The Life and Death of the Yamaha WR250R

Discontinued in 2020, let's have a look at the WR250R's history, what happened to it and what Yamaha will do in the future.
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[@KentwoodWarrior]

Best dual sport on the market.

[@SupSecSquirrel]

Was*

[@onthebackwheel]

haha yep

[@KentwoodWarrior]

@@SupSecSquirrelstill is

[@nate_942]

Uhh no 😂😂

[@Gravelcruiser]

One of Yamahas many mistakes was discontinuing this treasure.

[@johnbrando8248]

engine issue on its reliability

[@flangesprocket100]

Yamaha had to stop selling the mighty WR because they felt bad for all the other manufacturers.

[@StayUpdated]

Scooped one up a couple of months ago for a killer deal. Came with all the performance mods and supermoto wheels. It's a fun little bike.

[@samueljlarson]

I used to have a Wr250X with dirt wheel setup and stupidly sold it. Best bike I ever owned!

[@mmodnao]

Your wife’s first name is Stupidly and she sold your bike? That’s not acceptable.

[@joshdoddadbod]

I think Yamaha needs to come out with a wr350r. That would be the unicorn bike for me. A wr450r would also be great.

[@onthebackwheel]

Yes please

[@colinbowman8816]

Heck yes! I'd even settle for a Tenere 300 or 400 ;) I just got a T7 and it's like a drunk moose offroad. Makes me miss my old WR250R every time I climb aboard.

[@Whos-That-Guy]

@@colinbowman8816 HAHAHA Drunk moose...

[@3dentertainment301]

Yes, they need to make 350's again. I have a 2019 wr but always wanted an old 350 to tear up lol

[@markkus1134]

Love mine bought a 2008 in 2021 with 3500 original miles with FMF exhaust and some other extras glad to see these bikes with well over 70k miles still riding strong! Mines number 800 one of the first batch in the US probably

[@onthebackwheel]

They are certainly are bulletproof

[@scottymac5174]

Mine is totally tricked. Bought new in 2008. I made the WR250R a True street legal dirt bike.

[@w_rnz]

Love this motorcycle, super under rated trail bike.

[@brunosousa1977]

Wr250r and drz 400e are best dual sports to last. My 250 is now almost 71.000 kms done and no issues so far

[@onthebackwheel]

71000 is a bloody good effort

[@gabrielkopp2036]

I picked up possibly the very last one in April 2021 new..build date 12/2020 and I love my wr250r!!

[@onthebackwheel]

Goodness. I think you might be right, that must be one of the last ones

[@gabrielkopp2036]

@@onthebackwheel it was the last one available here in the US..I had to drive 8hrs one way to get it.. but it was worth it

[@3dentertainment301]

​@@gabrielkopp2036that's awesome, you won't regret it. Mine is a 2019 that I had to order and waited 3 months for it to come in.

[@daddister7471]

My first dual sport was a CRF250L that I big-bored to a 300. I've owned the KLX250SF and DRZ400 and purchased a WR250R in January for city commuting. Looking back the CRF, KLX and DRZ all reminded me of slightly updated Honda Tornado 250s (basically a street legal XR250 with electric start) The WR250R reminds me of the WR450 street legal conversion I once owned and also my current YZ125X. The ergos, balance and feel of the bike are much closer to the motocross and enduro models. The WR really does feel more lightweight and flickable. Add up all those compenents on top of all the emissions compliance stuff they had to add and you can see why it's almost $1,500 more than the competition.

[@onthebackwheel]

They are definitely a step up from the competition. I think they are worth it

[@AusMoto]

I just bought a lightly used one, bloody love the bike!

[@onthebackwheel]

Don't think I've heard a bad thing about them

[@chuckkelley5894]

Just bought one. Pick it up Tuesday after a 1000-mile trek in my truck to pick it up. 6000 original miles, sumo set up, enduro wheels and tires tossed in as well as all kinds of goodies including a floor jack to simplify the back and forth. Cannot wait to get it into the Colorado mountains and twisties.

[@onthebackwheel]

Sounds like a bloody good buy

[@WalrusWinking]

From the presentation of the video I thought you were a MUCH larger channel, keep doing what you're doing bro this is a great video.

[@onthebackwheel]

Thanks mate, getting there!

