hi guys, thinking of gettin rid of my trusty, but heavy, drz 400 after havin a blast on a 530 at the weekend.......which model would YOU buy and why....i know they all weigh the same, but any subtle differences ??
Well all i can say is that my new 400exc is brilliant in everyway , coming from my Honda XR400 it is in a whole different class , easy to ride , precise and direct , does what you want it to do , the map switch is a must extra , softens the motor for the technical bits. i havent stopped smiling yet , the only downside is the frequent visits to petrol stations , but a small price to pay for an awesome machine.
JD's did me a great deal, speak to Rob he's your man
If you want a KTM the 400/450 are the ones to go for, the 530 is a sweet bike to but you really don't need all those cc's for what we do, mind you it would put a smile on your face and if you have the money and really want one go for it.
If you want to be different from the rest go for the Two stroke KTM 250/300 EXC electric start models. There 10KG or 22.2 pounds lighter than the four strokes amongst many other benefits.
Modern two stroke engines are miles apart from there elder counterparts and all the negative feedback two strokes used to get still rubs off on the modern stuff which is absolutely wrong, the new 2 smokers have to be ridden to be appreciated, smooth power, plenty of torque, economical ( when ridden steady ) and handle like there on rails.
Of course this is all irrelevant as green laning isn't about speed it's about getting out with mates and exploring the country side, you can do that on practically any off road bike and still have fun maybe not quite as much fun as you would on a 300 2 smoker but still..
You could always keep your DRZ! it is, after all a perfectly good bike for green laning and commuting and it's reliable and cheap to service!
hi two thumbs....can i be nosey and ask what sort of deal you got ??? i know they are doing that extras deal for £ 250 ( akropovic can,bash plate , handguards, fork bleeding kit, brake pin, factory plastics/decals), also 10% down and 1% finance over a year......cheers in advance.....
Fair point Neil were not racing, rather a lesiurely day out on two wheels with friends, which is great ridding a 2 stroke make's those days more fun for me, a four stroke is just to easy to ride for my liking
hi two thumbs....can i be nosey and ask what sort of deal you got ??? i know they are doing that extras deal for £ 250 ( akropovic can,bash plate , handguards, fork bleeding kit, brake pin, factory plastics/decals), also 10% down and 1% finance over a year......cheers in advance.....
Hi Nick
The £250 deal was great and i went for it , first service free, bike set up exactly as i wanted, that coupled with first class advice and interest from Rob on my style of riding , i got the bike for a good few hundred less than what i was being quoted elsewhere "Leisure Trail" etc etc, i was lucky enough not to go down the finance route so i guess that may have had an influence on the deal
i also felt confident that i was buying from a well trusted and respected company
well there are fors and againt for four strokes and two strokes fours cost a lot to repair most weigh a fair bit more than a two stroke rember if you been out most the day you tired out and you got to lift the bike up i found the power delivery is a lot better on the two stroke i have had both fours and two strokes i found for a thrill factor of the two stroke wins hands down all around i got two stroke for enduros for me its great all round best thing you can do nick is try both before you buy anything
tis done.......after much talking/trying/searching/deliberating/being nice to the missus.. i went to JDs today and did the deal.........on a new 530 exc-r with a few extras.....just got o wait now for it to come from Austria next week.....
JDs got broken into last night and 5 new bikes stolen, 815pm by some dodgy curly headed scousers they reckon....but Rob still knocked a few quid off !!! even tho he was in a bad mood !!
-- Edited by nickspark on Monday 30th of March 2009 06:01:59 PM
You won't regret it! you'll love it, I bought a 525exc (my first trail bike) last september and promply dropped it resulting in a broken leg, after I got the plaster off I rode straight away and since midd november have ridden over 100 hours (2000+miles). Lots of people have said sell it and get something smaller and lighter with less power, I had bought it so was going to learn how to ride it, just got back from 2 and a bit days in south wales and I dont think I have ever enjoyed anything as much as riding this bike! bags of power and fun. I am learning not to drop it, then you dont have to pick it up, not that I have ever found the weight to be a problem. The only thing I have noted is the running costs - 13 tooth front sprocket worn out in 11 hours and rear pads and mt43 rear tyre replaced inside 25 hours (the sea to sea trip and trip to wales). Hope to see you enjoying the 530 soon.
Barney.
p.s my 525 is now in hibernation for april and probably may to allow me time to finish our cottage, brownie points = rides.
I guess its a bit late now, seeing as you'd ordered the thing already. If you were planning on doing anything a little more demanding than green laning - LDT's, or prehaps Hare and Hounds then a lighter, more nimble bike would definately do you better.
The Inner Oik in me likes to give my engine a good pasting every now and again - get the revs up and make the limiter earn its keep. I think that might not be so easy on a half litre monster.
Those running costs would start to annoy me after a week or two I think!!!
Looking forward to having another 530 around to join in the fun. I own one, along with a 525 SX and previously owned Capn Slow's 400. The 400 is more forgiving and mild mannered, a great machine. The SX is explosive with just the 4 gears and the 530 has similar power, but more evenly spread. I haven't noted the excessive wear and costs as mentioned, but I try to run in standard gearing which is more machine sympathetic. It is also slightly more conservative on fuel. For me, the slightly larger bore size and power are an advantage in coping with my size and body weight, re:-heavy! I think if I rode a smaller machine now it would feel like I was sitting on a 5 bar gate with just as much power! There are modifications to the 530 that ought to be considered, especially the addition of the cooling fan, although I am also about to fit a new hose system which is supposed to assist cooling, they run hot, be aware. Fuel consumption mentioned: whenever 've been out on the 530, I have not had to go onto reserve and have refuelled at the same time as everyone else. Bosun
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IT'S NO MISTAKE THAT MAN'S BEST FRIEND CANNOT TALK!!
maybe not quite as much fun as you would on a 300 2 smoker but still..
, after I got the plaster off I rode straight away and since midd november have ridden over 100 hours (2000+miles). Lots of people have said sell it and get something smaller and lighter with less power, I had bought it so was going to learn how to ride it, just got back from 2 and a bit days in south wales and I dont think I have ever enjoyed anything as much as riding this bike! bags of power and fun. I am learning not to drop it, then you dont have to pick it up, not that I have ever found the weight to be a problem. The only thing I have noted is the running costs - 13 tooth front sprocket worn out in 11 hours and rear pads and mt43 rear tyre replaced inside 25 hours
(the sea to sea trip and trip to wales). Hope to see you enjoying the 530 soon.