2012 Dual-Sport Shootout - Video

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Street/Dirt Bike Summary

“You have to be a dedicated dirtbike rider to justify the $1,400 price increase the TE demands over the Suzuki,” Tom states matter-of-factly.

Put a different way, if you’re looking for the dual-sport motorcycle that is biased toward the street side of things, yet is at home and capable where the pavement ends, the Suzuki DR-Z400S is the bike here that doesn’t over-commit to one extreme at the cost of the other.

Where the DR-Z is the political moderate, the Husqvarna TE250 is unabashedly an extremist. The Husky has an agenda, and that is to get to the trails ASAP. While the DR-Z is a competent off-roader, in the hands of a skilled dirtbike rider, the lightweight, athletic TE250 will sprint away like a March hare, doing high-flying tailwhips along the way, and the DR-Z rider likely won’t see the TE again until the trail ends.

The Husky is a capable motorcycle on the street; the same traits that make it such a good dirt bike (light weight, quick steering, stable chassis, excellent brakes, etc.) also make it entertaining on pavement. The difference between the Suzuki and Husqvarna’s street worthiness comes down to a matter of which bike is more comfortable for the rider to spend time aboard for extended paved mileage. That bike is the DR-Z400S. But we knew this going in; no grand revelations have unfolded during this comparison of the obvious.

Yamaha’s WR250R was sorely missed as a real competitor, rather than one imagined. But we have enough factual info on the WR to know that it falls somewhere in the middle of this group.

However, experience with all three bikes tells us that the Yamaha, while fairly capable as a streetbike, doesn’t have the Suzuki’s extra horsepower and torque, and its 20-something pounds weight savings over the DR isn’t significant enough that most riders could discern an advantage. An 0.8-inch lower seat than the DR-Z might be helpful to some riders, but the WR isn’t quite as cozy for the rider.

The WR will be easier to manage when in the dirt, helping justify its $500 premium over the DR-Z400S, but the difference won’t be huge to anyone who does only mild off-roading. And now that we know the Husqvarna is the off-road king in this group, for the dirtbike junkie, the $900 gap from the Yamaha to the Husqvarna is a no-brainer for getting the best dirt bike here, the TE250.

The WR250R is the middle child, but also last in line.

By the Numbers
	Husqvarna TE250	Suzuki DR-Z400S	Yamaha WR250R
MSRP	$7,599	$6,199	$6,990
Engine Type	liquid-cooled four-stroke Single	liquid-cooled four-stroke Single	liquid-cooled four-stroke Single
Displacement	249.5cc	398cc	250cc
Bore & Stroke	79.0 x 50.9mm	90.0 x 62.6mm	77.0 x 53.6mm
Compression	13.6:1	11.3:1	11.8:1
HP (BHP or Rear Wheel)	24.3 rwhp	31.6 rwhp	26.8 rwhp
Torque	13.4 ft-lbs as tested	23.4 ft-lbs as tested	16.7 ft-lbs as tested
Frame	cro-mo single-tube steel, cradle-type	steel, cradle-type	cast & forged alum, w/steel sections, semi-double-cradle-type
Wheelbase	57.0"	58.5"	55.9"
Front Suspension	48mm USD Kayaba w/11.8" travel	49mm USD w/11.3" travel	46mm USD w/10.6" travel
Rear Suspension	fully adjustalbe Kayaba monoshock w/11.6" travel	monoshock w/11.6" travel	fully adjustable monoshock w/10.6" travel
Front Wheel	spoke-laced 1.6 x 21"	spoke-laced 21"	spoke-laced 21"
Rear Wheel	spoke-laced 2.15 x 18"	spoke-laced 18"	spoke-laced 18"
Tires	90/90 x21 front, 140/90 x 18 rear	80/100 x 21 front, 120/90 x 18 rear	80/10 x 21 front, 120/80 x 18 rear
Front Brakes	dual-piston single caliper w/260mm wave rotor	dual-piston single caliper w/250mm rotor	dual-piston single caliper w/250mm wave rotor
Rear Brakes	single-piston caliper w/240mm wave rotor	single-piston caliper w/220mm rotor	single piston caliper w/230mm wave rotor
Fuel Capacity	2.25 gal. U.S.	2.6 gal. U.S.	2.0 gal. U.S.
Weight	246 lbs w/o fuel	317 lbs curb weight	295 lbs curb weight
Seat Height	35.8"	36.8"	36.6"