How I set up my Yamaha WR250R as an adventure bike, and why I love it

I bought my 2018 Yamaha WR250R (lightly used January 2019) to use as an adventure bike, a motorcycle I ride on both paved and unpaved roads on multi day trips. In stock form, the WR is advertised as a somewhat dirt oriented “dual purpose” or dual sport/trail bike, rather than a travel bike. However, what I and so many other people love about the WR, is that its an excellent platform for building a pretty great light weight adventure moto, with just a few easily modified or bolt on parts.

A 250cc bike may seem like a small motorcycle to most of the North American adventure rider demographic, but I’m also physically smaller than most riders, and the WR250R is a higher performance machine than other lower price point 250cc bikes. At 5’4″, me on a WR is proportionally like an average size guy on something like a BMW F800 GS. After years of use, many multi-day adventures, and longer trips including a 3 week trip riding the COBDR and NMBDR, and a two month trip riding the entire Trans America Trail, I still really, really love my WR. I’ve had the chance to ride a variety of motorcycles, and I can say for certain I would not have enjoyed that BDR trip, or even the TAT on a larger machine. When off pavement, weight really matters, and the relatively light weight of the WR just makes everything easier and more fun. (More on why I think the WR250R makes a good adventure bike at the end of this post).

The WR250R isn’t only for small people, however. My 6’3″, 190 lb husband loves his WR. It replaced his Suzuki DRZ400, and he likes the WR better. He’s owned many motorcycles in the past, including a 150 hp Ducati Multistrada 1200 that he put over 75k miles on. Lately, when it comes time to pick which bike to ride, he mostly rides his WR. We’ve both toured on multi-month trips on larger machines, and if we had to pick a moto to travel on today, we would not hesitate to ride our WRs for any length trip, anywhere in the world.

The aftermarket possibilities for the Yamaha WR250R are wonderfully varied and broad. Everyone has their preferences for particular bike set up, and I thought carefully about what mods to make to mine.

Mods:
Lowered suspension
Moose Racing Pro Skid Plate (HDPE)
IMS 3.1 Gal Fuel Tank  or
IMS 4.7 Gal Fuel Tank (2021)
Magura Hydraulic Clutch
Doubletake mirrors
Warm & Safe Heated Gear Controller – Grips and Jacket
Aerostich heated grip kit
G2 Ergonomics throttle cam, and Adjusted throttle position sensor
Seat Concepts low comfort seat – Edit 7/2020 – Switched to Fisher seat in May 2020
Fisher Aftermarket Seat – lowered in front – best seat I’ve ever had
Rear rack – Vogels Fab Shop
Dirtracks side/pannier racks
Cyclops LED headlight bulb
Shorai Lithium Battery LFX09L2-BS12
Ais delete and airbox flapper mod
Zeta Armor-Guard Handguards with the LED XC hand shields
Aerostich Moto bar end hook
Switched accessory power
IMS Core Enduro Footpegs (2021)
Athena Big Bore Kit – (2023) *only because I had to replace the cylinder, piston, and rings anyway

Tire Choice – Pirelli MT21 front 90/90-21, Dunlop D606 rear 120/90-18

Details Below:

Lowered Suspension – I did this reluctantly because I’m short (I swear I’d give up a major organ for another inch or two of inseam, I could ride all the bikes!:). If you can learn to live with the stock suspension height, do it. Don’t lower any bike unless you absolutely have to. The stock WR has an infamously tall 36.6″ seat height, making it all but impossible for me to ride (it is not a dirt bike). Plus, the springs rates on the stock suspension are too stiff for my weight, which means it doesn’t sag enough when I sit on the bike (making the seat height problem worse), and the bike doesn’t handle properly. I certainly don’t need to flatfoot, but I did want it low enough to get both toes down. From a practical standpoint, I want to be able to dab a foot and catch the bike if it starts to tip; with the seat height any taller, by the time my foot hits the ground, the bike is too far over to catch.

Being able to get a foot down without having to move too far off the seat is important to me in a travel/adventure bike that’s heavier and carries luggage. Not being able to at least get a toe down while seated requires much more physical effort while starting and stopping, and results in dropping the bike more often on uneven terrain (even for riders much more skilled than I am). With a true dirt bike/trail bike, I am much more willing to put in the effort to ride a bike where I can’t really get a foot down, in order to preserve suspension performance. Dropping a dirt bike and having to pick it up isn’t a big deal, and an expected part of the experience. On a travel/adventure bike, I need to ride with lower effort to preserve energy in order to ride all day every day, and don’t want to pick up a heavy, loaded bike any more than I have to.

