ronbuell

There is no perfect 1 bike for all purposes. I did that when that was all I could afford. Dual purpose is no longer in my vocabulary. It only means the bike is not suited for anything. A bike for off road is too heavy and the tires are not correct when it’s street legal. And it’s too light and has incorrect tires for street when going from dirt to street. DRZ400 comes the closest, but you still have to swap out wheels for the purpose. Too much hassle. Buell XB12X hits my street giggle button. Power and suspension are right. YZ250FX hits my off road button for the same reasons.

I raced back in the late 70s early 80s. Quickly learned there are many people faster than me (there was a large number of active racers in my area when I was younger). Still are. But my favorite thing is just trail riding. I have a favorite spot I go to and that’s my exercise for the week. 34 miles of riding gives me just enough cardio and muscle burn to keep my weight in trim and stay fit. I rise a trail in a national forest. Racing is expensive and takes commitment. Place I ride has a minimal fee and now since I’m senior, I bought a lifetime pass for a reasonable fee (national forest). Like the old saying goes; “After a win, all glory is fleeting.” Yeah I’ve trophied when I was racing. Been thinking about going again just to be with some friends that go and see how I compare so other guys in my class since I’m nearing super senior now. And the class is smaller. lol. Ride every week. Stay fit!

Looks like aluminum from the side of the cylinder. When the cam chain is worn past spec, it will whip side to side when you gas it and let off. When the pins get worn to that point, it will hit the side of cylinder and that's probably where all that aluminum is coming from. You can have nothing in the oil on 1 ride, and the next ride, get a load of aluminum like that. You need to stop riding it and tear it down, clean everything, and start making a list of replacement parts. First on the list is a new cam chain. Then pull the flywheel and inspect the small sprocket on the crank. The teeth will probably be sharp and pointed. There's nothing to do but replace the crank if that's what you find. You also need to check all the bearings in the crank and in the case. I usually replace the oil pump gear rotor parts as well as the cam chain sliders. You will also need to inspect the head at the cam journals and the bucket bores. If the non bearing side cam journals are worn down, you have decisions to make. Replace or send off for repair. You also need to inspect the bores of the valve buckets and see if the buckets are loose or if the buckets won't come out. You can get them out by wrapping some hardware cloth around a 10mm socket and spinning it against the sides of the bores until you can remove the buckets. You have to be careful not to take too much materials out. Good luck.

You could go Kibblewhite. They will probably be a little heavier, so limit your high rpms. But totally reliable otherwise. https://www.denniskirk.com/kibblewhite-precision-machining/2015-yamaha-yz250fx.mmy

You need to sit on the bike you end up buying. I got an XR100 for a beginner guy who was 5’1” and it was perfect for his first bike. Low seat. At 6’2”, you something closer to 34-35” seat height. TTR/CRF230 would be about perfect. I got a TTR230 for another guy who is 5’10” and he loves it. Both would help you build skills but you’re already too large for the 100. Once you build your skill level, you’ll be on a 250 in a year or so. Good luck in your search.

Much cheaper/easier to mod the FX than the WR. I added Harborfreight LED lights and a Trailtech odometer to my 16 FX and was GTG. Also had my suspension tuned for me. Had an opportunity to get a 16 WR as well. I had to purchase a GYTR ECU so I could tune it. Get the FMF4.1 muffler as its shorter.

We always said, " Deferred Maintenance". He just didn't replace it. So you get to replace it.

I use a 3 speed Rigid 1/4" hex drive. For large nuts I use a corded electric 1/2" impact driver. 1/4" drive has more than enough power to strip out 6x1mm and 8x1.25mm. The lowest speed provides safety in tightening 6x1mm and the trigger provides a variable speed in each speed setting as well. Very handy.

