XT250 vs Super Sherpa vs KLX250S vs CRF230L
 

Might have to buy a quarter-liter dual sport. Prefer an air-cooled bike, but I'm finding good deals on all of the above.

From what I've gathered, the KLX and CRF are the most dirt worthy, the Sherpa is the most highway capable with the smoothest engine and best street gearing, and the XT is the easiest to maintain. At 200cc, I'm not including the Suzuki DR in the running.

I'm leaning towards the Sherpa with a high front fender conversion. I'd be buying the bike for an 85/15% mix of street/trail; mostly commuting to work, school, and back. Givi hard case kits are available for all four of these machines.

I've found some pretty awesome deals on low mileage 2005 KLR250's as well.

Thoughts?

http://www.happy-trail.com/images/2/Sherpa_E21-007.jpg

I would seriously look at the WR250, it's not air cooled, but I think it's a nicer dual sport and would be a great hardcore dirt bike.

If your split is 85/15 street/dirt... why is your heart set on machines that will be so lacking on the street?

Just an observation, I'm sure you have reasons... on the surface it just doesn't make sense to me.

KLR 650? If you are going to be slabbing it at all, you're life will probably much saner with more displacement. What you are saying seems like what I hear everyone say before they ride home on a KLR 650.

I'd focus on the xt or the sherpa. Those seem to be the choice around here if you aren't into the wr.

The WR's seat height is WAY too tall for my midget's inseam. I'm finding 08 and 09 KLX, KL, CRF, and XT bikes with less than 500 miles on them for $3K and under. Similar WR's are listing for $4500 and up.

I don't need outstanding performance. I want efficiency and durability. What little time I spend in the woods will be slow-speed adventure touring. Sight-seeing and camping, mostly.

I may not spend much time on the trail, but I want competence when I do.

I'm open to the motard versions of these bikes as well. For example:

2009 Kawasaki KLX250SF Motard - $2995

http://images.craigslist.org/3kc3m63...170bfa1ce4.jpg

I've given the big KLR a lot of thought. It makes more sense for carrying a passenger, too. But, it is heavy, and it is tall. I don't think the mountain trails around here would be tolerant of such a big bike (at least, not with a relative novice like myself at the controls).

Yeah, after learning on a DRZ and seeing whats out there and hearing Derf pretty much describe the 650 as a DRZ clone, I wouldn't look at the DRZ400 or KLR650 ever again. Stuff like the Wee Strom/Versys/other more comfort DS touring bikes make more sense if you aren't going to be riding really tough trails. If you can fit on a WR (which you say you can't), it's where it's at for more hardcore dirt and has a 6th gear for street. The XT and Sherpa are decent and light, so they would be ok. They will not like being on the highway at all though.

I've read that the Sherpa is the smoothest-running of all the 250 dual sports, that it cruises at 70 mph even easier than the liquid-cooled KLX. That said, I would still avoid the expressway whenever possible. Such speeds are obviously not within any of these bikes' comfort zones.

I like the looks of the XT best:

http://images.craigslist.org/3m83o43...febfa11f45.jpg http://images.craigslist.org/3k43m73...57bc0815ac.jpg

The Sherpa has better build quality, apparently. Things that are bare or painted steel on the Yamaha are stainless on the Kaw.

Guy just told me he'd take $2500:

HONDA CRF230L 2008 - $3500 (Franklin Ga)

Only 148 miles. Too bad the CRF is the smallest/weakest bike of the bunch. I hear a jet kit and drilling out the exhaust a bit really wakes it up, though...

You can try to justify the rest of them any way you please, but the bottom line is none of them are 1/2 the bike the WR250R is. I've got a friend here in town about 5' tall and he rides one. I know a few really short women who ride them, too. There are lowering options.

Used ones can be found for $3,500 if you look hard enough. Go cheap now and you'll wish you had spent the money later on.

I really agree, the WR is just a much better bike bar none.

Not bad:

2008 WR250R - $3000 (Rockmart Ga)

Too many miles, though.

I kinda want to buy that one and sell my DRZ

Why do you think it has too many miles? Mine has 14k and you can't tell it from a brand new one. The valve check intervals are 26.6k miles. It's built like a tank.

Damn, 26.6k? that's pretty fucking impressive.