Fortunately, the stock suspension has 10.6 inches of travel, so after cutting down the suspension 2.5-in, I still have about 8-in of travel left. While not ideal, its still workable. With the aftermarket low seat and appropriate suspension sag, I can just get my toes down, which is enough. I also still have an acceptable 8 to 9 inches of ground clearance left, even with the added skid plate. After bouncing down the seriously rocky sections of trail on the Colorado and New Mexico BDRs, I’m satisfied in the performance envelope of the suspension. I’ll have to become a much better and more aggressive rider before this set up becomes limiting for me.

Suspension work was done by Go-Race in Christiansburg, VA, who re-worked both the front and rear suspension, including a new rear spring, cutting down the front springs, and did a fantastic job setting it up for me. I’ve never had the correct spring rates or adjusted damping settings on a motorcycle before. I’ve always just accepted the stock set up, which of course is not designed for someone my weight. Having the proper springs rates and damping is brilliant, and now I’ll never have it any other way. I had no idea what I was missing; I swear my riding skill and confidence improved purely because the bike now handles like it supposed to. Call Travis at Go-Race, he knows what he’s doing.

Moose Racing Pro Skid Plate (HDPE) –  Motos often don’t come from the factory with a skid plate, (or, at least, a functional one that’s not just for aesthetics), but its essential to add one on any bike that will be ridden off road if you want to protect the engine case. The Moose Racing Pro HDPE skidplate is both lighter and quieter than any of the aluminum choices. Some argue that the HDPE (high-density polyethylene) is less durable or not as tough as an aluminum plate, but I’m willing to run with it awhile to find out. People seem pretty confident in its ability to take a really hard hit once, but then its more likely to crack and break, whereas an aluminum plate is more likely to bend. Thousands of miles and many rocks later, my skidplate is still going strong, and worth every penny. I would definitely have spilled oil out all over the trail by now with out it.

IMS 3.1 Gal Fuel Tank – (Edit 4/2021 – See below, I now also have the IMS 4.7 Gallon fuel tank, installed on the bike in Spring 2021, because I apparently can’t stop farkling this bike). The stock fuel tank on most dual sport bikes is pretty small, typically 2 gallons, or even smaller. Range on the WR with the stock 2 gallon steel tank was typically around 110-120 miles.  In practice, even on day rides, that meant looking for gas stations every 100 miles, or sooner, which got old. For any adventures we take out west, which is geographically huge and much less dense than the eastern US, 120 miles sometimes isn’t enough to make it between gas stations.

Thus, there are several aftermarket fuel tank options. I’ve been happy with the IMS 3.1 gallon tank. (If you get the “natural plastic” color, the tank is transparent enough to see the fuel level, which is handy.) Range is now about 180 miles, which is usually enough. I considered the larger 4.7 gallon tank, but decided that 95% of the time, I wouldn’t need the extra range, want the extra weight, or want the extra problems created by installing a tank that large. (The 4.7 gallon tank requires a secondary lift pump, and some people also have leaking problems that are not straightforward to solve). The 3.1 gal tank fits more easily in the space, accommodates the stock body panels (not that I care much about appearance:), and is a reliable drop in replacement with a history of durability.  In the rare case that I’ll need more range, I’ll carry a spare fuel bottle or bladder or two for any “special stages,” and run lighter the rest of the time.

The plastic IMS tank does not come with any engine heat shielding, but I strongly recommend adding some to the bottom of the tank. The stock metal tank had insulation on the bottom, and I doubt Yamaha would bother if they didn’t think it was worth the money. We’re still not sure, but we think that our fueling trouble in the 95°F+ temperatures we experienced at lower elevations in Colorado may have been due to the fuel pump getting too hot. It could also have been bad gas, but regardless, neither of our WRs have had any problems since we added the insulation.

IMS 4.7 Gal Fuel Tank – After two years of running the IMS 3.1 gallon fuel tank, which I really like, I broke down and bought the larger IMS 4.7 gallon tank, which was installed in Spring 2021. I’ve been hesitant to move to the larger tank, but there are at least two upcoming trips I want to take that include stages that exceed the range of the 3.1 tank. I considered several options for carrying extra fuel, including adding a rotopax, collapsible fuel bladders, or just strapping on a can temporarily for any special stages. All came with drawbacks I didn’t like, and at least one trip is going to be a whole lot easier logistically if I have more range more of the time. I really didn’t want to carry more weight on the back of the motorcycle, as I was already starting to experience handling issues when fully loaded. Adding a bunch of fuel in a container of any sort on the back was really undesirable.

