The way we enthusiasts look at motorcycles is: Give it to me now! Manufacturers have a different approach that is mostly about the market-what the market is ready for and particularly if a bike is cost-effective. If true enthusiasts ran the business side of things, we'd have every new trick feature on our motorcycles as soon as it was possible to produce. But the bikes would cost a fortune, and the companies that built them would go broke. So be glad that Yamaha has held off the release of the new aluminum-framed WRs. The company was waiting for the right time.
Now is the right time for a few reasons. First, the 2006-and-earlier steel-framed bike was due for a major upgrade. It has received the typical improvements over the last few years to keep it performing well and not falling off the pace in its class. But another year of updates might not have been enough. Timing comes into play as the WR's major competition, the Honda CRF-X and the KTM XC and XC-W, have undergone major redesigns in the last few years and seem to be resting on their laurels now. Second, there are plenty of Yamaha WR loyalists who may be sitting on a two-, six- or seven-year-old bike, just waiting for this one-they knew it was coming. Time's up, because the new WR is here.
It's pretty much a clean-sheet WR, more like the '06 YZ450F than previous WRs. The aluminum frame is nearly the same as that of the motocross bike but differs in rigidity from the YZ in its specific combination of forgings, castings and extrusions. The engine is the new, simpler design with enclosed oil passages and the sump built into the engine, no longer storing oil high in the frame. Of course, there are also the changes made to accommodate the electric starting. Off-road goodies that didn't change include the 18-inch rear wheel, the wide-ratio five-speed transmission and the coolant-recovery tank and system. The lights, a 35-watt headlight and an LED taillight, get the job done if you are caught out after dark. The speedo/odo/trip/clock has enough functions to keep most riders-short of competition enduro riders-happy, and with new rule changes to enduros, this instrument is more than satisfactory. The aluminum kickstand, steel rear sprocket, O-ring chain and trapdoor air filter access all make the bike a lot more appealing than trying to convert an MX machine to work off-road. Then there is the setup of the suspension, which this year is targeted more for tight and technical types of riding.