Yamaha WR250R Mega Thread

[HardWorkingDog]

Originally Posted by Mr. Fisherman

I wanted to do this and was concocting a way to make it happen, but I fractured my lower humerous last week...

...and that's no laughing matter, either.

[DougZ73]

Sorry guys..no sag setting video tonight. I was messing with it and having a hell of a time getting the measurements to be accurate/consistent. It seems that with the lack of preload adjustment on the front forks, and how stiff they are, your position on the bike when taking the second measurement, is highly sensitive to your exact position on the bike. Moving forward or back by as little as a 1 cm, actually made a difference.

I was initially having my wife take the measurements,and thought she was doing it wrong. I adjusted about five times and had different readings in different directions.....should have been all the same direction.

Anyway...called a buddy to come over and lend me a hand. We got it sorted out and I'll see how it rides tomorrow. Never for a chance to get out the camera going..but will do later in the week.

[leftystrat62]

Originally Posted by xcel

Hi All:

I was supposed to be on an Iron Butt ride to the East Coast this morning but had to postpone due to the shake down ride yesterday :( Regarding the upgraded WR250X, some of the mods are a must have and do not even bother starting one up before installing them. Some were good, and one is not ready for my use but are surely ready for yours. Unfortunately that “one” is the most work to revert back to OEM

Let us start out with the good.

Moto Billet/Fastway F5 Pegs: A spectacular addition to the WR250X! Not only do they allow a bit more room thanks to the low boy position, the flat platform when standing adds a degree of stability I have never experienced on a bike before. For riders with a 34" or more inseam, it makes the WR250 one of the most stretched out dualsports I have ever ridden. Really good stuff here!

Moto Billet Rear Rack: I have only attached a few items to it using bungie cords and it worked as expected. I will have it loaded up for a few lengthy rides planned over the next few days including the Iron Butt and the 100-mpg attempt ride back to LA. Solid as a rock and it is so damned good looking with the some of the best machine work I have seen from an OEM accessory anywhere!

RoxSpeedFX Anti-Vib 2” Risers: Yet another HQ addition. Reducing vibes through the incorporated rubber isolation while also making the WR much more comfortable for someone 5’-10” or taller. I thought there would be a lot more bar movement while still heading straight yet there was none. You can tighten them up even more to reduce any rubbery feel the isolations may have induced but from their arrival on a mostly asphalt ride, I did not feel any unintended movement whatsoever. They will however get in the way of lowering the front forks in the triple clamps as they mount over the inner edges of the fork tubes from the OEM bar mounts with the bottom end bolts allowing at most 1/4 of an inch of rise before they come into contact.

RoxSpeed FX Anti-Vib Riser and IMS Prototype tank topped off

IMS Prototype – Larger cap tank: .99 gallon from a portable fuel container as shown previously and then a short ride to a local station < .5 miles away for the top off. I filled 1.796 gallons plus ~ 1/100th of a gallon to start up the WR for 15-seconds or so the other night and ride the WR to the station yesterday morning. All total, 2.801 gallons from bone dry to topped off…

When topped off using the IMS prototype cap, any movement of the bike and a small amount of fuel squirts out the top. With a tank bag, this could be a problem so a word to the wise, without an anti-evap OEM like cap, don’t top off the IMS as you will have a small amount of fuel leaking underneath your bag base and down the side of your tank until a few ounces are consumed.

Size, 2.8 gallons from the prototype (3.0 + the final production unit will include) is certainly better than the miniscule 2.1 the OEM tank can hold and will come in quite handy when riding across Wyoming, Idaho and Oregon

Slipstreamer Spitfire Shield: If you are doing long slab rides, this low cost add-on is absolutely the bomb. It allows some air flow to catch the upper part of the chest for cooling while reducing the wind blast down the Interstate by at least a factor of 5. Marc (a CleanMPG.com forum member)and I rode some higher speed sections of I-94 from Milwaukee back to the IL/WI border and at 65 + mph, the buffeting is way down and the constant reminder of being pushed back and bounced around is almost eliminated. On the terminal speed run in both directions, the Bike in fifth w/ new gearing to match the OEM in sixth topped out at the same 82 mph per the Garmin.

