Bike Swap - WR250R, DRZ400, TE310 Edition

I recently had the opportunity to spend a day riding my WR250R onroad and offroad with a buddy who has a DRZ400 and we swapped bikes several time during the ride. For a short time we also had a friend with a TE310 join us and I did a few runs up and down a rough dirt road on it. I know when I was trying to decide which bike to buy I couldn’t get enough information from people who tried two of the three or all three. I also didn’t find anything written by someone who was a novice rider like myself and I don’t know that the professional reviewers always do a good job of empathizing with riders of less experience. They also tend to review the bikes in stock form instead of with typical mods. So I wanted to log my impressions for anyone who wants to know. If you’ve already been researching the differences in these bikes there’s probably no real surprises here.

The mods: My WR has 13/48, ultimate airbox mod, FMF programmer, Q4, stock sized Michelin T63s. The DRZ has an aftermarket carb, airbox mod, and aftermarket pipe, stock sized MT21s. The TE was reprogrammed by a shop, and I believe was otherwise stock.

Skill levels: Mine is pretty low. I’ve put a 1000 miles on the WR, only a few days off road, and I’ve rented DRZ400s a few times in the past for offroad riding. My two friends’ skill levels are much more than me. They both have MX bikes for the track in addition to their dual sports and years of experience riding.

My impressions of the DRZ: I really love that bike. It’s a little dated and rough around the edges, it’s not the most fun to carve around on, but if you point it at something it just goes over it. It’s like the Jeep Wrangler of motorcycles (I drive one of those too). I did feel more like a passenger on the DRZ as opposed to the WR. On the WR I feel one with the bike, but with the DRZ I felt like I was driving it more than riding it. The DRZ wasn’t as fun to ride as my WR, but it was easier to ride. It just pulled me up any hill with little effort on my part and jumping it was almost accidental due to the extra torque that I wasn’t use to. Even on descents where torque wasn't an issue it felt like the DRZ could tackle terrain better without being upset, and I'm not sure why. Bigger tires? Higher center of gravity? I also think the same speed seems slower to me on the DRZ than the WR which is probably some of why I was getting air easier. Once I took off from a traffic light and ran through the first three gears as hard as I could. I looked down at the speedo expecting to see 35 and instead it read 55.

My impressions of the TE310: This bike spoke to me and what it said was, “If I had 100 more CCs I would kill you.” The suspension wasn’t plush like my WR and I felt like I couldn’t control it nearly as well as the other two bikes. I was a little intimidated. Instead of the bike feeling like part of me I felt like a transplanted organ about to be rejected. There was noticeably more power than the WR especially in the higher RMPs and I could get use to that. To me it felt like 15% more power, but the DRZ rider couldn’t tell the difference between the WR and TE in terms of power. I probably should have given the TE more time, but after several minutes I wanted to get back to my WR. I’m not sure who this bike is for, really. If you have the skills to really enjoy that suspension, i.e. your launching 20ft in the air or racing it then I would think you would want more power. If you want a small motor because you want a bike that’s easier to ride then I would think you’d want a bike that’s all around easier to ride. Also one of the factors in planning our ride was to go to trails 10 miles away instead of 20 miles away because the TE rider wasn’t keen on that much road time. It was definitely my least favorite of the three to ride, but if you’re hard core or experienced, or plan to hit an MX track often, maybe it’s the bike for you.

My friends’ impressions of the WR: My friends and I don’t smile f**k each other. If we don’t like something we don’t have any use for pretending otherwise. Before one of my friends jumped on the WR I told him if he wants to have the most fun he’ll have to ride it like 125 two stroke and wring it out. He said he expected to hate it then because he hates how two strokes run which is why he bought a DRZ. When he came back from a ride his first words were, “Wow, that’s a great motorcycle. Now I see why people like them so much.” He felt the power was pretty good and commented on how smooth and tight the WR was. Of the three of us he’s spent the most time on all three bikes and he liked the WR much more than the TE and like I said didn’t notice a difference in power, but I don’t think he was ready to give up the extra power and torque of his DRZ. My friend who owns the TE came back from a ride on the WR and also commented on what a great bike it was. He said he didn’t think I could have bought a better bike. (I believe he meant for my experience and the kind of riding I do).

