the heck does yamaha-usa think nobody wants this kind of bike !!!!!!!!

maybe I will visit ukraine

Probably too hard to get it past our emissions standards without a lot of motor redesigning.



Anyhow, I once swapped a RD350 motor into a yamaha warrior four wheeler. The motor mounts and exhaust were the hard part, BUT that was an air cooled motor with zero electronics.
I also wouldn't mind having a YZ465 or RD350 motor in my WRR, but I would never do it. I appreciate the mileage and reliability of the stock motor too much. Our stock motor isn't the most powerful, but it really is a wonder when it comes to reliability.

I think that YZ-450SM is a current YZ-450 that is modified by the Italian Yamaha importer, not rolling off the Yamaha assembly lines in Japan like that.
Doesn't look like it has street-legal equipment on it, anyway.

Kinda' like how Australian WR-450Fs are modified by the Australian importer to make them street-legal for Australia.

You could always buy this. Pa street titled:

http://pittsburgh.craigslist.org/mcd/3126937605.html

Many people convert and Plate a WR450F, why do you not want to go that route?

Mikechicago wrote:

Many people convert and Plate a WR450F, why do you not want to go that route?

He says in an earlier post it's very hard to do that in Delaware where he lives.

http://www.supermotojunkie.com/showthread.php?131757-Got-my-2012-WR450-Supermoto-project-today-PICS
this !

I need another couple years to pay stuff off before I can swing a brand new WR450. I recon in 5 years I'll be able to drop cash on a nice machine like that and then pimp it into a hella nice SM. Just a few other priorities that need completed first (student loans and car notes).