250-500cc Shout out to my WR250

I bought my 09 WR250 as a left over in 2010 for $4.900.00 I've put a few mods on the bike mostly to accommodate my 6'6" 200 lb self. Tall soft Guts seat, Fastway pegs, tall Fly bars, BRP Scotts under-bar mount helps with my old man wrist injury and gives me extra bar height, 5.6 rear spring, 4.8 front springs and the usual bark busters.

The performance mods are few; Tubliss set up front and rear, 13:50 gearing, Gnarly pipe and Lectron carb.

You get the point, nothing fancy and most of the mods aren't even necessary except for my unusual height.

I've been maintaining the bike like I should and regularly have a peek at the piston by removing the pipe and the reeds. Today it's raining so I thought I'd do a compression check. I was pleased to see my Snap-On compression gage settle on 200 psi. No wonder it likes VP110 so much better than pump gas. After 2 1/2 years of riding that's not bad. These bikes are stone reliable and anyone who is thinking about getting one should consider the benefit of low cost which leaves money for mods and low cost of maintenance because they are tough as anvils.

There is a few things I have found were helpful to me but may differ from some of the CH members posts.

1. Most say to set the fork tube in the triple even with the 1st line mark. I prefer mine even with the top chamfer this little difference keeps the front end from knifing under in mud and sand and was noticeable by me and others that rode my bike.

2. The 50mm Zokes don't need anything fancy but getting the right spring for your weight is critical. SKF seals and the right springs with Maxima 5w oil and they are really good.

3. The shock isn't bad but every now and then it will kick off something in a weird way. Next winter when it's due for service I think I'll have it tricked out a bit.
CH is full of posts giving reasons why the 125, 144 or the WB165 is the best thing ever and I don't doubt the benefits of less weight (I own a really slick heavily modified YZ125) but 90% of what I read about the 165 is the same reasons I like my WR250. Then add more grounded and stable feeling along with crazy good midrange torque and a jet pack top end.

RIGHT ON, 50mm Zokes are the nuts and yes spring rate is critical. Nothing better than the old 250wr.

I cant remember seeing a trail ride comparison between the wr 165 and 250. It would be interesting.
Anyway I am in 167 form right now and I have the same accolades as you.
Why the tubliss?

The old WR is a great bike! And has won me many trophies. But I will say I myself like the ergos of the 124/144 09 and up much better. But darn right both bikes totally capable mounts! And man are those engines bulletproof!!!

I had an 06 WR250 that was really fantastic. If my nephew didn't have to have it I would still own it. I still think that I would prefer the WR/CR165. It is just so easy to ride anywhere with no worries about getting worn out by the extra power/weight. They are different animals and there are certainly areas where I would prefer the WR250.

I have an 04 WR250 that was the love of my life for both tight trails and desert conditions. It has the old 45 Zokes with Riders Edge base valves/shim stacks (which really improved them), Rekluse Z Start/LHRB and six speed transmission. A really great bike!
The problem is that it sits home these days because the 09 WB165 gets the nod. My original idea was that the 250 would be the desert bike and the WB the Coast Range bike, but it hasn't worked out that way.
Thank you Professor Bean!

The Tubliss allows me to run 4-7 lbs in the rear tire and 9-11 in the front with no chance of pinch flat plus it protects the rims from rock dings by acting like a 360 degree rim lock.

I would surely like to ride a WB165 and compare it to my current ride but I'm just not sure I can live without the 250 low and mid power. I have owned a GasGas 200 and been on a KTM 200 and in my opinion neither of them have it. Long ago my brain was programed to shift in to 6th gear and that is one thing I wish my 250 had.

X2. I turned my 09 WR250 into a supermoto, kept the dirt rims/tyres with the idea that ill just switch wheels if I want to ride dirt. Now I'm thinking that with brakes, chain, etc changes needed, it all seems like too much hassle. Thinking of buying a new WR125 and making it a 165 for the dirt, as for the areas I ride I rarely used all the 250's power. I like the fact the 125 will be lighter and more nimble, but wonder if ill miss the 250's low to mid. Would love to ride one and see.

I think youd only miss the low end on rare occasions . I didnt really notice a huge increase in low end on a 250 compared to the 144. They seem to spin up pretty quickly . A 165 is probably what youd like

Doug, start looking for a 6 speed and make the swap next winter. Pretty easy and really sets the 250 free.

That's one of the things on my list, the solid rear rotor with the guard is another. In 2010 I was really torn between buying my 250 for $4,900 or at that time a cr125 for $3,695. Now they are priced like that again, maybe I'll hit a stroke and buy one and have my choice depending on my mood that day.

I've ridden in AR and it's nearly identical to what I ride in MO. The rocks, roots, and logs require a fairly soft compound with low pressure but the rocks will kill your rims and pinch flat your tubes. I use a knobby but have also used a MT43 trials tire. Make sure when you switch to Tubliss make the switch when you're putting new tires on. Rim lock impressions on old tires will affect how the inner liner seals to the tire.

Tubliss is very dependent on tires as well. DO NOT attempt to run it with MX51's in MO/AR rocks. I was tearing through the caucuses constantly. I've heard some other tires are much better for it. I never tried it with a Bridgestone 404, but I think that that might be the ticket.

Also for a small bore, the Tubliss is great. I replaced the 4mm ultra hd tubes I had in my KTM 200 with the Tubliss and it was the best thing I could do for the suspension and acceleration.I put those same ultra hd tubes onto my WR when I bought it, so they've got something insane line 300 hours on them without a flat, but I did pull the Tubliss off the KTM when I sold it to try on the WR one of these days.

My brother has a WR125, and it's a nimble little bike, but my...no so fit figure...needs the extra umph on the 300. The 125 frame with the 250/300 engine was my hopes for the 2014 WR300 that will never be.

only one thing better then a wr250...............and thats a 300!!

I am debating the trials tire.
I dont have mud to deal with and I love running creek beds. Tubliss is on my short list.

I've run Tubliss with a 19" mx51 on a YZ125 and a CRF450 in the MO rocks and an 18" Bridgestone 404 and a MT43 on my GasGas200 and WR250, I always make sure the inner liner is between 100 and 110psi and after 2 years I have not had one flat or bent rim. (knock on wood) I put about 4-6oz. of Slime type sealer in the low pressure tire just as a back up and to minimize seepage when the bike sits. I've figured out that if you run a harder/stiffer tire with less pressure you will get the same performance as a soft tire and a lot longer tire life. Also a knobby at lower pressure will give similar performance to a trials tire in the rocks and is way better in the loose stuff and the sand and mud. My next rear tire will be a hard desert tire with about 1-2 psi. I just haven't made up my mind which one yet.

All I'm going to say is I'm crazy about my WR250. It gets a five dancing banana rating in my book.

Last week end i had my first decent ride out on my wr 250 and all i can say is wow.