IMS 3.1 vs 4.7 gallon tank for the WR250R – The IMS 4.7 gallon tank gives me the most range I’ve ever had on a bike, and puts the weight up front, where I need it for good vehicle dynamics. I was concerned that the tank would feel huge, and that much extra weight would make the bike too much bigger and heavier, negating the nimble advantages of riding a 250 in the first place. However, initial impressions are good. I definitely notice the increased width in the seated position at my knees, but the difference while standing is not noticeable. The extra weight up front has actually made by bike handle better on the road (I have a modified suspension so YMMV). Off-road, so far anyway, the compromise is minimal. Its noticeably bigger and heavier, so the bike is definitely less off road worthy, but only by a small amount. I’m not trying to ride hard enduro with this bike anyway (or, let’s face it, any bike:), so for adventure riding use, initial impressions are that the trade-off is worth it. I’ll try to remember to update this space after I’ve traveled with the big tank, and whether or not I choose to keep it, or return to the smaller 3.1 tank.

Edit 10/2021: I rode the entire Trans America Trail with the 4.7 gal tank, and I doubt I’ll go back to the 3.1. In some ways, its a hard call. The 4.7 tank looks and feels huge. The weight is noticeable when full. The bike is slimmer, more nimble, and fun with the 3.1 tank. However, I loved having nearly 300 miles of range, and it unexpectedly made the bike more stable for road riding (I was having wobble problems at speeds above 60+ mph that have almost disappeared with the larger tank). The 4.7 tank was definitely worth it for the TAT trip specifically, and has proven to be tough and reliable. I’ve had no fueling issues, no leaking issues, and the tank has held up to multiple drops, including one where the bike slid down a steep hill on its side and pivoted around on the corner of tank on a dirt road. Given my use case for the WR as my travel/adventure bike, I’m planning to just keep running with the stupidly large tank. If you aren’t traveling on the bike, or you mostly travel where the range of the 3.1 tank is good enough most of the time, use the 3.1.

Magura Hydraulic Clutch – The Magura Hydraulic Clutch is a drop in hydraulic replacement for the clutch cable. Typically, I don’t seem to have a preference for cable vs hydraulic clutches. However, the stock cable clutch operator on the WR was not great; it was oddly snatchy, even when new. It made controlling the clutch more difficult than necessary. The magura clutch is really nice; its smoother (has less friction), easier to operate (less force required, which is nice for me because I have tiny hands), and its easier to modulate the friction point. It just works like you’d expect, and I’m no longer distracted by needing to think about clutch operation.

Note: The Magura does not accommodate the stock clutch safety switch, which is now disconnected on my bike. Pulling in the clutch is no longer required to start the bike.

Edit March 2023: Commenter JasonP says its possible to have the Magura accommodate the clutch safety switch using the following:
Magura 167 Hymec Clutch System Switch – 0723187
Magura Jack Hydraulic Clutch Assembly – 2100302

At this point, I won’t bother with my bike, but I might have done it this way from the beginning if I’d known. Its apparently also possible to accommodate the stock mirrors, but don’t do that. Buy the Doubletake mirrors below, they are excellent.

Doubletake Mirrors  – I wouldn’t have splurged on the Doubletake mirrors, but I got backed into it, and now I’m glad I did (I got the adventure Mirror). After I’d already committed to the Magura Clutch mod, which replaces the stock clutch hardware on the handlebar, I noticed the stock clutch lever mount also contains the stock mirror mount. After I took it off, there was no where to attach the stock mirror. So you see, I HAD to buy the super cool aftermarket mirrors. They fold out of the way easily and without tools, and adjust easily without tools. When one gets bumped out of place because I tipped over on a trail (or was just clutzy and ran into it in the garage), I can just put it back easily, and it stays put. Plus, vibration is low enough that I can actually see behind me while riding. A+ mod, would do again.

Warm & Safe Heated Gear Controller – Two channels, one for the heated grips, and one for the jacket/vest. We are believers in the Warm & Safe heat controllers. We’ve put them on many bikes, and the original ones we bought well over a decade ago (closer to two by now maybe), are still going strong. They cost a bit more than other options, but you get what you pay for. They are durable, and just work all the time like you expect them too. No chintzy rheostats, Warm & Safe uses the better choice of PWM (Pulse Width Modulation). They are really, really nice. Two knobs give continuously variable control to the either the grips, or my heated jacket.

Many riders still ride without heated gear, and that’s fine for them. I personally will not be without it, even during summer trips. I can stay comfortable so much more easily in changing conditions, and with fewer layers. Even in the summer, early mornings at elevation are sometimes down into the 30s and 40s, and there is just no way I can ride safely in those conditions without heat (I can barely take it that cold with heat!). I get way too cold. That’s also part of what is brilliant about the WR, is it has a large enough alternator that is has plenty of accessory power to run heated gear. Not many other bikes in this class do.

