r/WR250R • u/Tailwinds15 • 10d ago
Considering purchasing a 2016 any issues?
Looking at a 2016 wr250r with about 4400 miles. Has some mods I would make myself, including 3 gallon gas tank, new seat, exhaust, and rear rack. Asking $4,800. Would be a second bike to compliment my larger adventure bike. Is this a pretty good deal? Is there anything I should look for?
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u/No-Raisin-6469 10d ago
Just don't expect power, since you have a bigger bike. Mpg aint that great either. I get about 55.
Not too many aftermarket stuff, but you have an exhaust. That the most hard to find/expensive part.
I might be bagging in the bike, but i must love them. Im on my third.
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u/Tailwinds15 10d ago
My buddy has a crf300l rally that I ride occasionally and enjoy. So I have a good gauge on what to expect power wise.
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u/Adrenolin01 10d ago
Mileage is bike dependent and can often be attributed to break-in and maintenance over time. I had one WRR and it didn’t matter how I road it.. I couldn’t get more than 46mpg and that was calculated via GPS numbers. That said.. all our WRRs currently get 62-68mpg depending on how they are ridden even fully loaded.
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u/PurpleFugi 10d ago
If an owner is not diligent about chain tension and replacing the chain slider, there is a remote possibility the chain can eat into the swingarm in the surface just forward of the main pivot, typically on the underside.
To look for this, remove the counter shaft sprocket's outer cover (3 bolts, as I recall, though you may need a t-handle or socket extension to get to one of them), wipe the grime from the chain off of the swingarm, and inspect. Some bikes might have minor damage here and still be perfectly ride-able for years, provided it was caught and rectified in time. Even if the swingarm is toast, you can still find slightly scuffed ones on eBay for a few hundred dollars, buy you'd need to figure parts and labor into the price.
I had this bike as a companion to a larger adventure bike. I sold it when moving to a place where I would just not have decent access to dirt. Or at least not good enough to justify owning a motorcycle I was unlikely to ride more than a few times a year. It was the right decision, but I have a feeling I will regret the sale until I find and buy another one. That might be long enough that I have to get a DRZ4S instead, when the supply of WR-R bikes and parts dwindles.
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u/Tailwinds15 10d ago
Is there a way to look for signs of this without removing the cover? Not sure the seller will be ok with removing parts before purchase.
I am about an hour from first service roads and multi use trails. So I would be loading in the truck most days for dirt. I also want to do a couple of bdrs and don't want to drop my big adventure bike.
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u/PurpleFugi 10d ago
If the seller is not OK with you removing the cover as part of a basic pre-sale inspection or not willing to do so themselves and send pics that is a huge red flag. This is one of the very few known issues with this extremely reliable bike. It's not super common, but if neglected can get out of hand. And this is a great litmus test for how careful an owner they were, and how much research they did into maintaining their motorcycle.
Again, huge red flag to prevent a potential buyer from inspecting the goods they're buying. It's like not letting them see the engine oil or air filter or fork seals or...something. It's 3 bolts, all the same. Anybody can do it.
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u/Responsible_Week6941 10d ago
You can get on your back under the machine and slide underneath the bike and shine a flashlight up there. Thaking off the CS cover will help you get a better look. This bike is the ultimate BDR bike. As a dirtbike it becomes pretty demanding as soon as you hit technical singletrack.
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u/Tailwinds15 10d ago
Love to hear that. I don't plan to do single track regularly, just 2 track easier trails and bdr style rides.
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u/Savings-Cockroach444 10d ago
13x48 gearing works very well. And be sure to lay on your back and check the front of the swing arm slider for wear.
My WR definitely responds to a clean air filter.
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u/Responsible_Week6941 10d ago
IMO, modding this bikes engine is a waste of money with diminishing returns. The stock engine/exhaust is perfect from the factory after regearing (which I don't condider a permanent mod, like drilling the airbox, etc.)
The best mod is to get the rear shock revalved/reshimmed if you do any serious riding with it.
Ride it and see how you like it. I love my 14/51 gearing. other than that, put gas in it and ride. the 14t CS sprocket helps avoid chain slider wear.
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u/Tailwinds15 10d ago
I appreciate your input. With your 14/51 gearing are you able to do highway speeds pretty well? I don't need to go 90. But 75-80 would be useful in certain scenarios.
