Husqvarna WR 250

Looking for fun in the woods is by now synonym with the Husqvarna WR 250 as people who already got a feel of it cant get enough. And it is all due to the fact that this maker decided that it is better to rely on the good old two-stroke hit and make a good and pretty unique impression on a market dominated by four-stroke engines packed with technology in order to equal what the powerplant of this Husky already achieved.

But hey, thats technology evolution and were not going to argue with it, but simply get the best out of the WR 250 and put it on your screen.

One of the longest living models in Husqvarnas lineup, the WR 250 was first produced in 1969 and followed a great success all through the 70s as it was a cheap and easy to live with machine characterized through a two-stroke engine, good suspensions and drum brakes, kind of like all the bikes of the time, but what you will notice in the pictures are the color schemes. This is testimony of the fact that Husqvarna comes back to its roots.

Things evolved together with the arrival of the 1980s and the bike would have looked a little more up to date thanks to its square headlight and the addition of as much plastic as possible. It so ended up looking like a trail ride that had stepped-up to the challenge and boy it did! The 80s had a great impact on the Husqvarna name and the WR had much to do with that. With the years passing by, the manufacturer oriented on keeping the weight down so they removed the unneeded plastic, making the bike look a little more athletic.

The mechanics had evolved a lot so the engine was living the days of glory of the two-stroke generation.

The early 1990s gave a green light to stylistic and mechanical upgrade so you will identify a 1992 model and say its a husky with no doubts. Disc brakes were the key and the engine revved higher than ever before. It is also the year when they went for the Blue and Yellow color schemes which were changed all through the 90s, with their reintroduction together with the new millennium.

Until 2006, minor changes were done to the bike as the manufacturer planned a major revamp for 2007 model year. Riders could now enjoy a new seat, new tank and new panels and the red and white cover was added. Fitted with new instrumentation and redesigned handlebars, the WR 250 was a totally new and yet filled with history motorcycle.
 

Competition

It has gone a long way, but it is all well worth it as the evolution of motorcycle in our days is well benefic for this Husqvarna. People simply want a fun two-stroke bike to head on the trails and there is nothing in the 250cc category that would even come close to it.

Its every single evolutionary step during the years helped this manufacturer come up with an impressive looking Enduro bike that is a true representative of where trail bikes started in the first place. And it does that when you simply take a look at it. Can you imagine the feel when riding this thing?

If it wasnt for the headlight and the lowered suspensions, you could actually confuse it with Husqvarna motocross bikes. It features a high-mounted front fender and angular side panels, as well as whats suppose to be the side number plates.

Color combination is Red and White since last year, but you will notice that Black isnt a thing of the past either. It can be found on the mudguards, fork, hand guards, seat and it creates a nice contrast with all that Red so it is welcomed.

Take it on the trails and it would make riding as fun as youve ever experienced thanks to its unique combination between the off-road chassis, suspensions and brakes, all this being set into motion by a unique two-stroke engine. You rarely hear the loud bangers in the woods today so if you do, there are good chances to be a WR 250.

I didnt had the benefits of an E-starter, but who needs the extra weight anyway as the bike already weighs 227.1 lbs. Kickstart the high-revving motor and youll be in for one unique ride on the trails.

Everything is amazing right from the start: the motor pulls good down low and shifting the gears is the easiest task as the gearbox is precise and the clutch engages smoothly. The suspensions will not take you proudly on a motocross track, but the bike wasnt designed to do that and for their task, they are perfectly ok with me, as well as the brakes.

Take it through rivers or jumps over lugs and it would be ok with the Husky because is disposes of enough power to take on any challenge that you may encounter.

All of these bikes features blend in together and result into a truly amazing bike so I didnt knew what to analyze first. I decided to stay in my routine and make a good impression on the 249.3cc, two-stroke liquid cooled single-cylinder engine fitted with HTS Power Valve.

Get a handful of its throttle and youll be spoiled by a strong bang that remains present all through the powerband and in any of the five gears. This is what is so great about this Husqvarna model, the fact that it combines the old with the new. I mean, who wouldnt want to ride a two-stroke trail bike with Brembo brakes, Marzocchi and Sachs suspension?

For 2008, Husqvarna engineers concentrated on delivering a better steering and handling motorcycle and the feel in the handlebars has definitely became lighter and the rider also receives better feedback. That is mostly due to the new tapered Tommaselli handlebars which dont feature a cross bar and also to the new handlebar clamps and adjustable steering plate.

But in order to have a stable cornering bike and more precise steering, the suspensions have to be adequate for the type of riding approached so 2008 brings new 45mm Marzocchi forks and a new Sachs shock absorber. Thank Husqvarna that they really are and radically improve the cornering abilities and also fill the rider with confidence and this results in more limit situations that pump up adrenaline and impress the guys on four-stroke motorcycles, even the ones displacing 450cc.

I always enjoy knowing that the bike I ride or test is fitted with Brembo brakes, instead of Nissin like on the Japanese dirt bikes, because I like being on special machines. But grabbing the lever really results in impressive stopping power (260mm front disc) even for a motocross bike, not to mention one that spends its riding years on the trails so why I like the name is totally justified. Rear braking is also efficient as the 220mm disc is appropriate for this type of ride and its behavior.

If you have a trained eye you wont underestimate the WR 250s abilities and you will soon have it climb steep hills, rocks and immediately confirm your thoughts that this is th best choice youve made in a while.
 

Conclusion

One filled with heritage motorcycle that proves able to be taken even further for 2008 model year as it receives its bag of goodies happily and makes no compromise when it comes to exploiting the hell out of them. This is the bike that made us thrilled when hearing about testing a Husqvarna model and I reckon there will be many more.

Source Top Speed