Aerostich Heated Grip Kit – I’ve written about this Aerostich heated grip kit before. This kit is great, and I’ve added it to several motos. Its cheap, and it works. I put them under whatever grips are on the bike, and the handgrips get toasty warm when I turn the knob on the Warm & Safe controller. I just toss the on/off switch that comes with the kit aside. The only downside is changing hand grips gets a bit difficult once you’ve added these. Also, if you don’t have hand guards, I would recommend having something on the bar ends to keep the grips from sliding off when they get hot (or choose an appropriate adhesive that can withstand the heat).

G2 Ergonomics throttle cam – The G2 throttle tube helps improve low speed throttle control. Like a lot of modern fuel injected bikes, the WR runs a bit lean at low RPM and part throttle in order to meet emissions requirements. The problem is that it makes fueling less smooth at small throttle openings. That, in combination with the stock throttle cam, made low speed maneuvering on the WR rather jerky. The stock throttle cam was a bit more aggressive than the G2 , which meant smaller inputs yielded larger outputs, which exacerbated the problems with inconsistent low RPM fueling.

Adjusting the throttle position sensor also seems to help the snatchy throttle quite a bit. This ADV thread has the how-to. Between the G2 the adjusted TPS, throttle snatch at low speed is much better, and I am happy with the current throttle control.

Seat Concepts low comfort seat –  (Edit 7/2020 – In May 2020, I upgraded to a Fisher seat, as the seat concepts was not comfortable for me. The Fisher is excellent. I’m leaving the original text in here for context.) I’ve had good luck with seat concepts seats in the past. They deserve their widely known reputation for making good seats. Previous purchases, especially for my TR650, have been very comfortable. Not as much this time with my WR. The low seat does a great job of being narrow and low at the front, allowing my stumpy little legs to reach the ground, but the wider part of the seat is not especially comfortable after a long day. Its better than the stock seat (that’s a low bar to clear), but by the end of a day of riding, my butt hurts.

For our trip out west in 2019, I bought a sheepskin seat pad from Alaska Leather. Alaska Leather is the recommended source for a sheepskin pad for a reason. They’ve been selling the high quality sheepskin products for a long time.  The pad has straps and clips to install on the bike. Its very easy, and surprisingly secure. The pad never slipped, or interfered with my riding. I’ve never had a sheepskin pad before, but I’ve heard others rave about them for years, and it sure did work. I rode the COBDR and NMBDR without the distraction of being saddle sore.

The downsides to sheepskin are that its mildly inconvenient to maintain. It collects dust, which you would be wise to shake out regularly. The pad takes a while to dry if it gets wet (and if you didn’t shake out the dust before it got wet, well, now you have a muddy mess). When traveling, its better to just not leave it uncovered outside overnight, so I take it off every night to put under the tent vestibule or bring inside (its easy, it just un-clips, but its still “one more thing” I need to manage while traveling). The sheepskin pad is a good value – it provides a lot of comfort for the price.

Still, my preference would be for a seat that doesn’t hurt my butt by the end of the day, and requires essentially zero maintenance. With my other seats, at best I hose or wipe them off on occasion if they get noticeably dirty. The sheepskin is comfortable, but does take a bit of effort. I may try again with another aftermarket seat option.

Fisher Seat – Edit 07/2020 – In May 2020, I tried again to solve my seat problems, and sprung for a Fisher seat. It was entirely worth it. It looks great, working with Fisher is excellent, and now I no longer need the sheepskin in order to make it to the end of a long day without being in a distracting amount of pain. I can travel without having to deal with the sheepskin, which was my goal. The Fisher is far and away more comfortable for me than the seat concepts. I waited until I had some ride time before praising Fisher, but the reality is that this is the best aftermarket seat I’ve ever had (and I’ve never had a good stock seat). Future motos will have their seats sent directly to Fisher, no more need to shop, after years of trying to ride with less pain, the problem is finally solved.

Rear rack – Vogels Fab Shop – This rear rack for my WR was a new vendor for me, and I like it, and would buy it again. The rack does its job of  giving me a secure place to strap my tail pack, and it has Rotopax mounting holes, should I ever want to carry extra fuel that way. The plastic has proven to be strong and durable, yet light weight. People often insist on metal as a material choice, but so far, this rack has taken a lot of abuse, and looks brand new.