So, I’m pretty happy that I purchased the WR250R. I thought I wanted a TE310, but now I don’t, and as tough as it was to choose between the DRZ and the WR the first time around I think it’d be even tougher now. I weigh over 200lbs, I ride at 8000ft (but we were at 500ft for the bike swap) and the trails near me are very rocky. I think the DRZ can handle my weight, altitude and terrain a good bit better than the WR, but I wouldn’t have nearly as much fun getting to the trails or just scooting around town. Take away altitude, weight, or rocks and I would probably lose some appetite for the DRZ. Now that I’ve sampled the DRZs climb over anything abilities though I’m a little more interested in trying a megabomb header and 90/90 front tire to see if I can close the gap between the WR and the DRZ in that area. I’m also a little more interested in a 290 kit, but hate to tear apart a motor with 1000 miles on it, assembled in a factory by robots and super humans and then reassemble it with my mortal hands.

In the end I don’t think any of us were ready to trade in our bikes for another, but we all gained some appreciation for the little Yamaha and I really think I might someday get a DRZ in addition to, but not instead of my WR.

Cool right up.

I spent a long time deciding which bike to get, I couldnt make up my mind I had it down to a drz or a wrr.
The only reason I went with the wrr is its a little lighter and feels alot lighter in tight turns and single track type stuff.
Since I race the local scrambles with it thats a big deal as those races are nothing but corners, trails you barley fit on and rooty, rocky nasty sections. The wrr is less tiring and easier to ride through that stuff.

Cool write up.

Some other things I consider would be the Suzuki is not EFI, and Yamaha has a dealer every 15 feet, whereas the TE has one every 15 states.

But I sure would love a 300 pound WR400R someday... :)

Was wondering about the TE. Thanks for the excellent write-up

Bob

I think that the DRZ400 would be more of a contender in my book if it had a 6 speed transmission. The way it is now I would not even consider it. I have heard of a wide ratio aftermarket conversion for it though.

I'm trying to make that decision right now between the drz 400 and yamaha 250. Im looking for something to explore forest service roads and possibly winding mountain hardtop. Probably save technical trail riding for my current mx 250s, but I would like the capability to take off down a trail if I find a promising one.

Long-term, I hope to take on the TAT, so I want my bike to be up to that as well.

Any recommendations?

I ride a bit more street then most WR riders but take my "X" on the same trails I did with my KLR, DRZ and DR650. I sold the KLR a while back, although it was a great street bike it was just to heavy for me to muscle around in the dirt. The DRZ400S was a blast in the dirt and did everything I wanted offroad. Since I spend at least 50% of the time on pavement, the DRZ didn't cut it. I loved it in the dirt but riding 55 or 65 down the highway or freeway was very uncomfortable. Very buzzy and I always felt I was straining the motor on the freeway. The DR650 was way better then the KLR in the dirt and felt similar to the DRZ but a bit heavier and not quite the suspension of the DRZ. Like yourself I am more of a novice offroad rider. I would have kept the DR650 but I wanted to get back to riding a Yamaha and had the chance to purchase my old WR250X again. I actually feel more relaxed riding the WR on the freeway then I did on the DRZ. I love having only 300lbs offroad to.

I went from a DRZ to a wrr and like it better because what I lost in low end power, I gained in handling.

Dragon,I see you are in eastern TN. I'm in NC, and hope to do a lot of riding in the NC mountains (Bryson City, Hot Springs, Tellico, etc). My bike concern comes in getting to those areas. I think both bikes will be fine on the forest roads I plan to ride, and hauling my camping gear, just not sure which would be best getting there. I would like to avoid trailering if possible.

Any suggestions on places to ride I should check out?

