Why I bought a (almost) brand new WR250R over a CRF300L and KLX300 in 2021!

[@samlarson2501]

I think the WR250R is the best dual sport ever made as well. I'm also a tall guy (6'2" 34in inseam). Love your videos.

[@gregorbabic7664]

As a 6’3” tall guy and WR owner and lover, I highly recommend the seat concepts tall seat and I love the GORace suspension work I put in it. I think of the WR as a solid bike built for abuse. It feel like a billet piece of aluminum versus a sheet metal weldment like the Kawi and Honda. Now if only they would release a new one that was a 300.

[@petewebb5149]

Fully agree with you. As a past crf250l owner who did the first documented cbr300 engine swap into a crf250l and equipped it with an Ohlins rear shock and fork tweaks amongst many other mods/upgrades to it and now owns a WR250R there is no interest in a crf300l for me as the WR250R continually has me thinking how versatile and capable it is when I'm riding it.

[@OgreMoto]

Wow that’s awesome! So you had the actual first crf300l!

[@gregorbabic7664]

I don’t understand these comments about the WR not having power in the low end. I am 6’3” tall and 188lbs or so naked. I have an 09 WR with the air box flap removed, the basic enrichment tuner and the exhaust flap fully open. The bike doesn’t stall on me and I ride it on tight singletrack with no issue. I sold my KTM 200EXC because I found the WR more comfortable and capable of 90% of the speed I could do with the KTM. I seriously catch up to guys on proper dirt bikes on the trail regularly. I only went up to a 45 tooth sprocket in the rear to make up for the larger diameter Dunlop 606. And still I rarely use 1st gear on the trail. Lug it in 2nd and 3rd on the few straights or whoops. And my bike was an abused one I bought off a young guy that had looped it smashing the rear lights off. It’s at some 32,000 kms now. So not what I would call a top specimen. Shit, I got the thing for $1900 CDN some 4 years ago now. It regularly amazes me at the abuse it takes and how well it performs.

[@RichRich-jl5oh]

love the wheelie to back up your knowledge 😂 i believe every word you say about these bikes now.

[@finerbiner]

I had a WRR but you nailed it with the revs. I am older and mostly cruise around forest service roads. I would love if Yamaha joined the 300 parade.

[@OgreMoto]

Better yet make it a 350 or 400!

[@Tarsarian]

I went from trying to purchase a 450RL which was too expensive for what they offered. Then tried to purchase a KLX 300 but nobody had them in stock. I found a used 2018 WR250R for 4k with 1500 miles on it. I jumped on the deal and never looked back.

[@andrewcannon587]

you would need another $2k to debottleneck the 450L. You are looking at 14k and still have medium high maintenance bike

[@Dirtpoorhomesteader]

Having owned both. (Still own the 300) If forced to keep them stock then WR all day no questions asked mainly because of suspension. Having worked out the suspension I love the 300 way more mainly because of the light clutch pull, torque and highway ability. However if your riding hard offroad the WR still wins from a power standpoint. If kept on the boil you can stay close to that little power band and really go. I would say they are both fantastic and just go with which one suits your riding wants desires.

[@directgrover]

You made the right decision my dude! Enjoy it!

[@user-se7vt5ow4e]

Suspension is the main reason for buying the WR.

[@zone47]

I had a chance to buy a new one in 2021 (not realizing they were dis continued) but at $7500 out the door didn't do it. I later had to drive 300 miles to pick up a 2800 mile 2020 for $5500 from a dealer. It was street ridden only and looked like new. My other choice would have been the Honda but I felt the Yamaha was better in overall quality plus I like the higher hp, lighter weight, great suspension and 26,000 mile valve adjustment spec. I'm between 70 and 75 mpg with mine which is amazing.

[@billingsfmx]

Ive always been a Yamaha fan. I wanted a new dual sport and ended up picking the klx300. I wish yamaha would have had a new option. Hopefully theyll come out with something in the next few years. After adjusting the suspension, bigger foot pegs, and bar risers the klx is making me happy. My friend has a WR 250 so Ill have to ride them side by side to compare.

[@OgreMoto]

Hell yeah man. Main reason I chose this is because the chassis is bigger, fits my bigger frame more. Can't go wrong with any 3 of these!

