XR 400 good bad or indiferent

[emrys74]

Been thinking of getting a little dirt bike dont need any thing amazing just a trail bike haven't done much off road but want something that i wont grow out of and also use on the road should i feel the need.
Looking at an XR 400 or similar not going down the euro path dont want the service and rebuild hassle that comes with them.
any one had an XR or similar is there any thing i should be looking for?

[ninjaa]

Buelllords got one. He just did a motard conversion on it as well

[Aufitt]

XR400 and TTR 250 both bulletproof crash well (aircooled) and deceptively quick in tight bush.

[emrys74]

want a 400 over a 250 had a KLX 250 ages ago didnt do much with it think the 400 will be a good size

[Marty MOOSE]

The xr is a great bike getting a bit old now hard to find a good one. Dont look past a drz 400 either. Both are easy to ride.

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[emrys74]

the drz is the other one I been thinking about but being red i thought the honda might be faster

[Marty MOOSE]

The drz is prolly faster but the xr has s better chassis I think. I have had some great rides on the xr 400.

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[michael]

Fucking love the ol xr400 wanted to buy the old mans got one but wouldnt sell it to me so i bought a WR, I reckon it handles better than my wr450 (but i am suffering with some serious understeer) ease of maintenance and simplicity, put oil in, clean filter, ride, and ride, and ride, repeat.

Michael.

[Crobbo]

They're a pretty good machine, all the yanks bitch about how hard to start they are, but like anything there's a knack to it and proper jetting so make sure whoever's selling it can start it easily. Other than that they're a tractor.

[michael]

^^^ yeop, ive heard endless wighning about starting them, get the jetting sorted and it starts within a couple kicks from cold.

[2wheels]

Loved mine, sad to see it go really. They can be a pig too start when hot, jetting can help, but a swap too a ' pumper carb ' is the only way to sort. DRZ is great right up to the point the rad is holed in the middle of the bush........

[Crobbo]

Yeah properly jetted they're a piece of piss to start cold, 5 kicks decompressor in then second proper kick shes alight. 2wheels how did you find the pumper?

[buelllord]

Emrys, As ninja said, I have one so ask me all the questions you want next weekend in Bridgetown .......



Buelllord

[Spock]

I had a XR350 and an XR250. Nice handling bikes but a little heavy and underpowered by today's standards. Biggest minus for me is the lack of a electric starter; once you get used to an electric leg it's hard to go back to a kickstarter.

[Kev_Oh]

In my teens I had an old XR250, no elect start was a bit of a pain after riding for a few hours then having a stack. Trying to kick a stalled bike when it is hot and you're exhausted can be quite a mission.

Didn't ride dirt for quite a few years and last year decided to take it back up again, after um'ing and ah'ing over what to get I opted to get another XR250, though this time I went with a 2007 model that has elect start (so glad for that), the magic button makes all the difference after an off.

The main reason I opted for another XR was for the aircooled, being that I am not that great offroad last thing I wanted was to worry about putting a stick through the radiators on a water cooled bike. XR are known to be bulletproof and that to me is perfect, less worrying about damaging the bike and more time enjoying trying out stuff and falling off I will admit it is not as quick or handles soft sand as well as the water cooled counterparts but the piece of mind of less things to break makes up for that in my eyes and is still a great deal of fun.

Know you're looking at the 400 over 250 but most the things have some relevance, though as spock said: once you go elect start it is hard to go back (I love the magic button!)

[ReCon]

Both great bikes , and contrary to every review and forum post , neither are that heavy in the dirt [unless you need to lift it off the ground!].

Speed wise , they go great in the dirt ,and the 400's get up with enough grunt for fun .Suspension wise they are not ktm's , but they are like bloody tractors and just keep going.

XR - great bike , but kick start is a bastard on a cold morning , or you put it on its head. No radiator with early ones and a tin tank , so can go tits up a hundred times. Lever replacement is like a dollar , and easy to do.

DRZ400e. Electric start , mmm. Once you get one , kick starting seems to be a major bastard. Later ones water cooled , so rads need to be looked after and guarded well. Hydraulic clutch and break levers mean a few extra bux when it goes bad, but not major.

Had both , and would gladly buy both again without a thought. The suspension on the Z is a little bit plush and needs work , the XR took some heavier oil and it was a gem.

Can't go wrong either way , just get the best one you can find out of them both for the most reasonable price. Z's seem to be around and some are massively cheap.

Mainly for mainly hard core dirt , the XR , but for road and dirt , the Z. Depends if you want a red one , or a yellow one or a black one!

[ReCon]

Oh, and the magnesium engine plates on the Z need a guard or something to stop the brake lever from cracking it in a stack. Break that and it's oil down time.
Once again , silicone one on and you are away , nothing serious...

[agrid]

I had an XL500S with a big-bore kit that people reckoned was a pig to kick start. It was all about the technique, I could start it with my hand and won a bet doing just that.

[Aufitt]

XR400 with electric start.... = TTR250.

[Spock]

Another option is the DRZ250. Electric start and air cooled. Cheaper and lighter than the DRZ400. I had one and it was a brilliant bike.