Damn, I should've known better

[4Takt]

I really love my XR650R. it has been as reliable as a tractor, and it does just about anything I want to be able to do on a motorcycle.

However, this weekend I made the bad mistake of riding a late model Yamaha YZ250 two stroke. Oh boy, I'm screwed. Felt like a mountain bike compared to the XRR, with just about the same power. Somebody talk me out of it please, and fast.

[cbaranski]

Well I guess you can look at the reliability factor. The xr will keep running way longer than any old 2 smoker.

[Billahjack]

It depends on your riding style, conditions-terrain, buddies, and so-on. Maybe the 250 is the perfect bike for you. If they all ride 250's, then they tailor their rides for their bikes.

I am considering getting a smaller trail bike for woods riding becuase it sucks wrestling a 650R all day in tight stuff. I would not dump my 650R though because I'm out in the desert and its street legal.

[needsprayer]

Get the YZ and keep the XR.

Sunday I rode the XR650R and then the CR250R back-to-back. CR for track and the XR for dual sport.

The XR is setup for fire roads and back roads with 15/48 gearing and Avon Gripster tires. The CR is trails and moto.

Nothing like 5th gear WOT on the XR (empty straight stretch of back road) and then practicing on a rut track, whoops and easy (read safe) table top jump on the CR. My legs were completely worn out.

[Thumpmeister]

I've ridden my buddies 97 CR back to back to my piggy... Theres no way I'd get a CR (or any 2-smoke) over my piggy. For one, you have to love the seat and suspension in comparisson. The way I have my piggy set-up is firm (for my weight), but still soft enough to soak up any crap we ride over. Plus, when I get tired of being on the pegs, I can sit and take a rest on my nice, soft, cushy seat.

The piggy also has worlds more torque than the ring-dinger, and I love taking that thing in the trails cause I can take it right down to idle, and it ALWAYS snaps right out of it.

I have a buddy that has a 450sx that I go riding with too. A couple weeks ago we were riding in the desert through some pretty rocky sections. I was able to blow by the 450sx and the ring-dinger in the rocky crap just cause my suspension was able to soak up the bumps, where theirs just beat the crap out of them.

You want to know what else? With the piggy, I can roll up next to a gas pump, and pump straight into the tank...

I don't care about the weight; I can lift the bike above my head... And everything else about it is great.

[needsprayer]

I don't care about the weight; I can lift the bike above my head... And everything else about it is great.

?

Not gonna argue with you.

[JoeBlow Kokomo]

I've ridden my buddies 97 CR back to back to my piggy... Theres no way I'd get a CR (or any 2-smoke) over my piggy. For one, you have to love the seat and suspension in comparisson. The way I have my piggy set-up is firm (for my weight), but still soft enough to soak up any crap we ride over. Plus, when I get tired of being on the pegs, I can sit and take a rest on my nice, soft, cushy seat.

The piggy also has worlds more torque than the ring-dinger, and I love taking that thing in the trails cause I can take it right down to idle, and it ALWAYS snaps right out of it.

I have a buddy that has a 450sx that I go riding with too. A couple weeks ago we were riding in the desert through some pretty rocky sections. I was able to blow by the 450sx and the ring-dinger in the rocky crap just cause my suspension was able to soak up the bumps, where theirs just beat the crap out of them.

You want to know what else? With the piggy, I can roll up next to a gas pump, and pump straight into the tank...

I don't care about the weight; I can lift the bike above my head... And everything else about it is great.

LOL< you said the BRP has a big cushy seat!!!!

[Thumpmeister]

LOL< you said the BRP has a big cushy seat!!!!

Alright, you got me on that one... I meant cushy in comparrison to the 2-smoke. Those are like riding a toothpick...

[jesusgatos]

I've got a 650R and just bought a WR250F. The 650 is great for wide open stuff and those long-haul adventures, but the 250 is awesome in the woods. If you can have two bikes...

[davidarnott]

Ive just never ridden a two stroke that could cruise, its either accelerate or deaccelerate but they are just not the thing for rolling along for some reason I dont understand. they suck frankly they sound like shit and they dont have any torque. Id buy a trials bike to complement the Red Rooster but Id really rather just get a huge v twin highway bike of some kind instead. the XR650R is the anti two stroke, its big strong torquey, crackles along at 1500 rpm and then blows a huge rooster tail up to 120 mph. You like going five miles an hour? Get a mountain bike, at least itll make your ass tight.

