In fact, the bike is so smooth I don’t realize I’m riding in 5th gear. Grabbing the transmission’s top cog reduces the revs to a few less per minute and it becomes apparent that riding this motorcycle for longer distances will not induce the numbing discomfort usually associated with thumpers.

Sighting that the demographic for this bike doesn’t desire a tightly wound motor with cramped service intervals, but rather an effective engine requiring minimal maintenance, Yamaha endowed both the R and X models with a purpose-built power plant to meet the latter criteria, while also gracing them with modern technology such as titanium intake valves, a ceramic composite plated cylinder, high lift cams, a newly designed 4-valve cylinder head and a short skirt aluminum piston. The engine also has an oil jet located beneath the piston to minimize piston temperatures.

The Mikuni fuel injection system utilizes a 38mm throttle body and a 12-hole fuel injector for efficient combustion. The WR250R/X also features a single radiator with a fan said to exhaust dissipated heat away from the rider (a good thing on hot days, but a not so good thing on cold ones).

Turning off the pavement and onto O’natural terra firma another strength of the R model is revealed — suspension. The 46mm, upside down, cartridge, KYB forks have 10.6” of travel and are adjustable for compression and rebound. The Soqi rear shock also has 10.6” of travel, is fully adjustable and features .9” of ride height adjustability. (To reduce or raise the ride height a person must loosen the lock nut, release the bottom shock mount, set the desired height and then replace the mount and lock nut.)

Rolling up to Grange Motor Circuit there’s time for lunch and a change of attire before swapping the R model for its Supermoto counterpart and etching u-shaped hieroglyphics around the corners of the popular Kart track.

Cosmetically the WR250X is recognizable by the blacked-out treatment to the frame, swingarm and forks. Smaller wheels (17’s on the X model vs. 21” front and 18” rear on the R), radial BT090 Bridgestone tires (the R models uses DOT approved TW301 and 302 dual purpose rubber) and a larger front brake rotor (298mm x 4.0mm vs. 250mm x 3.5mm) augment the intended Supermoto purpose of the X model. To match the larger front brake disc Yamaha included a larger master cylinder piston (12.7mm vs. 11mm) to the X model. Brakes on both the X and R models were equally impressive.

Wearing the same suspension components as the WR250R, the X’s units, according to Yamaha, are “optimized for street and Supermoto riding.” While stock settings may be comfortable for street use, on-track performance will definitely improve with a little stiffening of the adjustable forks and shock. The X’s rear Soqi shock also features the .9” of ride height adjustment of the R model.

Weighing an inconsequential four dry pounds heavier than the R model (280 lbs. vs. 276 lbs.), the WR250X is great fun for recreational Supermoto track time, especially on a small circuit like Grange where the longest straight measures only 950 feet. Twisting the throttle hard coming out of corners keeps things exciting without the fear of inadvertently breaking traction as the bigger 450s are wont to do.

Being street legal machines the X and R must pass emissions standards, so the exhaust system on both models comes equipped with a honeycomb catalytic converter and Yamaha’s iconic EXUP system. Of course these items add weight and complexity to a muffler the word petite doesn’t apply, but the aftermarket should take care of that, and, again according to Yamaha, the bike’s ECU should compensate for a non-EXUP pipe. If not, a DynoJet Power Commander should do the trick.

For anyone interested in purchasing a WR250X and performing a garage conversion into a WR250R, a la KTM, Yamaha says the wheels and front brake caliper are all that’s necessary and are available from your local dealer. To compensate for the smaller 17-inch rear wheel, the X model’s sprocket is smaller, so you should also consider the R model’s rear sprocket, which may also require a longer chain. But if you’re idea of off-roading is the occasional fire road or an overnighter at a KOA campground, the X model and its sticky Bridgestone Supermoto rubber will suffice.

Whichever bike suits your purpose, Yamaha’s WR250R/X has filled a void in the marketplace somewhere between high tech, basic performance and small capacity. The new WRs aren’t fire breathing technofiles, nor are they parts bin Frankenbikes, but for the sub-$6,000 price ($5,899 for the 250R and $5,999 for the X), and the target audience Big Blue has in mind, the R or X are attractive machines.