so Honda had better bring the XR400SM stateside!!!!! that's all i gotta say......as much as i love my KLX the XR is the sweetest bike ever.....I would add to my stable the XR and keep my KLX .......these things are just too much fun......

 

That XR400SM looks pretty good but it is weird seeing an air cooled Super Motard, albeit that Honda motor is absolutely, positively bullet-proof.



Kind of hard to market a bike using footage of 240lb riders (even though a common size in the U.S) as all bikes (especially small 250's) look bad with large people on them.

But as far as the WR’s capabilities go I’d bet my right arm that it is a bit more capable off road then the KLX but definitely no MX’r for sure.
I think that Yamaha engineers had the luxury of improving upon a proven design (our KLX) that stands alone and is gaining popularity at a high rate of speed.
It will still boil down to riding skill if you decide to take on one of the new WR’s on the trails.

 

how do they get that thing to weight that much? 278lbs in california? and no possible way to lose any of that weight, because their is no lighter exhaust made for it and you cant just get rid of that whole license plate/turnsignal crap on the back without replacing it with something.my bike has lost at least 12lbs with the removal of the rear fender hanger downer thing and a 2 bros exhaust so now its down to about 250lbs and im planning on losing the rack soon, at least another 5lbs. oh and whats the price difference?, at least $1000 or more and god have mercy on anyone who has to sit on that 2x4 that yamaha calls a seat for any longer than 5 minutes. people......looks are great. and thats all the wr is. if you wanna take jumps then tighten your suspension like the yamaha guys did before they shot that video, its not rocket science. the wr has to have its suspension set stiff due to less travel being offered. i would love to see a klx owner buy one of these tanks and have a long term review. looks to me like a cow in wolfs clothing that cant be modded to howl like a wolf. ohand whos gonna buy that xt250? it doesnt even come with a seat strap! wheres the satisfaction of yanking it off if its not on there to begin with lol.

 

Aftermarket exhaust companies will be all over this, probably already have one made for it. And cleaning up the rear end on the bike would be no big deal, just like it's not on any other bike. Why be negative towards a bike that will hopefully spark some competition and build towards more street legal dual sport bikes.

 

Although, they don't show the XR400SM, they are bringing the CRF230L: http://powersports.honda.com/motorcy...delId=CRF230L8

Not quite what you wanted, but, for those of us that are short of stature, it's another option, in red, instead of Yellow/Blue (Suzuki) or White/Black (Yamaha), though, the new XT250 looks to be a better bike and deal.

 

If you took 12 lbs off your bike you are down to 285 lbs not 250. The KLX's curb weight or wet weight whatever you want to call it is 297 lbs. Its in the service manual as well as several members have had their bikes weighed with all fluids and a tank of fuel.

Instead of harping on Yamaha about their new models we should applaud them. Kawi had the market cornered with the KLX, now with the Yamaha it has some competition and possibly reasons to revise the KLX's to come.

 

im sorry, i apologize. i thought it was obvious that i was comparing the dry weights of both bikes since that is whats listed on both manufactures web sites. again i sincerley apologize for any misunderstanding. and i do know now that most klx owners on this forum wish that yamaha had this wr available when they bought their klx. everyone and their mama has a wr offroad bike and now those same wonderful diehard yamaha fans can fill the streets with blue yayyy!to be honest, i hate to be the same as everyone else and that is why i wanted a kawasaki, because nobody else wants a green bike when they can have blue. i for one love my green bike, not because its a kawasaki but because it doesnt say wr on the side. when i go to thetrails their is no red, no yellow and no green, only blue. im a huge honda xr fan and if they had something comparable when i bought my klx i would have taken a real close look.ifyou want tobe cool though, and have the bike that everyone else has i would look no further than a wr anything.yamaha makes good stuff no doubt about it.im not bashing yamaha, im just saying that i dont want a bike thateveryone else has. im a very strange strange person like that.and to all the closet wr fans out there whoown a klx,come january you can come out of the closet, sell your klx and get thatwr that everyone on the block will have. kudos to yamaha for getting rid of all the fake kawi fans and making the greatest dualsport of all time, the wr250r. let the good times roll.

 

I say kudos to yamaha for bringing a small bore to the dual sport market. Now Kawasaki has some competition. As for honda bringing that CRF 230 to the dual sport market,well lets say it would be a good bike for my grandmother! Honda bring me a CRX 250-450 dual sport.

 

I think its its great that Yamaha has brought a 250 fuel injected dual sport to the market. It will only mean that there will be better offerings form Honda, Suzuki, and eventually Kawasaki in the next couple of years, right around the time I am looking for a new bike. I think that the manufactures are starting to relize that state side with more and more off road riding areas being shut down the dualsport market is starting to grow. I wouldn't be suprised if Honda or Suzuki will top Kawi and Yamaha with a 450 dual sport for 2009. I am quite happy with the klx and have meet a bunch of nice people because I own the klx. And besides its not about what bike you are on, its about the adventure and having a good time while on it. And sorry to say, but if you can't have a good time on the klx there is something wrong with you.

 

Um Yamaha has a dual sport already, its called the XT225, my wife has one. Its an awesome bike.