Yamaha GYTR accessory 14T front/40T rear sprockets: If you run over 45 mph, yet another addition I thought was very worthwhile. While most are throwing on lower gears on the off-road capable R’s (12/48’s seem to be a common swap around here) in order to add punch, moving up adds a much needed subdued quality not available from the OEM gearing while on the super slab. The Speedometer is now reading two to 3 mph under actual while above 45 mph vs. the 6 + mph over as the OEM stock readout provided. This is a plus for making sure you do not get run over but a negative in case you are prone to speeding tickets. Nobody here would be prone to that, right

Some here have warned me about a first gear launch may need some clutch work with the taller gearing. I did not find this to be the case other than when launching in the dirt and climbing over a small curb when I killed twice while being my usual non-aggressive self. Other than that, launches from a standstill felt hardly any different from OEM stock which is pretty low to begin with.

One negative item all OEM WR250’s incorporate is a rather significant throttle tip in between fuel cut and the injector coming online. Carbureted bikes do not really have this but a small displacement single with literally no inertia having fuel injected where there was none before can be slightly disconcerting during the on-off-on power addition. WR riders get used to it quickly of course but the taller gearing removed much of the “tip-in launch” without the negatives that I could tell so far…

While I have always searched for the mythical 7th gear on every bike I have ever ridden including the OEM WR250X, this was the first time that I only did that just once and it was a downhill section at 55 + mph when I asked for it. In some cases, I accidentally found myself in fifth when there was another gear available above 45 mph! The Yamaha accessory gearing really feels right for an all-pavement rider. For much of my riding, I was actually swapping between fifth and sixth and back again allowing me more choice to match the terrain and speeds I was riding vs. OEM in sixth the entire time and wishing for more.

For those that believe this setup would be too tall, drop back a gear for your technical sections and it places you right back at OEM. Drop back two gears for those doing the really short gearing and you are right into the sweet spot. All the while making 45 to 70 mph speeds far more relaxing as I had hoped when beginning the project. I was initially considering far taller gearing than the almost 15% addition through Yamaha directly and I am so glad I did not make that mistake. The WR250 engineers were on the top of their game when offering the 14/40 gearing solution through Yamaha itself. This is about as high as I would want now that I have experienced it firsthand.

Ricochet skid plate: I incorporated this addition due to its aerodynamic qualities of all things. The underside of the bike (just about every aspect of the bike and rider) is a real mess in terms of aero qualities. The Ricochet plate smoothed out the entire under section portion of the engine/frame while still offering an oil drain hole and 10-minute bolt-on experience. I used a thin strip of foam tape between the frame rails and the skid plate so as to eliminate the possibly of the two beginning to vibrate and sing as things loosen up over the miles. Very easy install, great bash protection for both the engine and water pump, looks great and it sure does cleanup the short section under the engine itself.

Spider Off-Road/Motard Grips from RockSpeedFX: Yet another soft and comfortable feel over OEM. While I cannot speak of vib reduction due to the vib reducing riders doing all the work. At $16.00, another must have.

The Ahhh Ohhhs…

Regarding the Avon Distanzia's… First, let me say the Distanzia’s add some on-highway stability over and above the OEM Bridgestone BT90’s. While riding a rain grooved cut concrete section of I-94 through downtown Milwaukee yesterday, the slight wallowing that had to be corrected for with the OEM BT90’s was almost absent with the Distnazia’s. Same section of road with the two different tires at similar pressures and two different feelings of stability. Less twitchy might be a better description for it.

For light off-road, there was a section of light, hard packed sand I was riding through and the Distanzia’s made this ride doable without the washing out feel that the OEM BT90’s were prone to whenever leaving hard asphalt or concrete. Confidence inspiring on both the slab and clean off-road trail that I was very pleased to experience.

The BT90’s have a tendency to skip a few mm’s when turning hard on sealant filled cracks over rougher sections. Although I only have ridden through a few sections similar to this with the Distnazia’s attached, the unnerving skip that the BT90’s was absent with the Disntazia’s and these were brand new tires with few only miles on them!

And now the negatives :( The Avon's are much heavier as discussed earlier and the weight is added at the worst possible location (at the outer ends of the wheels) for a lightweight 250. I thought about just installing the rear when I finally had the rear OEM BT90 off and weighed it against the Disntazia but decided to install front and rear and let the results be what they may…

Manufacturer|Tire|F/R|Size|Weight|Circumference
Avon|Distanzia|Rear|130/80 R17 65H|16.25 pounds|79"
Bridgestone|Battleax BT90|Rear|140/70 R17 66H|9.5 pounds|76.75"
|||||
Avon|Distanzia|Front|120/70 R17 58H|9.5 pounds|72.625"
Bridgestone|Battleax BT90|Front|110/70 R17 54H|6.25 pounds|72.5"

The extra weight caused a slightly heavier feeling when swinging the bike around. Not anything that would procure riding the bike by any means but just a heavier feel when maneuvering the bike from side to side. This probably accounts for the increased higher speed highway stability!

