Wr450 OR WR250

[ed221]

Hi Guys,

New to forum lots of good info.I have a few Q's for you guys.I am 41 yrs old

6'3 280 lbs plan on loosing about 60lbs my questions are I do mostly trail riding tite trails 80% of time,would like to run a hare scramble or 2 next year Also for fun we rent mx track couple times a year also run some seasonal roads I have a honda 400ex quad sport and haven't road dirt bike in about 20yrs.What do you think would be the better bike for me wr250 or 450?

Thanks ED

[Andrejs2112]

I just went through what you are describing. I only lost 30lbs so far. Knowing what I do now, I would go with the 250. I've been riding single track with my 450 and in no way need the 450's power...a lawn mower engine would probably do for my skill level. On the other hand, the power is nice when on the wide trails.

[rkwfxd1]

Years ago I was trying to decide between XR400 and XR250. I went with the 250. Loved the bike (still do) but pretty much always regretted not getting the 400. Recently I was trying to decide between WR450 and WR250. Learning from my mistakes, I went with the WR450. I do not regret it, even in the tight technical stuff.

Get the WR450.

[weathergeek]

The whole point of a 450 versus a 250 is that you have the power WHEN you need it. You don't need it all the time though. But when you twist when you want it, it is there. I am 260 lbs and came off of 250. I also do a lot of tight rocky, shi**y stuff and I still am glad I have the power when necessary. Buy the 450 and learn it. You will be pleased, I promise.

[Just_a_trail_rider]

The whole point of a 450 versus a 250 is that you have the power WHEN you need it. You don't need it all the time though. But when you twist when you want it, it is there. I am 260 lbs and came off of 250. I also do a lot of tight rocky, shi**y stuff and I still am glad I have the power when necessary. Buy the 450 and learn it. You will be pleased, I promise.

That's not the approach you took? I would advice him to do exactly what you did. Start on a smaller bike and then progress to a bigger one after a while.

I started with a 450 and I got a lot of practice and experience picking that thing and my busted and broken ass off the ground! Start with the 250, build your skills, then move up.

[JM450]

I'm 5'7 and 50 years old and had the same questions myself. I ride 95 % single track. And I read and read and talked to people I knew and went with an 08 450. Do I need all the power? No, but I like it ,and it doesn't seem like this big bad monster I was afraid it might be. it's good power,you just have to respect it. I've been riding a 250 2 stroke for awhile and certainly could have been on a 125 but I like like a bigger motor and work it less.

Even if you lost 60 pounds you'd still be 6'3 and 220. I can't see being that big and being happy with a 250. JMHO

[weathergeek]

That's not the approach you took? I would advice him to do exactly what you did. Start on a smaller bike and then progress to a bigger one after a while.

I started with a 450 and I got a lot of practice and experience picking that thing and my busted and broken ass off the ground! Start with the 250, build your skills, then move up.

Yeah Maurice, you are probably right. It just didn't take me that long to progress especially with the 450 all corked up. He could leave it corked and uncork it as necessary. But if money is no issue, a 250 first wouldn't hurt. I just figured he is big and tall unlike my fat short ass.

[ed221]

Yes money is a issue wife says if I buy new thats it so buying a new 250 and then upgrading is not a option.The dealer does have a 2001 klx 300r in mint condition for $2100.00 wife says can buy that then sell 400ex and 300r next year if I want to upgrade.Is there that much of a diff between stock 450 and one the is "uncorked"?

[Just_a_trail_rider]

there's a big difference between a corked and uncorked 450. But the corked 450 is still a lot more to deal with than an uncorked 250.

Make your own choice, but here's my story... I have always been a street rider and a pretty good one at that! In 2005, at 40yrs old, I bought a my first dirt bike and I got a wr450. It was great and fun on the simple trails. But I like trails with lots of twists, turns and hill climbs. I started to ride the more difficult ones and could not control the bike in the terrain. The slower I went, the more trouble I had controlling all that power. However, I wasn't good enough to go faster. That's how 450's are. The slower you go, the harder they are to control.

Long story short, in the first two years I had a broken wrist, arm, ankle, thumb and slightly torn rotator cuff. I would get hurt, heal up, ride more tentative and get hurt again. That's what bad crashes can do.

A 250f is more than fast enough and is easier to control at the slower speeds of novice riders. No inadvertent blip of the throttle is going to flip you off the back or launch you over the side of a dropoff because you aren't correctly feathering the clutch while climbing a hill.

Now that I am better, I can handle my 450. But in my garage, I've got two sets of crutches, a nice air boot, wrist braces and a fancy arm sling.

Many peole don't go through what I did. But why chance it. Don't you gotta go to work on Monday? Play it safe, get the 250. Keep losing weight and you'll have a blast.

btw... do NOT buy a new dirtbike. You are going to trash it while you are learning. Buy a used one, ride the snot out of it. Learn about it and yourself. In a couple years, you'll be ready for an upgrade and you won't be asking which bike is best for you. You'll already know enough to answer your own question

Good Luck.

[arctic954]

I also want to point out.... the XR250 verse XR400 --- is not a good analogy.

I've been passed many a time by a WR250 in the trail while on my WR426. The WR250 is NOTHING like an XR250.

if you are riding tight single track ---- some HAVE the advantage with the WR250. I'm around 195 pounds --- and still haven't approached the speed I could achieve with my CR125 in the tight stuff. (It was a mountain bike with a motor)

Now --- factor into being a big guy and not being able to upgrade..... an uncorked 450 might be a good option.

