A forum for owners of Yamaha TTR250 trail and enduro bikes!

JuJu · Veteran Member

A TTR replacement????

Fladdem · Senior Member

I like it. I think it's cool. I think it may be quite heavy, which isn't really a problem unless you are trying to ride flat out in gloopy mud and tight trails all day. Should have fairly decent road manners, but I've never heard of it. I did some research briefly, as I noticed the air cooled engine, is it the 250?

ERBS · Veteran Member

went out with the local trf and a fella had a tenere and in the first lane he quit as it was not suitable and was going all over the place in the mud, and he had street tyres on it, ok for long distance, not for green laning.

-- Edited by ERBS on Thursday 23rd of January 2014 06:09:44 PM

JuJu · Veteran Member

How did he look power to weight wise?

ERBS · Veteran Member

Power was good on Tarmac, but on lanes he was looking a bit scared

comeragh · Senior Member

There is no replacement for the ttr have had one for years sold it but eventually went back to one .

For ruggedness , reliability , practicality and ability nothing matches it in my opinion .

Thats why the were always expensive new and worth it in the long run .

Bikes like above are clearly budget driven in there construction .

DOES ANYONE KNOW WHAT OR WHO WAS THE CONCEPT BEHIND THE TTR .

The designer should get an award .

JuJu · Veteran Member

There is nothing budget driven about the Tenere, the price of these things is scary for a 250!

petenz · Super Guru

The only things I have a issue with on it....

Engine...They had the choice of
the TTR250 & WR250R motors but went
with the old XT250 unit..

It's now 2014... they use old damping rod forks...
Even the TTR has better forks.. but a set of USD forks
from the WR250R would have been the go..

but other than that it looks like a great mini ADV bike...

Honda has a 300c ADV bike based on the XR250 Tornado..
But the styleing lets it down some what...
Uses the 300cc CBR motor... I had a XR250 tornado with the
CBR250 motor... dam it was a great bike..But it didn't have
the dirt ability of the TTR... Those single CBR motors are
just so smooth & vibe free...

TT-R250M · Super Guru

If there was a replacement for a TTR250 I am pretty sure we would all have one :)

Nothing will or can replace my TTR250. wink

Jarrah

Hp · Veteran Member

I had a go on a new crf250l last weekend and hats off to Honda it pulled lovely in dup mud and on a tight rocky uphill (not forest tight but tight) and apart from the weight that bike is pretty close to the TTR on ticking a lot of boxes.
But it wouldn't replace my TTR

66T · Veteran Member

I hate to say it, but I think the WR250R is the TTR250 replacement. So far, they have been almost completely bulletproof, with the exception of fuel pumps in 2008 models. They are reputed to be able to take a massive thrashing without breaking.

I have both , and this what I've found:

1. WR suspension is much better for all-round use, and not as harsh.

2. WR fuel capacity sucks. <8L stock, in a steel tank.

3. WR steers better.

4. WR has USD forks, which is a real prick imo. Very prone to slider damage and leaky seals. No need for that, just trendoid crap that end up costing money. Good right way up forks are available.

5. WR is a bit faster stock than the TTR, and a fair bit faster when both are uncorked and geared appropriately. WR has very flexible power, like the TTR, but it is instant as you'd expect, being fuel injected.

6. WR engine is a rattly little crtitter. My ancient TTR is much quieter.

7. WR speedo is seriously inaccurate. Plus it's digital, which is annoying and lags behind what's going on.

8. Speedo healer necessary to keep mileage correct if sprocket or rear tyre sizes are changed on the WR, just like early TTRs. A pain imo.

9. Will the WR last as long? it should...

10. As it should be, the WR is nicer to ride. It feels lighter, though it isn't, and revs pretty hard without sacrificing low end. Also, the seat is flat, and imo much more comfortable.

11. Servicing both is easy.

12. Both need a fair bit of setting up if they're going to be used for hard work, plus a bigger tank for the WR and radiator guard/brace.

13. Cooling isn't an issue for the TTR, but could be for the WR if the fan fails. It's essential.

14. Can't think of anything else for now, you'll be glad to read!

TT-R250M · Super Guru

66T wrote:

14. Can't think of anything else for now, you'll be glad to read!

I can- gearbox issues with the WR250 ( always breaking the gear dogs in 3rd/5th), water pump problems if left idling or going too slow in the trails, the fact that water, aluminium, two different surface temperatures and a gasket don't go together IMO, the chain slider wears down before you know it, and maintenance will be much more expensive, especially models with titanium valves.

