KLX250 vs. WR250R vs. DRZ400

You can still find deals on leftover '08's if you hurry. Andrew's Cycles in Salem Ohio had quite a few left over, but I'm not sure how many they have left. That's where quite a few of us new owners bought them for cheap. Like I said earlier, I got mine for under $4,500 out the door (no tax included).

I've got some seat time one the KLX. It's a decent little bike, but with camping gear is hard pressed to get it over 60 mph on the highway . . . and it takes a while to get there. 17.5hp just isn't much . . . and it shows. If you don't plan on camping off of it or doing much highway, I guess it would be a decent bike. The WRR is better in every way (suspension, handling, power, comfort, etc, etc), but I don't want to rag on the little KLX. It's a decent bike for what it is.

Sounds like the WR250R is the bike for me.

I own the DRZ and love it. It is slightly heavy off road, but I'm not racing it. I'll admit I'm interested in the WR. There are a few reasons I didn't run right and buy one are.

1. Tank size sucks. They claim there is one in production, and I've seen one picture.
2. Who knows how long the bike will around. Sales are obviously down b/c they're being blown out at dealers and ebay. The lowest I saw was $4199.
3. After market parts. I follow the WR thread and now website, and find people wrestling with luggage.
4. There is a ton of DRZ information online. If you're doing your own maintenance and you're not that familiar with motoscoots that reference comes in handy.

While the DRZ is dated by some, there are after market parts in every town. I have never been skunked on a ride b/c somebody was out of a part. I do like where the WR is going, but for the same weight, I'll pick the DRZ.

Don't get me started on the TE310, now there is a possible replacement.

We'll have to wait and see on the WRR sales situation. Yamaha sent their entire allotment to dealers fairly early last year, and many dealers were sold out by July. The bikes that are being discounted now are not coming from the warehouse, they're coming from dealers that couldn't sell them. That might indicate that the bike's popularlity is regional, like the XR650R. Or more likely it might indicate that the recession of 2009 is a bad time to have leftover motorcycles on your showroom floor.

Tell me more about the TE310...can I realistically start to consider a Husky and not be concerned with maintenance and technical issues beyond my ability? I keep hearing "Stay Japanese for your first off road bike".

Yeah, I know. BigDogMark is about the coolest dude ever and admits to being an older rider looking for something more managable and I can appreciate that, but he'd be 2 counties back with me on my extra 25 pound TE610.

As for the OP of this thread, money wasn't mentioned at the start. you might want to look at a KLR250, awesome little bike. It's kick only,but a nice little trail bike. Maybe even a DR200 would be worth a look.

I'd let the 310 hype simmer a little, it's seems like an awful lot of money to me. I really think a TE250 would be a better choice.

On tight single track? I'll take less weight over more power any day. And I'm no lightweight.

I have a DRZ E and had an S, and Annie has an 04 WR250.

The WR is much better on the trail, even with less power.
But that can be fixed.



Almost any ergonomic issue with any bike can be fixed fairly inexpensively, so don't listen to those people who bitch about that stuff.

I'm 6'4" 260-ish so ANY bike I ride needs attention in that area.

That being said, if I had to pare it down to one bike and I could get one with either an OD 5th or a 6 speed, it would be the DRZ.

I thought we were talking about the new WR250R, not the off road version WR250? I think the 2008 WR250R is essentially the same weight as a modified DRZ.

Crap, I forgot the 6th gear. I hate the fact the DRZ doesn't have a 6th gear too. So a little extra weight and no 6th gear are my knocks against it.

Sounds like you envision an upgrade in the future. Maybe spending the bucks now wouldn't be the best decision. If you could find a DRZ for half the price of a WRR, then really, which one is the better bike to get started on?

If you want to only consider the three choices you have listed, it appears the DRZ would be the best one.
For the situation you describe, a used bike would easily fit the bill. The Yamaha looks to have a lot more technology going for it but for all intents and purposes, you are splitting hairs when comparing the three of them for your intended usage.

If I knew I was buying a bike that I was planning to keep for a long time, and I was OK with something in the small-bore category, I might choose the Yamaha. But to buy stepping stone into the sport, I doubt it. Something less expensive and not so new is appealing because even if you drop it, crash it, neglect it or just plain drive the snot out of it, you aren't going to take as big a hit on resale.


