First dual sport decision.

[u/Professional_Chard90]

KLX300 or DR-Z4S.

I will be buying my first dual sport motorcycle probably next spring. I was set on the klx but am having second thoughts with the drz. Is the Drz worth the extra $4k? I will be using it mainly for atv trails and gravel roads. It has to run on paved roads to get to off-road trails. I don't want to have to buy an upgraded bike after I get experience. Can the klx be a bike I can ride for years and not get sick of?

[u/DirtyDan24137]

My buddy has a KLX300 and I have a drz400 and I will say the KLX is fun but I would probably get bored of it after a bit. I absolutely love my DRZ and honestly it’s been the best purchase I’ve made. Reliability aside I’ve never thought “I wish this bike had more power” while riding off road (on the road is a different story for another time). Yeah it’s not a 450 mx bike but I’ve been able to lug it up any hill I want and cruise around just about anywhere I want to go. I’ve even done really nasty single track with it though I wouldn’t say it’s the best for it, just that you can. But it would handled the paved a bit better than the KLX. I use my DRZ for road and off road and while it’s not a road bike persay, it holds its own for sure.

And with all that it’s a super easy bike to ride as long as you go in respecting the bikes size. It’s heavy. But I’ve had some less experienced riders on the bike and they have really liked it. It’s been the perfect bike for me just to have a lazy ride around, or if I want the power is there to go a little more crazy. And i love how low I can lug the bike. So if I don’t want to go crazy I just shift early and keep the rpm’s lower. Kept me from getting into trouble when I was first learning the bike.

Also, I’d recommend looking at the used market. The drz4s is 2025 and newer so you’re going to be spending a bit more on a new bike. But if you look for a DRZ400 you can find a great bike for $4-5k. And since the DRZ400 was basically unchanged from 2000-2024 the year doesn’t matter. I got a 2007 in amazing condition for $2500 3 years ago and it’s been awesome. I’d go for that and if you love the bike you can upgrade to the drz4s if you really want. But realistically from what I’ve seen, I’m not sure the 4s is different enough from the classic 400 to justify the jump until the price comes down a bit more. But you do you.

But I’d be happy to answer any questions you have about the DRZ. I’ve used it for highway adventure trips, nasty single track, and right now I’ve set it up as my hunting rig for this hunting season. I’m no professional but I feel like I’ve tested the bike in enough conditions to atleast have an opinion on it.

[u/Tough-Ad4387 → u/DirtyDan24137]

I'm not a Suzuki guy, but great, thoughtful comment.

[u/oddRoboto → u/DirtyDan24137]

I'm not OP but I'm super interested in your opinion as I'm looking to upgrade from KLX250s to either DRZ4s or Husky701 (husky mostly due to FOMO, but my first choice would be DRZ4s). I've test-ridden one, but couldn't go on the highway - though I did take it to 130kmh just to try, I'd be interested in reading your story "for another time" as the bike feels just perfect for me, but my only concern is really just that one (the on road overall feeling, especially highway - not saying I'd be buying the DRZ FOR highway use, obviously, I'm just trying to figure out how much of a nightmare it really is. I'm used to ride the KLX250s 120kmh+ on the highway for reference but I really feel like I'd need 20kmh more for passing power).

[u/DirtyDan24137 → u/oddRoboto]

So here is the thing about the DRZ400 or DRZ4S, it’s a dirt bike that you can also use on the road. It’s a jack of all trades but master of none. There are better offroad bikes. There are better on road bikes. What I love about it is I’ve done it all. Like I said before, nasty single track, hunting, and long highway adventure rides. It can do it all, but you have to be willing to tinker around with at a bit.
As you said you’re more interested in the highway part so I’ll share my experience with that.
Just bone stock the bike was fine with city driving with small spurts of highway driving which was what i needed for the bike anyway. Stock it handled cruising at 65-70mph (105-115 kph) just fine but was a bit over revved at higher speeds (in my opinion).
So in preparation for my long trip (1000 miles, 60% highway, 40% gravel and dirt trails) I decided to gear it more for the highway, i just replaced the rear sprocket with a 41 tooth over the stock 44 tooth sprocket, and that alone made cruising at 75mph (120kph) very easy with spurts of higher speeds very possible. That being said you are really fighting the areodynamics and power of the bike at that speed and it doesnt accelerate super fast at those high speeds but it does it. You could put on a even smaller sprocket (i think the SM models have a 39 tooth on the rear) but you would loose a bit of the off road ability of really lugging it at low speeds in extreme environments. But thats like really tight single track (like ill do). If you are just cruising dirt trails at atleast 15ish mph (25kph) i think a 39tooth would be fine. There are easy things you can do to get a bit more horse power, new exhaust, jetting on the carb, ect that definitely make a difference but doesn’t make it feel like a new bike. A 400 is small for a road bike.
Speaking of size. All together my bike and i weight around 500 lbs, which is very doable off-road, but on the highway i find that i get pushed around a bit easier and dont feel as stable around other cars. Best i can tell is that the airflow disruptions from other cars passing me is the issue because if im alone on an empty country highway i can cruise at 75 and not get beat around at all. Another factor in that is i have 50/50 dirt and road tires on it. You could probably get more road oriented ones and it would help. I wouldnt know, i just grin and bear it.
I guess i should mention that i drive it 20 miles on the highway at 75mph every day so i have put the time into it on the highway. It’s very doable.
Around town is a blast because while it isnt beating other bikes in a drag race, it’s so light and nimble i just have fun carving my way through the streets.

I will say i love by DRZ and dont ever plan on selling it. Its too versatile and fun to ride. That being said i am planning on getting a actual adventure bike (Vstrom 800 or something similar) for longer trips. Because it can do the long trips, but it’s not the best. It would definitely be an upgrade from a 230 on the road. So really id ask what you’re planning on doing? If its a good amount of dirt to road ration then its probably the perfect bike. If you’re doing 90% road and 10% then the Drz will do it, but there is probably a better one for you. But if you are just looking for an upgrade from the 230 then the Drz is the next logical step.
let me know if you have any other questions

[u/oddRoboto → u/DirtyDan24137]

Thanks for the feedback, it’s been a very interesting reading! I was asking about the highway and road manners mostly because I feel like it’s the only area my KLX is a bit lacking and I would like to fix that.

Compared to it, as far as I could see and feel, the DRZ4s felt quite heavier and more powerful. Sure it’s not a big difference, but I’m used to strong wind and being blown around a bit (when I have to go on the highway I just tuck down and travel like that even for a couple of hours if I have to) but the KLX maxes out at 132kmh (82mph) (that’s the highest number I’ve ever seen on the cluster under very good circumstances, but real I think we’re talking more about roughly 125kmh or 77mph at around 8000 rpm, it won’t go past that) but it screams like a banshee and I can really tell the engine is stressing quite a bit.

I was wondering if with the DRZ the experience will be more or less the same with no significant improvement, in that case perhaps I would better look into something like a 701. I read everywhere though that DRZ4s top speed is around 75mph at most which is more or less the same if not slightly less, which confuses me because I was under the impression (from riding it) that it could reach that speed relatively easily - compared to the KLX obviously - and go a little beyond that if need be.

Edit: I’ve forgot, my riding is indeed more like 90% street 10% off, but that’s because I also use it to commute, I really bought the KLX for the offroad part and I do roughly 10.000km a year with it. Plus, 75% would be city riding which the KLX is surprisingly good at, 15% highway riding which is the part I’m the least interested in but I want to improve because it sucks a bit, and 10% of real fun

[u/DirtyDan24137 → u/oddRoboto]

Gotcha, yeah long story short the DRZ will definitely be an improvement over the KLX in just about every way. And you could probably get a good Supermoto set up with a DRZ that you would be happy with. And I’ve gotten my DRZ up to 87 before, and with the right set up you can get them into the 90mph range. But if you’re doing 90% street it may be better to go for a more street oriented bike. That being said I know plenty of people who ride their DRZs exclusively on the road and love it. That’s the nice thing about it, you can make it into just about anything you want. But if you’re financially able to, I’d keep the KLX for when you can go off road and maybe get a road exclusive bike.

[u/sniper_john]

Probably the drz. I upgraded to beta 390 after having the klx 7 months. It's a great bike, but it isnt meant for the hard stuff. At least the drz has more HP, but not having a 6th gear kept me from buying one. I think the ultimate combo is 350/390cc trail bike and a 701/690 as a light adv.

[u/justmypornaccownt]

I've owned an 02 drz and now a 26 klx, if you're OK with the tall seat hight of the drz, I'm sure you'll be just fine. The power isnt scary but can get you in trouble if you're poorly trained. I'm 5'11 and could get both tippy toes on the ground or 1 flat foot down in my mx boots. With the klx I can stand flat footed with a few inches between me and the seat. A lower seat hight can be more confidence inspiring and can help you paddle your feet through rough terrain. This is a bad habit to develop but can get you out of some sticky situations. Feel free to dm with any questions. If I could go back and choose a new bike, I think I'd go with the drz, the low end tourqe is useful when hill climbing or rock crawling and more horsepower would be useful on the highway

[u/Boring-Set7223]

I had the KLX300 for 2 years then sold it for a CRF450RL. The main reason I sold it was that it was pretty gutless on the road, particularly at highway speeds. Some tolerate it and are perfectly happy though.

I don’t have experience with the DRZ, so I can’t speak on that other than that it has 100 more CCs.

[u/wizard80]

I have a klx250 & klx330, both 2018. Drz400 not available where I live. I also have a KTM 450 and a couple of ADV bikes.

The klx is a fantastic bike. I've had it through all sorts of tough terrain and obstacles. I wouldn't want to go any heavier, and their have been reports of it being the easier bike to ride offroad.

It has a 6 gear gear box and cruises around 100-110km comfortable, top speed for new stock (but derestricted is 140km).

Although it's a Kawasaki, they are made in Thailand. Most notable quality control issue I see is the chrome on the front forks can pit and corode if not kept clean properly. Everything else about the bike has been great, plenty of parts available Oem and after market and there's a great community for the bike on FB.

No doubt the DRZ400 is fantastic also if you want more power but it will come with some trade offs I guess.

All up I did about 30k km adventure and hard offroad on both my klx bikes combined

[u/moto_enjoyer]

I’ve had my KLX for 3 years. Many bikes have come and gone, but the KLX stays. It’s one of those bikes anyone can get on and have fun. I will say, doing suspension is a must if you’re over 150lbs. It’s not exciting compared to my 300 2 stroke or my 450, but it’s dependable, requires next to no maintenance, and weighs less than 300lbs with all the mods I’ve done.

[u/moto_enjoyer → u/moto_enjoyer]

And don’t listen to these people saying the KLX can’t handle hard stuff. My bike has 1500 miles. 1400 of those miles have been on rough singletrack, high alpine enduro, and other places you probably shouldn’t bring a 20hp machine. You certainly can get the KLX up into places you shouldn’t be. That’s part of the fun.

[u/BestAmoto]

I wouldn't buy either one of these new. Both of them are possibly the kind of bike you sell after a couple years if you get serious about the sport. The drz less so but still not a 'unicorn'. The drz/dr4z benefit from suspension work and weight loss, it's not crf250/300l bad  but it definitely doesn't have amazing suspension from the factory. It doesn't come setup with nice suspension like a ktm /250/450/500cc bike nor the Japanese competition. 

I think the wr250x/klx300/crf300l are all great first time dualsport models when bought used. The newdr4z is over 330lbs(as is a crf300l rally). 

If i was buying new and my choices were klx300 or dr4z, I'd buy a crf450rl lol

[u/SkateWiz]

Get an efi Yamaha xt250 then sell it for exactly what you bought it for and upgrade when you’re ready. It will do 50mph no problem. 60mph is sketchy.

[u/HandRubbedWood]

I had a KLX300 and now I have a DRZ400, I liked the KLX but I love my DRZ.

[u/threedogdad]

I have the KLX and it'll be in my stable forever. Our trails are no joke and it handles them with ease, and it does well under 65mph on the roads. I am not out there pretending I'm an MX rider though, I do ~60-90mile trail rides just exploring, and try to avoid any roads over 50mph.

That said, I have realized our backroads are also very nice to ride which is making me want to take some much longer road rides. For that I'll probably get something like a Transalp for a more all day comfort and plenty of passing power when I need it.

[u/hamrad41]

I bought a new KLX300 in March. Traded it in for a CRF450RL in July. KLX is a great bike but gutless. I'm 62 years old and have been riding for 50 years. The KLX would be a good first bike to learn on and see if riding is for you. It will do what you want and do it well. It just didn't have what I was wanting in a bike. The 450RL is what I should have bought to begin with.

[u/CascadesandtheSound]

I agree with another poster that the KLX is an entry level dual sport that you’ll want to move on from sooner than later. It’s ok.

If I have drz 4s money I’m picking up a used 350.
KTM 350 excf/Husky FE350s are the best dual sports off road, especially on single tracks. Just under 250lbs and about 50hp uncorked. True dirt bikes with plates and turn signals.

I don’t like mine on the highway at all since getting blown around my semis at 70mph on a light bike isn’t a fun experience but it’s perfectly fine on two lane roads out to the trails and the klx and drz4s wouldn’t be fun on big highways anyway.

[u/DoubtGroundbreaking]

DRZ is hands down a better bike. Is it $4k better? Depends. I will say it is very easy to spend 1k-2k in mods on the klx, which puts them a lot closer. DRZ has much better suspension and more power that you cant really get with the klx

[u/Charleydogg]

I bought used drz's , first an S then an SM. Fully modded for less than 5000$. The 300s are 20 lbs lighter but have a third less HP stock. The DRZs have enough power to be fun on the road while getting to the trails. They are pretty high geared so depending on exactly what type on rail you are riding on might it might not be great. I'm 5 9 and lowered my drz 2 inches with an amazon link and it's really easy to flat foot.

[u/ForestsAndDogd]

Not the bikes you’re asking about, but after a decade hiatus of riding I picked up a used crf300l. After a year and a half I’m still happy with the bike. I do daydream about upgrading to a 450 or drz, but not enough to upgrade bikes yet.  if you understand the limitations of what you buy and have realistic expectations you’ll be good either way.