277 replies to this topic

[Soul Man TT Gold Member]

Litre1000 said:

Are the valves more durable compared to the CRF-X.

Yamaha valve trains have reliablity that borders on "legendary".  I would never, ever recommend a CRF based on what I read on here and the experiences my friend had with his.  I adjusted my valves once.  Last checked them with 1000 miles on the bike and they are still in spec.

[2-stroker TT Silver Member]

StevePierson said:

long email,,, thanx for the post.

i have had both, do 99% woods,, prefer.. hands down... the WR over the WZ.

so i think you have pretty much nailed it.

Is a WZ a YZ250f with e-start, yz susp, yz engine and head light/ tail light?

J/K:busted:

[mimbo656 TT Newbie]

Would both my feet be able to touch the ground on the yz250f if im 5'9?

[theroyz71 TT Silver Member]

I'm 5'8" (barely) and I can't flat foot one.  I can barely throw a leg over it.

[CharlesFP TT Bronze Member]

blasterkid52 said:

alright guys- havin a really hard desicion here. i do both, track and trail. proboly 60% track and 40% trail but i a m having a hard desicion. the e start sounds sweet, but the extra weight doesnt. im 14 5,6 and weigh 180, so im not a light rider but i ride faster trails so stalling is not to much of a problem. thanks

From what you've said here, without a doubt get the YZ.  If you ride the track 60% of the time, you'll hate the WR because of it's softer suspension.  As long as you keep the up with valve adjustments, starting won't be a problem.   I don't know what all the fuss is.  Once the bike is warm, pull the hot start lever and it will fire up first kick every time.  I think e-start is more rewarding for those with aging bodies.  You're young, you don't need it.
I have an 06 YZ, and yeah the low end power is weak, but stalling is never an issue because I'm pinning it most of the time.  I don't understand why anyone would want a flywheel weight for a small bore motor anyway.  You need all the hit you can get, so why subdue it?
Remember, it's much easier to make set up a YZ for off-road than it is to set up a WR for the track.  To set up the WR for the track (or just to make it run properly), you need to do all the annoying de-restricting of intake and exhaust, re-jet, cut wires, etc. and have your suspension re-worked completely just to make it bearable. If you really want to be competive, you'll want to change the cam timing and remove the e-start, battery and lighting to make it lighter, but then you're still stuck with a wide ratio tranny with too many gaps.   I tried to set up my WR 450 for the track and eventually gave up.  I'd only recommend the WR for casual trail riders, or riders from California who want the green sticker and are willing to live with the WR's limitations for the priviledge of riding outdoors year-round.
Making the YZ more off-road worthy is simple, just change your sprockets, throw on a bigger tank (that's not even necessary, however, the 250 sips gas) play with the clickers, and bolt on some handuards.
GET THE YZ

[Polar_Bus TT Platinum Member]

I pretty much agree with CharlesFP. I spent about 4 years with my '02 WR250 racing just about everything I could throw at it. The issue with the WR's is they are a bit of an odd duck. The WR's are too soft for agressive or even moderate MX'ing, and in reality the WR's are too firm for real technical trail riding. The other issue is the wide ratio tranny. MX'ing a WR is a real challenge trying the keep the 250 in the meat of the power. The 250 bogs easy in deeper sand, and the wide ratio gears aggravates this situation even further.

[Garett742 TT Bronze Member]

Id go with the Yzf caus how many people realy ride at night and if your trail riding you can go out and buy one of the pro billit spark arrestors for 120 bucks.

[V-Dawn TT Silver Member]

theroyz71 said:

I'm 5'8" (barely) and I can't flat foot one.  I can barely throw a leg over it.

I'm 5'7" and can touch fine. (06WR250F) Not flat footed, but not tipping over either. Doesn't matter how tall you are...what matters is your inseam...how long your legs are.  (34" inseam here) whoops! I see you asked about the YZ (my bad)

[WRrider128 TT Bronze Member]

i love my wr!!! i was doing 70- 75 and i can still whip it between tight rocks = D

[keithwinn TT Member]

I have a WR '05 and '06 - great for us.... If you ride fast trails you may prefer the YZ more - If you are worried about the e-start... I had heard a friend say that you can put an e-start on the YZ... he claims the dealer did it for him...

[E-dog TT Newbie]

At the end of the original post it says the '03 and newer are red sticker. Is that both the YZ250F and the WR250F? If so I am really confused about this whole red sticker thing because I thought the basic idea was to faze out (or make cleaner) 2 strokes. Seems wierd that Yamaha would make a 4 stroke that still doesen't meet the smog requirements for CA. I'd really like to see the data proving that a few 2 strokes out in the woods is even significant when combined with 10 million cars on the highway. What next - I'm supposed to feel guilty about running my chain saw? Please...

[Soul Man TT Gold Member]

I got the red sticker infor from SUNDOG (post #14).  I can't swear to any of the crazy CA stuff, so you may want to verify that information.

