XR400R or DRz400?

techno

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Pretty new to this 'small' of road thing but the 1150 is just too heavy sometimes...

Apart from the obvious electric start, water cooling and price of the suzuki, which is the best bike (if either) for some BOATs and green laneing?

Or what do you recommend?

Better still, what do you have to sell :)
 
Get a DRZ, purely because the XR is a bastard to start unless set up perfectly, even then it can still be difficult.
We just did the Adv Rider weekend with one (XR) in our group, relative newb on board, an electric starter would have transformed his experience.
 
There is an electric start conversion kit fo the XR400 but I have a DR-Z

Greg

PS I wish I had a KTM!
 
I'm no expert in this off road green laning malarky but I bought a DRZ and it was the electric start that swung it (no pun intended) for me :thumb2

Andres
 
I'm no expert in this off road green laning malarky but I bought a DRZ and it was the electric start that swung it (no pun intended) for me :thumb2

Andres

Same for me, the electric boot sealed the deal:thumb2

Same as Greg though, orange appears to be the way to go:thumb2

Shep
 
Same as Greg though, orange appears to be the way to go:thumb2

Shep


Slightly off topic but, I had a sit on one of the 300cc Orange strokers with the electric boot at Leisure Trail last week.......................it was gorgeous, soooooo light, everything just 'fitted' me and it's a stroker!!! :rose

Oh well, when I win the lottery :mmmm

Andres
 

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Slightly off topic but, I had a sit on one of the 300cc Orange strokers with the electric boot at Leisure Trail last week.......................it was gorgeous, soooooo light, everything just 'fitted' me and it's a stroker!!! :rose

Oh well, when I win the lottery :mmmm

Andres

You started it so i'll carry on with the hijack:D

How long do you think the stroker engines last? I must admit to really liking 250-300cc two stroke dirtbikes, really exciting to ride, light with plenty of torque if you wish to bimble about, but the longevity of the engines concerns me, but perhaps i'm being old fashioned:nenau

Shep
 
You started it so i'll carry on with the hijack:D

How long do you think the stroker engines last? I must admit to really liking 250-300cc two stroke dirtbikes, really exciting to ride, light with plenty of torque if you wish to bimble about, but the longevity of the engines concerns me, but perhaps i'm being old fashioned:nenau

Shep

Exactly why I like them, plus it harks back to my yooth when we all fecked about on 2 stokes :)

Not sure about engine life, and TBH I don't want to even start finding out more about the bikes as I'll just end up wanting one even more and not being able to afford it and going to see bank managers..................................... (and I've got one of those 'prilla Motards to save up for!) :eek: :D

Andres
 
You started it so i'll carry on with the hijack:D

How long do you think the stroker engines last?

Shep

As long as you want. :nenau
Look after them and they will last longer than a thumper. Regular ring changes, keep an eye on the piston and bore, use good quality oil (there, I said the "o" word)
But most importantly, don't pin the throttle in top, on a long stretch of tarmac, on a bitterly cold day! Eh Rick. :augie
Mark
 
As long as you want. :nenau
Look after them and they will last longer than a thumper. Regular ring changes, keep an eye on the piston and bore, use good quality oil (there, I said the "o" word)
But most importantly, don't pin the throttle in top, on a long stretch of tarmac, on a bitterly cold day! Eh Rick. :augie
Mark

My only concern is that my experience with performance strokers has been that as the ports get bigger with more radical timing the piston/piston ring wear rates were getting scarey, i suppose water cooling has helped with this to a great extent.

Are the KTM's premix or pumped oil?

Shep
 
I went through the same thought process. What actually swung it was the greater availability of DRZ's - many will have never been off road (mine had but it had been well looked after and maintained) whereas all XR's will have been - most of the ones I encountered looked to have lived a hard life - I was attracted to the simplicity tho. DRZ's have a better riding position and are a bit narrower. Another thing to consider is that an ellecy start converted XR will weigh a bit more than a DRZ with its road going excess mass removed (indicators, mirrors, tailights etc.) and costs around $500 - £700. My first trail riding exploits have involved lots of stalling so the leccy boot has been a real help.
 
Techno

I know a guy who has an XR400 he is selling which has an electric start conversion already fitted :thumb

The bike is based in Wootton Bassett near Swindon M4 junction 16

Tel 01793 849661 and ask for Bryan
 
My only concern is that my experience with performance strokers has been that as the ports get bigger with more radical timing the piston/piston ring wear rates were getting scarey, i suppose water cooling has helped with this to a great extent.

Are the KTM's premix or pumped oil?

Shep


Pre-mix only apart from some earlier 200EXC's
 
As long as you want. :nenau
Look after them and they will last longer than a thumper. Regular ring changes, keep an eye on the piston and bore, use good quality oil (there, I said the "o" word)
But most importantly, don't pin the throttle in top, on a long stretch of tarmac, on a bitterly cold day! Eh Rick. :augie
Mark

+1:thumb2

if i was buying another competition bike again i'd go the 2 stroke route. Compared to the new thumpers, they are still cheap to fix and maintain.

A mate has a 450 thumper, which has just done 3000 miles, and has been advised that it needs a top end rebuild (new piston, ring, valves, gaskets ect). the parts bill is going to be £600 before workshop time.

The same guy also has a 200 exc, which gets used for enduro's most weekends. Just gets an oil change now and again, and a new piston and ring at the start of the year (costs about £80 iirc).

but back to topic, both bikes are well built, but the leccy boot and reasonable electrics on the drz would swing it. There isn't really a lot in it apart from this.

nathan
 
Choice made - nearly.

Well after chatting to some folk at a meet this weekend and going off road on mine again (1150GSA) and binning it big time I was looking at a DRZ for the next trip out.

Then came home and an offer of a KTM was in my PM box. That'll do nicely but sadly the offer was withdrawn minutes later all without me knowing...:confused:

Still hoping the KTM will come my way, but if it doesn't, a DRZ it will be as the cash is burning a small hole now :)

Thanks for the advice and help.
 


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