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Best new Dual Sport, trading in my 2003 DRZ400s

By njg,
in DRZ400/E/S/SM

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njg

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Asking the group what is the best dual sport out there to move from my current 2003 DR400s.

Want to stay between $5-7k (Love the KTM but can't afford it) 

Love the DRZ but feels heavy in the sand and tight trails and as I get older, I am looking for a lighter bike even if it has less HP

What do you suggest?

Thanks

njg

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lowercasee

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The Japanese options are all going to be around the same weight but with significantly less power than the DRZ.  Sticking around your price range and keeping in mind less weight than a DRZ, your best bet is probably going to be a used KTM EXC or Husky TE.  You might also get lucky and find a dirt bike that's been converted to street legal.  Maybe even a converted XR250 or 400 which is less weight, simpler tech, and Honda reliability.  With any of these options, you are going to be looking at more maintenance (oil and file changes, valve check/adjustments, etc) than the DRZ.

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Spud786

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If offroad only hard to beat a 2 stroke 250, if you need the street, stick with DRZ or cough up the extra dough for ktm 350 or 450.  As far as trading a DRZ for a yam 250 dual sport, it (250)probably better on tight trails but you'll sacrifice on the street.

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Noble

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Best dual sport, there is only 1 (actually 2) 2012+ KTM 350EXC, 500EXC, or the Husky clones.  Nothing in your price range.  Used? look for a 2005 KTM400 EXC with a plate.  Single oil supply nice wide ratio gearbox

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cowpie

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the main drawback to the drz to me is the height in slow tight stuff .. deep sand is a problem for anything but the right tires can make the difference between night and day .. i dont see you really improving much over the drz without going to an expensive bike or a much lighter bike like a full dirtbike and trailor it in, but if your idea of an enjoyable ride is just plodding along and exploring the trails a shorter smaller enduro with the right tires may be more enjoyable .. sand will always be a problem though .. the only way it wont be is alot of power and some hairy knobs and blast through it .. you could do that with the drz, might want to gear it down a bit ..

Edited by cowpie
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NoFiddyPilot

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Asking the group what is the best dual sport out there to move from my current 2003 DR400s.

Want to stay between $5-7k (Love the KTM but can't afford it) 

Love the DRZ but feels heavy in the sand and tight trails and as I get older, I am looking for a lighter bike even if it has less HP

What do you suggest?

Thanks

njg

 

You absolutely can find a good, used KTM for that. I sold my 2008 KTM 450 XCR-W for $4,300 a year ago. 250lbs. wet, no fuel with ebutton. Loved that bike! It was street legal, but no signals, as hand signals were legal.

 

IMAG0619.jpg

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ohgood

Posted
Posted

Asking the group what is the best dual sport out there to move from my current 2003 DR400s.

Want to stay between $5-7k (Love the KTM but can't afford it) 

Love the DRZ but feels heavy in the sand and tight trails and as I get older, I am looking for a lighter bike even if it has less HP

What do you suggest?

Thanks

njg

 

i upgraded (the laughs are coming) to a kdx220, and kept the drz. the drz is my supermoto road pig, or dualsport / fire road rig. for woods (read: FUN) i'm taking the kdx. 100 lbs lighter, starts in 1/2 a kick, and eats tight single track for breakfast while spewing out that wonderful two smoke vapor. 

 

 

if you were looking for a 4 stroke, it's really really hard to beat the drz. it has a HUGE oil capacity compared to the fly-weight bikes of today. most of them carry less than a quart, have incredibly tight clearances around the EFI stuff, and proprietary fuel lines (that's a REAL BITCH) that like to pop off as soon as you're 20 miles deep in the woods. the te310 is -amazing- as far as suspension and power. the 400ktm wicked. think about throwing it down a ravine though, and the drz would be the one that gets ridden out from the bottom. 

 

stick with the drz, get another woods bike. you will love it. 

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BillDirt1

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Posted

Asking the group what is the best dual sport out there to move from my current 2003 DR400s.

Want to stay between $5-7k (Love the KTM but can't afford it) 

Love the DRZ but feels heavy in the sand and tight trails and as I get older, I am looking for a lighter bike even if it has less HP

What do you suggest?

Thanks

njg

Since money is almost always an issue, maybe a used Yamaha WR-250.  Then install a Baja Designs DOT kit, runs about $500.

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atarijedi

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I'm in a similar position, not old, but damaged from work injuries, lol. I have a DRZSM, but I'm thinking of trying to get my hands on a 09 Husaberg 450cc, bike is 70lbs lighter, fuel injected, lower COG, wide ratio transmission, and the engines are just as bullet proof, plus they have that cool forward slant, lol.

 

I live in Ontario, so any bike I choose has to be road legal from factory, which limits my choices.

Edited by atarijedi
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Anthon Berg

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I'm in a similar position, not old, but damaged from work injuries, lol. I have a DRZSM, but I'm thinking of trying to get my hands on a 09 Husaberg 450cc, bike is 70lbs lighter, fuel injected, lower COG, wide ratio transmission, and the engines are just as bullet proof, plus they have that cool forward slant, lol.

 

I live in Ontario, so any bike I choose has to be road legal from factory, which limits my choices.

 

IIRC the Husaberg 570 was made to be street legal in the US - in case it helps you. (The 570 is a very controllable animal, the throttle response is so smooth and the power is very linear, even though it has basically infinite brutal grunt on tap. Amazing machine. (I'm lucky enough to have one! It's f'n great!))

 

- edit: Note that the 'Bergs are have little bit race-oriented ergonomics. Not too bad though, but a heads-up to let you know that this is something that you might want to look into altering / a heads-up that it's not hard to change it if you feel the need. They're rather tall as stock - a smidge higher seat height than the DR-Z, but this is almost completely offset by the lower weight and COG. More importantly for me - having longish legs and not great knees - is that the seat-to-footpeg distance is not very long, afaik the footpegs are placed high to clear obstacles better. My knees felt a little more cramped than on the DR-Z. I got a medium-tall OEM seat and I love it. It's quite a bit taller now than the DR-Z but even then it's easier to handle at a standstill. So everything is easily corrected if you do feel cramped. And it was only slight for me. All the handlebar geometry and ergos are much better on the 'Berg. For the lower body ergos, there is quite a variety of footpegs available as well as different seats. Overall the cockpit ergonomics are easier to work with than the DR-Z which is imo a bit cramped too, just a bit differently - and it's a little harder to correct on the DR-Z.

 

edit 2 - I don't want to give the wrong impression. It's a very comfortable bike overall, it's only slightly "racy".

Edited by Anthon Berg
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ukele6

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i upgraded (the laughs are coming) to a kdx220, and kept the drz. the drz is my supermoto road pig, or dualsport / fire road rig. for woods (read: FUN) i'm taking the kdx. 100 lbs lighter, starts in 1/2 a kick, and eats tight single track for breakfast while spewing out that wonderful two smoke vapor. 

 

 

if you were looking for a 4 stroke, it's really really hard to beat the drz. it has a HUGE oil capacity compared to the fly-weight bikes of today. most of them carry less than a quart, have incredibly tight clearances around the EFI stuff, and proprietary fuel lines (that's a REAL BITCH) that like to pop off as soon as you're 20 miles deep in the woods. the te310 is -amazing- as far as suspension and power. the 400ktm wicked. think about throwing it down a ravine though, and the drz would be the one that gets ridden out from the bottom. 

 

stick with the drz, get another woods bike. you will love it. 

 

 

true story.. except i threw it into a tree first... and than down a ravine.   it was still running when i got to it.

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