DR-Z400 v's KDX220 (A Novice's Perspective)

  

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Having owned and trail ridden both these bikes for a reasonable amount of time, I thought that it may be useful to compare their merits and weaknesses from a relative novices point of view or for anyone contemplating buying one.

New to trail riding in 2005, I read a few old copies of TBM and spent £2800 on a 3 year old Suzuki DR-Z400E, big mistake! I had previously ridden a mates KTM450 and a Husqvarna and realised straight away that they were too powerful and focused for a beginner like me, so I thought that the DR-Z with its lazier power delivery (according to the reports) would be ideal. What I did not take into account was the weight.

Now bear in mind that I bought the "E" version which is the enduro model with plastic tank, no electrical niceties, not even a speedo, and is 14kg lighter than the "S" model at 119kg dry weight, but it is still a heavy lump for a beginner and quite tall. Of course when you are starting out and falling off a lot, this is an important consideration, not only for when you have to pick it up but also the confidence and fitness required to throw that lump about on the rough stuff all day. Make no mistake the DR-Z is a good bike in the right hands but not for me at that stage.

On the tarmac it is different kettle of fish. The "E" engine is in a slightly higher state of tune than the "S" with a lovely flatslide carb. It would pull power wheelies when you hit the right revs in third gear (accidental of course) and the handling was very predictable and reassuring. I also bought some supermoto wheels and that was a blast but after two and a half years I realised that I was riding it on the road and hardly ever venturing off-tarmac so it was time for a change.

I decided that I wanted something light and cheap, so did a bit of research and came up with a few options, but a Kawasaki KDX200 or KDX220 seemed to be the only thing in my price range that was not too old and I am also a bit of a 2-stroke man at heart. I eventually found a 4 year old 220 model that a TRF member was selling for £1300.

At 101kg claimed dry weight it was a revelation, this was the bike that I should have started with. Not only the weight saving (although you try lugging 18 bags of sugar about!) but the way a 2-stroke handles is completely different, something to do with the smaller reciprocating engine mass and therefore lower gyroscopic effect for you technically minded people. It is still has quite a high seat height, although about an inch lower than the DR-Z and it seems to sag a little bit more when you are on it.

I was expecting to have to play tunes on the gearbox, but that was also a big surprise, totally linear power delivery which pulls from nothing and no perceivable power band. I believe that the 200 is a little more peaky and actually faster at the top end, but the 220 is tuned for bottom end pulling power, just what you need for trail riding. The first thing that I did was change the gearing which at 13/47 is very low and buzzy on the tarmac redlining at around 65mph. 14/45 gearing gives around 75mph top speed and is a bit more relaxed at 50-60 where you spend most of your time between trails.

It has to be said that a 4-stroke trail bike wins hands if you are doing a lot of tarmac work. The KDX, like a lot of strokers, "surges" a little bit so it is not as easy to maintain a steady speed and above 60mph it gets very "flighty", its light weight starts to show itself and it feels like its about to go into a tankslapper! This is also probably largely down to the aggressive knobbly tyres (Michelin AC10) I have fitted as well, but once you get used to the feeling it is not a problem. There is also the bugbear of pre-mixing oil with the petrol although I keep a small bottle in the fender bag and it not that bad. It is also missing that very handy electric button, although the KDX is so easy to kick over it is not that much of an inconvenience.

Both bikes have their weaknesses, the DR-Z has its infamous output shaft seat design fault, although it is easily remedied with stainless steel parts off eBay and well worth doing, I have seen one dump its oil miles from nowhere. A big plus point for the DR-Z is that they sold loads and parts are cheap and plentiful both new and secondhand. The later KDX (post 1997) on the other hand was not as popular in the UK and there does not seem to be as many secondhand parts or accessories available. Most parts can be obtained from your local Kawasaki dealer within 48 hours though and consumables are readily available via eBay. The USA is a good source for parts as they seem to have been a very popular bike over there.

I have now been riding the KDX for over 12 months and it has improved my riding, and more importantly confidence, tremendously. I am still learning every time I go out and glad that I made the switch. At the end of the day all bikes are a compromise as I don't think that the perfect bike has been built yet. The best advice is to try and ride a bike for a day when you start out rather that relying on magazine tests or reports, there are lots of tour companies and experience days now that provide all the gear and they usually have more than one bike to try, it may save you a lot of money.

I have also ridden a Yamaha TTR250 and a Honda CRF230 for 2-3 days at a time and they would be a sensible beginners choices if you wanted to go down the 4-stroke route, especially the 230 if you are shorter in the leg. I have also hung onto a Honda CRF450F for a day and found out that it is much more enjoyable thrashing a smaller "underpowered" bike than being a passenger on a thoroughbred that will try to spit you off at every opportunity. If you have mates with bikes and can ride a few different models on a trail that would be a bonus, but above all be honest with yourself about your abilities!

Tony Davenport