• Welcome to the Two Wheeled Texans community! Feel free to hang out and lurk as long as you like. However, we would like to encourage you to register so that you can join the community and use the numerous features on the site. After registering, don't forget to post up an introduction!

In praise of the small motorcycle

Forums New posts
texxter

texxter

0
Joined
May 18, 2005
Messages
594
Reaction score
23
Location
Plano, TX
First Name
Francisco
Last Name
Romero
I just got back from a 12-day trip to Mexico with Jorge (emmed1) - we rode from McAllen down to Guanajuato and spent most of our time around the Huasteca. Jorge was riding his KLR and I had my '13 Yamaha wr250r, which now has over 10,000 miles.

The point of this thread is to praise the small motorcycle for adventure touring. We did around 2,500 miles of travel in the interior of Mexico, and I did 400 more to get from Dallas to Houston and back on I45. The wr250r worked flawlessly, whether on the cuota roads, on I45, on small mountain roads, and on rocky " terraceria", crossing rivers and navigating muddy caminos. It carried about 50 lbs of gear, and was able to do 70-75 mph all day long, except when climbing. With some aftermarket goodies (3.1 gallon tank, better seat, windscreen, hand guards, engine and radiator guards, wide footpegs, rack...) the motorcycle delivered without drama and very cheaply. My gas mileage was around 65-70 mpg.

Riding the wr250r on the tight mountain roads of Mexico was exhilarating - so easy to ride on twisties, so comfortable for hours. When we had to cross a river to get to our campamento, Jorge told me that the KLR felt unstable, but my wr250r crossed the river with no issues at all. I love it!

I met some 1200GS riders who couldn't understand why I would bring a tiny bike into Mexico for a 12-day trip. I thought it was obvious - lots of value and fun with very little downside. After this trip my appreciation for what Yamaha created with the wr250r has increased quite a bit. It can be a really good adventure bike.

Anyone else has an appreciation for small adventure bikes?
 

Attachments

  • Screenshot_20181214-013632_Gallery.jpg
    Screenshot_20181214-013632_Gallery.jpg
    58.6 KB · Views: 355
Last edited:
That's awesome. Though I can't believe you rode it from Dallas to Houston. I'd have just hauled it but it's awesome that you did it all on the bike. Good stuff.

Now, if I could just locate 12 free available consecutive days off for such a trip, that'd be awesome too.
 
The main plus of a big bike is no hauling to the border and storing your haul rig at the border. A GS would have you riding from Dallas down and back in comfort. And no limiting your speed to 70-75mph on the long straight pavement sections. It's nice to have extra power giving you the ability to pass other vehicles to stay in front where it's safer.
 
gixxerjasen said:
That's awesome. Though I can't believe you rode it from Dallas to Houston. I'd have just hauled it but it's awesome that you did it all on the bike. Good stuff.

Now, if I could just locate 12 free available consecutive days off for such a trip, that'd be awesome too.
Click to expand...

Yes, I rode the bike from Dallas to Houston to meet my buddy and once in Houston we put both bikes on a trailer and drove in comfort for 6 hours to the border. On the way back we did the same in reverse and I rode from Houston to Dallas in the evening, and got home at midnight. It was fine and I even passed a couple of semi's :-)
 
SilverBullet said:
The main plus of a big bike is no hauling to the border and storing your haul rig at the border. A GS would have you riding from Dallas down and back in comfort. And no limiting your speed to 70-75mph on the long straight pavement sections. It's nice to have extra power giving you the ability to pass other vehicles to stay in front where it's safer.
Click to expand...

Certainly a bigger bike has advantages and power/comfort on the highway are the main ones. When it gets to the small roads, especially rocky unpaved ones, mud, etc, the smaller bike shines. We encountered both highways and tricky terrain and I gladly give up the advantages of the big bike for those of the little one.

Now when I an going to Colorado for an extended weekend to ride perfect roads, I take my Triumph Tiger 1050 and have a lot of fun. Perfect tool for that type of sport touring riding.
 
Paco,

I too relish the trips on my WR. Going to Copper Canyon a couple of years ago was easy with a larger windscreen. The first part of the trip required a long boring stretch of 200 miles at full throttle. The bike had no problems and when the road got very technical it was great to have the light factor in your favor. The really smooth engine on only a thumper always impresses me.