IF you mean that the spark plug gap was not set to the correct gap, then yes, that could be a reason for it not running correctly. In my experience though, a dirty plug, or one that has run a long time like for a year or so, is more of an issue than an incorrect gap. Do pull it and make sure it is properly gapped to spec. Plugs are usually manufactured and shipped with a gap that is close to what you should run. I've run a plug for as long as a year (trail riding) but I know that after a year of running they are well worn and can foul out easily, so I replace mine at lease once a year, usually twice. If you haven't replaced the spark plug, do so. If you have, and it's new, pull it out, ground it, and check that you get a hot spark that snaps and pops when you kick it over. Make sure it's not wet with fuel, so smell it. A stock 2003 WR250F does not have a speedo that has a wire coming out of it. So I have no idea what you're talking about there. The stock odometer uses a cable that goes down to a drive on the right side of the front wheel hub. You do need to pull that apart and clean and lube it occasionally so it will live and not get locked up and tear itself apart. Trailtech and other manufacturers do make accessory odometers that have leads coming out. If a lead goes down to the spark plug cap area, that is for picking up the electrical current pulse for a tachometer or hour meter, not for a speedometer.

https://www.manualslib.com/manual/582269/Yamaha-Wr250f-N.html?page=438#manual Manuals.lib has info if you're willing to take the time to look thru it.

Does the starter work when the clutch lever is pulled to the bars? That's one test. The neutral switch inspection according to the book, is blue wire should show continuity when in neutral, open circuit when in gear. So if you're moving the shift lever and the circuit closes, it may be the neutral switch, or the blue wire itself. The switch itself is on the left side of the engine case down by the shifter. It's a black bakeolite cast plastic piece held in with 2 screws and an o-ring to keep oil from leaking out. That's the switch in your pic with the 2 Phillips screws in it below the counter shaft and to the left of the shift shaft. Check the blue wire run from the switch all the way to the connection in the harness for continuity. If it's cut, fix it by splicing and tape it. If that fixes it, you're done. If not, I would try to clean the switch. Your choice. To remove the switch, first remove the shifter from the shift shaft, then the 2 screws. The next step is really tricky. I have broken more switches trying to remove them than I can count. The plastic is soft. DO NOT pry against it with a screwdriver or pry bar. Maybe someone else has trick and will chime in. But I would try to remove it with pliers by twisting slowly as to not break it so I could clean the contacts. There is a button on the end of a small spring inside when your remove the switch, so DO NOT lose those 2 parts. They go into a hole in the shift drum. Clean the button and the contact on the plastic with brake cleaner, and re-assemble. Do not over-tighten the screws on the plastic. Just cleaning the contacts may not repair it. Now, if you don't want to do that, you could just splice into the blue wire and add a switch that grounds when switched, and just switch it when you hit the button, then switch it back when it starts. NOTE that when the trans is in neutral, the ignition is retarded, so you don't want to leave it like that or you'll lose power. Good luck

Hmmm. Ok, well then you need to test it. Get some jumper cables and jump the battery directly to the starter and see if the engine turns over. It should turn over if the battery AND the starter are both good. If you hook it up backwards, the starter will rotate backwards and not engage the slipper clutch. If that proves it turns the engine over, the issue is most likely the fuse for the starter at the solenoid, or solenoid itself if it just clicks. No clicking indicates the fuse, or a loose connection to it or the solenoid itself.

'03 is old enough that the brushes in the starter are shot, worn down, to the point where they are putting enough pressure on the commutator to make it work. You can rebuild the starter by ordering just a brush kit. Moderate mechanical skills needed. It's a little ticklish working the commutator back into the cap with new brushes, not gonna lie there. And you do have to make sure you do note the position of the permanent magnet and do not install it in a reverse position. If you do that, the starter will run backwards. (ask me how I know that) Baring a rebuild, you can find a new cheap copy, but don't hold your breath knowing it will work. I'm working thru that now with a 250FX. PO installed a copy and it won't turn the engine past the compression stroke. Good luck. https://www.partzilla.com/product/yamaha/5UM-81801-10-00?ref=a26ec4c2ef21ddaa9dc5e360190573af4329d024

In summer, Glacier National Park is very nice. We visited in 2018 and saw several bikes on the roads there. I found myself wishing we were riding there. Wish I'd rented while we were there and ridden some of the roads up there.