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Looking for another bike

By Stealth13,
in WR400F/426F/450F

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miweber929

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false, this bike isn't good enough for the riding i do

False. You won't come anywhere near tapping the capabilities of either of those bikes unless your gridding top 10 every weekend on an enduro circuit. The WR is a race bike and needs to be treated as such; IT'S NOT A STREET BIKE no matter how hard you want to believe it is.

Do yourself a favor and actually listen; we've seen you videos, you're not tapping into any capabilities an XR250 couldn't handle.

FYI, the 07-11 motor is 95% the same as your 06, everything you did and didn't do to it will destroy the new one just as fast.

DRZ400, FTW.

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Bandit9

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False. You won't come anywhere near tapping the capabilities of either of those bikes unless your gridding top 10 every weekend on an enduro circuit. The WR is a race bike and needs to be treated as such; IT'S NOT A STREET BIKE no matter how hard you want to believe it is.

Do yourself a favor and actually listen; we've seen you videos, you're not tapping into any capabilities an XR250 couldn't handle.

FYI, the 07-11 motor is 95% the same as your 06, everything you did and didn't do to it will destroy the new one just as fast.

DRZ400, FTW.

Please stop telling people how to live their life. He can buy what he wants.

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GlennR

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Just sold my 2006 wr450 today with 7300km on it, and looking to buy another. Is the 2009 any better? Not sure about the year to year changes.

Stealth,

How much did you get for it? Why do you want another WR450, since you seemed to have a lot of trouble with the one you had? I don't know what your budget is, but if you have a few more bucks you can look at bikes that are even lighter, and maybe even more powerful, with 6 speeds and perhaps even FI.

Before I bought my 08' WR450 about 6 months ago for $4000, I was also looking at Husaberg FE570's & KTM530's for around $5000. I saw a couple FE570's & a FE450 for that, but missed out on the sale...

My buddy has a 2011 FE570 and it is Bad-Ass. Gobs of torque & HP. You'd love it! ?

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Stealth13

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Stealth,

How much did you get for it? Why do you want another WR450, since you seemed to have a lot of trouble with the one you had? I don't know what your budget is, but if you have a few more bucks you can look at bikes that are even lighter, and maybe even more powerful, with 6 speeds and perhaps even FI.

Before I bought my 08' WR450 about 6 months ago for $4000, I was also looking at Husaberg FE570's & KTM530's for around $5000. I saw a couple FE570's & a FE450 for that, but missed out on the sale...

My buddy has a 2011 FE570 and it is Bad-Ass. Gobs of torque & HP. You'd love it! ?

I sold it for $2800. Found a 2009 with 700km I could get around 4000-4300. Looks minty. Thinking about snagging that and leaving it as a NON street legal. I loved the bike just that it was using some oil. Always started up and never left me stranded (unlike the mutliple ktm's i have pulled out with it)
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Stealth13

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False. You won't come anywhere near tapping the capabilities of either of those bikes unless your gridding top 10 every weekend on an enduro circuit. The WR is a race bike and needs to be treated as such; IT'S NOT A STREET BIKE no matter how hard you want to believe it is.

Do yourself a favor and actually listen; we've seen you videos, you're not tapping into any capabilities an XR250 couldn't handle.

FYI, the 07-11 motor is 95% the same as your 06, everything you did and didn't do to it will destroy the new one just as fast.

DRZ400, FTW.

False, I do need the power. Some of the hills we do, my friend with a yz250 has to FULL THROTTLE the whole way up. the wr does it about half throttle and can keep the tire spinning.

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miweber929

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False, I do need the power. Some of the hills we do, my friend with a yz250 has to FULL THROTTLE the whole way up. the wr does it about half throttle and can keep the tire spinning.

So the WR has more power than you need, then? If its spinning and at half then you have an abundance. Your tire is a bigger factor than power is my guess.

Again, mod a DRZ: it's plenty perky in a modded form and will be a nice street bike as well, hitting all marks you were originslly looking for. And again, the newer (07-11) WR motor is essentially identicle to the 03-06 models (save a few minor tweaks) and will work exactly like your 06. And it will eventually break down like your current one did.

Not trying to tell you what to do, but giving you advice and a choice that could very well work better for you if you don't want to maintain it.

The 07-11 is the same bike, with the same drawbacks motor wise as your 06; if you had issues with yours you'll have issues with the 09.

Edited by miweber929
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Alpha One Nine

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If I were shopping for a light dual-sport/street legal dirt bike right now, which I'm not, and I weighed under 250 lbs, which I don't, I would be looking very closely at the WR250R. Plenty of power, a six speed transmission and an incredibly forgiving maintenance schedule.

