DRZ400 E vs XR 400 vs DR 650

[firsthumper]

I have a 2001 DR 650 which I like very much but find way too heavy for serious offroad riding. I have been looking for a second bike for playriding (enduro, trail riding, a bit of MX) and I set my sight on an XR 400 or alternatively a DRZ 400 E. Yesterday I went out to see a 2001 XR 400 that was in good condition . I tried it, on and off road , for 10 ' and to my surprise I was disappointed. The bike felt like a bicyle compared to the DR 650 but whereas I was expecting a mean machine better suited to agressive riding I found something more like a lawnmower compared to the 650. Now I know there are 250 cc more on the DR but mine is stock and I already find it a bit sluggish. Now I am not sure this XR 's carburetion was set properly, the ownert assured me it was and he sounded very knowledgeable. But the bike had tto much low end grunt especially in first gear which I think is a disadvantage and then it felt sluggish on shifts from 2d to 3d, and lacked top end power it would also die down when revving it up a bit in neutral like I am used to doing coming from 2 strokes. Does that sound normal to you? The position was kind of weird too , just a matter of getting used to it I guess.

How would the DRZ E compare to this ? And to the DR 650 ? I want a lighter bike without losing much power. Something that can play with KTM's and MX bikes. I am not considering a CRF due to the maintenance, maybe a WR 450 although it is about the same probably. But I prefered the XR for the ease of maintenance even compared to the DRZ. Just washing the DRZ looks like a job with this sophisticated engine.

[dhuber]

I'm 40 years old and 190 lbs. I have the DRZ S stripped down with a few mods and it's plenty of bike for me. I've never ridden the XR 400, but I've talked to people that have and they say the DRZ is more bike. I have a friend with a KLR 650. I've ridden his bike and it's great if all your gonna do is ride dirt and single track roads. The seat on his 650 is more comfortable and that's about it. IMHO the DRZ is the best off road bike. The DRZ is not a MX racer. There's plenty of bikes that will out perform on the track. When I go trail riding with the guys on there racers they always have someone with a 4 wheeler ATV pack gasoline for them. I have an aftermarket 3.2 gallon tank (which might be smaller than your 650's) and I've never had anyone pack gasoline for me. The power of the DRZ is just perfect for me. Many people that test ride my bike agree. Let me add there is nothing sophisticated about the DRZ. Washing and maintenance has been a breeze. I bought my bike with 600 miles on it. It now has 8000 miles on it and it has never broke down. The only time I work on it is for preventive maintenance or after market modifications. Good Luck! ?

[Silverslug]

The XR400 is bullet proof, but it doesn't have the power of a DRZ400E. The DRZ E is going to be closer to the power you want. The DRZ is heavier than the XR. I have had both bikes, both bikes are very reliable. It depends on what you are looking for, more power the DRZ, less weight the XR. I currently own a 2002 DRZ400E and love it.?

[slip]

I can't give you a comparison of the DRZ and the DR650 as I have never ridden a DR650 off road, but I had a XR650L dual sport and it was a lot of work for this 52 year old. The Z just tractors along. Just got back from trail riding as a matter of fact. I think I got my suspension dialed in and the Z handles beautifully on the trails. I have had mine for a week now and haven't washed it. Ok, I do clean the pretty blue tank now and again. I guess I have put about 250 miles on my 02, and I am finding out that it is not too bad on the street as well. This is a true 50/50 dual sport bike. I love mine. I don't play golf, or go out to bars, or smoke, or chase woman, ? so this bike is my therapy. Get one, you might find after a while that the other bikes will start collecting dust. ?

[DRZ DOUG]

I am 6-1 225 and the DRZ is plenty bike for me, plus after 18 years of not riding in the dirt, its plenty of a bike. Go for it, you wont regret it!?

[walkingdead]

ive ridden alot of different bikes and one thing is for sure, it will take more than just a quick spin to figure out how to make any of them perform to their potential.

the xr's low end grunt isnt a disadvantage offroad, its its best feature! most of the guys that ride drz's swap gearing to ride in the woods.

that being said, ive ridden the xr and own a drz, both bikes felt like they were made on a different planet after riding 2 smokes my whole life, but now that ive got a couple thousand miles on the drz i can make it scoot pretty good in the woods.

i like the newer design of the Z with the rads and all, and ive yet to lay a finger on it to wash it, i spray it down with simplegreen max, let sit a minute and hose it off.... run my leafblower over the whole thing to dry and im done.?

[mtnbikr]

I owned a CA plated 97 XR400 for 2 years and currently own a CA plated 2000 DRZ 400E. Obvious first advantage is the magic button.

In terms of ride quality, the low end grunt of the XR was perhaps the only advantage...I could lug that thing all day long. I dragged my buddy on his 2001 DRZ 400E - he could pull me at the top end but that power is meaningless on the trail IMHO.

The riding position is dfferent between the two. The top triple/bars are set back a bit on the DRZ which made it feel cramped. An aftermarket triple and higher bars fixed that. The XR didn't do anything spectacular but felt immediately comfortable.

The XR is notorious for it durability but mine was burning more oil than gas by the time I sold it..I'm sure it had been thru hell by the multiple owners before me.

I'm only an intermediate trail rider but I can't imagine needing more ponies on either for true trail riding.

[oruro]

And what a great machine the XR 400 is. I also pondered the question between the XR and the DRZ. The XR is air cooled and quite old technology (quite bullet proof though).

The DRZ is of course liquid cooled and dont forget that electric start. The DRZ really had great suspension and there are all sorts of after market goodies.

I had already owned three different XRs, so time to move on, I got the Australian 400 E model (FCR carb), just love it.

[firsthumper]

The XR400 is bullet proof, but it doesn't have the power of a DRZ400E. The DRZ E is going to be closer to the power you want. The DRZ is heavier than the XR. I have had both bikes, both bikes are very reliable. It depends on what you are looking for, more power the DRZ, less weight the XR. I currently own a 2002 DRZ400E and love it.?

The DRZ E is about 10 pounds more than the XR but does it really feel heavier when you ride it? In the end which one is the easiest handling bike in turns,windy hillclimbs, ruts and jumps? The used XR I tried had way too much low end grunt to my taste, first gear was basically useless and it felt like it had stiff steering bearings , I had to work more to make it turn. By contrast my DR 650 is very easy to turn- too much I would say- and has a much smoother power delivery compared to the XR . Seems like the DRZ is a bit like that too with more top end power than the XR .

[klx 400]

The technology of the XR400 is cerca 1986, plus no magic button. I rode one all over Peru, and it is a dinosaur compared to a drz400 w/ a few mods.

[rookie517]

DRZ is the answer ?

[obrianmcc]

Previous owner of a XR and now ride a DRZ E. The XR is a great bike...easy to ride, super reliable, can be a bitch to start from time to time. The DRZ is a modern day XR...again super reliable, super easy to start with the magic button, is 10 lbs heavier but feels lighter as the DRZ carries the weight lower. DRZ has more HP in stock trim than a XR. Both bikes are good...see what kind of deal you can find for either!