It's very rare that I buy any bike with more than 1,000 miles on it. 3,700 miles is PLENTY of time to have the shit beaten out of it. I suppose I'd have to see it in person, but even a pretty exterior doesn't guarantee that care was taken while riding.

With sportbikes and dirtbikes especially, you never really know what you're getting when you buy used.

I offered him $2500.

You can either have cheap, or you can have new . . . you can't have them both . . . just an fyi.

It's a single cylinder off of an R1, so it shares the same 26.6k mile valve check interval as the R1.

Dunno about the new ones, but I took my MSF course on a Super Sherpa years back.
It was pretty fun, though I can't speak for its true 'capabilities'...you don't really get to explore much in the class environment. :lol:

Depends. Sometimes you can find "very close to new."

By no means do I consider any of the bikes in the title of this thread cheap, especially not for my purposes. Zongshen-- that's cheap. Pretty sure any of these Japanese offerings will hold together at my relaxed pace.

The 26,600 mile valve check interval is pretty awesome, however. Compare that to about 6,000 for the air-cooled bikes.

Guy won't budge on his WR, understandably. $3K is a good price. The seat height and mileage are my greatest concerns.

The bike lists for $6,300. $3k is a screamin' deal with less than 4k miles on it.

Mileage isn't bad . . . range is an issue with the stock tank. I get anywhere from low 50's to just over 60 mpg if I'm easy on it.

The tiny stock tank sucks ass, imo. I have the 3.5 gal Safari tank on mine and my life is so much better for it. I can actually ride past a gas station now :lol:

By "mileage" I was actually referring to the odometer reading. Still not comfortable buying a bike with almost 4K miles on it.

I remember one of the bigger magazines road testing the WR and returning better than 70 mpg. Obviously, I'm after as high a number as possible. The air-cooled bikes discussed above are all extremely efficient. Fuel-injection on the WR will make winter mornings a bit easier, however...

Ouch. Might have to make do with stock:

Yamaha WR250R/X 3.5gal Safari Trail Tank
$449.99

The list of accessories already installed on this particular bike is pretty decent. He claims he has $8600 total invested. FMF Powerbomb header, FMF Q4 slip-on, Power Commander, Zeta handguards w/ signals, DRC tail light kit, etc. I wonder how necessary any of this is, and if I could recoup some of my purchase by just putting the stock pieces back on. I'm trying to find some dyno comparisons between stock and his set-up...

You'll like all of those mods. My friend put his on the dyno. Stock he got about 22hp and after these same mods he wound up with 26.8hp. Here is his dyno testing - http://www.wrrdualsport.com/tech-guide/dynotesting

IMS just released a 3 gal tank that is quite a bit cheaper and doesn't have the added complexity of an auxilliary vacuum fuel pump. Here's some info on the IMS - http://wr250rforum.forumotion.com/oh...ally-t2531.htm

Maybe I should hold out for the 4.5 gallon. Touring is one of my goals with this bike.

Only picture he's sent:

http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2005-...556/wr250r.jpg

Can't make out much. Looks like I'll have to ride out and take a look in person.

It'll tour, alright. I did 3,300 miles in a little over a week this summer including an iron butt - http://www.advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=595729

There is an adjustment screw on the bottom of the shock to drop the seat a little bit, you can decrease the shock pre-load a little to drop it even further and if that isn't enough, there are lowering links available.

Cool trip. I'm originally from Flint, Michigan, and I've been to many of the places along your route.

Pictures made me homesick.

How tall are you and how do you fit the WR? I'm 5-foot-8 with a 30-ish inch inseam.

I'm not keen on lowering links or anything that alters factory geometry. Not unless absolutely necessary, anyway.

I'm 5'-9" with a 30" inseam. I dropped the shock with the oem adjustment screw, but haven't messed with it other than that. As a matter of fact, I increased the spring pre-load a little bit for when I'm carrying luggage.

Here are a few shots to show you I fit just fine with my little 30" inseam . . .

http://i52.tinypic.com/16izib7.jpg

This was from a beer chug race :lol: (that I won, btw)

http://i55.tinypic.com/11watr8.jpg

Same bike, just 326 miles, only $700 more...

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eB...m=180563866650

Budget? What budget...