I rode with a buddy who has one and I had a hard time keeping up with my KLR650 on I-90 going over 4th of July pass.

Edited by Alpha One Nine
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Bandit9

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I just rode my WR across Colorado on the TransAmerica Trail. Was just fine at 45 mph in 5th gear w/stock gearing. Two weeks before that, I pre rode the Enduro trail at the Trainrobbers Enduro in Arkansas, w/ same stock gearing. It was perfect for me. I'm going to start back at Enduros this fall on the WR. If I had a DRZ, I wouldn't bother. The 09 WR feels much more athletic to me than the 06. With the 10lbs I've knocked off it, it handles pretty well on singletrack. I'm 6'1 215 which helps to toss it around. Smaller riders can still rip on it, but they will need to be strong. Any uncorked 450 is an attention getter in tight technical stuff. I'm currently trying to improve my upper body and core strength so I can push harder. I'm faster on the 09' than 06. Noticeable difference too.

If I had another bike as a race/hardcore trail bike, then the DRZ would make a good DS fire road/HWY rides for a two bike stable. However, if you care at all about performance on singletrack and whoops, plus want a DS, then the 09WR is by far a better platform for that.

Maintenance is a push, both bikes will require about the same amount of maintenance. WR motors are legendary for durability. You really have to try to screw them up. Once suspension is dialed and motor uncorked, the Yamaha motor/chassis is a combo that I like.

There seem to be a lot of good choices in the 450 Enduro class. The DRZ isn't one them b/c it isn't designed to be one. It's good for what it was designed to be though. It is also a 10 year old design. So, I'm not hating on Suzuki. It really isn't a fair comparison. I was very interested the 2010 RMX450 (still am I guess...) b/c of it's turning ability in the woods, but they never made it to my dealer.

I bought this 09 b/c it was plated, less than 20hrs, and b/c of my good experience with 06. Plus after riding a bunch of other bikes, including 2strokes, I found I liked the stability, the power, durability, and versatility of the WR.

Edited by Bandit9
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miweber929

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I probably won't street legal it, If the guy will take 4000-4200 I'll have a 09 tomorrow prObably

You could have easily fixed your 06 and done a big bore at the same time for the $1,200-1400 you're looking to spend and had enough money left over for gas all year.

I'm not trying to bag on you about this but despite what Bandit has said (and I'm not sure he had direct DRZ experience) if you do not want to maintain your off road bikes like they should be and street the WR not within it's limits (which is why yours started acting up) the 09 will last the same amount of time. And submerging any bike will hurt it if not dealt with immediately. The motors for the 06 and 09 are 99% the same and after riding an 08 WR and my 04 they handle about 90% the same with the 08 being a lighter "feeling" bike but it's very minor. Again, this is unless you are a enduro racer who can feel slight differences in tire pressure and are competitive, the vast majority of us here cannot. And a trail rider will more than not likely feel the differences on identicle setup bikes.

A DRZ is made to street ride and in its lower state of tune will last longer with less maint then the WR. Look at the maint intervals of both online and you'll see what I'm saying. With a few mods to the airbox, exhaust, gearing and a pumper carb the DRZ is a fun bike and is easy to work on.

Buy the 09 if you want the newer look, more aftermarket support or you like the aluminum frame. But don't expect it to last any longer than the 06 if you treat it like you did the old one.

Your choice, your money, do with it what you want. But in a year when you're bitching about it blowing smoke don't create another thread asking the same question. Or ask about dual sport kits on a bike you're not going to street ride.

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GlennR

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It's nice to have multiple bikes. But, it seems like you're always buying parts & wrenching on one of them or another.

I have the WR450 for raising hell in the woods, and the little XT225 saves wear & tear on the WR while I'm just out scouting for new trails. Plus it's a great "guest bike" when friends come up to visit.

Then, I have the old PC800 which is great for long highway trips or going to the grocery store. The nice wide seat is comfy for hours & hours, and the trunk can hold a pile of luggage or a few cases of brew.

I'd like to get something quick & sporty for the twisties around here. I've never had a crotch-rocket type bike, I didn't trust my throttle hand when I was younger... I still don't really know what I'd want. There's a lot of them to choose from. I'll just keep an open mind and look for something that seems like an especially good deal, then if I decide to resale it there's a good chance I can make a buck or two. That's always a nice way to justify an upgrade. ?

Edited by GlennR
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