250-500cc wr300 ?? '09 or '10

Hi all, finally decided to let the KTM 300 go and get a newer Husky to keep the '82 company. I'm considering a wr300 of course, but have found an '09 and '10 & only about $700 difference. I believe I've read the 09 was a brute & the 10 was more tame. Is there a big diff btween the two with the suspension & chassis? Thanx in advance. Can't wait to get back on a Husky...............
Steve in FL

Hi. I do not know about the motor differences. I do know the forks are different ('09 Marzocchi and '10 KYB). I have an '09 WR125 with the Marz and a '10 TC250 with the KYBs. I like the KYBs better....but two different bikes. I should switch them one of these days. Other people seem to like the Marz better after they have been tuned. I usually do not have my suspension redone on my bikes, so that does not help me much. I did have a WR250 with revalved/sprung Marz and liked the way that bike rode a lot.

There is a dealer near me that has a '09 WR300 sitting on the floor for what seems several years. He has dropped the price, but not enough for me to buy it yet. If it gets low enough I will buy it.

JS

The KYB forks have alot less problem than the Zoches. Have heard alot of complaints about to much clearance on the Zoches bushings leading to alot of seal leaks.

If you are young and fit the wr 300 is a great powerhouse and right up your alley. If you are past your prime or like me always loved it never that good the the Husa or KTM may be more to your liking. The Gas Gas 300 is also a mellower ride.
I think the biggest detractor apart from the power hit is the lack of electric leg.

Well I dont consider myself especially fit or young (50) but the wr300 is easy enough to ride with plenty of low end for tight technical stuff and enough power for a bit of fun when you want. I have just fitted the race head which has improved things a even more, but I totally disagree that you have to be young and fit to enjoy a 300.

get the '09, send the fork to LTR, have $$ left over for goodies, tires etc.

I don't know who thinks the 09 hits hard, but mine is very controllable. Power is smooth, tq is great and the suspension is bearable. I've noticed the forks get stiff once they heat up, or it could be my mind playing tricks on me. No need for electric start either IMO, it starts very easy. Of course, I'm young at 36 with only six surgeries, two herniated disc and a pinched nerve so I'm fairly healthy and able to handle the kick only.

thanx for all the input guys, really appreciate it. I am kinda leaning toward the 09, (since I'm kinda cheep) & I also came across an 09 wr250, so many choices.... but I do love the power of my 300 KTM, and since I'm old(53 lol) and slow(fat??) I like the flexibility of the big smoker. So I guess I'll be getting myself a Father's Day present, haha.

Before you make up your mind, check this post out - http://www.cafehusky.com/threads/09-wr-300-50mm-zokes.18655/

see my post there.

get the '09, jet it, break in the fork and send it to Les, spend the rest on a tank, bashy and tires. sit down and enjoy the roll-on barooop!

e-starts on smoker's are for girls.

I'm 53, I love the power and you learn to deal with the kickstarter. Despite what I wrote in my other posts about the forks, I do like the way they feel (can't wait to try them now). I had a set of open cartiridge KYB forks from a KX on a KDX, the valve stacks were modified and race tech valves were installed. I like the Zokes much better.

Spend the money you saved on an elliptecal trainer from craigslist

good one rob! you guys are making WANT a 300 bad now. stop it.

Or you could buy my full built 09 Glenn Kearney pro race bike. See classifieds

Why you selling it, Pinnit?

I lOve the bike that's for sure. I bought a gas gas txt 300 pro, and since I'm so short the trials is much easier for me to ride. I'm only 5'7 and 165. It's too much bike for me. I would keep it but can't afford to have the husky and the gas gas. I will crate and drop off for shipping for free. I shipped it to Hawaii from the east coast for 700. I really do live it and I wish I could have both, but where I ride I can't really stretch the wr's legs. So it makes more sense to sell her and let someone else enjoy it. Motor was fresh when i bought it. I put about 40 mellow hours on her and one enduro race.

From all that has been written on these bikes, the 300 is a bored 250 ... In this 'bored' case of engines, it seems readily accepted that the 300 will have more bottom end that a 250 due to the boring ... Also, from 2001 or so, the 250 models have had little if any changes other than plastics and in the latter yrs, the forks nave changed ... Maybe shocks also? The 300 came into a play a few yrs back with a bored 250 engine ....

You're not gonna go wrong with either model ... About all Husky would do is retard the ignition to slow the bikes down more like they did when they started calling the CR models WR models in ~2003 time frame and of course, soften the suspension and added more FWW to the WR models ... But if you are looking for puppy love out of a 300 Husky, forget it and go buy a TXC250 4t...

There was some threads here where specific bikes had real issues with the marzocchi forks having a defect and causing the seals to leak ... And that was what appeared to be on a specific bike ... I don't quite see how the bushings at the top of the fork tubes can cause the seals at the bottom of the forks to leak but maybe they can ...

My marzocchi seals might leak after riding in the mud, but cleaning them always stops the leaking ... Same as the FS shaft...Cleaning it after mud rides stop it from leaking ....

PS -- there is the case of the resale value of an '09 vs a '010 but this again may not be too big an issue down the road in distance future ...

If the zokes only have one bushing per fork, that would be a huge problem.

My 300 is for sale and ready to go...

man, racer726 that's a good looking 300. Too bad it's so far away from FL. I may b interested in some of ur parts depending on what year I end up with..

I had a wr250 for four to five years... The only problem i ever had with zokkies were the springs... On the other hand i have had a lot of issues with the KYB.. i have a big problem with binding fork legs... they tell me it's to do with the axle alignment ... never had that issues with marzocchi fork ever...