[@kturn5953]

BEST…MOTORCYCLE…THAT…I…HAVE…EVER….FALLEN….INTO…DEEP…AND….UNRELENTING…LOVE…WITH…DESPITE…KNOWING…OTHER…BIKES…EXIST!!!! 😵‍💫 WR 😵‍💫 WR 😵‍💫 WR250R 😵‍💫

[@blueheelerfriend8450]

Had an 08 WR250R never had any probs. Sold it in 2015 then missed it so much I bought a 2019 WR250R! I will not sell this one!!! I just love the thing!!!☺

[@onthebackwheel]

That must be one of the last ones, good get

[@zone47]

Such a bummer. I sold my 08 after 8 years of riding figuring I could always pick up a newer updated (but they never updated them) one later. To my surprise, I found they cancelled it in 2021 and I had to scramble to find a low mile example.... and drive 600 miles round trip to get it. Oh well, I do hope they come up with something even better.

[@glennfriedler2557]

Bought WRX 250 2010 new added big bore & a pipe, dirt worthy tires Love this bike 15000 miles so far

[@onthebackwheel]

Sounds bloody fun to me

[@eljuano28]

Price is an incredibly difficult decision. There was nothing particularly wrong with the WR's price considering the up-scale build sheet, but Yamaha spent a lot to make a niche fit. The U.S. market loved it, but no matter what my beloved countrymen think, global economics don't revolve around us. Honda and Kawasaki can do reasonable things to U.S. market destined bikes to make them sort of work as play bikes here, but their bread and butter markets are places where you leave the city and enter the wilderness just to go visit Grandma. ....with a family of four. ...and the family pig. ...and a week's worth of rice or tamales. The WR was never that bike. Nothing wrong with that, but how do you price a bike that cost millions to design and produce in relatively small numbers, designed to not be a jack of all trades, but also not fast enough to take podiums and sponsorships? Does it work as a farm bike? Or a miniature adventurer? With it's fragile, (comparatively,) subframe? Yamaha could do a new 300, but it would have to be a clean sheet that aimed at the global market and had just enough flexibility to do reasonable things to to make it marketable in the U.S. as a play bike. ...and then it wouldn't be special anymore, would it? Nice retrospective video, Toe Cutter.

[@onthebackwheel]

Thanks mate. Yeah, the Japanese definitely think global

[@scottymac5174]

I still have my 2008 WRR 250R in my garage. A 3.5 gallon Safari tank, FMF exhaust, power programmer. Rebuilt/revalved front and rear suspension. Re Geared.. Bigger rear sprocket. Custom skid plate. Doug Henry handlebars. Dunlop 606 DOT street legal knobbies.

[@onthebackwheel]

Sounds like the perfect set-up to me

[@genuiine8251]

More of these on other bikes mate, very informative and interesting! 👍👍

[@onthebackwheel]

Definitely, I'm going to build up a series on them over time

[@VOLKN]

Good video, Curtis!

[@onthebackwheel]

Thanks!

[@travishimself1973]

Paid $8k for mine back in 2016 and its prob worth 10k now. Crazy how these have held their value.

[@ryansadler696]

it's true, they hold their value too well, I couldn't get the dealer to budge on a 19 and most other brand usee dual sports are going for crazy prices

[@bluettr250]

I doubt that it’s worth 10k dollars

[@travishimself1973]

@@bluettr250 depends what country ur in I guess

[@tg8150]

People can’t give these away now. 2020’s with 1K miles under $5K and not selling on marketplace.

[@travishimself1973]

8-10k here still.

[@bigdogboos1]

they need a 350R like real bad. it would sell a million units

[@onthebackwheel]

Would love one

[@graymangw6016]

Really good video.

[@onthebackwheel]

Thanks!

[@mohawksniper79]

I'm a yamie dude from way back loved my mid 80,s dt125 wish they would bring back the 400 duel Sport

[@onthebackwheel]

Yes please

[@petersjimmyboentardjo6663]

Plan to get one of this bike here in Indonesia, since 2015 was enter the market CBU from japan but not much selling at that time till today got a very little population kinda hard to get a standard condition, well lets hunt then

[@onthebackwheel]

Good luck with the search!

[@dmwi1549]

Wow, just checked out the prices in US. Still high in March 2023. Maybe I should sell mine. Haven’t ridden it since 2018.

[@onthebackwheel]

Shame on you

[@dmwi1549]

Regarding: no rides since 2018. That’s when an unexpected 6 month old, unwanted German Shepherd came into my life, I started hiking and camping instead of riding. My Harley and Yami have been up on stands since. Should have gotten a side car? No regrets.

[@onthebackwheel]

@@dmwi1549 side car with a dog in it would be pretty epic

[@xpllmmff]

A R3 engine powered twin cylinder small adv bike may be possible BUT it would never be the same bike and take the same position of the big bore thumper 250. Just think of Kawasaki who are selling both Versis 650 and KLR 650, same displacement, one twin cylinder and one thumper, the only common between them is the off-road capability, apart from that everything especially the torque output, riding experience, etc. is totally distinctive.

