Lee,
I have been rippin' up the Mississippi Gulf Coast on a 2000 DRZ400 e for over a year now. Besides a couple of "boil overs" during the 100+ summer temps (combined with some VERY tight trails and low speeds), I have been very happy with the Suzuki. Good maintainence (frequent oil and filter changes) and a clean air filter is about all that she requires. As someone else mentioned, the reliability issues are normally blown out of proportion. It seems as though a certain % of bikes (any make or model) will have problems. As should be expected. If you think about the thrashing that an off road machine goes through in a year, it is amazing that more of them don't die out in the woods.
I am relatively small (compared to most of the thumper riders that I know) 5'8" and 165 lbs. For the majority of riding that we do here in Mississippi, the DRZ has MORE than enough power for me in its stock form. It IS heavier than the KTM and the YZ, but once you get her kickin' down the trail, the weight dissappears. The electric start is worth its weight in GOLD. Let me say that again, the electric start is worth its weight in GOLD! The stock motor pulls well from the bottom on up to the rev-limiter, where she signs off quickly. Unless you are an "A" class rider, I doubt that the motor will disappoint you. The suspension is just right for me, much plusher than my Honda XR's from the past, but yet only bottoms out when I have done something that I should not be doing on a woods bike. Adding a little oil to the forks helped cure that for me. The YZF out performs the DRZ in the suspension catagory, but you have to be a real man to ride a 426 fast in the woods for longer than two minutes. Turning on the DRZ is good, maybe excellent. The DRZ turns much quicker than any Honda XR that I have ever had or ridden. In fact, when you are cutting through the tight trails, you will almost feel like you are riding an RM. The Suzuki has very little engine braking (unless you ride it like a dog), so you can actually ride it like a 2 "smoke". I feel comfortable either railing the outside line through a berm, or squaring off the turn (you can even brake slide it like a 2 stroke). The speed is "sneaky" fast. The bike is so quiet, and smooth, that it will often get you going faster than you want. The front brakes are excellent, the rear is marginal (mine had air in the brake line from the factory, and I have never been able to get it feeling quite right). The graphics are trash after a couple of rides, but thats what keeps the aftermarket companies alive.
If you can't tell, I have a pretty good relationship going with my DRZ. I'm not sure if it is the bike for you, but I do KNOW that all my riding buddies that have riden mine are looking for DRZ's of their own.
Good Luck