DRZ400E or WR450F or Keep my 640ADV

[Not for Highway Use]

I've had both. Still got the DR Zee. It covers most of my bases alot more than the WR could. Don't get me wrong, the WR was a great bike but not a good allrounder like the DRZ.
My 2c

[Meico640]

Thanku NFHU,

Nice to hear from someone that has had both, but surprised by the comment.

Can u please tell me more, I would have thought the WR over the DR

Would be very interested to hear your thoughts

[crash n bern]

First off there's no need to 'justify' how many bikes are in the shed. There is nothing wrong with a harem of motorcycles.

The LC4's are a nice bike and they don't make them any more so will be hard to replace, so I understand your dilemma. Have you considered a KTM 520/525/530. A couple of my mates use them for single trail and adventure riding. Don't have to spend $$ getting the suspension workable and as your unemployed you can pick up low hour used 520's from around $2,500 upwards.

[james928]

Originally Posted by godsilla

if you are selling the 640 really, really cheap (to me, personally) then i'd say either alternate choice would be great - really.
If you are not selling it really really cheap (to me, personally) i'd say keep it. I have 5 bikes, only 1 registered at a time. I came to the conclusion long ago that i would always regret selling a bike i loved to fund the next one, so i just keep them now.
The 640 adv is a great dirtbike, the only caveat being that it is a long way to the ground from the seat. Just buy a bike for fire trails and the like, a cheap registerable enduro-style bike around the 250 to 400 mark. It's not as if qld. Solo rego is a burden, eh?
remember, once it's gone you will likely never get another, and they are indeed unique among late-model dirtbikes, and oh-so capable.

+1

[james928]

I had the same thoughts some time ago. I ended up buying a 2004 KTM525EXC for $4000. Absolute blast through all the bush you like, single trail, fire trail, hills mud and the odd bald knob like hillock. Then I bought a F800GS for the bigger stuff. I would keep the 640, you own it, you will miss it. Buy a 250-450 KTM/Yamaha/Husky etc, they are all good. Use the 250-450 for one day blats and keep the 640 for domination of the open trails. The DRZ I have ridden feel heavy but are none the less a well respected bike. For dirt blasting and all that 525 is a hard act to follow for the cash.

So keep 640, sell kids, one kidney, other non essential stuff in the house. Buy Husky/KTM/Yamaha 450 or bigger. Keep left over cash for farkels, job done

[Not for Highway Use]

Originally Posted by Meico640

Thanku NFHU,

Nice to hear from someone that has had both, but surprised by the comment.

Can u please tell me more, I would have thought the WR over the DR

Would be very interested to hear your thoughts

No dramas. The WR went like a bat out of hell (it was a 450) but was highly strung. Very snappy and responsive. Thats what I liked about it but also didn't like about it. Also it didn't like sitting on the one speed for any length of time. Would surge on the road. Sure, it may be jetting or something else but it used to piss me off.

The DRZ still has plenty of go (it is a 400 after all) but delivers powers in alot more controlled (read: predictable) manner. It's heavier than the WR and you can feel it too. But this why it also is more stable on rough ground. doesn't jump around as much. Better traction I think. DRZ got a better sub-frame too.

With the DRZ you can get alot more across the board farkles, from ADV to enduro, where as the WR it's harder to get ADV goodies. At the moment anyway but I think thats changing for the better.

Hope this helps.

At the end of the day I am happy with my decision and have no regrets apart from should have done it earlier.

EDIT: For what it's worth, I'm an average off road rider, nothing flash. Grade 3 on a good day.

[BygDaddee]

It really comes down to the type of riding your going to do, unfortunately no matter how much everyone's says their bike is best and its the best bike to have, they are all compromises unless you are buying it for only one type of riding.

I have a DRZ400E and for forest riding, open track, easy enduro and short adventure riding (1/2 or 1 day) it is ideal. I commute occasionally, have a sunday afternoon beach front ride, and only have to change the oil every few thousand k's.

When I get into tight, hilly, enduro loops, it's a compromise and I wish I had my mates WR450F.

But I don't enjoy that style of riding anymore so I'm sticking to "light adventure" riding. Around brisbane there is heaps of it within half an hrs ride, so for or me with my targeted riding type the DRZ is perfect.

Have a read of my Sundays riding

http://advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=841875

[rvt]

I briefly pondered the wr450 adventure build. Spoke with a Yammie dealer about it. He pretty much talked me out of it. Something about more frequent maintenance, can't recall the details.

As you know from your trip with Roy, the drz400 can take a lot of abuse. Throw on a bum tank, maybe higher bars and you're good to go.

[sitdownman]

For me the DRZ would be the most suitable all rounder if you could only have the one bike in the shed. I have a KLX 400 (DRZ in green) and it has served me well as a commuter, trail ride, desert racer - (Finke 2011) and adventure ride. Gearing the bike to suit the conditions as mentioned in this thread can simply be a change to the front sprocket from 14 to 15. For the tank I preferred the safari 17 lt which holds more like 20 which gives me a fuel range of 320 - 340 kms.

Check out my photos on http://sitdownman.smugmug.com/Motorc...0174775_DMpnDh

For details on my adventure rides check out these posts

http://www.advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=818217

http://www.advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=713421

http://www.advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=506131

Whilst the DRZ is not the ideal bike in any particular situation it seems to be the most versatile and you don't finf too many unhappy owners.

Good luck with your decision

[Meico640]

Thanks for all yr input, I'm thinking the DR will be fine for an old man like me.

But well impressed with Sit Down doing the Finke !!! Great effort, Mega Job !!!

I think in the end as always it will come down to the mighty $ & looking at Bikesales I can get something good for around $5,000 & if I sell off my bits I have the same in my hand(roughly what I have to tell the wife)

I think that once I've got through the Polish My Ride on the new 990 I'll be happy to throw on some knobbies & be away off into the horizon... (Tell him he's dreaming, I can hear the wifey shouting while chained up in the kitchen with a baby belly 3/4 cooked)

So maybe its time to go to the Flea Market...

[KTMatt]

Mate keep the 640.

Mine will go anywhere I point it, there a very capable bike and if you find it a bit big in the tight stuff you could just get a tank, seat and light off a SXC and you have an enduro bike. Same bike smaller feel which should be easier to manage.

Cheers Matt

[iconman]

I just sold my 05 640 Adventure after three years of ownership - great bike. I felt like a change and was very impressed with the DRZ from an 'all-rounder' point of view. I can see another KTM in my future down the track...

I sold the 640 for around $8k - picked up an 09 model DRZ with 980 k's on the clock, few farkles, for $5k. I could not walk pass the offer. This bike has not seen dirt and was practically a new bike. Have ordered a few more farkles for it - pipe, tail tidy, tank etc... Parts, accessories are plenty and cheap too.

Ripped it through some gravel trails the other day and very happy with the bike. Just my 2c...

P.S. Matt, are you making a bashplate for the DRZ?

Cheers, Richard.

[Oldfatbeerman]

Originally Posted by KTMatt

Mate keep the 640.

Mine will go anywhere I point it, there a very capable bike and if you find it a bit big in the tight stuff you could just get a tank, seat and light off a SXC and you have an enduro bike. Same bike smaller feel which should be easier to manage.

Cheers Matt

Matt You forgot to mention that your 6' sumpthin in boots and about 120 kg so you can throw that sucker around ( and ride like a demon ) . Not everyone can do that with a 640 mate , you are more the exception than the rule Buddy !

The WR motors are a lot stronger than most would have you believe , a close mate of mine rode a stock WR except for higher gearing and a 15 L Safari tank from Alice Springs up the Tanami track and around the Canning Stock Route , then up the Grand Central rd back to the rock and then via Kings Canyon back to alice without changing the oil . He went on to use the same bike for trail rides for a year doing normal maintenance and sold it with 10,000km on it and it was still going strong and had not required a valve adjustment . He bought another WR 450 , that had done 10,000 km over 2 years with only normal care and maintenance ( he is a Plumber , bike gets washed and airfilter foam gets cleaned after each ride ) and then traded that one on a 2012 earlier this year , he is a minimal maintainance bloke and loves the WR's . No better recomendation than that I reckon .

My WR now has about 7,500 km , still running like a swiss watch and goes hard enough that a 990 cant get away from me on dirt ( unless the next corner is more than 400m away ), then when the hills get steep and the traction is a bit iffy , the 990 don't see which way I went , I had a 640 from April 07 till mid 2010 , did 45,000 km on it , they are great bikes , but , a WR 450 is a better thing on everything but long straightish outback roads in my opinion , as long as you can overlook the seat being a sore arse inducer if it is to be a 1,000 km + ride .

[Oldfatbeerman]

[KHB1]

I love my drz. It's a 09 model and I've done 25000km. I have a 17lt safari tank and ride to work every day. Got motard rims aswell. Have done basically genuine maintance. Rode it to Phillip island from the BAROSSA for the gp this yr too.