I ride a 96 xr 400 and ride on a lot of tight single-track trails. It seems that the other guys I ride with who ride YZ 250 F and YZ 400F do so much better in the tight stuff. Is it me or that the xr's too heavy?
Anyone who rides an XR 400, I would like to hear your thoughts.
XR400 is perfect for tight woods. You may want to gear down some if you are having a hard time keeping it running. I have 13,14, and 15 tooth front sprockets to use where appropriate.
Well, XRs in general are a little heavy,(but then so are YZFs) maybe 15 or 20lbs more than a YZF, 58lbs more than my 125. And they do have an inch or two less suspension, and it is a little softer (which is good if you are not an aggressive rider or don't do much jumping) But the big difference would be in power delivery. If you are happy with the power delivery put a fork brace on it and keep practicing. XRs are very dependable.
I find Yamaha 4 strokes are not the best single track weapons by a long way. I'd rather be on an xr, though I wouldn't go so far as to say an xr is "perfect" for single track or anything else. They are decent though. If you want something lighter, a 2 stroke would be a better bet.