WR450, YZ450 or YZ250??

[cmd]

ive had each of the bikes you asked about.thumps down on the wr,great trail ike,but heavy.i just sold my smoker for the 450 and already miss it.you just can't beat the ol' yz250,especially if you're coming from a 125.ligh,powerful and absolutely bulletproof:thumbsup: .now for the yzf....it is an absolute blast to ride,power everywhere,not THAT much heavier than the smoker,only real downside i see to the yzf is it may let you get spoiled and become a little bit more of a "lazier" rider...but who cares,and no they aren't that bad in tight stuff:smirk:

[Luv2crash]

I went from a YZ250F 04 to a 06 YZ250 love both of them and i only ride off road tight 1st gear to wide open wooped out desert. If you are riding for fun and not racing i would not worry about the YZ suspension even when it gets rough very plush considering it's for track just a click or to out for rocks. Havent had problems with either bike. The faster the terrain the better the 450, the slower better the 250 in my opinion, but you'll have fun no matter what you chose if your aggresive the YZ's will be better stock than a dub R, it just takes more mods to get em to rip. Hope this helps

[YamaLink]

For your needs, I'd say a YZ250 two stroke or wait for the 2010 YZ450 with the fuel injection. But it sounds like you want it sooner rather than later.

Two stroke 250 from 2006-newer.

[Fabulous]

Thanks for all the opinions guys. I gotta admit, I like the ease of maintanence on the 2 strokes, but seeing as most manufacturers are getting out of the business (I know Yamaha is still doing it, and KTM as well) 4 strokes seem to be where everyone is going. Plus I ride with my girlfriend a lot, and the exhaust from my 125 kinda bugs here...plus even though it's easy, mixing the gas is kind of a pain. I guess I will have to see if I can try out both to make a decision.

[Just_a_trail_rider]

Thanks for all the opinions guys. I gotta admit, I like the ease of maintanence on the 2 strokes, but seeing as most manufacturers are getting out of the business (I know Yamaha is still doing it, and KTM as well) 4 strokes seem to be where everyone is going. Plus I ride with my girlfriend a lot, and the exhaust from my 125 kinda bugs here...plus even though it's easy, mixing the gas is kind of a pain. I guess I will have to see if I can try out both to make a decision.

I ride both a wr450 and a yz250. If I were riding in super tight spaces and jumping, then I would get a yz250 smoker. Its super light and has unbelievable power.

If I was riding in more wide open terrain and climbing lots and lots of hills, then the 4 stroke is a little better.

You don't have any wrong choice here. You will have to fix up whatever bike you get. If I had to choose between my yz250 and my wr450, I'd probably keep the yz because its an absolute blast to ride. The snappy power is fun. I added a gnarly pipe, lowered the gearing and its got all power you will need. I ride in enduros, so the lighter weight is a major plus.

Both bikes are super reliable. No problems from either one. After owning both, I can't say that one is any more expensive than the other.

[grayracer513]

Alas, my perfect answer to this question does not exist. It would be a YZ450 chassis and engine with the WR transmission and flywheel/magneto, possibly to include the e-start if powered by a capacitor or a small Li-Ion battery, and with a simplified harness. The mag could power race grade lighting easily, the trans would give me both a lower 1st and a taller top gear, and the starter would get me off the line at the desert races a bit quicker.

[DMC707]

My answer would be similar to Gray ---- but in the real world - i would much rather revalve the WR's suspension than try to tag a YZF. (you mentioned something about tags, registration and insurance to ride at your favorite area) Of course if you can register a 2 stroke, then go for it, but for dual sport type riding, the 4 wins if only because you dont have to carry pre mix with you and can fuel up almost anywhere.