[@billingsfmx]

@Rev Armstrong i recently changed my gearing from 14/40 to 13/42 along with more dirt oriented tires and it really pepped the thing up! Its like a different bike offroad now!

[@brockjohnson4116]

@@billingsfmx I thought stock IS 13/42?

[@lw8447]

powerful stator as well. Even though you may not need it..

[@gregorbabic7664]

Yeah. This is a very valid point. I installed heated pads under my grips for warm hands up here in Canada. And I run a heated jacket for the 90 minute ride home after hitting the trails when the evenings get colder.

[@FullSpeedImpulse]

I'm hunting down a crf300 right now. And I might have to look for a Yamaha now. Lol. It'll be my first enduro. Have owned big bikes, quads and really enjoy pitbiking!

[@TreeSawTTV]

She's badass! At 14k no troubles

[@skaragianis]

Thanks for posting a positive WRR review. Bikes are a journey but I believe there is no better do it all too. Hopefully Yamaha does it again sometime. For now I feel very lucky to have one

[@OgreMoto]

I feel the same way man.

[@jefferywalton8176]

Yammy looks cooler, but I love riding the crf300l. Suspension sucks, but price was great.

[@OgreMoto]

Yup, it’s a great bike!

[@deltoid77-nick]

Cfr300l has better MPG. And it's better for beginner Riders

[@PrimoStracciatella]

I'm not a beginner, I'm a fan of enduro bikes because of the high/upright seating position, suspension, wide handle bar and light weight. Had a XR650L and a DR650SE years ago, they always brought a smile to my face. In Thailand I had a CRF250M supermoto with stiffer suspension, bigger front disc and longer gearing for better top speed. Loved that bike and rode it 30K km in 3 years. Since I don't do much dirt I'd go with the CRF300L, soft suspension won't be a problem on the street. If there'd be a CRF300M I probably would have one already!

[@frankcastle5993]

I think I will chose CRF300l Rally for on and off road. I agree with you WR250R is for off road, if I go off road only I will Chose WR250R like you.

[@skaragianis]

For big road miles you’d want a much bigger engine. At this end it’s a compromise. The WRR is good on dirt and okay on road (I traded an X300 for one and actually prefer the WRR on road). A rally is okay on road. And okay on dirt. You’d still want a bigger bike to do big road miles. So why compromise the dirt/weight? Just trying to help and subjective for certain

[@Squidbert79]

I strongly considered the WR (always been a Yamaha fan), however I ruled it out due to my midget like inseem. Definitely a great bike I'm sure. Put a deposit down on a CRF300L and hope to take delivery within a couple weeks. I'm sure I'll enjoy the torque, updated dash, etc. May upgrade suspension at some point. Probably do some ECU / exhaust work to chase some higher output. I don't do any "hardcore" riding off road but the WR probably does cater to that crowd a little more, at least out of the box. Thinking I can apply the difference in cost of the CRF vs a WR on some upgrades to close some of the performance gap (suspension, engine). Anyway, nice bike!

[@OgreMoto]

Hell yeah man. Luckily in this day and age it seems there’s an option for everyone! Enjoy the 300 man it’ll be awesome!

[@spring9603]

Honda CRF300L has about 11% more torque than WR250R, the 300L should actually handle your body frame better than the WR. There was a speed test between WR and CRF300 and 300L was nearly 1s faster. Probably if you've tested the 300L you would've picked differently. Indeed the suspension is softer and not proper for off-road and that would've been an additional investment.

[@tieoneon1614]

I seen u riding Conover, u must be from Wisco too. The WR250R should have been the WI bike for me, after moving back home here from the desert. Tiger 800xcx, KLX250, YZ250FX, CRF450X were the bikes i switched from the past 5 years in CA and AZ. But...test rode a '21 Kayo K6 250EFI. Its a great Unicorn Bike for me. Iv been all over northern WI and UP past few weeks. Single track, logging roads, railroad tracks LOL. I got sick of high strung race bikes, and heavy slow dual sports. I agree the WR250R is still a better option than the 300's. Although I may bite with whatever Yamaha replaces it with...