Acceleration effects. The heavier tires cause you to have to use a lot more throttle to get to speed than the OEM’s. At first I thought this could be entirely contributed to the taller gearing installed so I began using fifth gear to match OEM’s sixth. The bike was lugging during any acceleration under my standard acceleration scenarios (very light and as easy as traffic would allow) vs. the OEM which I could keep just above lug with similar throttle inputs. During the first high speed terminal run, it took almost ½ a mile to get up to the same terminal speed as before (in fifth gear to match the OEM 6th gear) vs. ~ 1/3 of a mile from 50 to 80 + with the BT90’s. I was WOT for a lot longer period and running out of real estate before reaching and holding that same exact terminal of 82 mph.

And the crux of the matter. The new 14/40 gearing and slightly taller Distanzia in the rear had to be accounted for with any future distance/FE calc’s. I did a short 15.2 mile run two nights ago for a ball park offset. With a reset Trip A, 13.6 miles rolled off over ~ 15.2 miles giving a 11.76% negative offset. I used this for the first two fuel economy calculations of the lightly modified WR250X Adventure Touring Project bike.

Using the 11.76% offset, Marc (a CleanMPG forum meber) and I rode from my home, through some scenic farm country on County highways and through some of North Milwaukee’s finest stop light to stop light traffic conditions. This was a very similar run and on some of the same roads as the Review rides first tank which allowed slightly over 105 mpg.

From the Adventure Touring Project bikes initial top-off fill in Kenosha, WI to my home and then to Milwaukee, the results came in as follows…

51.4 miles via Trip A (~57.44 miles actual with ball park 1.117 gearing offset applied) /.731 gallons = just 78.587 mpg. This is way too low for the bikes intended goal!

As mentioned above, I did perform the one WOT Terminal speed segment over an ~ 1 mile distance which consumed ~ .0333 gallons (1-mile at just 30 mpg) which I will take into account in the final calculations. See below…

From that fill, we rode a higher speed mostly Interstate run to Miler Park. I wanted to get a longer distance calibration offset so I reset Trip B at the Miller Park Exit and Highway 18 and off we went. Google Maps listed the trip at 49.0 miles and the Garmin listed it as 49 miles to destination. Just before arriving at our destination, I stopped for a second short tank, higher speed top off to top off FE calculation which revealing the following:

52.7 miles indicated (~ 58.9 miles per the first short distance 1.117 gearing offset applied)/.829 gallons = 71.049 mpg.

Final long distance odometer offset calculations - We arrived at our destination with Trip B showing 43.1 miles ridden while Google and the Garmin said it was a 49.0 and a 49 mile ride respectively. This longer distance odometer calibration leads to a 13.689% negative offset which I can now take into account for fuel calc’s above.

Top-off to Top-off City/Country Short Tank #1: 58.4 miles/.731 gallons = 79.94 mpg

Subtracting the ~ 1-mile Terminal speed run and fuel consumed from the Short Tank #1 calculations…

Top-off to Top-off City/Country Short Tank #1: 57.4 miles/.698 gallons = 82.27 mpg

Top-off to Top-off Higher Speed Highway Short Tank #2: 59.9 miles/.829 gallons = 72.27 mpg

Avon Distanzia conclusions

While offering a number of benefits including a light off-road capability to the on-road based WR250X, improving highway stability and adding cornering benefits through rougher sections, the lower speed stop sign to stop sign and light to light FE was decimated to the tune of almost 23%! The higher speed all Interstate rides at 72 + mpg was not bad at all however. All said, the Disntazia’s do not harm the X’s FE when running at higher RPMs, higher LOADs but any stop/start like riding and they are a fuel economy killer.

Because of the slower speed FE detriment, I have to pull the Disntazia’s and re-install the OEM Bridgestone BT90’s for the Iron Butt to Boston and the cross-country run. It is too bad as it sounds like Beatr911 (another CleanMPG forum member) has some off-road Mt. St. Helen’s riding areas we will traverse when I get there where the Distnazia’s would be perfect vs. the cussing I am going to be giving the OEM BT90's while taking the same route and hoping not to dump the WR in the process! If only the Avon’s were constructed from a lower rolling resistance compound and were lighter weight to match the OEM BT90’s, they would be perfect for my needs.