Here is a mere few examples-

Gearbox-

http://www.thumpertalk.com/topic/1033815-2003-yz250f-5th-gear-slipjump/

http://www.dirtbikeworld.net/forum/archive/index.php/t-923.html

http://www.thumpertalk.com/topic/1042269-wr250-1st-2nd-3rd-and-4th-gear-locks-up-tire/

Chain slider-

http://www.advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=683510

http://wr250rforum.forumotion.com/t8906-chain-slider

http://wr250rforum.forumotion.com/t9031-chain-wearing-into-rubber-guide

Water pump-

http://www.fixya.com/motorcycles/t2123202-wr_250f_leaking_water_pump

http://www.thumpertalk.com/topic/1068413-2001-wr250f-water-pump-housing-hole-leaks-coolant/

I am not saying that the WR250 is unreliable, but I would not go so far as to call it a bulletproof bike like the TTR250. IMO, it will never be a suitable replacement as a trail bike.

All in all, if you want more power and can afford to pay the extra for maintenance, the WR250 is more your bike. Otherwise IMO, I would suggest that you stick with the bullet proof TTR250. wink

If I wanted more power and more maintenance I'd buy a WR400 (tick) or WR450, but of course, each to their own though.

Jarrah

TTRfan · Super Guru

I had a WR250F for a while and it was a great "events" bike but wasn't a great trail bike because of only 5 gears which made it very "buzzy" on the road.

The WR250R is a completely different animal and actually makes a great trail bike. I have one in the garage which I use occasionally. I wasn't aware of the R having reliability problems other than the early petrol pump issue.

The big drawback of the WR250R for the home mechanic is the wiring - more like something more suited to an aeroplane

It's also very tall!

Brian

pauls ttr · Veteran Member

Ttr 600 biggrin biggrin biggrin

66T · Veteran Member

Ok people.

1. WR250F is not anything like WR-R. The R has zero chronic issues now, not gearbox, not water pump, not fuel pump and not even chain slider if you're careful.

2. Chain slider problems apply to running a smaller front sprocket and stock rear, which most people don't. Stock front + bigger rear = no problems. Tight chains will do it too, so I understand.

3. USD forks = problems compared with right way up, I agree.

3. Some people are having fan blade WR-R issues. Not sure why and hope I don't have to know!

5. TTRs have some issues of their own eg source coils, valve cover gasket and tacho plug oil leaks, pretty bad stock suspension action even though there is plenty of travel, bad seat and starter clutches and er, well, that's about it really.

All this is my opinion. Everyone else is, naturally, entitled to their own, but trying to compare the F with the R is pointless. Race bike vs traillie. Yamaha claim the R is good for 100,000 km. I think a well-maintained TTR is, too. I'm not bagging TTRs here. I love mine after many years and a lot of hours. It's just that there is something different out there. Better? To ride, yes. As reliable? Dunno, and won't until 9 years and 70, 000km have passed... I hope!

-- Edited by 66T on Saturday 22nd of February 2014 05:52:17 AM

-- Edited by 66T on Saturday 22nd of February 2014 05:54:15 AM

brindabella · Senior Member

spot on 66T, I agree.

I have a riding companion who has a WR250R and loves it (after gearing down). He has a larger tank from aqualine which gives it great range as the fuel consumption is low. The tank has a little movement as fitted but has been no problem. I have ridden it and it is very nice to ride. they might be a bit complex with the electrics and all the sensors etc but yamaha have designed it to last it would seem - nice long recommended service intervals.

As to internet reports of "WR250" issues, we need to remember that there was a husqvarna WR250 and also a yamaha WR250 two stroke to confuse things. Not to mention that only bad news tends to gets reported - so there is a very "long tail" of unreported good news about popular bikes.

The yamaha WR250F did not appear until 2001 I think. I have a 2002/3 WR250F that I bought new and now has many scars from "trials like" trail play but had no real problems except from wiring harness problems due to the way the ADR street legal stuff was added in, worn rear shock, loose subframe (also mainly due to ADR stuff). Because of the unfixed wiring issues I always kick start it and I can say it is much easier to kick start than the TTR250. The clutch has always been prone to not properly disengage when hot, but the cooling has been amazing good. A couple of weeks ago I rode a Husaberg FE450 on some steep slow stuff and that bike boiled - that would never have happened on the WR250F. When I bought it people said I would have gearbox issues due to lack of cush drive, if I rode it on the street, but I have had none despite always riding it to the trails, although I do use the clutch in gear changes, so that may help. It has more power in its old age than a newish WR250R (which has more than a TTR250). but "horses for courses" as they say.

So in conclusion yamaha make some good reliable trail/enduro bikes.

I guess many of us would want a simple, tough, reliable, tractable bike like a TTR, with wide ratio gearbox, good fuel range, easy maintainability, but lighter and with better quality suspension, not too high a seat yet without being biased to the competition end of the spectrum, and able to carry a small load. Sadly there may never be such a bike. But the WR250R ticks a few boxes.

Lets hope the rumors of the TTR250 being no longer manufactured or imported into Australia are not true (they can still be bought new here, BTW).