Dirtracks side/pannier racks – I’m happy with the DirtRacks heavy duty side racks for soft luggage. They bolt right on with no fabrication effort. They weigh a total of about 5 lbs, which is about as lightweight as possible with steel (as opposed to aluminum, which is more expensive and less easily repaired while traveling), while still strong enough to be unlikely break and need to be repaired. So far, they’ve held up well.

The debate about how to carry stuff on a motorcycle is endless. Every individual motorcycle requires its own particular solution (with every new bike comes the project of figuring out how to mount luggage). I could probably write an entire manifesto with just my opinions on this alone. The short version is that the weight should be carried as low and forward (close to center of gravity) as possible. Backpacks should be minimal or non-existent; make the motorcycle carry the weight. Side bags should be top loading, and waterproof without adding any sort of “rain cover.” In the hard case vs soft bag debate, I am firmly on team soft bags. Those people riding around with those giant aluminum panniers attached to the sides of their motorcycles are nuts.

Every now and then, I look at the various “rack-less” luggage systems, but have yet to try any out. So far, I prefer the weight distribution allowed by having side racks, and bags I can position low and forward.

Right now, I am running the oh-so-pricey Adventure-Spec Magadan panniers. These are definitely a step up from the inexpensive Ortleibs I used for years (and are still good! honestly, the Ortleibs are great for the price, and astoundingly durable. A decade of abuse, and they’re still great. Mine were just too small, and lacked some other features addressed by the Magadans).  Jury is still out on these bags, but they are mostly really nice, and I think with a little tweaking I can address my minor complaints.

Edit 10/2021: I still have my Magadan bags, but ran the Trans America Trail with a new set of Turkana Hippohips. The short version is that I can recommend both. I’m tempted to write a longer review comparing each set; while both are very good, my “perfect” luggage would be a combination of the two.

Cyclops LED headlight bulb – I bought this Cyclops headlight bulb nearly five years ago for a different motorcycle, and it has just been migrating around the garage into various bikes since. Right now, its in my WR as a replacement for the mediocre stock headlight bulb. As intended, the Cyclops LED is both brighter than the stock headlight, and uses less power. I think its worth the upgrade, and would have purchased some sort of replacement LED headlight bulb had I not already had this one.

Word of warning: Newer LED bulbs may not have this issue, but this bulb puts out enough RF noise to interfere with the electronics on my TR650. My fancy German bike often wouldn’t start when this bulb was installed (some sort of security ignition interlock issue). I gave up and put the stock bulb back in my TR650. The electronically simpler WR250R has no such problems, the Cyclops LED bulb works great.

Shorai Lithium Battery – Shorai Lithium Battery LFX09L2-BS12 – I don’t mess around with lead acid batteries any more. We put Shorai lithium batteries in every bike we own, and then don’t ever think about batteries again. Lead acid is heavy, has to be replaced more often, is less reliable, and requires more maintenance (even if its just a battery tender). Lithium batteries save weight, last an impossibly long time, and have just been superior for me in every way. We hardly ever remember to put bikes on battery tenders, and with Lithium batteries, there is almost no need. We’ve had bikes sit for months that cranked right up. Lead acid batteries have left me stranded at a campsite in the morning when the bike wouldn’t start, and left my husband stranded multiple times on road trips. Lithium never has.

Here is a good primer on motorcycle batteries from FortNine. He concludes that the price premium for the Li battery isn’t worth it to him. I couldn’t possibly disagree more. I will happily pay $150 for a battery all day long for the weight savings, performance, convenience, and longevity (also, prices are going down for Li, the battery for my WR cost about $100 in 2019). In his tests in the video, he demonstrates the advantages and disadvantages of each battery type. I think his conclusion doesn’t value the fact that you don’t have to replace a Li battery nearly as often as the other types. I haven’t actually had to replace one yet. Li batteries in my older bikes have been there for years and have never been replaced. I would have gone through multiple cheap lead acid batteries by now.  Plus the other types require battery tenders, which, while minor, is one more small drain on my time, and that much more mental overhead, just so I can go ride. The video also shows the weakness of Li batteries as not having the equivalent capacity as batteries with lead; the light bulb on the Li battery goes out first. While I don’t debate this, I’m skeptical that this translates into a real world disadvantage.

I drowned my WR in a water crossing in 2019 (properly, water in the motor and exhaust), and in the process of trying to clear the water out and get it started on the side of the trail, we must have tried to crank the bike at least 20-30 times (or more? the water coming out of the spark plug hole seemed endless at the time). That’s a lot to ask of a battery without charging it in between, and when we finally got all the water out and put the spark plug back in, the bike cranked right up. The Shorai Li battery has never let me down.

