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Need some advice on which 4 stroke to buy!

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Posted by: gregkzoo---------------------

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?


Posted by: BikeDstroyer---------------------

KTM all the way!!!!


Posted by: gregkzoo---------------------

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?


Posted by: jdrobins---------------------

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


Posted by: BikeDstroyer---------------------

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.


Posted by: TexKDX---------------------

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,


Posted by: bte---------------------

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


Posted by: gregkzoo---------------------

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.


Posted by: scar tissue---------------------

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.


Posted by: penguin---------------------

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


Posted by: gregkzoo---------------------

well i wouldnt say money is no object, but i could wait longer and buy the KTM. On its measley oil capacity do you think its safe to run it straight for 100 miles? Right now i could buy a new KLX, and hop it up a bit, or buy a used KTM 400.
What we are looking at doing is getting off the trail some and hitting the fireroads/trails with our tent and gear in our packs and doing 200 mile weekends.
My girlfreind who rides a ttr 125 is buying a ttr225 and street title it. We want to be able to see more of our awesome state, but still be able to trail ride. She's tired of not being able to see cool things in our state and national forests because our bikes are'nt legal, even though its just fire roads, and dirt roads into little towns.


Posted by: penguin---------------------

I would still vote for the KTM, but if the oil thing really bothers you, go with the KLX, you and do a few simple mods and perk up the power. If I ever got another KLX I would modify it in this order: remove restrictor from the stock muffler and remove airbox lid(free), put on a oversized headpipe($140), put on a pumper carburetor($325-$500). At your weight the stock suspension should be adequate for exploring. I weigh over 200 lbs, so I would put in heavier springs($180) after doing the free mods.


Posted by: W.P.EXC---------------------

Well I finally got to ride a new DRZ a couple weeks ago and what a dissapointment. It felt like a pig on the trail and was seriously lacking in the power dept. It did however feel great on the road.:think I think you would be more satisfied on the KTM.


Posted by: scar tissue---------------------

Since your asking for fireroad performance only, you'd probrably be happy with all of them. See what you get the best deal on and is most comfortable, and go from there. The KTM cool but very hard seat. Honestly if I was going for fireroad crusing, comfort, and being bulletproof I'd choose the XR400. a good all around bike. The KLX is better for tight trails. and again the deals on 1 year olds are a scream.


Posted by: HGilliam---------------------

I've been dualsporting a RFS KTM for 10 months now. I bought the stainless filters right away and change the oil every 2 to 3 hundred miles. I've done some back to back 100 to 140 mile days on mostly dirt road and paved back roads and must admit I wish I had the Corbin seat thats on my KTM 620. Other than this I prefer the 520 over the 620 for everything except the seat. Ride the bike with a little bit of sanity on the pavement and leave the gear banging wheelies to the dirt. If you get stopped too long at a traffic light just shut it off, its got a e-button! In the woods and trails there is no comparison between the KTM and the rest of the list. Gear it 52t on the rear and you'll only use 1st gear if you completely stop in a gnarley section. Sixth gear will still water your eyes on the road so 50 to 55mph is easy riding.

Besides KTM is the only importer to support our fight agains the land closure eco nazis. They recently joined ORBA (Off road business association) which is one of the organizations fighting in court against land closure. Our toys aren't much fun if there is no good place to ride them. Support those that support us.

Putting my soapbox away now!

Howard



Posted by: NVR FNSH---------------------

Nothing beats an air cooled XR (250/400/600) for bullet proof reliability - end of story. Since your talking about taking a tent with you I'm guessing all out trail performance is not the highest priority and carry my crap/get me home reliability is. The XR is very forgiving and will allow you to enjoy the scenery.

Second choice would be the DRZ - might be a better compromise between road/trail than the XR4. However, there is a lot to be said for air cooled simplicity.

3rd - is a toss up between the KLX & KTM. Both are good bikes but have different personalities.

Note - the XR is probably the easiest/cheapest to equip with a larger fuel tank.

Bottom line is any of the above bikes will be a pleasure to ride when set up for you & what you want to do with it. Wish I had your dilemma:D

Brian


Posted by: kudzukudzu---------------------

I have both the KTM and the DRZ, and I have ridden the XR400 as well. If you're going to stay at 400cc, go with the DRZ. Sure, it's a few pounds heavier, but it's not noticeable and the e-start is worth it. In addition, it's probably the most dual-sport-able bike of the lot. It just runs and runs. If the weight is a problem, it's really about bottoming, and you can do cheap mods to your forks and shock that will do everything but make it a moto-crosser. Also, several members have suggested low cost ($3!) mods that really wake up the power, but I have yet to try them.

