Im getting ready to buy a new bike, and ive got it narrowed down to a couple and so i was hoping i could get some of you guys advice. I ride mostly tight single track in upper michigan. Lots of tight trees,sand,whoops,hill climbs. I weigh 160 pounds and im an average to slightly better rider. Right now i ride a ktm 250exc. And its plenty of bike for me. These are the bikes im looking at:
dzr 400
klx 300
xr 400
ktm 400exc
I want to be able to street licence it for the fire roads also, not really pavement. What do you guys/gals think will work best for me?

KTM all the way!!!!

my only problems with the KTM is the cost,$1500 more than the DZR, $2200 more than the KLX, and KTM's insistance that this bike not be dual-sported. And it seems like they are real good points to why you shouldnt. So what makes the KTM so good that i should overlook these?

The DRZ is an overall good trail bike, I have had mine for almost a year and I still would recommend it. The suspension on the 00,01's are soft (I had to replace my Fork/Shock springs, which made the bike feel much better and actually made me like it better, I have ridden the KLX and Althoiugh it is nice it does lack some power.(the KLX was to be my 2nd choice).
I don't know about street legal though

Jim

gregkzoo,

The reason I said KTM is because it is a way better quality bike. Handle bars, exhaust, everything. As long as you don't do a lot of pavement dualsporting it won't hurt it, I have many friends who dual sport theirs. I bought a WR250F because the KTM250F wasn't going to be released as a 2002 model and I have spent more money making the WR the bike I want than I would have on the KTM. Just personal preference. I think KTM is a much better made bike.

Greg -

If you want to basically keep your 250EXC but have it burn straight gas, get the KTM 400EXC and be done with it. Have you ridden the DRZ? Nice bike, but it feels heavy compared to the KTM400. The DRZ is more directly comparable to the WR400 Yamaha, but has the advantages of the button and a friendlier power delivery. The KTM400 is more akin to the 2 stroke KTMs in its handling, feel, and power delivery.

The dual sport "issue" on the RFS at it pertains to the US market I believe is driven by two factors. One, KTM trying to maintain sales of its LC4-based machines, and two, if you look at the true US market dual sports - XR650L, KLR, Suzuki DR - the RFS is a different bike. No electric fan is one issue behind this I'm sure. Quite frankly, as hard and narrow as the RFS seat is I cannot imagine ANYONE riding one long enough on the street to hurt it!

Make the RFS street legal and don't worry about it I say. For your intended use it will work fine. One thing I plan to do the next time I'm across the pond is take a good look at the XRs, EXCs, KDXs etc. and see if they put a cush drive on them for the markets where they are street legal. The RFS and LC2 (2 stroke) KTMs come as EGS models as well in some countries, and I believe these all have a cush drive rear hub.

Ride them all if you can before you make your decision. All good bikes, but the KTM will explain to you when you ride her why she costs more. The KLX and Suzy will take a few hundred in upgrades to make you happy with it which will offset some of the money.

Truth be told, the RFS does bug me in one regard - the sound the engine makes. That worn coffee-grinder sound wigs me out a bit. As long as I'm here in the US and walking distance from a ride back to the truck I'm OK. Put me out 500 miles from no-where on an adventure trip in Mexico, no way man.

That is what I got the XR250 for .

Good luck,

If you have not looked at the Husqvarna TE400, I would not over look it. The 02' will be e-start, but my 01 is not a hard starter. They are nice bikes and are put togather good. If you have never priced one, do it, you very well maybe surprized. Not that I'm tring to sell you mine but I just priced mine to a guy for 4,500 and it a 01, so that will give you and idea of the price. and the price on parts are great too. You may not give the huskys a second thought, but I just thought I would give you some food for thought.

brown

Guys, thanks for the great advice. The ktm worries me because of the small oil capacity,no fan,uncushioned hub, and that hard KTM seet, which ive become sorta used to. Will she be able to run 100 miles of firelane road without killing it? If it has as much power as my 250, i could maybe go with less power.
The trails i ride are mostly 1st, 2nd gear, and OCCASIONALY 3rd. Fire roads i usually dont need all the gears, and power either. This is why i wonder if i need something as race as the KTM. Which of these bikes would feel great on the single track, as well as a 60 mile fireroad run? IWith trail being the more important consideration? Would it still be the KTM?

As far as the Husky, i havnt checked em yet because i thought they would be out of my price range, but i guess not, so i will have to check em out.

Are you looking at new or used. If used the KLX price tag is much nicer than any other. I've seen stock 2000 KLX300's for under 3K. You could then take the saving and have a company like Stroker trick it out for you exactly. Thats what I did, 340 kit pumper carb, ext. swing arm, KX linkage etc. this bike rocks and is lees than a stock KTM of the same year.

I agree with the other guys on the DRZ feeling heavy, same with the XR 400. though The XR would be my 2nd. choice.

If budget isn't the issue then the KTM would be the best bike, in stock performance, but for long trail rides the seat is very, very hard. It's great for motocross.

I'm 6'3" 220lbs and came off an XR 600 to my KLX 340 and am very happy with the performance of the bike, both power and especially turning. Stock the powers a little down, but the free mods. and a pumper really pump it up. Pipes and over bores help to. For Trails the KLX turns the best. I've been able to ride it all day very very comfortably. No problems on hill climbs. I don't know how tall you are but stock the bikes are a little short, with the way I have mine set up it's now actually 1" taller than my XR600. good luck.

KTM or KLX They are both much lighter than the other alternatives. I have owned 3 KLX's and they don't have as much power as a 250exc, but they always got me where I wanted to go. I have seen several dual spoted KLX's, don't know about the KTM. If money was no object , I would get the KTM 400MXC/EXC and a couple of cases of oil and some stainless steel oil filters and go for it