My 2009 Yamaha WR250R - A forgotten ICON

This is the story of my 2009 Yamaha WR250R, from the time I bought new in March of 2009 to today, 14 years later, when it is sitting at the corner of the motorcycle shed. This bike has not been ridden much recently, but whenever I take it out for a spin, it has delivered lots of fun. It's a small machine that punches above its weight. There are lots of footage of my WR250R in action in Oregon and California (Death Valley).

[@elliot7179]

Just recently picked up one of these bikes and can’t believe how fun it is , good to see they last the distance and still put a smile on your face all these years later

[@jabug_1144]

@16:25 😂😂 I have pictures of my old 08 wrr with the same exact damage after doing the same exact thing but on a downhill segment of a service road in nw San Antonio. Man I miss that thing.

[@spiroskanellakis1894]

Best video for wr online.❤

[@idratherberiding3456]

Thank you

[@leocopper9588]

Prospect OHV is my favorite place in Oregon

[@martycech5844]

Excellent video!

[@idratherberiding3456]

Thank you!

[@Kheang-Zed95]

I own a 2020 the latest version of WR250R and i got hooked on it after 3 ride. Singel trail? Endurance? Thug Terrance? Well then your super cross or cross country arrive first and l'll late abit, but what you can't is ride your bike back home on highway like me. Cannot deny that we are slower than Super sport and Super cross or Cross country but they better not to follow WR because I'm sure they won't make it.😂

[@AusMoto]

I love my WR250R, my favourite bike I've ever owned!

[@idratherberiding3456]

I can relate to that.

[@sdfaulk01]

I do not know who these people are that end most of their rides in the dark. 😂

[@idratherberiding3456]

LOL. I love ending these epic rides in the dark!

[@StansE250]

For My needs, it’s Heavy for a 250 …. Love it, otherwise.

[@bennylava8717]

i wish yamaha make a 350-400cc WRR, ~300 lbs. If they can make WF450F weighing at 274 lbs, a sub 300 lbs WRR 350-400 is very doable.

[@idratherberiding3456]

Yes, lots of us think Yamaha could build at least a 300cc is not larger. I'm not sure they see much movement in this market to make it worth for them. Who never knows, though, they may change their minds now that others are paying attention to the single cylinder motorcycles. What with Triumph and Ducati building single cylinder motorcycles.

[@gabrielkopp2036]

I was lucky enough to get a 2020 wr250r in April of 2021 with a build date od 12/2020 it was the last one available.. at the time i lived in eastern Washington and had to got to sublimity Oregon to get wich was an eight hour drive one way but man it was worth it.. I WILL NEVER GET RIDE OF IT.. super fun bike even on the road

[@idratherberiding3456]

Good for you. Love this motorcycle.

[@gabrielkopp2036]

​@@idratherberiding3456my son said he wanted when my time on earth ends and I said no it be burned with me haha. But seriously I will pass it down to him

[@idratherberiding3456]

@@gabrielkopp2036 LOL.

[@mattjosefczyk2579]

Great video! I bought a 2014 going on 4yrs ago now. It has 8400 miles on it with only 1000 of those put on it by me. I have a few other bikes as well and just don't get it out enough. Thought about selling it a few times, but that stupid idea has always been stopped thank god. I really need to do some longer adv rides on it which has been the plan all along for it. No more excuses! LoL

[@idratherberiding3456]

Only 1000 miles in four years? Yes, you need to take it on a nice long ride. Thank you for the comment!

[@darylhill9400]

Excellent video I own a 2011 WR 250 X that I bought new! Yep they’re pretty amazing bikes and I have owned dozens. I don’t want to start counting right now.

[@hisride]

Awesome vid - I love my 250X. I find it interesting that the concept behind the R was in Yamaha’s own words an ‘offroad R1’. There is also some hope for a re-release as a WR350/450 as Suzuki are rumoured to announce a new (yes NEW) ‘DRZ-4S/SM’ this year. Maybe Yamaha will follow suit

[@idratherberiding3456]

I remember during those days, people used to say the WR250R was 1 cylinder of the R1.

[@hisride]

@@idratherberiding3456 Yeah R2 lol. I did look up the old release from Yamaha Japan and they themselves said it 🤣

[@idratherberiding3456]

@@hisride There you go. It's a fancy little motor. 🙂

[@facatube]

Man this is the bike is in my garage!!! I´ll keep forever :-)

[@brockjohnson4116]

I am curious as to why you ALWAYS took the WR over the Dakar?

[@idratherberiding3456]

The WR250R is such a jewel, very smooth, a nice well spread 6-speed gear box. For the dirt riding I wanted to do during those days, the WR did a much better job than the Dakar. And then, for adventure riding, BMW introduced the F800GS and Triumph launched the Tiger 8000XC. The F650GS class of bikes was at the end of the line, the Sertao gave it a few extra years, but the writing was on the wall. Not sure I answered your question. :-)

[@bennylava8717]

nice story of your riding on wr250r. What is the canister mounted in front of the the bash plate? have you considered an used WR450F?

[@idratherberiding3456]

Thank you! The canister is a PVC pipe that I use to carry the tire irons and other heavy tools. It works really well. I got this bike new, and I like it for what it is, so, no, I did not consider a WR450F.

[@nevillemanno4912]

Can anyone explain why the WR250, is heavier than the 450? I have checked specs over several years? and the 250 is always heavier???

[@idratherberiding3456]

It depends. What 450? Yamaha YZ450F? If that's the case, the answer is simple, the WR250R is a street legal bike from the factory. And the YZ450F is a motocross (non-plated, not street legal) bike. Some folks make them street legal, it adds some weight but not as much as if it were made for the street by Yamaha.

[@nevillemanno4912]

@@idratherberiding3456 Yep, I understand that, but the ones I was referring to are only the WR's, and the 250's always seem to be heavier????

[@idratherberiding3456]

@@nevillemanno4912 As far s I know, and I could be wrong, Yamaha does not make a street legal 450, only used to make the WR250R?

[@nevillemanno4912]

@@idratherberiding3456 Plenty of Regoed WR450's around here in Oz, People even Motard them?

[@idratherberiding3456]

@@nevillemanno4912 Got it. Several here too. If Yamaha ever made a 450 into a street version, from factory, I bet it would be heavier. It’s all about making it legal based on each country’s regs it plans to sell it. It would need to be California legal, for example, it would need a subframe to carry a passenger, etc. All of it adds weight.

[@rickreasoner8664]

I just got back from my 1st ride in Death Valley at the Noobs Rally. Were you there? It was fantastic! A lot of trails were inaccessible due to flooding but there’s plenty to see.

[@idratherberiding3456]

Hey Rick, I was not there this year. But glad you liked it. I try to return every year, but work comes first. I assumed there would be trails closed this year, it has been a very unusual winter. On the other hand, I’m sure it made things beautiful. I’m looking forward to seeing reports from riders who were there this year.

[@rickreasoner8664]

@@idratherberiding3456 It was beautiful. Many of the mountain tops were covered in snow (including the charcoal kilns). Nobody could recall seeing snow this time of year.