[@OgreMoto]

I'm very excited to see what Yamaha replaces it with!

[@nickbazan27]

have u ever ridden dyracuse?

[@ddacaro]

Thanks for spending the time to share. The DRZ/WR250R to 300L conundrum has been on my mind, especially since I got myself a 300L recently. I've ruled out the DRZ a ways back, but really wondered about the 250R and if it might have that extra ruggedness that I want for camping and single track. 460lbs on the WR is amazing. I'm a non aggressive rider, but have had some get offs that really had me thinking about that damn integrated 300L subframe. I'm glad to hear your opinion that it's a hot bendable or weldable repair because I assumed this was the case, in the face of so many others talking about a bent subframe in general terms as totaling the bike. So far my 300L feels vibey/buzzy in second and I'm not happy about that since a lot of slower single track requires that. Otherwise I'm pretty happy with it. What do you think about reliability on the WR?

[@OgreMoto]

WR’s are extremely reliable, maybe even more so than the 300L. But the load rating is actually 408lbs for the 250R. Still crazy, but I was wrong. The DRZ can also take quite a load too, it also has a super stout frame.

[@Gigachadly]

I own a klx300r and a wr250f and while the f is deffs noticeably lighter & arguably easier to handle, the 300 will smoke it’s boots without even trying. I also noticed for whatever reason air filter on my wr gets dirty way faster then my klx even riding on same trails same speeds, klx could in theory tow more too if you ever had to tow a quad or maybe deer etc, all in all I like my klx300r better but I think the WR does have a advantage over it with its lighter weight build.

[@OgreMoto]

WR250R is completely different machine from the 250F and the KLX300 is heavier and more detuned than the 300R. Both the bikes you mentioned aren’t street legal too. Also a new 250F is a much faster machine than the 300R. The 250F makes 8 more Hp and is lighter. I assume yours is older.

[@Gigachadly]

@@OgreMoto I don’t have a wr250r I have a wr250f when I said the air box on the wr gets dirty faster I was referencing the WR250F. My 300r is a 2022 and my WR250F is a 2015 and it does go faster as in a higher top speed but nearly every-time I’ve raced with friends on it I have a pretty good lead in a straight way until I’m topped out on my 300r. I did buy the 300r brand new and the yammie was used so idk if that has much effect on anything but that’s just my experience. My 300R also has a dyno tune and T6 exhaust & the yammie stock.

[@MrSilus2000]

I need a comparison from someone that rides street a lot too. I’m debating between the crf 250 rally

[@theSkavenger84]

Wr250r for the win

[@chopperenduro6590]

When l went lookin for a reliable 6 spd backroad trailbike , one that has a strong enough subframe to mount a milkcrate on a rack so my 16 lb jack russell terrier & l could enjoy adventures together on , the WR250R was my lst choice but Yamaha had already dropped it & l couldn't find a new one or a low mileage mint used one anywhere near my home state so l had to face facts here , any used bikes out their sellers were asking a crazy price for so facing reality my bike of choice was out , enter the CRF300L . In my opinion its a lesser bike for sure but with some $$$ thrown its way it could be made to work for my dog & l as a fun play bike , l have 2 KTM's for harescrambles/enduros/dualsports a 300xcw & 400exc plus a mint XT225 l got for my wife that my dog & l use more then her on backroads/trails but is too small from seat too pegs that it hurts my knee's on longer rides so l finally , recently put a deposit down on a 22 300L at my local dealer which is maybe 30 miles away , so while l agree on your choice of bikes l had to go the other direction because of lack of availability of just finding a WR , enjoy your bike & we will do the same once it arrives .

[@snarrdental]

I have a 2010 Wr250r and still love it. Want to rework the suspension though.

[@gregorbabic7664]

If you are comfortable doing the work yourself, refresh your fluid and rebuild the forks and shock with GORace valving and new shock head and seals. It’s amazing on the rough trails afterwards and rides like a Cadillac smooth. And no more rear kicking up into you. I found I could ride the same trails and much longer now than I could with my KTM200EXC which yea was faster but it beat you up as well.

