Posted February 25, 2008   Email   Print

Good things in small packages: Yamaha's WRs are over-achievers in an under-served market

By James Holter

It's only a second or so, but a lot can come to mind while arcing through a sweeping corner on a supermoto track, listening to the asphalt scrape a few million more molecules off your footpeg. Real important stuff. Stuff like, why do motorcycle manufacturers manufacture the motorcycles they do?

For example, some segments of the U.S. motorcycle market are over-run with options. Think, sportbikes or big V-twins. Others, not so much. Think small-bore dual-sports and street-legal supermoto bikes.

Fun. Flexible. Frugal commuters. All are words that describe the motorcycles serving these under-served markets. The OEMs should make more of these things, I think as I shift my weight from left to right, lining up for the next corner.

Luckily, Yamaha agrees with me. Unlike me, though, the Tuning Fork Co. is in a position to do something about it and is targeting both segments with two variations of the same basic platform, the WR250R (left) and the WR250X.

The 2008 WR250R is an all-new 250cc four-stroke dual-sport motorcycle. It has fuel-injection, a six-speed transmission and 10.6 inches of suspension travel, front and rear. It's designed to eat up backroad gravel all day long, allow you to commute to work for next to nothing in fuel costs and, most important, get your butt down your favorite trail -- and back. It goes for $5,899.

The 2008 WR250X is an all-new 250cc four-stroke, street-legal supermoto bike. Compared to the WR-R, it has a beefier front brake, 17-inch wheels and slightly street-oriented suspension settings. Although it has the travel, handling, weight, riding position and ergonomics to work OK off-road, the tires definitely make it more suited for the pavement. It has a $5,999 price tag.

Now, before we get to the details, let's clear up some potential confusion about the new WRs. Despite the similarity in the names, the WR250R and the WR250X do not share the same motor platform as the WR250F, Yamaha's competition off-road bike. The WR-F motor, which itself is based on the five-valve YZ250F motocrosser powerplant, is tuned for optimum power and, as all bikes in that class, has the maintenance schedule to prove it.

However, most trail riders and recreational supermoto junkies, who also use their bikes for commuting, weekend canyon carving or gravel road exploring, prefer a less-rigorous maintenance program at the expense of some berm-exploding power. Yamaha designed this new motor for the new dual-purpose WRs with that slightly less-aggressive balance in mind.

But that doesn't mean Yamaha held back the tech. The WR-R/X models are sprinkled with enough technological pixie dust to satisfy even the most discerning gearheads (see "Inside the bikes," right). And partially thanks to that, the engineers didn't have to compromise as much on the power side as you might think.

I got a chance to ride both the WR250R and the WR250X at Yamaha's model introduction just outside of Apple Valley in Southern California. We rode the WR-X at the Grange Motor Circuit, a supermoto and kart track, and the WR-R in the rocky desert trails surrounding the course.

First up, though, was about 18 miles of pavement on the WR-R from the hotel out to the track. Assuming these bikes will double as commuters, which probably will be the case for most owners, this gave me a chance to experience the WR-R in the environment where many of these bikes will spend most of their miles.

In short, the WR-R was immensely confidence-inspiring on the asphalt. It had none of the twitchiness you'd expect from a small-bore dual sport and plenty of power to change lanes with authority in heavy traffic. On highway stretches, it easily cruised along at the 65mph speed limit, thanks in large part to the tall sixth gear. It felt safe and predictable, two qualities appreciated by all of us, and especially by new riders who may be looking at one of the WRs as a first bike.

Once we hit the trails, the WR-R maintained that feeling of confidence, thanks largely to one of its strongest attributes. The front fork performed exceptionally well off-road. For most of us on the dirt, particularly in more technical conditions, the motor is rarely the weakest link on any full-sized trail bike. It's the suspension. The fork on this new Yamaha, though, soaked up desert whoops, jagged rocks and moderate airtime without a whimper.

I also was impressed by the shifting. Shod with new motocross boots that hadn't had any break-in time prior to this ride, I was concerned my day would be plagued by missed shifts. It wasn't at all. Both WRs changed gears confidently and never required heavy effort to move them through the cogs.

But while the shifting was excellent, the clutch was somewhat stiff for a 250cc trail bike. It wasn't bad, but it required a bit more effort than I expected. It was more along the lines of a mid-1990s mid-sized four-stroke than a small dual-sport.