Ais delete and airbox flapper mod – Removing some dubiously effective emissions equipment saves about a pound of weight, and provides a small improvement in throttle response and power. The how to is here.

Zeta Armor-Guard Handguards with  LED XC hand shields – These Zeta hand guards were a later addition that I did not add during my initial bike set up. When I bought the bike lightly used early in 2019, there was already a set of hand guards installed. They were cheap, and ugly, and terrible, and I never liked them, but it took me awhile to spring for an upgrade.

The Zeta guards are really nice, and I like the integrated turn signals more than I thought I would. At first, I was convinced that integrating the front turn signals into the hand guards was a terrible idea. Surely they would get broken. And yet, Kevin has had them for a while now, and they’re still great. Other reviewers say the same. Plus, they aren’t really that expensive to replace. It doesn’t hurt my feelings to remove the ugly, non-LED stock front turn signals and replace them with brighter LED lights that use less power. I’m slowly converting all the lighting to LED, maybe eventually I’ll change out the rear lighting as well.

Aerostich Moto bar end hook – I bought this inexpensive little bar end helmet hook on a whim, and almost didn’t include it in this list as it hardly counts as a mod.  However, its value in promoting marital harmony alone is worth the purchase.

You see, I have this bad habit of trying to set my helmet on my moto seat whenever we’re stopped somewhere long enough to take helmets off. Messing with moto gear in general is always a bit annoying, as when its warm outside, when you take a break, you want to take off your helmet, gloves, and jacket during breaks. But then where do you set them? I sometimes set them on the ground, but you need to be careful, as that runs some risk of infesting your gear with ants and other bugs, ask me how I know. So I’m forever just piling my stuff on the bike.

The problem with the WR in particular is that the seat is not really wide enough to set my helmet on securely. Its just sort of balances there somewhat precariously, and easily falls off with the slightest disturbance or breeze. (Anyone reading this who values their helmet is cringing right now). And then my husband gets mad at me, and we get frustrated with each other. My helmet falling off my seat apparently bothers him even more than it bothers me.  So, for $15 and a few minutes of installing this on my handlebar, I now always have a place to hang my helmet, which avoids further marital discord. That’s some inexpensive marital counseling:)

Switched accessory power – I almost forgot to list this, as it just something I do to every plated bike regardless of whether or not I plan to travel overnight on it. While listed last, this is definitely not least. This was the very first thing I did to this bike. Being able to charge electronic devices is convenient, even on day rides. On the WR, I have switched power running into my tailpack, where I keep an SAE to USB adapter, so I can charge any electronic device that uses USB power while I ride – cell phone, camera batteries, etc. I use this so much to keep my phone charged I forget the bike doesn’t come like this stock. I use the power cord in my tailpack every ride. I also have switched USB power running up to my handlebars, to provide power to a GPS device. We try to use SAE style cables whenever possible. The other accessory power I use is the heated grips and jacket I listed above. The extra work to wire in all the accessory power so that its switched with the ignition, rather than just pulling directly from the battery, is definitely worth the effort.

IMS Core Enduro Footpegs – I broke down and upgraded the stock footpegs on my WR to some IMS Core Enduro footpegs very early in 2021. The IMS pegs are very nice, and I would choose this mod again, although realistically upgraded footpegs are a splurge and certainly not necessary. Here’s my gripe about adventure bike footpegs; the trend is to buy these very large platform footpegs that make riding in the standing position easier and more comfortable. My complaint is that adventure bikes are not Harley’s with floorboards, proper riding while standing up when the terrain gets more technical requires being able to move around on the bike, and being able to rotate your foot around the peg like a a dirt bike. A footpeg that is too big makes proper riding more difficult, and if its too long and low, will be more likely to catch on ruts, rocks, and roots. The IMS Core Enduro footpeg for the WR is only 0.5″ longer than the stock peg, and 5/8″ wider. Its just enough to give me a more solid connection to the bike, without getting in the way. The stock pegs are really small, and even with my smaller than average feet (compared to the average male moto rider), I found that especially in more technical terrain, it was difficult to re-position my feet. I had to aim carefully when moving around on the pegs, and standing up for extended periods was tiring. The Core Enduro footpegs are just enough bigger to increase comfort and make riding easier, without sacrificing function. Plus they are really burly; when the bike is reduced to dust, these footpegs will be the only remaining part, and probably still look like new.