For most WR250Xs riders, the Distanzia’s provide all and more over and above the OEM BT90’s and I would not dissuade anyone from purchasing one of the best true dual sport tires available for those that ride the on-road WR250X.

2010 WR250X on the Shores of Lake Michigan

Riding across a short segment of hard sand and brush to the shores edge.

Good Luck

Wayne

HOLY CRAP! No wonder I'm only up to page 1068.

[dirthauler]

Originally Posted by HardWorkingDog

Be careful where you look for advice--the free stuff here is worth exactly that I've seen some "advice" in other threads that makes me cringe...

Look for some offroad classes in your area--check the local AMA clubs & tracks, there are often introductory classes. There are some decent books too.

I will say--

Momentum is your friend (don't ride like a jeep--there's no pull, it's all push, and when there's little traction momentum takes over).
Support yourself on pegs and tank just like roadracing even though your butt is off the seat, keep your elbows up and wide and loose. Let the bike move underneath you.
Look ahead.
Practice small things, like riding in as tight a circle as possible, as slow as possible, without taking your feet off the pegs.

+1 on all that i would suggest a youtube search for shane watts, there are times, like in the bouncy rock sections, try holding onto the bike with your knees, and loose on the bars. weight on the outside peg when railing turns, and when it looks bad and scary, the trottle is your friiend, call on him to drive you outa the OH Sh&T! spots

[malibu_dan]

Originally Posted by HardWorkingDog

Look for some offroad classes in your area--check the local AMA clubs & tracks, there are often introductory classes.

+1 Stand up. Open up. Look up! Look for a BMW offroad course. Or go take the one in South Africa -- I took a course from the instructor. Great guy. He said come down anytime...

See that was mostly useless info. Except the first part.

[bhd1223]

Originally Posted by HardWorkingDog

Be careful where you look for advice--the free stuff here is worth exactly that I've seen some "advice" in other threads that makes me cringe...

Look for some offroad classes in your area--check the local AMA clubs & tracks, there are often introductory classes. There are some decent books too.

I was planning on doing an American Supercamp course but that isn't until Oct. and I doubt it would help much for the type of terrain I'll be seeing offroad here in New England. It does look like a great learning experience though. There appears to be an opening in a Dirtwise school in a somewhat local area that I would be able to attend. Does anyone think it would be a good idea to do one or both of these courses? Honestly the Dirtwise school seems much more reasonable as far as cost compared to the American Supercamp class and it fits my schedule better. Granted I would be using my own bike vs. a required provided bike which is probably where the cost difference comes from. It also seems like it would offer a better direct application to what I'll be riding. Are these schools really worth the money? I suspect they will be for someone like me with no offroad habits developed yet. I'd just hate to spend money on something I would develop over time.

[bpg]

Originally Posted by bhd1223

. I'd just hate to spend money on something I would develop over time.

Honestly, I would give it a few months before deciding to take a class. Like you, I went from years of aggressive street riding to ground zero on the dirtbike. The first 2 times were horrible, scary, and I thought I was in way over my head.

As life usually works out, you will soon learn not to do dumb things and how to do the right things by getting out and riding, repeating, & learning on your own at your own pace. Seeing as my 1st 2 dirtbikes were kickstart, I definitely learned not to stall VERY quickly!

I remember trying to climb hills - and not leaving until I'd climbed a particular hill 5 times in a row, under control. Then I found a bigger hill. Then a wooded hill. Then a wooded hill with a twisty trail, etc., it's all about progression and building on what you know.

Lay a few logs out in your yard, practice going over them. Then lay them closer together. Then put some large rocks between them as well. Then set the logs out at weird angles, etc - it all emphasizes control, steering, weighting that you can parlay into trail success.

ps - I am also building a chainsaw carrier for my rear rack - my summer residence on PA (where I grew up) is littered with great ATV & horse trails, some of which could use some sprucing up. Here is a sweet 5+ mile loop I just "discovered" down the road a bit:

Little bit of this:


Whole lotta this!:


Some of this:


Gotta love this!


Some of this to keep ya honest:


And some downhill fun:


Luckily some of this for a breather once in a while:


Mostly, the path meanders in and around countless wooded ravines as it generally parallels a beautiful creek valley:


I would have thought a lot of the rocky sections were impassable when I first started out about 2 yrs ago, now I look forward to them!

As has been mentioned, momentum (while minimizing wheelspin) is key in the rough stuff.