Yeah, but this one doesn't have any of the goodies on it. Good if you must have an unmolested bike, but bad if you're on a budget. The other one had quite a bit of $$ already in upgrades that you'd have to spend if you wanted to really uncork this one.

Cheap upgrade list -

$20 AIS removal kit
$200 - FMF fuel injection tuner
free - open up the airbox
free - drill down through the exhaust to open it
free - (if you have a welder friend) - remove ex-up valve
~$100 - 47T rear sprocket and 110 link chain from rockymountain
$85 - skidplate (depending on if you ride in the rocks)

That much will get you a great running bike for as little as possible.

For touring -

$400 - Wolfman dry seal saddlebags/mounts
$250-450 - bigger gas tank
$30 - heated grips

I also bought a heated jacket, gloves, and a dual controller that set me back another $400, but since I ride year round it was money well spent.

I also ride year-round, but I've never used heated grips or gear. This may be the year that all changes. Georgia winters are usually pretty mild, but last year we saw about 60 days straight of sub-15 degree mornings. Naturally, those were the days my truck decided to break down, so I had no choice but to ride the motorcycle...

Regarding saddlebags, I'll be going with these:

Yamaha WR250R SU Side Rack
http://www.happy-trail.com/images/4/WR250SU_M.jpg

You can buy an entire kit with Givi E21 hard cases for $400. Not the most ideal set-up for tight trails, but overall the best option for everything else. Their racks will hold soft paniers, too, of course.

Of course this is all personal opinion, but if I were to buy saddlebags for a street bike, yes, I would buy hard boxes. Using hard boxes in the woods is the best way I can think of to break your leg. Soft bags only for me on this bike. If you put your foot down to catch yourself and your foot gets pulled backwards, your leg will snap when it comes in contact with that hard case.

The WRR is also the only bike out of any of them you've been looking at that can handle the electrical load of all the heated gear you can plug into it. I just bought mine last winter and oh boy, it's nice.

Almost decided to call this guy back until I discovered the Honda needs a valve check/adjustment every 4K miles. Too often for as much as I ride.

$3K is my limit. Just need to find a WR with fewer mods and less miles. The weather is changing... something will turn up...

U sure the chick in the yellow didn't win?redflip

Well, since she was my pit crew she was on the winning team ;)





btw - it might not look like it, but that chick in yellow would give anybody on here a run for their money on the track. She can fly. Seriously. She's embarrassed many a man who used to think he was fast.

Something's fishy:

08 WR250R - $2000 (jefferson hills)

page not found

Yeah . . . no title. Stolen bike.

He says he already sold it, anyway.

Pretty stupid to list a stolen vehicle online with your phone number-- and then leave the ad up weeks after selling it-- if that is the case. I wonder if it wasn't wrecked, determined non-rebuildable, and then put back together anyway.

This just popped up:

2009 Yamaha WR250X - $3700 (Ware Shoals)

$3500 or less and I might have to grab it. I'm wondering if there is an "adventure" stye tire to fit these motard wheels. Since I'll be doing more commuting and fire roads than single-track, skinny knobbies probably won't be necessary.

I've seen X's with all kinds of tires on them.

17" D606's will fit

17" MT21's will fit

There are others, but you get the idea. Mount up two rear tires and have a ball.

I have the XT225 and really like it. It is not the best street bike but then again I have knobbies on it. Power is ok, very short first gear. There are people that have gone around the world on them with no problems though. I plan to beat the shit of out mine for years to come.

http://www.loisontheloose.com/america/index.html

Should have run a Google search before I posted... talk about chunky!

http://i118.photobucket.com/albums/o...shinko2447.jpg

I had no idea tires like these were available in such sizes. This front wheel/tire looks like something off a Rokon...

http://i118.photobucket.com/albums/o...shinko2441.jpg

That's a Kenda K270.

There are lots of dual sport tires that come in 17" sizes. Just put two of them on and call it good.

He'll take $3400. I'm heading to the Yamaha dealer this evening to see how I fit on the bike. If my feet touch the floor, I don't think I can pass this one up. A 2009 with less than 1000 miles...

I'd burn the street rubber off it before looking into dual sport tires.

Eh, that won't really work. The ones on the showroom floor will be adjusted almost as high as they'll go.

