How's the WR250R compare to the DR650 since you've had both? I always wanted a WR250R for the rougher stuff, so I can do dual sport events and do the hard routes. I'd imagine you'd miss the torque of the DR650.
I'm not the best person to give a comparison, I'm pretty new to dirt, unskilled and slow, that said here's my take:
WR engine is rev happy, it really seems to shine winding it up and I need to shift a lot compared to the DR. The tractor torque of the DR is gone on the WR and replaced by revs. Where I could just leave the DR in 2nd and call it day, I'm constantly going from 1st to 4th on the WR. I also seem to spin up the rear a lot more on the WR. Way less vibration than the DR too.
It's lighter and feels it. This is paramount for me. It's just easier or at least more comfortable for me in the dirt, because of it's weight. I can also ride it faster in the dirt, not by much, but faster.
The suspension is much better, off the shelf, on the WR and I'm still trying turning knobs trying to get it perfect. I've accidentally hit rocks, roots and ruts in the shadows, and the WR just takes it, where the front may have been deflected on the DR. One big BUT, I'm a feather weight and the rear shock wants to buck me off on the bigger bumps, and I'm maxed out on the rebound and preload is backed way off. That said, when I had it loaded down with camping gear and a couple of liters of H20, it actually helped. A revalve may be in my future.
It's easier to move up and ride on the tank, on the WR.
I slogged it from King City to Oakland on 101 and can say it's bearable, but the DR is much more comfortable on the freeway and feels more planted at speed. At an indicated 75 the WR's front end felt twitchy.
A four gallon tank on the WR would you give you the same range as 6 gallon tank on the DR. I was getting about 42 mi/gal on the dr, I'm getting 60 on the WR with mixed freeway, twisty, dirt riding. Got 70 on one stretch.
It's taller, by a lot. I actually lowered mine by about an inch.
Seems more refined than the DR.
One oddball observation, I can rail the WR in twisties on Shinko 244's whereas running the same tires on the DR, I didn't feel as comfortable pushing it.
Overall, I feel like I've sacrificed some road comfort for more dirt comfort.
That's my take thus far.