I dont know about the current generation, but in the past -- the WR guys would swap to the YZ tank and seat to get it to feel lighter, but in reality - the bike is not really any heavier than a 1st generation YZF400 or 426. The mellow power output also conspires to makes it feel heavy. The

E-start button is worth its weight in gold if you are 5'10" or less with the 4 strokes ----- its the only thing left i wish i could install on my YZ-F (and no, i am not worried about the extra 12 pounds at all)

[Fabulous]

Plating a bike is easy...it won't be ridden on the road at all, just insured/ registered for off-road use. I'm not very big, so I don't want to fight a bike...I just want to ride it. I've also been looking at KTM 200's as well, but that is for the KTM forum...

[erickdj]

with your drz and yz experience, and your riding style , I'd say yz450f hands down. I own a wr450f, a yz450f, and a kx250 smoker. I ride pretty much the same stuff you do, from tight trails to wide open fire roads. If I had to chose only one bike to have, it would definitely be the yz450f. The wr has some pluses, as does the 2 stroke, but I consider the yz450f to be the best compromise out of the 3. The reason being: it's quite light, REALLY powerful, has TONS of torque, it's very easy to handle, has awesome suspension, it's very reliable, and best of all it's an absolute blast to ride. These bikes are so reliable that you could easily have one for 5 years, maintain it well, never do a rebuild, sell it and get a newer bike.

[B_DRZ]

If we didnt have 6 feet of snow out there I could let you giver a try on my yzf, mabey in spring we can hook up, I ride with some honda guys, one is crazy and one is semi crazy( he broke his back) and Im kinda normal( Im not racing dirt bike ghosts in the woods ? )

[Jim813]

I've ridden an 07 wr450f( very similar to 08) , 08 yz250, and own a 08 yz450f. If you are looking for a trail bike that you can ride down fire roads or on easy to moderate trails, get the WR.It has e-start, light, green sticker, ect.. The Wr has a great gearbox in my opinion with the low first, except maybe a bit of a gap between forth and fifth. But, once you start to push the Wr in stock form the supension becomes too soft and and the bike starts to feel a bit top heavy, and you find yourself looking for more power. The yz450 has a better starting point for more aggresive riding with much better suspension and faster revving motor, and handling is much lighter feeling. First gear is a little high for tight trails. This bike would be good for multipurpose riding and can be used for anything.the yz250 is by far the most fun bike out of the three. It feels so light and the power is snappy and crisp. The suspension traits are similar to the yz450 but I believe this bike handles better. I would by this bike just because how fun it is! Not to mention you could find a great deal on the yz250. All three are very reliable and it depends on what you are looking for out of the like.

[Fabulous]

If we didnt have 6 feet of snow out there I could let you giver a try on my yzf, mabey in spring we can hook up, I ride with some honda guys, one is crazy and one is semi crazy( he broke his back) and Im kinda normal( Im not racing dirt bike ghosts in the woods

--for sure dude, you live in Calgary I take it? My riding buddy rides a 01 RM250, and he's a smaller guy (5'-4" maybe 125lbs) You gotta watch him ride the RM...funny as hell.

[8upnmx]

Iam very new to this, basically i have only ridden about a half of dozen times, and that was about 30 yrs ago on a yz65. Iam 37 now and i just bought my first bike in sept. an 09 YZ450f, get the baddest bike you can fit on. You can use as much or as little power as you want or need. I love it, great track or trail bike very light. always better to have more than not enough, you wont regret it, iam 6'2 at 202lbs.

[2strokenut]

Thanks for all the opinions guys. I gotta admit, I like the ease of maintanence on the 2 strokes, but seeing as most manufacturers are getting out of the business (I know Yamaha is still doing it, and KTM as well) 4 strokes seem to be where everyone is going. Plus I ride with my girlfriend a lot, and the exhaust from my 125 kinda bugs here...plus even though it's easy, mixing the gas is kind of a pain. I guess I will have to see if I can try out both to make a decision.

Not a very good reason to not go to a 2t. The bike is superior in some ways and the 450 is superior in other ways. Looking at what manufacturers are building is not a good indicator of what bike is best for you.

Ride what you like.