[Big Red Paul]

What beautiful pictures !!!

To paraphrase the great George Orwell: Two Strokes Good, Four Strokes Bad!

Seriously, I think you need both, a two and a four. Then you will appreciate both.

Two strokes, when one is not enough, and four is too many.

[HawkGT]

A trend in the responses is developing for a reason...it's good to have both. Great actually.

I've got a 95' CR250R that I bought as a dedicated dune bike. I made that move AFTER several weekends out there on the XR650R. Now the 250's role is being replaced by a recently aquired CR500R. The 250 is a great dune bike (twice the duner the XR650R ever was--I've had them both out there at the same time and never touched the XR). But I've always wanted the experience of owning a 500. The 250's new place will be as a track bike, tight stuff bike, back-up dune bike, and for whatever else strikes my fancy.

The big XR does have an amazing ability to do nearly everything with a level of competence. How many bikes can tackle commuting on the freeway during the week and carving dunes on the weekend? Not too many. BUT, it can't do everything as well as two different bikes can.

I can attest that even an older (~$1500) 250 smoker compliments an XR650R nicely. So if owning a late model YZ250 would mean selling the XR, I'd say scrap that plan and look for an older 250. I'm having trouble thinking of anything in the powersports market that matches a 10 or 12 year old 250 two stroke in the performance per dollar catagory. An XR650R with a 250 two-stroke "add-on" makes for an increadibly wide ranging off-road stable without breaking the bank.

Great pictures by the way!

[Rangerfng]

Yes. I know what you mean. I was riding my brothers cr 250 and i want one now. haha. light, easy to tear down and build up. but...... to dam noisy. mixing gas. cant just pull up to the pump with that one. Cops chasing you all over. I still want one too!!!!!!!!!!!!

[4Takt]

Y'all don't need to convince me of the virtues of the big XRR. I've logged more than 12,000 dirt miles on mine now. It's not going anywhere. It will always be my long range adventure bike. But I sure did love that quick, light, nimble two stroke. It was an absolute blast to ride. I shall own both.

[HawkGT]

BTW, to whoever just left me negative feedback for my post. Why did you do that??? Weak....if you've got something to say to me, say it. If I give out incorrect or missleading information then give me neg feedback--not for whatever unknown reason you dished it out here.

[frankstr]

Nice pics.. Keeep the XR, Dude..You'll miss the torque..

[deelong4002]

I have an XR600 and a YZ250 and i enjoy riding the YZ much more, unless im flying down some gravel road, then its XR all the way. Other than that, the YZ is way faster and way lighter. Not to mention you can actually turn the YZ where as the XR600 wants to push through every corner

[Triumphs]

Those bikes really don't compete with each other. As noted here...depending on the type of riding you do you may need one, or the other...or both!

[roadcam]

yeah, I dig 2-smokes, too ... ride 'em while ya still can, they RIP ! ... nice pics, btw

[Thumpage]

A trend in the responses is developing for a reason...it's good to have both. Great actually.

The 250 is a great dune bike I've had them both out there at the same time and never touched the XR). But I've always wanted the experience of owning a 500. The 250's new place will be as a track bike, tight stuff bike, back-up dune bike, and for whatever else strikes my fancy.

:

While I can understand and agree with much of the logic and sentiments, I can somewhat argue the quote of "(twice the duner the XR650R ever was--".

It depends on what you want to do in the dunes. If carving and slicing a dune is your thing, the CR with be much better of course. But if you want to go balls to the wall over extended heavy sand whoops such as between Glamis's Sand Highway and Competition Hill, the XR650R with smoke through sections like that with properly setup suspension for the rider. Or, try the long chopped out section along the west side of Gecko Road. The XR650R will kill the CR. When you want to cover serious ground across the dunes, the XR650R is a machine to be reckoned with.

You can ride sideways just below the crests of the steepest dunes such as at Dumont for extended lengths without a problem. I will give quads fits by doing this.

The added benefit is you don't have to be full on the gas or in the powerband to be doing this kind of stuff on the Xr650R.

With all this said, I myself have considered an older CR250 for an alternate, (green sticker) bike for some riding conditions such as tight, technical woods riding and other possible uses, (such as an alternate dune bike for *dune carving*) for a change of pace and options. There is no doubt a CR250 is fun and exciting for carving lines in the side of dunes. The 650 will smoke over & across them like nobody's business. I have ridden with 250s, 450s and 500s and their is no denying that the 650 stands tall in the dunes. .