Athena Big Bore Kit – As of March 2023, my WR250R is now a WR290R.  This mod is definitely not worth it unless its necessary to replace the cylinder, piston and rings anyway. Here’s the thing about modifying motorcycles; in engineering, there are no solutions. Only tradeoffs. Any change to a moto from the way the factory developed and tested the bike introduces potential new failure modes. I don’t want project motorcycles. I want reliable machines that carry me on thousands of miles of adventure. I don’t want to have to fuss with the bike to get it to work right. If I want a motorcycle with more displacement and power, I should just buy one that was made that way from the factory. I had specifically rejected installing the Athena Big Bore kit on my WR250R until now because I didn’t want to deal with the potential aftermath. Spending a lot of money and effort to alter a perfectly working motor, and risking the potential of making it less reliable, for a measly 40cc worth of displacement and a tiny bit more power, had never seemed like a good idea to me. However, in early 2023, the motor was no longer working, and I was going to have to replace the cylinder, piston, and rings in order to get it running again (along with the intake valves, springs, seals, gaskets, etc.). It would never be cheaper or easier to install the Athena Big Bore kit, rather than buy OEM replacement parts. The sad story of premature motor failure that ended with the (potentially) silver lining of the big bore kit is here.

Tire Choice – I’m currently running a Pirelli MT21 90/90-21 on the front, a Dunlop D606 120/90-18 on the rear, and have been very satisfied with tire performance and wear. Based on my reading elsewhere, this seems to be a popular combination for the WR, and I can see why. As a rider who started on street bikes and is migrating toward more riding in the dirt, I’ve always hated how knobby tires handle on the road. The pirelli/dunlop tire combo on my WR has far better road manners than tires this knobby have any right to, and I’ve found them to be pretty confidence inspiring for most off-road dual-sport conditions. They seem to last over 5000 mi on a set. That’s good enough for me.

Praise for the WR, and my preferences for what makes a good adventure bike

So far, I’m very pleased with the modifications to my WR; its a great lightweight adventure bike set up. I also don’t anticipate moving to a larger machine any time soon. I love this little bike, and honestly, its nearly my “perfect” do it all bike. If it had 10-15 more HP (without much weight gain or higher service requirements), a small amount of wind protection, and switchable ABS, I’d probably sell my remaining street bike and just keep my WR as my only plated bike. I love it that much.

I continue to look at what motorcycles are available on the market, and for years on end there is just nothing quite like the WR. It continues to have a unique balance of characteristics that make it just perfect as a lightweight adventure bike.

• Weight – My WR is 295 lbs (verified) ready to ride before luggage. Currently, there is nothing else on the market that is as both as capable and anywhere near that lightweight, that also meets the other requirements. The more I ride, the more I value low weight off -road (the lower the weight, the more fun I have). I value light weight in an adventure bike more than almost any other characteristic.
• Accessory power – The WR has a surprisingly massive 350 W alternator, which is just much larger than most other bikes. Its plenty for the bikes own electrical system demands, with lots to spare. Having enough accessory power is not a “want” for us, its a must have for our climate and long distance travel. We use it for all sorts of things, including running heated gear, and keeping gadgets charged while on the road. When camping, there’s often no access to shore power.  We use the heck out of the generous accessory power available from the WR.
• Wide ratio transmission – critical for a bike that you want to use on slow, technical terrain, and also on the highway. The WR (which by the way, stands for “wide ratio”, for exactly this reason) has a 6 speed transmission with a gear ratio spread from 1st to 6th of 3.36. This is a wide enough spread to crawl along a trail in 1st gear, and go 70+ mph on the highway in 6th. In practice, any transmission ratio less than about 3.0 is likely too narrow. The DRZ400 has a spread of just 2.65, which is a major complaint for that model. It’s either too tall for the trail, or too short for the road. People change final drive sprockets endlessly, and there’s even an aftermarket wide-ratio gear set. My Honda CRF230L had a massive 3.75 transmission ratio spread, which was incredible, and almost too much for that little motor.
• Ability to carry luggage – the WR has a rear sub-frame capable of carrying enough weight, and there are several easy aftermarket bolt on options for carrying panniers/saddlebags.
• Suspension travel and ground clearance – In stock form, the WR250R has a relatively capable and somewhat higher quality adjustable suspension. I was able to lower the bike to fit me, and still have 8 in of suspension travel, and about 8 inches of ground clearance. By the time you lower most larger bikes, there isn’t much ground clearance left.
• Range – A bike either needs to be able to go 180+ miles on a tank of gas, or be easily modified to do so. The WR is very easily modified to have enough range.
• Service Intervals – 3000 mi oil change, and 26k valve checks. This is a bike I can travel on (or even just own) without being a slave to its service requirements. The WR has also proven to be very durable.
• Both the battery and the air filter are accessible without having to remove the seat or the luggage. When I’m traveling, I can do all the usual maintenance items that happen on  a long trip; cleaning the air filter, oil changes, new tires, without removing the luggage or the seat. Being to replace the battery in a random parking lot somewhere in just a few minutes when it dies unexpectedly is really appreciated.
• Fuel Injection  – Carburetors are annoying to live with in my experience. FI is superior for many reasons, including when riding places with substantial changes in elevation, and is my strong preference. I don’t have to mess with it on a regular basis, and I don’t have to re-jet to ride at higher elevations. FI allows for both more power, and better fuel efficiency. (There are compelling arguments that carburetors are more reliable in places in the world with inconsistent and often poor fuel quality. I believe it. Having fuel injection is not a “hard” requirement for me, I’d give it up for a bike that had everything else on my list).
• Power/power to weight ratio – While I wish the WR had a few more ponies, its not a slow bike. Its light weight enough that the power to weight ratio is decent, so its quicker than outright horsepower numbers would suggest. Being power limited is hardly ever a problem. Mainly, its only when I find myself doing more high speed road miles than I’d prefer, especially on steep, long uphill grades, do I wish for a different bike. The WR250R is just not quite as capable a street bike as I wish it was.
• Joy to ride, build quality, and overall capability – the WR250R is a fun bike. It has a nicer build quality and higher performance capability than most of the Japanese dual sports. The components are just nicer – including better suspension, and better brakes. The high-revving motor is almost literally 1/4 of an R1 (Yamaha’s flagship sportbike) motor, including titanium valves. The combined effect comes through in the riding experience over the “entry level” budget bikes. Riding the WR makes me smile, which is the entire point.