Sean

Sorry, it's an 04 WRR.



Not apples to apples, but I've not ridden a new one.

Trade you a super clean 03 DRZ400s for it. Very nice by the way!

It's Annies, and you'll have to pry it from her cold dead hands.
She loves that bike, now that it's all sorted.
She's already got a super clean 04 "S" she's going to sell in the spring, and an "E" that is getting a workover which will be her packmule adventure bike.

There is no such thing as an '04 WRR. An '04 WRF yes, but no WRR. The WRR's were introduced in '08 and share nothing with the "F" model except the color blue.

The bad, she is mine.

It's still a great little bike, and I suspect one day I'll end up with one too - once I get really tired of smelling like a 2T at the end of the day.

Yup, that power is hard to learn how to use. Lemme see, roll throttle. Check!

Hang on there Albie, there is a whole process for this.

Step 1. Dial in desired wheelie height
Step 2. Hang on and enjoy the ride
Step 3. Repeat

This gets complicated for some. :huh


Sean

Actually it was '06 Husky TE250 to a '07 KLX
Yes, seems like an unlikely move. Some explanation:
In Dec '01, I went from a '87 XL600R (kick start only-bleah) to a new '02 DR-Z400S. I loved the DRZ, but found I was riding almost exclusively off road. Was thinking about something lighter. The in Dec '04 I had a freak crash on the DRZ and totally destroyed my right shoulder (as in half the joint is now stainless steel). On a good day I have about 50% of my right arm. I also have 2 bad disks in my lower back. I thought a lighter bike would be better for me to handle. Kind of on a whim I started looking at the TE250 when I heard they were street legal in '06. The TE is probably 40 lbs lighter than a DRZ-S, which is huge. Normally the TE would be out of my price range but-the stars aligned: I came into some money unexpectedly, sold my DRZ quickly, and got the TE for $1000 off of MSRP. A lot of good points for the TE, but here's the bad (for me) - seat was way too tall (38"?) for me (5'9", inseam 31"). I don't mind tall bikes but I was always dropping it if I got stopped on an off camber area or something.
6-speed tranny but ratios WAY too tight IMHO. Stock sprockets are 13/50. I would have liked 1st a little lower for lofting the front over logs and such but 6th was already so low it was turning 8000 rpm at 54 mph. Because I was a little leary of the maintenance on the Ti valves I tried to keep it to under 50 mph. Rev limit is 12,500 though.
The suspension seemed a little harsh to me, even though I'm over 200 lbs.
I just wanted something more mellow and easier for a cripple to handle. Started looking at the WRR, but when I sat on one I had DRZ flashbacks. Now since then I've read enough reports that I believe it's a better bike than the DRZ. I also balked at the price - for that money I wish they would have made it even lighter than it is.
I ended up with the '07 KLX250S. Honestly I think I might have been disappointed with the stock power though. The bike I got already had the Bill Blue Mikuni pumper carb and a FMF Q4 pipe, which makes a big difference.
I think just a rejet of the stock CV carb and a pipe would have made it tolerable though.
The suspension is decent enough and I can touch the ground better when needed. I *really* like the wide ratio 6 speed tranny. Even geared down a tooth on the front 6th is plenty tall.
I led a group of guys at the Ozark Fall Color Tour dual sport ride in Oct '08. Other bikes were a DR350SE, DRZ400S, DR650, and two Husky TE610's. I wasn't holding anybody up
The TE310 really makes me drool, but honestly I think I would go with the WRR. However - the KLX would probably do just fine for you, especially if you used the money saved to do a few key mods.
Probably not much help with your decision, but maybe explained my own weird position

Pictures are more betterer.

First the aforementioned choices:

Kawasaki KLX250S



Suzuki DRZ400S



Yamaha WR250R




More bikes that I think are in the same category:

Kawasaki Super Sherpa.



Yamaha XT250



Suzuki DRZ250



Honda CRF230L



Husqvarna TE250





Sean

I wouldn't put any of the air cooled 250's in the same category as the KLX, DRZ-S, and WRR. They are down a notch in engine power and suspension quality. And the DRZ250 isn't street legal in the USA.

Just a note - the KLX pictured is the '06-'07, the '09 (there are no '08 models) is slightly different.

I'd almost put the TE in a class above the DRZ, KLX, and WRR too