[jmellicin TT Newbie]

All:  Thanks for the info - I enjoy reading this stuff.  I have a stupid question being an old 2 stroker.  I currently have a DRZ400 - Mucho fun, but very heavy.  I want a WR250, figuring it will be lighter and therefore a bit more nimble in the woods.  I know there is a considerable difference in horsepower between a 400 and 250, but my "guess" is that it will not be real noticeable because the 250 weighs so much less?  Some opinions would be helpful.  I'm kind of short, and there is nothing more humiliating than stopping in a tight spot, getting a bit leaned over, and then actually falling over cause the bikes so darned heavy!  I imagine it's a lot like when you get real old and @%#$ your pants.

[davidl9999 TT Addict]

The '03 and newer YZ250F is red sticker.
The '03 and newer WR250F is green sticker.
All bikes '02 and older are green sticker, regardless if they're 2 or 4-stroke, off-road, or competition.

http://ohv.parks.ca....mary_102606.pdf

The good news is that if you live near BLM or USFS land, especially in northern CA, there's a good chance that you can ride a red-sticker bike year-round.


TTR-125LEW x2, WR250F w/mods, RM80, RM125, S40, M109R
and 1 big trailer

[davidl9999 TT Addict]

jmellicin said:

All:  Thanks for the info - I enjoy reading this stuff.  I have a stupid question being an old 2 stroker.  I currently have a DRZ400 - Mucho fun, but very heavy.  I want a WR250...

I just saw this while I was posting. seems kinda weird having 2 postings of mine in a row, but whatever... lol

I'm *very* happy with my '07 WR250F.  It's a LOT lighter than the steel frame bikes I used to ride, and definitely more nimble than the IT400 I used to ride. The other thing is that the new 4-strokes are SO good, they can make more power over a wider band than a larger, older 2-stroke engine.

My WR250F was lean, underpowered, and cranky straight off the showroom floor. Some free mods (grey/skyblue wires, pull the airbox snorkels), Uni air filter, GYTR AIS kit (didn't know about the TT kit until I did that ), and rejetting made all the difference in the world. The Two-brothers pipe goes on next week, and that's pretty much all the bike will need for a while. Oh, and I bought an '07 YZ250F left footpeg bracket for $20 (fits perfectly) because if you take off the kickstand for jumping, there's this nasty peg that sticks out by your heel...

Basically, expect to spend $75, clip 2 wires, mod the airbox slightly, remove the AIS, replace the jets and needle to make it run "right", and setup the sag for your weight and riding style. That and a couple hours of wrenchin' and it's a great bike!

[Garett742 TT Bronze Member]

I'd go with the wr

[Stroker06 TT Bronze Member]

I love my '06 WR250.  I don't do any mx riding and this is just fine by me.  I think the suspension is a little soft for a person my size 6'4" and 250lbs.  I have ridden a friends yz250 (2-stroke) and the suspension is waaaaaay to stiff for trails, so I can imagine that a yzf250 would be somewhat close to that.
As for power, there is enough to get yourself into and out of trouble in the woods.  You may want a little more with a very large hillclimb though.  The easiest way is gearing.  Do this and you can have the best of both worlds no matter which bike you choose.  This way you can save money on parts for gas, which at these prices we all need to do.

[Bark3rd TT Bronze Member]

Stroker06 said:

I love my '06 WR250.  I don't do any mx riding and this is just fine by me.  I think the suspension is a little soft for a person my size 6'4" and 250lbs.  I have ridden a friends yz250 (2-stroke) and the suspension is waaaaaay to stiff for trails, so I can imagine that a yzf250 would be somewhat close to that.
As for power, there is enough to get yourself into and out of trouble in the woods.  You may want a little more with a very large hillclimb though.  The easiest way is gearing.  Do this and you can have the best of both worlds no matter which bike you choose.  This way you can save money on parts for gas, which at these prices we all need to do.

They will all feel stiff to you with stock spring rates. At 250lbs just sitting on a stock suspended bike blows the springs and shocks through the stroke and has them ka-sproinged in their stiffest range while riding. A 180 lb person wouldnt experience the same amount of stiffness. Stiffer springs=plusher ride for us big guys!

[1wrdad TT Bronze Member]

davidl9999 said:

The '03 and newer YZ250F is red sticker.
The '03 and newer WR250F is green sticker.
All bikes '02 and older are green sticker, regardless if they're 2 or 4-stroke, off-road, or competition.

http://ohv.parks.ca....mary_102606.pdf

The good news is that if you live near BLM or USFS land, especially in northern CA, there's a good chance that you can ride a red-sticker bike year-round.


TTR-125LEW x2, WR250F w/mods, RM80, RM125, S40, M109R
and 1 big trailer

Sorry, but your info on the '03 and newer Wr250F is incorrect.
I own a 2003 and a 2005 and BOTH are RED STICKER bikes.

[Motoman1990 TT Member]

ttr225guy said:

dang. wrs sound fast. i am fourteen and i was thinking about a wr250. the 225 just doesnt have the power i want. i like to race the track sometimes, and i can burn 125 2-strokes, they just catch up on straitaways. would this bike be too much for me?

NO way perfict bike for you!1! well depending on how much you weigh:thumbsup: