Pseudo Dirt Bike - help me decide (DRZ, EXC, ?)

Hey Vince, congrats on the new Strom! How did you get the thing home, or is this another winter where we have less snow down here than you do up there?

ken

First, I test rode it on a warm December day between snowstorms. The dealer knows me, I have bought maybe 5 bikes there, but I had to agree to stay on the main roads as there was still ice and salt and sand on the side roads. I ran it about 40 miles and up over 100mph. Nobody had ridden it except for dealer's setup, it don't think it had even 1 mile when I started.

I actually paid for it on 12/31/2003 but left it up there while the hard bags, engine guards, Cee Bailey windshield and smaller CS sprocket were put on. I was in no hurry to pick it up and don't have a plate on it yet.

It has been bitterly cold here but not much snow, but I went up with a trailer to get it. I refused to start it up on their icy parking lot, and instead had them help me push it onto the trailer. But when I got it home, it was a little too much for me to push (by myself) on my gravel driveway lightly covered with snow, so I started it up and rode it. Those Trailwings don't do any better in the snow than they had on my DRZ. I had quite an interesting time of tight low speed manuevering to get it turned around and then up the path to the bike shed and then (90 degree turn) up its ramp (the shed is normally used for dirtbikes so its not even on the driveway).

So its just sitting there with 40 miles on it waiting to go. Thanks for asking.

-Vince

Those V-Stroms are big girls, you are lucky that you didn't dump it in the drive way. It must be killing you to have it just sitting there, all new and every thing. At least there wasn't big snow drifts to tackle. I can't believe that you got a dealer to give you a test ride, no matter how well you know him. I wonder if it is because the 'Strom was designed to compete with the BMW GS (kind of) and BMW dealers are fanatical about MAKING people take test drives, at least Max is. Perhaps we can hook up in the spring to ride dirt bikes or street bikewithout or something. Where is the picture of it?

ken

Must be something about being primarily a dirt rider, used to slippery conditions. That rear tire was spinning most of the time.

I don't think the dealer worries about BMWs, I don't think you can buy a BMW anywhere near here.

I am pretty active on the NEDB (New England Dirt Bike) forum (and new here). I plan on giving myself and the V-Strom some practice in the Spring, probably good that I have a few months since I need to equip myself with some street gear. Will possibly see you on the road on the Strom after I know what the heck I am doing. I am on the trails in the Western MA state forests pretty regularly on my DRZ, if you want to ride dirt c'mon out with your crew...

-Vince

Ye-fucking-s! Are we gonna be dicing in the woods this year Marc? Enduro city! Big Bear, Black Dog, Rat Dog, Desert Classic?

Then, we get a couple SMS's? Right? Fucking-A. NW supermoto circuit here some big (ol' outta shape) dogs...

PS. I have a nice supply of Advil, splints and neck braces. What else would we need?

Yes sir. I say we're good to GO!

Advil? Bullshit. I've heard about them forests crying for my blood - we'll need full-on certified medical-type doctors on hand! (NOT like this guy!)

So that DRZ sale guy isn't calling me back (2002 DRZ 400e, 200 miles, $4k). I'm hoping he's just out of town or something. I'd hate to miss out on that deal and have to buy new.

I literally just walked in the door from visiting the local KTM dealer (again). Fuck those EXC 525 and 450's are nice bikes. Theoretically, you can get a plate for 'em here - BUT, even the sales guy says you'd be living on borrowed time if you tried to take this anywhere on a street. Since a small percentage of my intended riding would be on a road somewhere getting to/from the trail, I don't know...

Did I mention that those EXC's are like a mechanical orgasm? Well, if you buy the one at that dealer near my house, be sure to wipe the seat off...

M

Mechanical orgasms!

A street riding buddy of mine just bought an '02 DR 650 for $4300 out the door. I was tyring to steer him to the DRZ, but he wanted more freeway ability, and the couple o' hundred bucks made a difference to him. DRZ & KLX were $4700 out the door. Apparently Kawasaki isn't offering the KLX 400 for '04, and they are dealing on the '03 models. These are Texas prices, anyway. Hope they help.

I have an old KTM Adventure, and looking at all the stamped steel parts, etc... on his bike made me happy to have my KTM. The Suzukis are less maintenance-intensive, though.

