Eight Great Yamaha WR250R Upgrades

Yamaha’s WR250R has been one of the most capable small dual-sports on the market for more than 10 years. In January 2020 ADVMoto issue, we kitted one up for long-distance travel with a much larger tank, windscreen, luggage and engine mods. So, while we were in the mode, we decided to build a sportier version of the WR250R which would keep things simple but still provide some fun around home base, at a rally, or even be capable of a little racing. Subsequently, we located a used WR250R for $2,600 and got to work on the makeover.

1. Moose Racing Pro Skid Plate

Protecting the bike’s underbelly is serious business. Most of us are accustomed to steel or aluminum guards, but Moose Racing’s Pro Skid Plate made a composite believer out of me. Because WR250Rs (and many dual-sports) have a full cradle frame, the skid just needs to block the various forms of debris that fly off the front tire and maybe even slide off a log or rock from time to time. Made from HDPE, this plastic is not only strong and lightweight (40% lighter than 4mm aluminum) but also eliminates buzzing or vibration noises. I was also curious to see if it reflected less engine noise up toward the rider and, while it did reflect some, it wasn’t bad.

Installation is easy, thanks to precision manufacturing. First, loosely install the two front bolts then, as you push the rear section upward toward the frame, the wings which guard the water pump and stator will bend out a bit to line up the rear two bolts. Lightweight, no rust, less noise, easy to install and, for under $150, it’s a no-brainer for the WRR or any similar bike.

MooseRacing.com | MSRP $140

2. Warp 9 Wheel Set

The wheels on the donor bike were in rough shape, so we reserved them for dirt use. Slapping on a pair of Warp 9 wheels in their place really made the bike look sharp and roll smoothly.

Warp 9’s spokes have stayed tight and the finish has held up well. A key feature, which is easy to forget because you get so much more value, is that the Warp 9 wheels are about the same price as the OEM wheel assembly. And, they’re made to order and come with rotor and sprocket (for rear wheel). You just have to install the rim strip, tube and tire, and you’re ready to go.

Warp9racing.com | MSRP: Front $375, Rear $404

3. Magura HYMEC Clutch

For good reason, hydraulic clutches are often found on more expensive dirt bikes. The tighter technical riding you can do on smaller bikes means working the lever much more than street riding usually demands. Adding a hydraulic clutch is one of the best ways to do away with arm pump (no more sore forearms) and make your technical riding less fatiguing. Although a full kit costs between $250–$300, it’s very easy to install and may be worth it if you spend more time off road than on.

We’ve installed Magura clutches on several bikes and have not experienced any leaks or failures. We only wish it didn’t use the shims/washers system to correct spacing where the slave cylinder installs to the cable mount. Although this doesn’t affect operation, a more elegant and easily adjustable solution, like a rotating expanding collar, would be ideal. Ultimately that’s a hair-splitting complaint and adding a hydraulic clutch to a WR250R makes it ride and feel like its more expensive European counterparts.

Magura.com | MSRP: $300

4. Enjoy MFG Decal Kit

We’ve worked with a few decal companies and it’s worth noting that the Enjoy MFG set is one of the best we’ve tried. The vinyl, printing and adhesive are high quality, but more impressive are the template designs. Someone there really knows how to make decal templates that fold over curves! The trick is making relief cuts in the designs or simply using multiple individual sections. The front fender is made of four separate decals and follows for fitting the complex contours better than any single-piece decal could. Designs will vary from bike to bike, but the WR250R template is tops. Throw on your logos, get it printed and forget about busting out the hair dryer to form the decals into shape. Don’t forget to check out their custom performance seat covers as well… very sticky and everything is made in the U.S.

ShopEnjoyMFG.com  | MSRP $150

5. NiteRider Pro ADV 4200 Lights

Being seen on the road and being able to see off road are things to never overlook. At a whopping $600 for a set, these tiny units from NiteRider are simply amazing. Bringing their bicycle technology into the powersports world has yielded some of the smallest, lightest and brightest LED lamps we’ve ever seen.

