2003 YZ250F or WR250F

[Jimbokdx]

OK, I think I have it narroweddown to these two bikes.  I want to ride the bike for a while and then pass it down to my son (as soon as he can handle it). 

We ride mostly desert, hills, some trails and some track.  So the question is...  which is better: the WR on the track or YZ on the trails?

I like the YZ for its weight and suspension.  I like the WR for its gear ratio and e-start. 

I really want to do only a MINIMUM of aftermarket mods.  I prefer to have a bike that is as ready to go as possible, right out of the box.  So, which is a better choice?

Jimbo

 

[Barbarian]

The new yz's start like 2-smokes so I wouldn't worry to much about e-start. Unless a granny low 1st gear is important to you I would just get a yz and gear it up for the dez, ride it stock for everything else.

 

[chadapotamus]

well I think I can kind of help you with this. I've ridden a few '01 YZ426s and my uncle has a '01 WR426 that I've ridden a bunch. Well, the WR is AWSOME in the desert, it's got to be the best bike for the desert out there. It's big, fast, powerfull, smooth, and stable, but not a huge beast like a XR650 or something like that. If you take it out of the desert though, it begins to be a pain. I've ridden the same bike on the track a few times and I just did not work well, the same goes for tight, single track trail riding. The YZ on the other hand is great on the track, trails, and does very well in the desert. You can always set your YZ up alittle softer and get a desert tank for it and it will be ready to rock. It costs alittle more to get the WR moto ready. I've ridden my friend's new YZ450 and they are SO easy to start now, just kick them. No compression release drill you have to go through or anything. I'd go with the YZ for sure, it's a great motocross bike and will do well in the desert too. Unless you are like hardcore desert guy, you won't even have to set it up specifically for desert, just ride it.

 

[TrailDale]

Jimbo,
Me again.
I agree with the last post. The YZ is better all around, unless you spend a good deal of time riding very slow or very fast. I ride my WRF in the woods with a buddy who trail rides his YZF. He rides everything but wishes for a lower 1st on rare occasions. He makes up for it by carrying a bit more speed into the nasty sections. On the fire roads, I cruise in 5th, while HIS 5th is equal to my 4th gear and he screames his bike to keep up. If you have some desert riding at speed, the taller gearing makes a big difference.
The reason I got the YZF, was because, well actually I got a screaming good deal from a guy who just bought the bike, rode it once, and broke his back at work - the race number on the bike was "911" - weird. Anyway, the real reason was that the WR was disappointing on the track. Compared to the YZ, the WR felt very top heavy (though the 03 difference here should be better) and the woods suspension settup was a bit scary on the track. The 01 WR
with the different cam timing also didn't have the hit and wasn't as quick reving as the YZ. Maybe the 03 WR has the same cam timing as the YZ?
I still like trail riding the YZ more than I like riding the WR on the track, but I have the WR set up pretty soft. Also I do very little high speed fire-road riding so the top-speed limit of the YZ is rarely an issue on the trails.

Good luck. You'll be on a great bike either way.

 

[hockey4life]

I would definately go WR they are great bikes off the floor and are easier to set up to YZ specs than the YZ is to set up to WR plust the larger tank will be great for trails and woods.