As I look around the market, I look at all sorts of bikes; from the Japanese dual sports like the DRZ400 or Honda CRF250L Rally, to the more expensive euro options, all the way up to the KTM 690. I had high hopes for KTMs new 390 Adventure, but that bike turned out to be a heavy and disappointing budget machine. It weighs more than the 690, so its only appeal seems to be the price. I keep hoping to give KTM my money, but they haven’t managed it yet. I had hoped the new Honda CRF450L would be the updated DRZ400 I fantasize about, but its not (oil changes every 600 miles, perhaps too narrow transmission ratio, and zero accessory power). All of the wonderfully light weight euro plated dirt bikes advertised as dual sports have the same issues – short service intervals, no accessory power, narrow transmission ratios, and inadequate luggage capability. Everything else actually advertised by a manufacturer as an “adventure” bike is far too big and heavy for me.

My poor husband is periodically subjected to my extended opinions about “what is best in (adventure) bikes,” and those conversations typically come back around to the WR250R. It just makes the fewest compromises.

Trips I’ve taken with my WR250R:
(The longer adventures that I’ve blogged about – not every ride makes it onto the internet:)

2023 MABDR (with the Zero DSR and Harley Livewire One) – 14 days (~2000 mi)
2022 NEBDR,QC,Newfoundland,Labrador (with the Zero DSR) – 68 days (8600 mi)
2021 Trans America Trail (TAT) with the electric  Zero DSR  – 57 days (7610 mi)
2020 SM500 – 6 days (1000 mi)
2020 TVT – 6 days (900 mi)
2019 COBDR and NMBDR – 23 days (2800 mi)

Edit 11/2020: Look; probably, at some point in the future, one or both of us will trade our WR250R for a different motorcycle for adventure touring, if only because we’ll have worn the 250s out, and they don’t make new ones any more. For now, there is not a single motorcycle available on the market that either of us would prefer. We’ve looked. The current top contenders, the Honda CRF450L, KTM 500EXC, KTM690 enduro, and Husqvarna 701, all involve trade offs that at this time aren’t worth making the switch for either of us. People seem to think that riding a 250 around on the road is some sort of punishment, but honestly, we mostly have a blast (and don’t have trouble keeping up at legal road speeds). Its still plenty of fun (and cheap!). The comfortable after market seat is much more important than larger displacement. If you’d rather have the better road performance of something like the KTM 790 Adventure, and the extra weight doesn’t matter to you, definitely buy the 790. Its a fantastic motorcycle, arguably the best adventure bike on the market right now, and one I’ve definitely considered buying. For several years now, all 5’4″ of me and all 6’3″ of my husband would rather ride our WR250Rs.

Edit 12/2021: My WR250R is still my favorite bike. I rode the entire Trans America Trail (TAT) with it this summer; 7610 miles in 57 days. There is still not a single motorcycle available anywhere I would have rather taken. Conversely, Kevin became the first person ever to complete the TAT on an electric motorcycle, which is decidedly far less appropriate for the TAT than my WR. That trip was a fantastic challenge; we both loved it.