If you want KTM (which means you want a serious bike!), I would go 520. Same weight as the 400, loads more useable, tractable power, not much price difference. And I have run it for 100+ miles at a crack in the southern New Mexico desert in July without a problem, including both high-speed and technical runs; bike didn't even break a sweat.

All that said, I think it's pretty clear that the limitation of either bike is that your riding buddy is (or soon will be) on a TTR225. With the KTM, you will want to continuously leave her (or anyone else, for that matter) in the dust. The DRZ will still way outperform the TTR, but it's really the best alternative. Read all of the latest reviews in the last three months, and all of the mags have said the DRZ is the best trail bike in the world (stock), bar none.

Finally, no way I'd go with a KLX without major mods.

Hope this helps.


Posted by: wayneo426---------------------

I say go with the DRZ kicker. Its not as heavy as the e, has awesome suspension for trails, and the beef to handle fire-roads at speed. They turn well, are comfy to ride, and there are tons of after market mods you can do to it. If the $ werent an object, obviously the KTM would be at the top. The DRZ is a great bike, dont let anyone tell you otherwise. You will save 10lbs over the e-start, anyway. A great bike for the money right now. Check out your local Suzook dealers, they may give you a smokin deal on a 2001.


Posted by: snaggleXR4---------------------

Hey,
This is easy, get an XR400. You will save mega bucks if you buy and good used one. Then you can put on pumper carb, exhaust, suspension, handlebars, etc... and have a real nice bike, suited to you and your riding style, and you will still be ahead in $. I won't even mention, that it will last forever, and almost never give you a headache.

In my mind the KLX is the only other bike you get at a reasonable price. Unfortunately, without major engine mods, she will be down on power and low end grunt that the XR400 is overflowing with.

The DRZ's are nice bikes, the only downside to the Suzuki is that they are too new, therefore, too expensive in my mind.

Good luck.


Posted by: TexKDX---------------------

Quote:
Originally posted by snaggleXR4
The DRZ's are nice bikes, the only downside to the Suzuki is that they are too new, therefore, too expensive in my mind.

Good luck.


True, if shopping the used bike market you can go back more years in the XR line than the DRZ line. The DRZ is far from unaffordable IMO with street prices hovering around $4700 new and in the 3's used.


Posted by: HiG4s---------------------

If you are riding a KTM now I find it VERY hard to believe you will be happy with any of the other 3.
But you might also consider VOR, or Husqvarna. The VOR enduros come with DOT approved knobbies, a wiring harness (for turn signals, horn, high and low beam and such) and already have a streetable title from the factory.


Posted by: gregkzoo---------------------

Well frrom what i can gather, each of these bikes is pretty good. Hopefully i can find some people on the trail who can give me a test run on their bike. I guess the KTM is still in my mind the one to go with. I hate the seat, but maybe i can do something about that.It seems the oil capacity, and uncushioned hub wont be such a problem if i keep it to the dirt. Im just gonna have to save a little longer until i can afford it. Hopefully find a 01 in december.Thanks for all the great advice.


Posted by: BikeDstroyer---------------------

There is aftermarket soft seat foam avail. There is tall foam, soft foam, hard foam & standard foam. Enduro Engineering sells them. IF the seat is what is keeping you from buying the bike, this is an easy solution.


Posted by: helterskelter400---------------------

if you're happy with the xtra ktm cost & maintenance & lower resale but higher trailer factor - get a 520 & ride (but dont forget to wait for the 225 - take up reading novels)

if your after a fun ride, minimal maintrenance, reasonable cost & a bit of trailer pose value, get a elect drz & if u want a bit more, there's plenty of extra waiting for a bit of shed time.

if your after top value for money, reasonable performance and a ride, park, ride maintenance regime and now absolutly no trailer pose value, get a xr4 (there's still lots of good value to be found in a bit of shed time).

if youre the type who'll buy a bike & spent heaps on extras & go fast (needed or not) then your still ktm, if youre happy not having the latest & greatest and want the best longer term ride for $$ go the drz or for cheapest purchase & trail ridin bits & stone relyabiklity, go the xr4

(ive got an xr4 & ride with xr4s, xr6s, a drz400, a 520, 620s, wrf400 & 426& a few other hangers on - there's no pressure on me on normal rides. on the big rides (300-450km range reqd), everyoune else stays behind xcept the xrs).

work out where you are on the scale & wot your trade offs are & RIDE


Posted by: sven---------------------

Hey Get The DRZ Kickstart!!
265lbs And It's On Sale For$3995!!



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