which bike should i choose dr z400e ord kdx200

[gjbruny]

Which bike should i choose? the DR Z400E, KTM 300EXC, KDX200

as of may of last year i renewed my interest in off-roading. i purchased a new vinson 500. i got the quad primaily for hunting elk and for some mild trail riding. the first day out i had a blast and my wife and i camped every weekend until bow season opened in september. though i had a ton of fun and it did everything it was built to do very well, i was trail riding a quad that weighed 600lbs and was not built for nor could handle the trail riding that i wanted to do. i live in washington state and grew up on an RM 125. i never raced it but rode fairly aggressively. when i was 19 i bought an RM 250 but lost it in a house fire 3 months after buying it. 10years later i NEED a new bike. our terrain here has everything from tight single tracks in heavy timber, sand, snow, mud, wide open fire roads, huge hill climbs, and is full of mountains. washington has it all! i recently rode an 03 YZ125 and was impressed with how far the 125s have come in 10-12 years but i am definately not looking for that kind of on/off whiteknuckled powerband that a full mx'er has since i will primarily riding trails (an informal mx track maybe once a year but only with friends, not an organized race). i have narrowed my decision to the suzuki dr z400e but am starting to look very closely at the kdx200. i really want the smooth power of a fourstroke but it seems that the kdx makes smooth power also (is this true) and has good top end for the wide open trails. also, up in the mountains we often need a lot of low end grunt and i hear that the kdx has this also. i am 5 '7" and 175lbs. i know that the drz is heavy but i am very fit (however, if SUZ could shave 25-30lbs off the drz it be my choice) and think i can handle the extra weight. i have also been told that the KTM 300EXC is a great bike but i am worried it may be too much 2stroke power for me and don't know anything about the reliability of the bike. any input would be very helpful on which bike would the over-all winner for me? the most important aspects for me are that the power rolls on smooth (but has plenty of it) and i have power at all ends of the powerband due to our diverse terrain. i also don't want to be wrenching on it instead of riding it. whatever bike i choose it will be purchased new so i can properly break-in and maintain it.

 

[Tony Eeds]

Whew! Did you take a breath when you typed that post? ;)

I am going to move this to the What Bike Do I Get... ? forum. You will get far more responses there.

 

[yater]

They are both great bikes. The drze makes a fantastic dualsport in the right states. The drz will take more effort to ride all day in the woods. If you need to cover a lot of ground at high speed or do any kind of dual sporting, the drz is the bike. The kdx is really easy to ride in the woods and tighter trails. Both are very reliable and both have excellent aftermarket support. You can't go wrong either way

 

[xsnrg]

I haven't ridden a DRZ400, but I think you'll be very pleased with a KDX. I ride a KDX220 and I can't believe how much grunt it has at the low end. I ride in the mountains of NC, VA, and WV. If you replace sand with clay, the conditions that you describe are very similar.

"tight single tracks in heavy timber, sand, snow, mud, wide open fire roads, huge hill climbs, and is full of mountains."

I am 6' and weigh 200 lbs and have never come close to running out of power on a hill, and the power is very easy to control. Sometimes I swear the bike has computerized power delivery and corrects for my mistakes. It obviously doesn't, but it does instill a great deal of confidence. I once equated 2strokes with 'high strung' bikes for the track and a chore on the trail, but the KDX will quickly take that notion away if you have it.

Still, I say find a used KDX and DRZ for sale and ride both before you buy.

 

[gjbruny]

thanks!

thanks for the info so far! i think i am going to go to a local orv park and try to find someone with either bike so i can beg them for a test ride since our dealers will not allow a test.

 

[83MX80]

my friend (about 6' skinny :) ) rides a KDX 200 2 stroke. he says he likes it. around where i live thats all we have is mountains to ride on. unless you load it up and drive somewhere. so its all trail riding. he rides with his friend alot, which have a couple of 125 2 strokes, an 85cc, and a couple more bikes. and he's usually way ahead of them waiting for them. he says (we talk alot in socials class) that it jumps pretty good too.

 

[joe265]

I had a 96kdx200 and it was quite a reliable bike. You only have to keep a good eye on the lower shock bearing a little more than with the mx bikes and the rear brake lever gets sloppy in a short while mainly due to a poor design. All in all it stays together pretty well also considering you almost get three times the wear out of the piston compared to the typical 250 two stroke. The chain and sprocket wear is also minimal after 70+ hrs of riding time. In the motor dept. it virtually has no hit in stock form and is a very quiet 2stroke. The only thing i didn't like about the bike was the front end, mainly because of fork flex and tucking in the corners but after laying down some money you could resolved some of those issues but there is only so much you can do with small cartridge forks. Depending on which model you want, the 200 in comparison will give you a 125 powerband with a little more bottom end and alot less hit and the 220 is more like a 4stroke with less top end. The 200 is definatly faster through the mid and top end. Hope that helps in your decision.............. :think: