Thoughts on a xr400

[MattL]

As title says, pros and cons.
First motorized dirt bike. I played with bullet bikes for a bit but no more.

More or less I am looking for a bike that will treat me right. I want to be able to commute on the road if needed to the trail and not be hassled.
I have thought about Gregs idea of a wr250r but still not certain which direction.

What I know.
xr simple reliable and less of a maintenance hog but heavy and a "tractor"

250r newer, better tech. hi rever

Other bikes to look at?

Suggestions/price ranges?

 

[rholbrook]

My 2 cents is with the XR400 you get an older engine technology which is both good and bad. I ride with a guy that has a XR400 and he wishes he could afford a newer 450. They are really different bikes. The XR400 will have less power, usually softer suspension and a softer seat. The power is different which some like and some don't. They are less expensive to buy and usually less expensive to maintain. An XR400 you can run the same oil in it for a while, a new 450 depending who you ask, its the number of rides.

Its like having a Kia Sorento thats a 4x4 vs a Jeep TJ. They are both 4 wheel drive but the one is better than the other off road. Thats not to say the XR400 won't do it because it will and has made a lot of people happy.

If it was me and I wanted something a little bigger than a 250 but not quite a 450, I would get the Suzuki DR400 over the XR400. My nephew just went from a Kawasaki 250 to a WR450 and said he should have made the move sooner.

My son's friend just bought a CRF250X and I rode it the other night. Seems like a great bike and I was surprised at how well it ran. It would go anywhere a 450 will but I still like the 450s. There is now substitute for displacement.

 

[Greg]

The XR400 was a great bike... back in the 90's. Many people have said the Suzuki DRZ400 is the 'new' XR400, meaning it's simple, fun, reliable and very rideable. Now that the DRZ has been out for sometime, they can be had for pretty decent prices.

If you're talking a first bike and you're looking for something cheap, I don't see how you could go wrong with an XR400.

Don't spend too much on an XR400 before taking a hard look at the DRZ. If you want to ride it on the street, you'd have to convert a XR400 to being street legal, where some models of the DRZ come from the factory street legal. So if you save a few bucks on a XR400, you may end up spending what you saved to make it streetable.

The WR250R is a neat bike... very high-tech. I think soon people will be saying that the WR250R is the 'new' DRZ, if you can see how the trend is progressing.

 

[ricsrx]

I have a CRF250x and it is a tot goat compared to my brothers crf450x. it is also street legal and runs at 40mph comfortably, any faster and its revving high. my DOT tires suck on the 250 or i just cant get used to them or i need to get abetter tire.

i would have gotten the wr250r if i could have found one in my price range when i was buying

it sounds like you have a 400 your looking at and costs has allot to do with your decision, get the newer bikes if you can

 

[Rot Box]

If it is your first real dirtbike I would totally get an XR400 they are amazing bikes and well suited for mountains and trails. If you find yourself wanting a more competitive bike later on get something else--meaning don't try to turn the XR into a CRF450X because it will never happen and you will spend a ton of money trying.

An aftermarket exhaust will gain you horse power and loose you quite a bit of weight (weight is a big downfall of any XR) and the stage two Hot Cam really wakes up the power band. I would leave it at that for performance mods. One thing is certain keep the air filter clean and change the engine oil and filter routinely and you will never kill the motor :greg:

 

[MattL]

Thanks for the replies.


I think I am leaning towards a drz400.

If I read right, the best is to get a drz400e and then do a 3x3 mod. I am still in the learning stage and have yet even to take a bike out on a test spin. That will probably help me determine some direction too.

I think I will wait on the 250r as they are a bit higher priced for me right now.

So.. any more suggestions on the drz or ?

I have looked at a the crf 450x but the maintenance on it I am a bit leary of the needed. Maybe i should just bite the bullet buy the right bike first.

 

[rholbrook]

You'll be happy with the DRZ. Great bike! My opinion is if you go with a 450, get the WR.

 

[Caleb]

Which drz to get depends on what you're intention is. The drz400s is street legal from the factory, which means you get factory reliable parts. The drz400e is a wee bit lighter and has a tiny bit more power (but nothing that a drz400s can't get back). The drz400e is usually able to be picked up a bit cheaper, but then you'll have another $200-$500 on top of the purchase price if you want to make it street legal. If you don't want it street legal, then I wouldn't be looking at the drz at all.

I love my crf and I don't think the maintenance is any higher than any of the other high performance 450s out there. However, if you let the maintenance slip, it can cost you big bucks. But that's the same on any of the HP 450s. The other thing I like about the crf is aftermarket support is far greater than just about any other bike in that category. You can get most things for the WR that you can get fo the crf, but with the crf you have a half dozen (or more) companies making the parts, which makes them a bit cheaper usually and gives you options. If you do look at the crf, make sure to get an X, as the R is a close ratio trans and you will be hating life if you do any pavement.

 

[UNSTUCK]

Not sure if you saw my thread on the DRZ400e I just bought one a month ago. It already had the street legal kit on it so I was ready to go right off. It was my first bike, EVER. I don't really have anything to compare it to, but I love it! I've got about 10 hours on it now and am getting the hang of it pretty well. It has more then enough power for me, for now. You'd be welcome to come over and take it for a spin if you'd like.

 

[MattL]

Not sure if you saw my thread on the DRZ400e I just bought one a month ago. It already had the street legal kit on it so I was ready to go right off. It was my first bike, EVER. I don't really have anything to compare it to, but I love it! I've got about 10 hours on it now and am getting the hang of it pretty well. It has more then enough power for me, for now. You'd be welcome to come over and take it for a spin if you'd like.

Thanks for more info guys and the opportunity to ride yours Unstuck.

 

[UNSTUCK]

No prob. Just let me know.