Can't deside....Buy Both

[ggamster]

Originally Posted by Subaru297

Does the WRR have any mods on it yet that would affect the engine comparison?

Thanks for the write-up!

No, this is stock to stock.

[ggamster]

Originally Posted by Navin

Sounds like orange envy?

You admit there are different performance levels within the motorcycle realm, yes? Not everyone is Hell bent for leather to buy the cheapest machine and not everyone needs a top level bike. Something for everyone. Why a guy would buy two of the closer to the bottom rung bikes for more $ than a premium bike is a valid question. Even after reselling one of them the + 20% depreciation + reg + taxes seems a waste.

Why would someone do this? To compete with moto journalists who are being paid to compare and have a track record, good or bad, with readers? I can't say I get it either.

Well.....the reason.....suspense building.....is......I wanted a WR and my wife need a bike. She is to short for a WR with a 27" inseam. So looked at the KLX and the DR and the CRF. The CRF won. Yeah

So I bought them within a week of each other.
Someone wanted to know my riding level. I have been riding for a long time. I starting working ant the local Yamaha Suzuki dealer at 15. That is when I bought my first real dirt bike. A RT180 in black and red. Flipped it over the first day I bought it trying to ride a wheely for the neighbor girl. At the time I was embarrassed but I ended up hittin it about 10 years latter so it must have worked. I have been riding ever since. I ride every day of the year other than ice and I live in IL so I think that is saying something. If you view my past bikes you will get the idea. I go though a ton of them. I normally get a new one every six months or so. I have had many more other than what is listed but there isn't enough room to list them all.

This leads me to the KTM guy. Are you kidding. KTM hasn't released a bike that I would call reliable in the last ten years. Oh wait...the FREERIDE. The three dealers around me don't even know what it is STL, Evansville, and Nashville. I had to beg them to call about it and when they did "I don't know" was the answer. My least favorite bikes of the majors made are KTM. Nothing like a dealer network that doesn't know shit. Don't get me wrong. I love the bike on paper. I love the way they look. I hate the way they ride. I hate their bugs. I hate the dealers. With that said. I can buy what ever bikes I wish. I am educated on almost every model in existence. I like to RIDE. I like to work on bikes. However if I find myself working on bikes more than I ride my bikes. I'm not HAPPY anymore. Therefore no KTM. I don't want to turn this into a bike slam or anything of the sort but please do not enter a thread comparing two different bikes and say things like. "I don't know why you don't get a KTM or a suzuki or an airplane or a car. A car would be better. You are dumb." That isn't what this post is about. It is about a WR and a CRFL bottom line. If you aren't interested in the comparison of these two models then don't read the post!

Ok, now with that said. I go to ride a lot more this weekend. I also lowered the CRF for my wife. I noticed no ill effects from this other than ground clearance.
I rode the WR in the woods quite a bit this weekend. It was mostly all on tight single track. Some was sandy and rocky other areas were just a mud pit. The bike did great and for a bike with 3k mile service intervals. All I can say is wow what a great bike. If you want to ride hard off road the WR is great, also performs great on road. It has more balls than the Honda in every way.
Now for the Honda. It is an amazing motorcycle for the money/for beginner. It will do everything the WR will do just won't do it as well or fast. If you are going to buy the CRFL don't buy it with the intention of upgrading the suspension. Everything about the bike is just less than the WR. You could upgrade the suspension but you still don't have the same bike as the WR, It just will always be a lesser bike. I love the little Honda but it is more of a great farm bike kind of along the lines of the 230L. You can trail ride it, you can ride two up, you can ride it on the road. It just does so in a mild manor. It will never be an attack type of machine. Ride it for what it is a cheap WR. Speaking of which. The Honda takes as low as 86 octane. I love that. I live in the country and finding 91+ is kind of like finding a 18 year old virgin around here.
Anyway, this is the last report for a while. If you have any questions related to these two bike just ask.

[Navin]

I guess eveybody has a different idea of what an "attack" style bike is?

For me the WRR couldn't deliver the performance its style promised. Good luck with both bikes!

[HandKPhil]

Oh yeah? Well I have a big, orange KTM attack weiner.

[ggamster]

Originally Posted by AZ TOM

Off roading 90% the rider 10% the bike Ride whatever works for you.

Agreed! The fastest bike I ride is a KX100. I love it when the "big bikes" come ride at the farm. The KX250 sits the YZ426 sits, the KX100 gets hatted the whole time I love playing with my little wiener!

[150ron]

To the original poster of this thread, GREAT REVIEW, good comparission for sure, thanks for taking the time to type all of it up, i too would love to see some pics of both bikes next to each other from different angles, and i think your advice about both bikes sounds really spot on.


To the 2 tards talking about their KTM'S or their 1985 xr650r's or whatever, douchebags! stfu, nobody cares, go ride your bikes.

[Dirtgrain]

Thanks for the comparisons, Ggamster. I look forward to more insights.

[kirbi69]

its a 1994 Xr600r not a 1985 650r, they didnt make them back then.

[GotMojo?]