Hey Chris,

The greater Tellico area is full of forest roads.  I'm fairly close to Tellico Plains, so I ride the Citico Wilderness Area and southern part of the Cherokee National Forest a lot.  Citico Creek has lots of camping sites along its banks and there are plenty of forest roads to keep you entertained.  Everyone should ride Parson's Branch at the back side of Cades Coves sometime if convenient to where you live....just don't do it on a holiday or weekend.  It's one way out of Cades Cove and ends in the mid-section of the Dragon (hwy129).

My bike's gas tank is small, so I don't mind trailering, or in my case carrying, the bike if it takes more than 60 miles just to get to the woods I want to ride/camp...not much on camping these days.  I installed a rack to hold a 1.5 gal Kolpin gas canister that I mount sometimes if I'm going deep into the forest.

Crawford's Campground near Murphy, NC hosts a couple of DS events each year...Fuzzy Beaver, Screaming Beaver etc.  It would be a fun way to learn the area:

http://crawfordsattellico.com/

Great! Thanks for the info. I actually rode the Parsons Branch road in a car, Im sure it would be great on a bike, and thats exactly the type of riding I hope to do. Maybe do a little fishing along the way.

So from your perspective, the WR was a better choice DRZ? I'm interested in your opinion since you traded one for the other.

Thanks

Chris11 wrote:

So from your perspective, the WR was a better choice DRZ?...

Thanks

I consider it an upgrade for my purposes. I had and enjoyed the DRZ along with a Tiger 1050 for the highway. I traded the Tiger for a KTM990 Adventure. The KTM was so profoundly good at off-roading with the right tires, let alone the slab, I decided to sell the DRZ and get something for the most extreme dual sport riding I would be doing. The wrr handles the tight stuff more easily than the DRZ did. So, between the KTM and the wrr I had more bases covered, more easily, than with the DRZ and a highway bike. That's my story.

Since my original write up I put MT21s (90/90 in front) on and just this week installed the megabomb. The tires did help off road, but it's still not climbing like the DRZ. I've only done one short ride with the megabomb and the difference is just enough to be noticeable, but nothing like the low end torque of the DRZ. I'm still planning on getting a DRZ to have in addition to the WRR next Spring. My guess is the geometry and torque on the DRZs are why I feel more comfortable blasting them up and down rocky hills. I also weigh over 200lbs and ride at altitude over 8000ft which probably makes the 400 a better motor for me, but the 250 gets it done, just without much excitement.  I think once I have both bikes in the stable I'll use the WRR for scooting around town, smoother twisty trails, and trips to ride at sea level. The DRZ I'll use when riding rocky steep trails or hauling my fat ass over the Continental Divide.

You'll have to, at least, re-jet the DRZ or buy an expensive (E) carb to get performance you had from your friends DRZ at altitude.  A big bore kit on a wrr might be as cost affective and a lot cheaper than two bikes...with better results.  You still will have a lighter bike with a six speed tranny and EFI.

Food for thought.

Yeah, the DRZ already had the FRC 39 on it, and I wouldn't expect or need sea level performance. I rent stock DRZs all the time for friends and ride them at elevation and the extra 150cc of air they can pump gives them a different kind of experience than my WRR that has every mod now except or Athena. I'm not going to get a DRZ because I'm dissatisfied with the WRR, though. I just have a lot of friends who fly up to ride in the mountains with me and renting a second bike every time is getting old. For $4K I can get a nice used DRZ play with it for a few years, let my friends ride it and then dump it for about what I paid for it. Also thought about getting a WR450F and making it street legal. Just don't want another WR250R because I already have one and I want different problems for my second bike. If I bought the DRZ first, I'd be buying a WRR next. If you can only have one bike, it's a real tough call for me between the DRZ and WRR. I still say if you're heavy and high get the DRZ, especially if you're buying used and, if you're 160lbs riding the low lands get the WRR. I'm just going to reject the notion of having only one bike and buy both.