[@xcaceuk]

CRF300L every time, it has great low down torque, simply needs an off the shelf suspension upgrade for off road. One of the best bikes Honda have made and ready for RTW adventures too with good top end speed for a 300cc. Hope you enjoy your WR, and maybe Yamaha will come good with an updated version to compete with Honda and Kawa’ at some stage.

[@OgreMoto]

No doubt the 300L is a great machine, and yeah better suspension would make it a better off-roader, but at my size I wouldn’t be able to push it like I can the WR. Thanks for commenting.

[@nyedavis922]

Have you ever ridden / owned a WR?

[@gregorbabic7664]

I think the height of the rider and willing to pay for the upgraded suspension would be the deciding factor. No way it’s a clear cut decision. I thought I would love the 300L. But sitting on one at the dealer made me think how cheap it felt compared to the WR and it definitely didn’t fit my 6’3” frame as well.

[@karl7feet]

I just bought a stock 2015 WR with 141 miles on it two weeks ago, I am 6‘11“ tall and weigh about 250 pounds, so I’m looking forward to seeing what modifications you do with this bike. I’m interested in seeing if you lower the foot pegs and add bar risers and higher bars to give the bike a little more room. I bought this bike because I had a good experiences with a Yamaha 90 MX as a teenager, and also because of your tall guy perspective ergonomic recommendations. Keep up the excellent videos, I love all the information you give us and how you analyze each bikes characteristics.

[@OgreMoto]

I have lowered Fastway foot pegs that are made for a YZ250, no clue what model they are and they required modification to fit, but they work great. I’ve had Rox 2” risers and Tusk Chub CR Hi bars for a long time now though. Plus I also have a seat concepts tall seat. I’ll just have to make a video on how my WR is setup for tall people.

[@karl7feet]

@@OgreMoto That video sounds like a perfect idea! If you could show exactly how you modified the foot pegs that would be great. I’ve got the tall seat concepts seat, Rox 2 inch risers and now tusk Chubb CR high bars on my to do list, along with the foot pegs you mentioned. Thanks for all your help! !

[@OgreMoto]

@@karl7feet keep in mind with the taller bars you need a +2” clutch cable, and you’ve gotta flip the throttle housing upside down in order for the throttle cables to work. But I can’t really give advice on the foot pegs because I don’t even know what model they’re for. I bought them off of the Facebook marketplace for like $25.

[@karl7feet]

@@OgreMoto Whatever information you can provide is greatly appreciated and maybe somebody else will post information on what footpegs will work when you post the video. I’m amazed at how much information people contribute when you get everybody talking about a subject, seems like somebody always has an additional piece of information that helps. Thanks again for all your help.

[@karl7feet]

Adam H, I paid $6,500 here in Seattle.

[@WRjockey]

You say the CRF300L has more low-end torque. Perhaps I misread the charts, but what I saw was 16.99 pound-feet for the WR and 16.7 for the 300L?? Or maybe you meant that the 300L has more torque at the lower rev range? In any case, I don't really care, cause I bought a new 2020 WR this year and I love it. Originally I was thinking I'd go for one of the new 300s. I completely discounted 250s because of perceived lack of power, until I came across this gem. I was very, very fortunate that I heard about it when I did. A dealer not far away from me had ONE in stock, and the day after I put a deposit down, he said he had 10 inquiries about it. It must have been fate! lol The WR is in my garage and I don't think I'll ever sell it. Thanks for the great video.

[@OgreMoto]

I meant that it has a higher torque figure at a lower rev range. That’s my bad. And thanks man.

[@Mkik41]

Hello . What is your choice about 250 cc Honda, Yamaha, Kawasaki and Suzuki motorcycles for adventure?!

[@chadjohnson7712]

Wr allday!!! I really feel the 300cc bikes are overhyped not in the since they don't perform good but they are just catching up to the Wr 13years later. Nothing really stands out about them they just played it to safe for me it was a missed opportunity to take over and stand out instead they made bikes that are up to par with the Wr but not better in anyway. If I have the 3 bikes in front of me I'm taking the Wr everytime without a doubt it's proven to last and still out performs the 300s. I love my Wr best bike I ever owned I will never ever sell mine.