20170320_123802_HDR-L.jpg


I also have a Yamaha Fazer that comes in a little over 400 pounds and is the perfect bike for my style of sport-touring. In general I have gotten really allergic to bikes over 450-500 pounds. They hold no appeal to me now.

RB
 
Small motorcycles are great, especially if you’re touring an undeveloped country where the roads should be traveled a little slower. Small motorcycles only disappoint when you need power they can't give you.

I think some guys think it’s more macho to ride that mountain dirt-road pass on a big bike. Like doing it on a smaller motorcycle is less impressive or cheating.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
Last edited:
Great to hear this Paco.

Now, what I'm really interested in is the pic you posted. Specifically what's on the wall behind your bike. I think the 1st scene on the left is saying to vaccinate your pets so it doesn't turn into a rabid Cujo, but what's the message for the others?t
 
SpiritAtBay said:
I think the 1st scene on the left is saying to vaccinate your pets so it doesn't turn into a rabid Cujo, but what's the message for the others?t
Click to expand...

Looks like one is depicting a mosquito or other flying insect.

They all look like they are public health messages for the local people. Controlling mosquitoes is a popular and important public health message in some parts of the world.
 
Alright on the WR250 travels. Have not traveled near as far as you on small bikes but had loads of fun riding Texas, Ark, Mo , Miss and La on a DR 350SE in the '90's.
 
I agree smaller bikes can be a lots of fun or as they say more is less. Or at least in some cases. There has been times I wished for a big old BMW GS that I could load down like a government mule. kenray in katy.
 
I googled tagging in the urban dictionary :eek2: I assume your referring to something else .
 
Three cheers for small bikes.

I was happy to read this post and the thread. I'm not a small guy but I definitely prefer small bikes. My favorite bike is Yamaha's "other" 250 dual sport.. the XT250. It is super confidence-inspiring in dirt and fun on dirt and street. While I don't mind riding it on the highway, it is of course underpowered there.

I've had bigger bikes too (VStar 1300, for example), but was generally bored on them. I wouldn't mind finding something better for droning on the slab, but for now I'm happy enough with the 310GS I got by trading in the Super Tenere.
 
JMZ said:
I googled tagging in the urban dictionary :eek2: I assume your referring to something else .
Click to expand...

He means graffiti. Junior learned his lesson and went on to have a heckuvan adventure all the way through central and South America.
 
Well that was my first thought but I assumed it surely couldn`t have been that .
 
SpiritAtBay said:
Great to hear this Paco.

Now, what I'm really interested in is the pic you posted. Specifically what's on the wall behind your bike. I think the 1st scene on the left is saying to vaccinate your pets so it doesn't turn into a rabid Cujo, but what's the message for the others?t
Click to expand...

Glad you noticed, Gina, because this was one of the most interesting murals we saw in Mexico - no Diego Rivera, mind you, but fun and practical. It was a clinic, and the wall contained funny cartoons as public announcements about health. You got it right - the first one is a cartoon of a dog foaming at the mouth and the sign says "Vacuna a tus mascotas" or " Vaccinate your pets." The second, the funniest, and Jorge had to explain it to me, is a couple in bed. the husband is saying "Toqué al bebé!" or " I touched the baby" supposedly during intercourse with a pregnant wife, and the sign says something like "I you have questions come to prenatal controls". Then there is a terrifying giant mosquito with a sign "Evita criaderos" or "avoid mosquito breeding grounds" and finally a guy coughing and not covering his mouth. Hilarious health art!
 
Last edited:
I love to be told I am on a smaller cc bike. Wasn't that long ago a most dual sport bikes were 125's and a 250 cc bike was double the size and considered large. The adventure bike folks lean toward larger cc bikes are better..... ummmmm always a good discussion.
 
sandman said:
I love to be told I am on a smaller cc bike. Wasn't that long ago a most dual sport bikes were 125's and a 250 cc bike was double the size and considered large. The adventure bike folks lean toward larger cc bikes are better..... ummmmm always a good discussion.
Click to expand...

Trying to decide which is better for adventure, a small displacement bike or a large motorcycle, is not going to produce consensus anytime soon. :scott: The current segmentation of the market has a "dual sport" category and an "adventure" category for larger bikes. But "adventure" shouldn't equal large displacement, and often a small cc bike is perfectly capable of doing some serious travel, as Gina pointed out in the thread she shared. They are very competent! The Yamaha xt250 is another great small bike!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top