My 2c worth, I actually have both bikes KLX400r = DRZ400E and the klx250r. Here in Australia the drz400e is a road legal dirt riding beast that with a few mods with very comfortably get you 40hp.... Now one thing you need to understand is that most of the dirt riding I do is more technical and requires a bike that will be easy to flick around, the klx400r(drz400e) is not that bike it is very top heavy and god knows I tried to help it lose weight as you can see in the picture, but it is way 2 heavy for my liking hence I got a klx250r moded it and am soooooooo much happier on the trails now. My klx250r know weighs a healthy 109kg with a bit of help from the local bike shop, they gave great advice. The 250 may be slower on an open fire trail(I dont care, too scared to go that fast anyway) but in the tight stuff I will keep up with the more fancied bikes like the Wr250....

 

Search some of the z-400 quad forums and see what the guys think of the motor after cams and a 440 bigbore. I had the motor in my kfx400 quad and stock it seemed very torquey. Cams and a 440 kit in the drz-sm would make the bike flat out rip on the streets.

 

The motor is great unless you never changed the Magnesium water pump cover and it rots out and dumps coolant on a trail.......DUM-DUM works great to seal it so you can pour some pond scum in it to get you home.....[:@]

 

I don't know if the suzuki owners got it, but i had got the recall to repalce the water pump on my quad when I had it. I think they went to aluminum. It is something to look into if going with a drz, I kinda forgot about it.

 

Haha! Amazing what we can come-up withto get our bikes home.

As faras 'arm stretching torque' goes, I think somebody is exagerating just a bit. From my impressions, yes a DRZ has more torque, but it better have more torque than a 250. However, arm stretching, shoulder separating and like adjectives is embellishing just a bit. Those discriptors are more in line with a 450 EXCor others in its class.

 

Ok I'll comment, I've ridden a drz sm, a 450 exc, 525 excand I own a ktm 640 along with the klx. Unless you really mod that drz it will not touch a 450exc never mind a 525 and they weigh 40lbs less than the drz. The ktm 640 has the most torque of all mentioned and has 52 hp at the tire before mods(maybe 60hp now....not sure) and it is in no way is it a arm stretching situation.

The 525 however will stretch your armsif ya can keep her going where you want. I'm sure the husky TE 510 is the same way. BTW both of those bikes are way above my riding skills in anything tighter than a wide open desert.

BTW Iowa Tremor is not a wannabe because he owns and actually rides a bike. Thank you for your service Tremor.

 

I should lose my posting privelages for a week for making that suggestion out loud. That the second dumbest thing I did this week

 

[sm=funnypostabove.gif]now thats just too funny.

 

Well, I usually don't hop in on the pissing match threads, but as long as I have my uncorked, DS'ed XR650R, this is a moot conversation for me.