[@OgreMoto]

Hell yeah man. In a lot of ways the 300’s still aren’t up to snuff with the WR though. The chassis, geometry, suspension, and weight of the 300’s still don’t touch the WR. Basically all they’re caught up to the WR on is sheer power, and even then, they still don’t make as much peak power.

[@alexquevedo831]

I think you nailed!

[@andrewcannon587]

I see you still kept your old 3-wheel trainer

[@DH-3on_sAm]

i'm 5'8' on a good day do u think i could vertically ride it? i would probably ride it on rocky steep terrain like in arkansas my last bike was a 99 kawa kdx 220 thanks

[@OgreMoto]

Honestly, you should be looking at a dirtbike for that type of stuff lol.

[@benjiesmith1791]

I was wondering what happened to the African twin?

[@OgreMoto]

I sold it 😔

[@benjiesmith1791]

I have a 2013 wr250r love the bike but thought about the twin for more longer rides! Keeping my wr! Any complaints with the twin?

[@propjr.capuchino5808]

I agree.. 💯%...

[@Hawhyin69]

The fact that this bike requires premium fuel is a deal breaker for me.

[@OgreMoto]

I run 87 in mine because it’s all that’s available here. It doesn’t run any different than my old one.

[@tg8150]

So at 2 gallons full, you can’t swing an extra $1 or so at fillup? I’m thinking you should’ve gotten a bicycle instead. 🙄

[@Hawhyin69]

@@tg8150 Because I keep 50 gallons of 87 at my house. Good job assuming my reason followed by an insult. Small brain activities.

[@ooatamanov]

Thanks for a great video! 👍 and subscribe from me. Do some more video of technical riding... if possible on stock wr250r. Some people say wr250r has no power to lift front tire over the logs but for you it's looks like no problem 😊

[@OgreMoto]

My WR is completely stock besides ergo and suspension mods. I actually did some black diamond single track recently, I’ll have to upload it soon! I have a short where I do a bunch of log hops though! Just gotta work the clutch!

[@shaymtbrider7244]

😂 😆 😝 funny review . Wr rear suspension is joke compare to klx

[@JohnnyBoy919]

As a wr250r owner myself I completely agree. The thing is in my case I'm 5'7" 135 pounds (without gear) and I can pretty much tippy toe the wr250r and I enjoy riding aggressively in the trails. However for my build and the low end torque and lower seat height of the crf300l are really tempting. I just wish the crf300l had bolt on subframe, lighter weight and better suspension. But it is cheaper than the wr brand new.

[@OgreMoto]

The 300 looks like an awesome machine, and sounds like it’d be perfect for you! Although it is cheaper, there’s a reason for that. The chassis is weaker, made of cheaper material, it’s smaller, suspension is worst, and it’s not setup to just take the abuse the WR is either.

[@kennyyoung4117]

🤑

[@Sertao2013]

The 300l rally which is about 50 pounds heaver and has a 3.4 gallon tank can still go from 0-to 60 faster than the yamaha 250 and the 300l is even faster than the rally . Watch this video kzbin.info/www/bejne/eoLTYqOurK-lhtk . If you stop your video you type out a very important fact that the 300l has more low end torque which is what most single trail riders want because your having to go at slower speeds on tight trails and keeping the wr from stalling at low speeds is a major pain in the ass . Like you typed out you have to keep the rpm very hi to keep the bile going . So the wr is not the bike to get for more technical tight trails . The wr is only good in wide open trails mainly flat trails where you can go at faster steady speeds like fire roads or open desert trails . The wr is closer to a enduro power band . Its not quite motorcross band and not quite enduro . Normal everyday riders that like to jump off road and do the local trails are not going to pay the extra 1,000 dollars for a hi power band bike . That might be the main reason the wr was ended . I think once yamaha saw the specs on the klx 300 and the crf 300l with its low end torque that 90 percent of the people are looking for in the sub 6,000 bike they know it was over for the wr . When you can't go from 0-60 faster than a bike thats over 50 pounds heaver with only a few cc more then its time to quit .

[@OgreMoto]

To each their own. if you like the 300L, more power to ya. 300L is just not for me. Thanks for watching. ✌️

[@leeroykelly781]

why not make a wr300r or rather some sort of YZ300r?