[@onthebackwheel]

For sure, different engine configs change a bike drastically

[@Zhaganashi]

I love my 250R ❤

[@onthebackwheel]

👊

[@jimu2896]

Searching for a new DS and there is one for sale in my local area. 2018 with only 1,100 miles.. I think I need it.

[@onthebackwheel]

Go for it, you know you want to

[@ryansadler696]

I just picked one up this year, such a great ride and I beat the piss out of it an it just asks for more! Too bad you're on the other side the world, I like your bike tastes 😉

[@onthebackwheel]

Nice mate, they are pretty sought after now

[@onthebackwheel]

Nice mate, they are pretty sought after now

[@bushsends6358]

wish they just did a 400r or 500r, something to outcompete a drz 400…

[@212driller]

Same. I'd buy that for sure!

[@onthebackwheel]

We can dream

[@garybennett2856]

I just bought a 2018 with 3,000 miles and all the upgrades included. Apparently the poor guy is going through a divorce and lucky me. Going from a Gen 1 KLR 650 to this bike and loving the drop in size and weight already. Ride mostly off road.

[@onthebackwheel]

Nice grab mate

[@Funco1979]

While it was a decent bike, I thought that it was a bit too expensive (originally $10,000 + orc in Australia) and people might prefer the DRZ400E. Sometime during the mid 2010s, I'm sure Yamaha reduced the price to $8000 + orc.

[@onthebackwheel]

I agree mate. No replacement for displacement as they say

[@teamneveadventures9528]

Loved my 250r was awesome unfortunately had to get rid of it for medical reasons

[@onthebackwheel]

That's a shame. Are you back riding?

[@teamneveadventures9528]

@@onthebackwheel nope, but slowly and steadily I will get back on a bike depending how my back gets.

[@justgonnastay]

Emissions regulations are ridiculous.

[@onthebackwheel]

They are getting silly

[@TheLotroNerd]

Are these california legal? anyone know?

[@onthebackwheel]

Mate I believe so. You'll have to get one with all the smog gear etc though

[@unknownps]

Not sure if its true but was told the wr was designed off an aussie race prepped ttr250 they flew back to japan

[@onthebackwheel]

First i've heard. Got to love the TTR250's

[@bobjenkins3rd]

6000cc SUV emissions ✅ 250cc motorcycle emissions ❌

[@onthebackwheel]

Let alone the massive tankers in the ocean

[@lutomson3496]

I have a 2019 with 870 miles and options...want to sell good bike but i never rode it though to much

[@onthebackwheel]

That's some low mileage, get out there and ride!

[@jameschicken7482]

t3 would be sick

[@onthebackwheel]

Be keen to see one

[@FishrockFirefly]

I love and hate mine. No direct upgrades other than the beastly 690 :/

[@onthebackwheel]

The market is dying for a worthy successor. 690 is bloody good too

[@Tom-gt8yv]

I got mine in the uk for 2700 with 7k miles on it :D

[@onthebackwheel]

That's a good buy

[@Tom-gt8yv]

@@onthebackwheel Indeed it is but its moore than 10 years old

[@onthebackwheel]

@@Tom-gt8yv true. They hold their value well though and are still sought after!

[@bluettr250]

It’s a street bike motor in a somewhat dirty frame.

[@onthebackwheel]

Nah this engine was designed for this bike. She ain't no crf300

[@doomztay]

Miss my wr250r I sold it in like 2018 or 2019

[@onthebackwheel]

Time for another?

[@doomztay]

@@onthebackwheel haha probably not, I’m starting to look into the sur-Ron x e-bike

[@callsignkasper624]

But don't they came up with WR250F instead?

[@onthebackwheel]

They are very different bikes. 250f is based off their motocross bikes, short service intervals and much higher performance. Good bike

[@callsignkasper624]

@@onthebackwheel I see, thanks for the info!

[@onthebackwheel]

@@callsignkasper624 no worries!

[@the.wayne.b]

i got a 2020 new for 6900. just ride it wide open no matter what lol

[@onthebackwheel]

Haha that's the way mate. If in doubt throttle out

[@3dentertainment301]

Lmao, mine is a 2019 and it's always full throttle. I can't drive the speed limit, just way to slow on a bike

[@hezzicat]

But we still can ride it

[@hezzicat]

:)

[@onthebackwheel]

Hell yes we can

[@tg8150]

No stock R3 makes 42 horsepower. Not even close.

[@onthebackwheel]

Definitely does at the crank. Roughly 36-37 at rear wheel depending on the dyno

[@al3xxx918]

I don't understand Yamaha anymore...

[@onthebackwheel]

They are selling too many Teneres, kids bikes and pianos to care

[@scottymac5174]

Any real WWR owner is going to ditch the stock emissions anyway...

[@onthebackwheel]

I know I would