[ed221]

Ok my wife let me know that what I really want to do is buy the 300klx

and if I don't kill myself then next year I can sell the 400ex and the 300

and buy a new bike.Oh and that I should say I am sorry for wasting your time with silly questions when all I had to do was ask her what I wanted.

Thanks for all you input guys let you know how I make .

Ed

[HwyChile]

I went through the same thing after reading on this board for several weeks and still do not know if I made the right decision.

I am just getting back into riding dirt bikes after 25 years of not owning a bike. I am 6' tall 240 pounds (I need to lose some weight too). I just bought a new 2008 WR250F (leftover) and have done all the free mods and even put a new Leo Vince slip-on pipe on it and dropped the front tooth sprocket down to a 12 tooth.

I love the bike but I wonder if I should have bought the WR450F for the extra power. The WR250F screams and is fast, but it really does not lift the front wheel up to go over obstacles as easily as I would like it to. I like to sit over the pegs or close to the tank, so I guess if I stand up or maybe sit back some when I need to lift the front end that may be the answer. In other words, my riding technique may be part of the problem, but I still wonder if the WR450F may have been a better bike for me. I could have bought a new 2008 at the same dealership for only $400 more than I paid for my 2008 WR250F. I wish I could have ridden both of them first (uncorked) and made a more informed decision.

[weathergeek]

I went through the same thing after reading on this board for several weeks and still do not know if I made the right decision.

I am just getting back into riding dirt bikes after 25 years of not owning a bike. I am 6' tall 240 pounds (I need to lose some weight too). I just bought a new 2008 WR250F (leftover) and have done all the free mods and even put a new Leo Vince slip-on pipe on it and dropped the front tooth sprocket down to a 12 tooth.

I love the bike but I wonder if I should have bought the WR450F for the extra power. The WR250F screams and is fast, but it really does not lift the front wheel up to go over obstacles as easily as I would like it to. I like to sit over the pegs or close to the tank, so I guess if I stand up or maybe sit back some when I need to lift the front end that may be the answer. In other words, my riding technique may be part of the problem, but I still wonder if the WR450F may have been a better bike for me. I could have bought a new 2008 at the same dealership for only $400 more than I paid for my 2008 WR250F. I wish I could have ridden both of them first (uncorked) and made a more informed decision.

How much do you weigh? I wonder if that matters or not.

[HwyChile]

I put my weight in my post: 240 pounds. I am sure that weight plays a very big part. If I weighed 150 pounds, I am sure I would be very happy with the WR250F. I am not unhappy with it, but I wonder if I should have gone with more power due to my weight.

[weathergeek]

I put my weight in my post: 240 pounds. I am sure that weight plays a very big part. If I weighed 150 pounds, I am sure I would be very happy with the WR250F. I am not unhappy with it, but I wonder if I should have gone with more power due to my weight.

It would help if I paid attention, sorry. I am not far from you in weight as stated earlier and I know what worked for me. I only had my 250 for about a year, year and a half, then made the transition. I struggled with throttle control for the first weekend I had it out camping, after that I was good to go. Nice having that power when you want it though.

[ed221]

Went to test the 300klx today bike looked good but didn't run very well dealer said its because of bad gas.They also didn't want to come down in price they wanted $2150.00 I told them the bike had no sack (400ex quad would smoke it) if the wanted to talk price and get the bike running good give me a call.

[Just_a_trail_rider]

Went to test the 300klx today bike looked good but didn't run very well dealer said its because of bad gas.They also didn't want to come down in price they wanted $2150.00 I told them the bike had no sack (400ex quad would smoke it) if the wanted to talk price and get the bike running good give me a call.

Craigslist would be a more reasonable place to find a good deal on a bike. Where are you going to be riding this new bike of yours?

I would be more worried about a bike to learn on rather than getting a bike with some "sack" as you say. Riding offroad without killing yourself is less about having power and more about learning to manage the power you have, reading terrain, making decisions, etc... Quad riding experience doesn't directly translate to riding bikes IMO.

You need a 1 yr bike before you upgrade. That being said... the 300klx is rather gutless. I think you would still be relatively save with a little more power than that, but still less than an uncorked 450.

Can you find a used wr250f or something like that?

[wyomingriviera]

dealer does have a 2001 klx 300r in mint condition for $2100.00 wife says can buy that then sell 400ex and 300r next year if I want to upgrade.

Your wife sounds pretty cool, is she married?

Seriously though, I was in your position this spring...bought myself a used 300r for cheap, easy to pick up, and still user-friendly power band. I've taken it on the Interstate, but it really sucks. Fine for the secondary roads, and wicked fun/easy in the dirt. Two grand doesn't sound like a bad price...for a good running bike...

I'd love to upgrade to a wr450, that's why I lurk on this site...maybe next fall...

[squid]

Get the 450 ride it stock get use to it and practice your skills then when your ready do all the mods it will be a different bike after that.

[HwyChile]

I will probably ride my WR250F for a couple of years to get my riding chops back and then move on to a brand new 450. I think my 240 pounds (or even if I lose down closer to 200 which is where I ought to weigh) kills the power too much on the 250. The power on the 250 is more on top and I think I would rather have more low end that the larger displacement 450 will deliver.

I will revaluate which brand and whether to go WR or YZ when it comes time to purchase one. If I buy a YZ, I would probably put a kickstand on it and a coolant recovery tank and maybe WR lights for night riding. That new 2010 YZ450F sure looks like a nice bike.