Originally Posted by Navin

I guess eveybody has a different idea of what an "attack" style bike is?

For me the WRR couldn't deliver the performance its style promised. Good luck with both bikes!

Why are you posting in a thread about a WRR then? If you don't like those bikes, don't read threads about them. I see you in the CBR and Ninja 250 threads a lot too, complaining about their small engines and lackluster suspensions. If you don't like these types of bikes, ignore the threads about them!

[Navin]

Originally Posted by GotMojo?

Why are you posting in a thread about a WRR then? If you don't like those bikes, don't read threads about them. I see you in the CBR and Ninja 250 threads a lot too, complaining about their small engines and lackluster suspensions. If you don't like these types of bikes, ignore the threads about them!

Why not?

Aw geez, I like to stay informed about all bikes and have an opinion. Asking where he was coming from and why he bought both is a valid query. It is important to know who is posting about stuff like totally subjective moto reviews. It is different for everyone. Is your (insert favorite brand) beer cozy empty?


p.s. I've had a Ninja 250 and a WR250R, probably will own another Ninja 250 soon. I LOVE small engines!!! I reserve the right to blast them for their weaknesses in my opinion as does anyone else. It is a machine, get over it!

[Mikef5000]

Originally Posted by ggamster

This leads me to the KTM guy. Are you kidding. KTM hasn't released a bike that I would call reliable in the last ten years.

I've put 6000 brutally hard miles on my WRR this year, and all I've done is 2 oil changes, 2 rear tires, and 1 front tire. There is no doubt in my mind the CRF could pull of the same feat.

Since these are both 'mediocre' bikes, I'm very curious how well I would have done on a 'good' bike!

[Navin]

Brutally hard miles and 3k oil changes? You either went too far on that oil or have a completely different definition of brutally hard than many others. I've ridden over 2k on a RFS KTM without an oil change and I've ridden 100 miles on the same bike where I knew I had to change the oil before riding it again.

Being on a CRF250L or a WR250R does not change the abuse the oil would take. Been there BTW with a WR250R.

Brutal riding IMO includes extreme heat, severe clutch slipping and very low speeds with high drag, like deep mud or sand and nasty hills, if you are even moving at all. It doesn't matter what bike you ride, if you are "brutally" riding it the slipping clutch plates contaminate the oil, the heat bakes it and the stress will just destroy it. How many times in that 6k did your bike boil over? How many times do you need to adjust the overheated clutch?

And the higher performance bike would be less stressed in that enviornment. It was designed for that. These bikes not so much.

This is why it is important to know who is writing a post and how they ride.

[xplodee]

navin-

You're borderline trolling this thread. I may be newbie here but I am blown away that you care so much about some guy's post comparing two bikes that you really shouldn't care too much about since you're such an expert rider. Oh, and since you are such an expert rider, how come you're pussying around on 250's on the street? I mean, a 250 on the dirt is one thing, but a ninja 250 on the street? Come on... that's the sportbike equivalent of riding around on a 90cc kids dirt bike.

Uh oh, I'm afraid I might have started something with someone. Do us a favor and since you don't care for either of these bikes, leave those of us who do alone.

Maybe one day I'll be as hardcore a rider as you and I'll buy something better and ride it "brutally hard" for real, which apparently means I'll have to do more oil changes. Ugh, give me a break!

[150ron]

Originally Posted by xplodee

navin-

You're borderline trolling this thread. I may be newbie here but I am blown away that you care so much about some guy's post comparing two bikes that you really shouldn't care too much about since you're such an expert rider. Oh, and since you are such an expert rider, how come you're pussying around on 250's on the street? I mean, a 250 on the dirt is one thing, but a ninja 250 on the street? Come on... that's the sportbike equivalent of riding around on a 90cc kids dirt bike.

Uh oh, I'm afraid I might have started something with someone. Do us a favor and since you don't care for either of these bikes, leave those of us who do alone.

Maybe one day I'll be as hardcore a rider as you and I'll buy something better and ride it "brutally hard" for real, which apparently means I'll have to do more oil changes. Ugh, give me a break!

+1, navin is a douchebag.

hes this guy

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dN8V7...feature=g-hist

[78_XL125]

Originally Posted by xplodee

navin-

You're borderline trolling this thread. I may be newbie here but I am blown away that you care so much about some guy's post comparing two bikes that you really shouldn't care too much about since you're such an expert rider. Oh, and since you are such an expert rider, how come you're pussying around on 250's on the street? I mean, a 250 on the dirt is one thing, but a ninja 250 on the street? Come on... that's the sportbike equivalent of riding around on a 90cc kids dirt bike.

Uh oh, I'm afraid I might have started something with someone. Do us a favor and since you don't care for either of these bikes, leave those of us who do alone.

Maybe one day I'll be as hardcore a rider as you and I'll buy something better and ride it "brutally hard" for real, which apparently means I'll have to do more oil changes. Ugh, give me a break!

Well said! @navin- ...Why piss on everyones parade if you hate them so much? Go pound sand with your big boy bike!