I didn't come up with this description, but it is pretty useful:

The DR650 is a street bike that you can take on easy trails. The DRZ400 is a dirtbike that you can cross the road with.

On Thumpertalk you hear from guys who commute on the freeway at 80MPH on their DRZs. That would NOT be my choice for that purpose.

-Vince

I commute at speeds of upto 120kph (I'd guess at about 75mph) on my 2003 DRZ400e. Its ok over short ourneys. It wouldn't be my first choice either, but as its my only roadworthy bike at the moment, I have no choice.

Cheers

Peter

For yet another opinion on this topic--over in pics, pics, pics Kirkmoon talks about his tour trip instead of going to Death Valley: ADVrider Forums > General forums > Ride reports and pics, pics, pics... > A Different Tour of the So Cal Desert or...why I was not at DVD

http://www.advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=33514

where he rides two bikes.:getdown

"The bikes they rent are ATK 605 Enduros. They have tons of power and are very good open desert bikes. In the more technical sections they are a bit more work than the lighter dirt bikes but I liked riding the bike and became somewhat addicted to the power after a while. They run very well on the street also, but the seating position isn't optmal for long distance street riding. I think they also have one DRZ400S for use if preferred."

down near the end of the first page he comments about his experience on the DRZ400S.

"The sun was low, the light on the hills very beautiful. It was a magical time for a short ride. I took a different DRZ and I have to say that I have decided that this is just about the perfect bike for trail riding and dual sport stuff. Light. Easy to ride. Comfy on the road (for short distances.) Tractable power. I love it."

Well, there you go a vote for the DRZ400S after riding a racing style ATK.:):

Dave

Here's one more reason to get a DRZ-E rather than an S:

Today, my third dead (S) battery since September 2001. Dead as in no point in trying to charge it.

S bikes are prone, even notorious, for killing the Yuasa batteries. They get so they will not hold a significant charge, you can put 'em on a charger, they will indicate volts, but have insignificant amp capacity.

The E and S have the same battery, which is not all that large (the battery on our kids' DR-200SE is physically larger). The electronic dashboard on an S makes a constant trickle when the bike is parked. The battery just doesn't seem to like this. Someone posted correspondence they had with Yuasa suggesting thgat Yuasa was acknowledging in an indirect way that this is not what this battery was designed for.

The batteries do much better on an E. If you live in a constantly warm climate it also doesn't seem to be as much of a problem, although I have had them go bad over the Summer not just the winter.

It is a PITA to disconnect the battery itself, given where it is (2 different covers for access, 3 to remove. Some people put in switches to disconnect the dashboard, but then you lose the time clock. Maybe you don't care but if not, an E does not have clock to begin with.

Ahh, I'm just annoyed with my battery.

-Vince

why not just hook up a quick connect cable from a Battery Tender so you can charge the battery whenever you like without all the fuss?

OK, I am on my second battery since Dec '01. And yes, access is a pain. I really don't think it's a big issue though. If you can't ride it about once a week, put a battery Tender on it.
Mine didn't die until I let it sit for a month or so.

I know that I'm about to buy a battery just because I said this BUT... I have had no troubes at all with mine. It's in the bike in an unheated gerage durring the coldest winter in 70 years and I throw a start into it every couple of weeks. No worries. YMMV

ken

i will be ditching that gigantic speedo though... for an xr speedo.

I have one on there now (too late for this battery though).

But for me to hook up the tender to line power requires a 100 foot lead cord across the yard to the bike barn, or the battery removed & brought inside the house, or the bike parked outside closer to the house etc etc.

Putting the tender on it every couple of weeks didn't do it, it apparently ran down and died between charges (on the bike, out in the barn). I am rethinking the whole system.

But the point is that out of 4 engines with batteries that are in & around that barn, the DRZ-S is the only d*amn one that even needs this.

-Vince

Howdy Marc,

Now that you have asked for and gotten good advise from the choir, bring your ass over to my place and ride my DRZ400S.

I have done everything to it that you would want to do, ride it for a day and see if this is the type of bike you want. Now how the Hell do you beat a deal like that???????????

that's the legendary mr. cob...

helper of herculean abilities and photo-dissector of the mikuni bsr. i'd take him up on it if i were you...

hey mr. cob, got a fcr i can buy off ya?

Howdy Smodel,

No, sorry I can't help you on that one. But I can set you up with a smokin deal on this baby,