WR250F as a Dual Sport - Reliability?

YO. Nice little thread here and it's right up my alley.
I bought a 2001 wr250f a year ago for $4500, done maybe 5-6k, and I'm gonna haul its nasty ass around OZ with a tent and some guts. I hear MANY THINGS about it's reliability, but as far as i'm concernded, if I look after it and check it enough, the right parts shouldn't be that hard to get (and replace yourself) most anywhere in my home country, so i'm looking forward to dual-sporting it all over this place like a madman shitting. What does dual sporting even mean. sounds kind of catchphrasey...like emo or black prog emo jazz/metal.

I've considered others, then and since, for sensibilty & reliability, but i come down to the fact that as well as serving as a a trusty travelling steed, I still manage to be WOOOOTING!!!! at full volume in my helmet when you cain it through some bumpy dirt track as it pulls your arms off, literally hootin 'n' holleren as the yanks say. It's just that much fun.

cool thread ....... small touring bikes ..... I just quickly looked at a ride report about a vespa going cross country so ...... and I too have a WR250F, an '03 model, and plannning and outfitting to do some TAT style riding. Just bought a $199 Garmin 2610 and mounted it via a plate on my handlebars. Some foam and bungies for shock iso and tie downs. made a sun shield today for the screen, not pretty but it works nicely. Got a quick release camera mount installed too ....... using the kenda trackmaster II K760 DOT tires, on my second set now, they work pretty good, but haven't much big road use with them, yet ...... I do plan on getting the cycleracks rear rack to help hold and tie down camping gear and such. Maybe even the 6.6 gal Acerbis tank for riding out in the western wildernesses ..... I am planning on doing the TAT someday, but til then it'll just be smaller trips here, or there, or where ever. Right now I'm getting used to using the GPS ...... sure looking to ride the mountains with my WR!

see what I've done with my bike here
(rides and mods):
http://www.sandslave.com/2003wr250f/

I just picked up a 2001 WR250 this week. It is not street legal yet, but I plan on adding a brake light and mirror as required by CoDOT.
What is a good brake light/license plate kit. I like the one in the above picture.
I guess the kit would include instructions on how to install, but I am curious as this is the first bike I've owned without a battery. It must need some sort of voltage regulator like on the light switch?

The setup in the picture above is a YZ250F rear fender with a Baja Designs
LED taillight / brake light and license plate mount. The only other thing you need to order is a brake light switch to mount on your rear master cylinder. If you want to get by as cheap as possible, you can keep your WR rear fender and light; it's already got a brake light in there, you just need to wire it, and then make a little bracket to hang a plate. WR's also already have a hi-low beam headlight, you just need to add a switch so you can select between them.

alright how about a yz450. I posted in another thread but it may be more suited for this one. I just bough a yz450 (2007) and have figured out everything(licensing ,lighting, ect.) but want to know about reliability?? I will be doing 35 minute highway trip(60-70mph) on it a couple times a week.
I would like it to still be a trail ridder to(i'd guess about 40% offroad).
Will it hold up with proper maintance and low -moderate abuse??
If it wasn't brand new and i didn't owe millions on it, I might consider a ktm but right now thats not an option.

What other mods should be done?? Oil cooler?? fan for radiator(saw it on an aprilla dual sport??)

The bike is sick on the streets and I'm young so the rough ride/balls to the wall throttle response isn't a problem its a benifit!!!:eek1

What do you think??

Should be at least as reliable as any EXC, as long as you stay on top of the maintenance. Seems like kind of a waste of a dirt bike to me though.

Not to me. see my bike sits quite a bit because of lack of places to ride or lack of time. this way I can ride it around town and get some miles/hours on it. I've had the thing for six months and don't even have ten hours on it yet. Work has changed for me and it included adding a 55 hour week:eek1 keep the opinions coming. I'm relly curious because I am a know it all two stroker who loves the four stroke but isn't familar with the engine. thanks guys

Does anyone have a full WR250F Dual Sport? Or know anyone that has one?

I got one .....
and it's the most fun bike I've ever had!
and wouldn't know what to replace it with either ......
maybe an FI wr? when it someday becomes available?

They are great bikes. My only complaint is not having a 6th gear so a taller gearing was first on the list. I just did a 10 day , 2000 mile ride on mine and it performed flawlessly.
Here is the RR
http://www.advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=549978

There is some great infor in here.
Have a KTM 525 and a couple of trials bikes and thinking this bike will fill in for tighter stuff.

Roger on the 6th gear!

I got an 02,not my main DS bike,more like my single track plated dirtbike.

The WR's[250F,450F]are great bikes!
Of course mines the last year before E start ,but love the bike anyway.

yeah, I know this thread is a couple of years old, but the wr guys are subscribed so ......


I just blew my second voltage regulator on my 03'WR250F
and I'm trying to figure out how to modify it ......
On later models the regulator location had change to the left side of the steering neck
which is a much better place then down by the exhaust!
Had anyone done this mod?
Also, I'd like to convert to dc if I could .......
Baja Designs had a special regulator which would do this,
combined with a stator mod .....
and when I installed my 290 kit I did the dc upgrade as well,
but the BD regulator was bad so I went back to stock.
the time has come to do something different again.
do I really need to do the stator mod like BD suggests?
Or could I just convert the output of the regulator to DC somehow?
It's so I can run different lighting, it's that time of year when it's dark a lot.

edit: it wasn't a BD kit but a trail tech kit I used
http://gallery.trailtech.net/media/instructions/lights/stators/010-ELV-58.pdf

Hola guys. I have a new WR250F , 2014, I live in the Andes, 8500 feet or 2600 meters high. The bike is awesome even in this height. I am planning to use mainly for pure enduro, however I am also planing to use a it a a dual sport, as many routes require paved Highway and towns, and to bring along a trailer is just a pain.

Here in Colombia many pilots use the WR250F as a dual sport. They change the rear sproket for a smaller size and some times a bigger front sproket. Also, they add flashers and mirrors and license plate. Some guys even transform them in to an X model, with a 17" front tire and sometimes a 17" rear.

It's seems OK. I would like to hear more of you guys and your experiences.

I am planning to run the maintainence schedule of the wr250R, because I do not really compete, I am just a recreational user of the bike. Are they (F vs. R) very different in engine specs?

So, what do you think?