[HardWorkingDog]

Originally Posted by bhd1223

...Are these schools really worth the money? I suspect they will be for someone like me with no offroad habits developed yet. I'd just hate to spend money on something I would develop over time.

I've never been to either of the ones you mention, but I have friends who've taken them and they say yes, it was worth the money. Could just be survivor bias though .

It all depends on how much money and time you have. The best way to get good at something is not just practice, but directed practice--doing something the right way. There are other ways, besides dropping a bunch of money, but it may get you there quicker. I've been helped by riding with friends who are patient teachers, by taking a free intro class at a local mx track taught by a one-time pro racer, and spending a small amount of money on a one-day class taught by a local fast guy off-roader. And then just spending lots of time riding, pushing myself, working on improvement.

Not saying I'm anything more than a C-level old slow guy, but I've gotten better and have a lot more fun off-road than on-road. It's funny, but since getting a dual-sport and riding a bit more pavement (sold my last street bike about 6 years ago and went off-road 100%) I feel like pavement riding is...........boring.

[bhd1223]

Originally Posted by HardWorkingDog

I've never been to either of the ones you mention, but I have friends who've taken them and they say yes, it was worth the money. Could just be survivor bias though .

It all depends on how much money and time you have. The best way to get good at something is not just practice, but directed practice--doing something the right way. There are other ways, besides dropping a bunch of money, but it may get you there quicker. I've been helped by riding with friends who are patient teachers, by taking a free intro class at a local mx track taught by a one-time pro racer, and spending a small amount of money on a one-day class taught by a local fast guy off-roader. And then just spending lots of time riding, pushing myself, working on improvement.

Not saying I'm anything more than a C-level old slow guy, but I've gotten better and have a lot more fun off-road than on-road. It's funny, but since getting a dual-sport and riding a bit more pavement (sold my last street bike about 6 years ago and went off-road 100%) I feel like pavement riding is...........boring.

Thanks for the input. I would have to say I think the idea of directed practice is a great way to build a solid foundation to start from. I read through a few reviews of the dirtwise school, even one on ADV from last year in the same place I would be taking it. It looks to offer much of what I'm looking for in building a solid foundation to start from regarding what I plan on doing with the WR.

I know what you mean about pavement riding being boring. Once I started road racing I found street riding much less fun. I ended up getting the Vulcan to commute on because it just makes me want to ride more relaxed, I'm not in any sort of aggressive riding position and don't want to push it. I will say the WR brought a new light to street riding though. All those annoying bumps in a road aren't so annoying on it and it just flicks around town so easily. I think I see what the draw is for supermoto.

Regardless, I put off the road racing this year to get into offroad riding. I took my budget for that and devoted it to the new bike. I sold my street ninja as I stopped riding it when I got the Vulcan. I can see now though after owning and riding all types of bike that the dual sport is where I belong. I'm keeping my track ninja to maybe take to the track a few times next year but just like with cages in the past, my interest starts on the pavement and shifts to offroad where I find my true enjoyment. Speaking of which, I miss my old YJ and the wilderness of Alaska.

[Serevince]

Originally Posted by mcwbyu82

Second mod also isnt that big a deal but I am way stoked about it. Had this idea from the first time I saw the HDB top clamps.



I commute everyday so this is gonna make leaving and ariving so nice. No more fumbling for the remote in a pocket/bag or stopping and using the keypad.

That's awesome. DETAILS?

Thanks

Vince

[simonpig]

Did some wrenching yesterday. Chain slider worn completely through in the the front. Compared to the new one you can see the difference.








Some swingarm shots

[Discojon75]

I just bought a 2008 WR250X today with 0 miles from a dealer. I had them add a full set of "R" model wheels, completely built. The total after title, taxes, and tags came to just under $6400... less than a 2011 WR250R. Not bad for having a set of supermoto wheels to swap to when I feel like it, the bigger brakes, and the black frame! Now, I just need to pay for and take delivery of my new sidecar rig!

[MoBill]

Great trails bpg...


Whatchew folks thinka this?



I flushed the radiator only, and found the fluid clean and clear (so to speak) all the way until the end, it turned out to be just a collection of that sludgy sludge at the top. Washed it through with just water and the refilled.

[tshrey]

Originally Posted by Discojon75

Now, I just need to pay for and take delivery of my new sidecar rig!

Man, I hope you're joking...

[Discojon75]

Originally Posted by tshrey

Man, I hope you're joking...

Its a BMW setup, not for the WR... LOL!