Here's a little writeup on adjusting the stock setup which will drop it about an inch - http://www.wrrdualsport.com/tech-gui...15-lowering-r2

My local dealer didn't have an R or an X on the floor. Closest I could find was a DRZ400SM, and it was surprisingly comfortable. Couldn't quite flat-foot, but close. Didn't feel at all off balance. The Suzuki's seat height is 35.0 inches; the WR250X's is 35.2 (1.4 inches lower than the R). Sounds like this might work after all.

The WR is more comfortable than the DRZ by a fairly large margin.

And again . . . you can lower that 35.2 by about an inch with just the OEM adjustment on the bottom of the shock.

WR prices are higher now than they were a couple months ago. Hopefully I didn't blow my chance at one within my budget.

Finding plenty of deals on KLRs:

2007 Kawasaki KLR650 - $2995 (Conyers)

http://images.craigslist.org/3kb3m33...e5cfd913ce.jpg http://images.craigslist.org/3k53o63...86c30f1133.jpg

Guy would probably take $2,500. Only 3,500 miles and already mostly set up for touring.

WR still makes more sense for the type of riding I plan on doing, though. And way easier on maintenance. And lighter. And better looking, etc...

. . . and on days like this where it was 23F when I left the house this morning, the WRR will run all the heated gear you can plug into it. The KLR will choke and die if you try to run anything more than heated grips.

:screwy:

Yamaha WR250X - $2500 (Racine)

moron...

Must research... $3500 sounds pretty good...

2008 Aprilia RXV 450 - 359 miles - $3500

http://i57.photobucket.com/albums/g2...n19/rxv001.jpg

Looks like it has 6,000-mile valve adjustment intervals. Same as the KLR, but probably much more difficult to perform.

Also nice, with only 450 miles:

2007 BMW G650x Challenge - $5900 (Albemarle)

http://images.craigslist.org/3ne3k73...24805814ba.jpg http://images.craigslist.org/3ne3k53...51ca4416c1.jpg

One word: Grenade

:rockwoot: That's just up the road about 45 min from me.....pretty close to MILK actually

Yup.

I've got a friend who has one on its second engine . . . with less than 5,000 miles on it.

The BMW 650x on the other hand is a decent bike.

One of these might work, too, though I'd rather have the Challenge:

2009 BMW G 650 xcountry - $5400 (Duncan,OK)

http://images.craigslist.org/3nb3k73...11ba131cd5.jpg

I think that is the most out of proportion can-to-bike ratio I've ever seen, though. Low front fender might not fare well, either.

Never really spent any time with a xcountry, so I couldn't tell you much about them. I have ridden with a guy on a challenge a few times though, and I really like that bike. We did have to stop and fix it a couple times on the trail, but I did like it. btw - never had to fix the wrr on the trail ;)

There's the challenge right behind my bike . . .

http://i53.tinypic.com/zjfrc8.jpg

And here he is fixing it . . .

http://i52.tinypic.com/hv6iky.jpg

What did he break on the BMW and what is that strange Kawasaki with the round headlight?

I forget what he broke. Something electrical iirc. It was a simple 2 minute fix. He rides the crap out of that bike, too. I wouldn't be concerned.

The crazy Kawasaki is a ratted out KLR and it belongs to a friend of mine here in Tulsa. There was a KTM 450 exc on the ride with us who turned back halfway through the day because it was too rough. The guy on the KLR rode with us the whole day :lol:

She probably kicks ass at the Chinese buffet as well!:lol:

Shame about the Aprilia. I've found several now with very low miles at very low prices. I suppose it has developed a reputation...

The G650X may be more appropriate than the Yamaha for the type of riding I'll be doing; probably better on the road and capable of more in the dirt than I am. Costs a lot more, though. I'll take whichever of two I can find for the best [relative] price.

Very sad, because they LOOK so bad-ass

Prices on WR's are skyrocketing and G650X's are nowhere to be found. Seriously kicking myself for not buying one of those $3000-$3200 WR's I found over the fall and winter...

This might not be a bad investment:

Kawasaki KLR 650* 2009 - $3200 (ooltewah)

Says he's firm on his price, but for $3K this would make a decent fixer-upper. It'd leave me some money for upgrades and maybe I could strip off some of the bad plastic in favor of a conventional headlight arrangement.