Powerwise, the bike made excellent power from the mid-range on up. Sure, it lacked the off-idle grunt of the larger dual-sports out there, but we're only talking about 250cc here. For a smaller bike, it was solid, and once the motor came alive, it pulled strong all the way to the rev-limiter. It was a versatile power delivery that felt capable enough to explore any trail.

Indeed, this is an exceptional dual-sport and just might be a small-bore alternative to that adventure-class model you've been eyeing. The WR250R will get you down the highway comfortably at 65 mph (and then some), and it offers up far more off-road capability than you'll get from a 400-pound-plus big adventure-class bike.

And when we moved the party to the supermoto track after lunch, I got to see just how versatile this platform could be.

Although I consider myself a supermoto newbie, after a few hot laps on the WR-X, I was scraping pegs at will and becoming a true believer in the sport. So much so, if my body agreed with my mind, I would still be turning laps on the twisty Grange Motor Circuit. No question, if you can't have fun on the WR250X on a supermoto track, it's amazing you've read this far because you're dead.

A lot of that fun was down to the Bridgestone supermoto tires. After about two laps of warm up, they stuck like glue through the tight S-turns, allowing lean angles steep enough to push the footpegs all the way back to their stops, pretty impressive on a bike with 11.8 inches of ground clearance.

I also found the power to be plenty, even on the track. It churned out enough pull for the digital speedo to indicate 70mph at the end of the front straight on the tight course. No, we're not breaking any speed records here, but remember, this is a 250cc four-stroke dual-sport -- and a short kart track. Given those constraints, the WR-X easily exceeded my expectations.

Almost as important, though, the power is far from over-the-top. Unlike, say, the 450cc (and larger) race-ready supermoto bikes available today, the WR250X won't get you into trouble in a nano-second if you get a little sloppy with your right wrist.

As delivered, the shock felt soft relative to the fork on both dirt and asphalt, but the clickers did their job. On the supermoto track, there was one relatively fast left-hander with a small dip just before the apex. Depending on my line over the dip and the subsequent down force transmitted to that rear shock, I would either just kiss the track with the left footpeg or take out a chunk of asphalt. Three clicks of extra compression damping out back, though, was all that was needed to give me extra confidence through that corner.

Ergonomically, both bikes are easy to move around on with a nice, slim feel. The seat offers a decent contact patch and doesn't punish you like those on some of the more competition-oriented dual-sports. The new WRs are light and flickable, change lines easily off-road and offer effortless side-to-side transitions on the track.

As far as styling goes, personally, I'm a fan of a more understated design, more akin to what's found on Yamaha's competition models vs. the sharper lines and busier look of the new WRs. Of course, when it comes to style, the photos tell everything, and everyone has his own opinion regarding what looks good.

Bottom line, the WR250R is a surprisingly capable trailbike that also will let you explore all the backcountry dirt roads you can stand. The WR250X will inspire your inner hooligan without the arm-jerking power that might taunt you into riding like one. Either bike will save you boatloads of cash as a daily commuter, and, even if you find it hard to admit, probably has all the motor you need.

These are good bikes that serve two under-served market segments incredibly well. If either of these segments appeals to you, the WR-R and WR-X deserve a serious look.

	WR250R	WR250X
Engine	Liquid-cooled, four-valve single
Displacement	250cc
Bore x stroke	77mm x 53.6mm
Carburetion	Mikuni electronic fuel injection
Compression ratio	11.8:1
Transmission	Six-speed, chain final drive
Wheels	1.60 x 21 inch front 2.15 x 18 inch rear aluminum rims, spoked	3.00 x 17 inch front 4.00 x 17 inch rear aluminum rims, spoked
Tires	Bridgestone TW-301/TW-302 80/100-21 front 120/80-18 rear	Bridgestone BT090R 110/70-17 front 140/70-17 rear
Front brake	Single 250mm disc Nissin two-piston caliper	Single 298mm disc Nissin two-piston caliper
Rear brake	Single 230mm disc, Nissin one-piston caliper
Front suspension	46mm KYB inverted cartridge fork Adjustable rebound damping (24 clicks) Adjustable compression damping (20 clicks) 10.6 inches of travel
Rear suspension	SOQI single shock Adjustable rebound damping (25 clicks) Adjustable compression damping (12 clicks) 10.6 inches of travel
Seat height	35.7 inches to 36.6 inches	34.3 inches to 35.2 inches
Wheelbase	55.9 inches
Fuel capacity	2.0 gallons
Dry weight	276 pounds	280 pounds
MSRP	$5,899	$5,999

© 2008, American Motorcyclist Association