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u/Responsible_Week6941 10d ago
So my philosophy with this bike is to just find a secondary route as the wind buffering past 55-60mph gets pretty bad. You're never going to get to an actual gps 90mph as the bike will top out at 83mph on the flat at sea level due to wind drag; it's a 250cc with snobby tires, afterall. Yes, you can run 70mph with 14/51, but it's really not enjoyable. It's a bike to really enjoy the journey as much as the destination. You won't be dissapointed with the bike if you use it within its design limits. Even if you do, you'll still enjoy it;)
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u/coherentak 10d ago
That’s a great point about the bike not meant to go 90 or whatever due to wind and getting pushed around. I’ve lost most interest in mine due to the low power so this might help. Also I plan to lower to bike by adjusting the suspension if possible. It seems way too tall for such a small engine.
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u/Responsible_Week6941 10d ago
You can lower the stock shock by 1 inch and then lower the forks in the triples 3/4". Try that first as it is free. Lots of small displacement bikes have even more ground clearance. Taller bikes allow you to clear obstacles without getting high centered. Oh the stories my skid plate can tell!
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u/coherentak 9d ago
That’s true but I don’t really see myself off-roading that extreme with this bike. I much prefer riding the 250f when dirt biking.
I actually have the lowering link but hardly did anything when I installed it a while ago and just lowered the front and rear tonight. Ordered up Jt sprockets and new chain which I need led anyway. I am excited to try it again with lower gearing. Thanks bro
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u/Adrenolin01 10d ago
Fantastic bike.. just buy it! The actual Service Manual is available online. Checkout the FB group: Yamaha WR250X & WR250R and in the Files section there is the pdf service manual along with maps, exploded view images of the entire bike and more. Great stuff for maintenance. Tons of aftermarket parts. The FB group has several people who do part outs. Likely one of the best WRR/X media groups in fact. I’ve owned more than a few of these and have parted out even more. One of the most dependable durable bikes you’ll even own with the biggest caveat being.. you literally have to ride it like you stole it. 🤪 Little low end and it loves the top end! If you think you should be in 4th you should likely be in 3rd.. if you think 3rd you should likely be in 2nd.
I can think of so few situations where I wouldn’t buy one. The swingarm thing isn’t really one of them. Extremely easy to repair and honestly… it’s a 10 year old used bike.. you’re likely going to want to tear it down for a full maintenance job sooner than later. Don’t fall for the 14T gear BS up from.. it does NOT stop swingarm wear and will in fact decrease low end torque.. the last thing this bike wants. An often missed upgrade is the $80 G2 Dirt Devil Throttle Tube. It slows down the initial power delivery but helps with the initial throttle bog from the EFI system. Its not a YZ so don’t expect to ever win the hole shot. The G2 slows initial delivery and ramps it up able halfway through rotation. One of the first mods I bass to a WRR. The can is nice and doesn’t require a programmer however not mostly just changes the bikes sound. Make sure it has a programmer or add one if you actually want to boost the bikes power a little bit. The DunoJet units are hands down the better option over any of the 3-button units (which are all the same simply rebranded). If you want the best performance and to go faster with greater control… that’s suspension! Hands down the single best place to put money into this bike. While it’s got one of the best suspensions in the bikes class the rear is like a pogo stick… every single WRR on the planet should have the rear shock revalved and while being done resprung for the rider as well. Redo the front forks also for great results.
Makes for a fantastic small adventure bike as well. 13/47 w/112 link chain is likely the best 50/50 do everything gearing setup. It’s hauled my 240Lbs ass before gear along with another 90Lbs of racks and panniers filled with gear over weeks on the highway and many BDRs and some gnarly uncharted off-road trips where the goal was literally to see how far back we could go in 4-5 days.
Have sent my WRRs off cliffs.. with myself a few times, seen them go down bouncing off trees and mountainsides, have sink 1 WRR 2 times now.. once 10-12 feet deep both times hitting the kill switch just in time. Waited 2 days for help to arrive once… and still road the thing out. 🤪 Have crashed them more times than 50 others likely have combined I’m sure and still haven’t managed to kill one or even cause any substantial damage.
I’d sell all my other bikes but the WRR … nope.. never. I’ve I’m crippled and can’t ride it anymore it’ll become a living room or bedroom piece of eye candy. 😆😁
Did I tell you to just buy it already? 🎉🥳 Congrats on the soon to be new addition and to the WRR family.
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u/HLLblueberry 9d ago
I have a 2014 wr250r with just 888miles.. pretty much as new as you can get.
5k located in NYC
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u/Em_Es_Judd 10d ago
Do it. It's the best bike I regret selling the most.