The intake vent area below the double lenses pulls moving air around the heatsinks and out the back. They need it, too. You can feel the heat from the lamps simply by putting your hand in front of them when activated. All wiring and switches are waterproof, with top-notch construction. Their tiny size means they can fit into nooks where larger units may hit forks or stick out too far.

Last but not least, consider it a lighting system. You can move and mount the lights to your helmet (with the NiteRider chin bar mount), or swap them to a bicycle. If you’re on a budget and only looking for motorcycle lights, these may be a bit pricey. But if you want a crazy powerful lamp with light weight and amazing build quality that can be used in a variety of applications, NiteRiders are a top option.

NiteRider.com | MSRP: $600

6. Sargent XT-SERIES Saddle

Small dual-sports are notorious for having miserable stock seating—often only marginally better than sitting on a steel beam for hours on end. Sargent’s XT-SERIES effectively eliminates that discomfort with a wider seating area toward the back which tapers to a narrower front at the tank. Sargent claims it retains the stock seat height but, depending on how you sit or stand, it may feel a little taller due to its extra width and additional supportive foam.

The PolyTec seat pan is strong and supportive without adding much extra weight. This custom seat pan is not a copy of the OEM pan and is molded to add support for the extra-wide rear. Moreover, for only $20 extra, you can get a customized welt color and choose between Carbon (pictured) or DTX materials. You can even get a heated version, but be careful about power draw on smaller bikes.

SargentCycle.com | MSRP: $399

7. IMS Three-Gallon Tank

One of the biggest issues with smaller dual-sports is that, in order to keep them light and narrow, fuel capacity is often kept on the low side. In this case, a stock WR250R tank carries only about two gallons, translating to roughly 100 comfortable miles between fill-ups. Although IMS makes tanks close to five gallons, this three-gallon version allows you to keep the stock shrouds and doesn’t make it feel too large between the knees.

Installation is not complicated, and everything lined up as it should around the mounting points and radiators. You do have to change over the fuel pump assembly, but everything you need is included. With it you can enjoy a good 150-mile range, and if extra fuel is needed, you can always strap a gallon of gas to the rear rack. One feature I do miss with aftermarket tanks is locking gas caps, but unless you do a lot of commuting downtown, they’re largely unnecessary.

IMSProducts.com | MSRP: $325

8. Scaggs MotoDesigns Billet Big Rack

Bringing up the rear (pun intended) is the Scaggs MotoDesigns’ rear billet rack. They offer two sizes: the “Slim” follows the OEM tail contour and the “Big” (seen here) provides a wider mounting surface. Both are made of ¼-inch thick machined 6061 aluminum, and are RotopaX compatible (there’s that extra fuel we needed!). The Big Rack can also be configured to fit GIVI Monokey Top Cases. Neat stuff!

All models vertically mount to the rear frame rail cross members, so holes have to be drilled into the plastic, but this is easy to do and instructions are provided. The new white plastics have the four-hole locations molded into the underside which make measurements and templates unnecessary. Yours probably has them too, so be sure to check before busting out the power tools.

Although functionally unnecessary, for $25 they will chamfer the edges for a higher contrast look like our sample. At about two inches wider, the Big Rack costs an extra $15 and is a better choice for carrying larger luggage or a top case. Go slim to keep it light, tight and just enough for small packs and some extra fuel. Either way, it’s hard to go wrong with this tough-built rack made in the U.S.

ScaggsRacks.com | MSRP as shown: $160

Summary

The comfort, range, visibility and performance upgrades have made a bike that’s not only easy to ride and live with every day, but looks sharp as well. So, what’s the one product we think every WR250R owner would want? We would love to see an affordable and easy-to-install frame-mounted rally fairing kit for the bike. There are thousands of these bikes out there waiting for a minimalist rally fairing kit under $1,000. Safari Tanks made one years ago but it never saw wide-scale circulation (and rally styling has changed since then). We can only hope the aftermarket will fill this void—or maybe Yamaha will introduce a WR350R Rally based on the R3 engine? One can only hope! But until then—like the thousands of current owners—we won’t be getting rid of our WR250R anytime soon.