Stupid Question-1977 360 WR v. Suzuki DRZ400

[KIM750]

I've never ridden a modern bike. I'm thinking about getting a modern dual sport, and want something simple. The DRZ seems to fit that bill. I'm just wondering what its like to ride in comparison with my 360. Is slower or faster? How's the suspension? Handles?

Thanks. I know its a dumb question, but I haven't test ridden any new dual sport/endure bikes.

 

[suprize]

its a big bike c/w the 360 but handles well for its size. the std exhaust is loud and making a replacement baffle for the full length of the tail pipe gives a couple of well liked mid range HP and knocks 3 - 5 Dba off.

the forks arnt super good but acceptable with a midspike that good tuners will remove. great power, a sit on the top trailbike that can be hustled along at a good rate.
you will love the power..did I say that?

you can "upgrade them" with RM forks, remove instruments etc and get the shock regassed and oiled to make an excellent all rounder at a cheap price that you can keep up with the fast guys (sort of) on.

bang a big camel tank on it and go adventure riding across the desert

maybe get on to "thumper talk" forum and see what everyone else is saying

I don't mind them

 

[ajcmbrown]

Is it a DRZ400E or DRZ400S? There is a big difference, the "E" goes a lot harder than the "S" and has some luxuries like plastic tank, aluminium subframe, no pillion pegs, open exhaust if the bung is removed, FCR39 Keihin pumper carb, hotter cams, open airbox etc. We are lucky enough to get the DRZ400E street legal here in Australia, but I believe you only get the DRZ400S for the street in the US?
Tony.

 

[KIM750]

Sorry. I wasn't clear in my post. I currently have a 1977 Husky 360 WR. I'm thinking about getting a modern/new dual sport, and am considering a Suzuki DR 400 s. I've never ridden a modern dual sport. I was just wondering how a DR 400 S compares to my 360 WR. thanks

 

[suprize]

The brakes ..i forgot about the brakes!!! the suzuki will throw you over the bars when you reach for the levers and pedals be careful! after you get used to them the husky will feel like someone wd 40'd your shoes....

probably the biggest difference will be how much faster you will be on the 360 after riding the DR for a while. the360 will be light and nimble with no brakes.

 

[Eurofreak]

The DR is a good bike for street legal dual sporting. It is a lot heavier and very cushy/soft.
Depends on how much street vs dirt riding you will do. Not much fun to pick up after a crash.
Ditto the brakes they are very good! Electric start is a joy.

 

[Bigbill]

Is it performance like 2t vs 4t? Dual sport vs dirtbike? Are you going to sell the 360 or trade it in or keep both.

My '99 Husqvarna TE610e dual sport was fun to ride. I could ride to the trails. But the power edge went to the 78 Husqvarna cr390 I rode. Both are different rides. The 4t is heavier.

 

[motomwo]

Sorry. I wasn't clear in my post. I currently have a 1977 Husky 360 WR. I'm thinking about getting a modern/new dual sport, and am considering a Suzuki DR 400 s. I've never ridden a modern dual sport. I was just wondering how a DR 400 S compares to my 360 WR. thanks

Why Suzuki! If you are going to buy a modern bike at least buy a Husqvarna! I ride my friends modern bikes once in a while just to remind myself that I love riding my vintage Huskys way more.

Marty

 

[Eurofreak]

The TE 250 and 300's are much better dirt bikes and street legal. I found the 450's to be a bit much.

 

[suprize]

take your te 300 for a 300km cruise on the back roads and freeways and see how you feel about a DR

it will be about the same about the TE after lugging the DR through a 60 Km tight 1st 2nd gear , muddy log and rock infested loop with 30 river crossings...

I can see exactly why he wants a DR. soft compliant, smoothish, capable but not preferable for serious off road but fine to jump on and flog 60kms to your mates for a 80km blast around some tight roads and tracks on sunday before stopping for a slap up feed at some distant landmark / outpost before hammering the crap out of it back home. having done this on my 2010 300 kato once or twice, the novelty wears off about the 5Km mark. the vibes the seat, the ride position etc. a dr fits the bill.

 

[ajcmbrown]

take your te 300 for a 300km cruise on the back roads and freeways and see how you feel about a DR

it will be about the same about the TE after lugging the DR through a 60 Km tight 1st 2nd gear , muddy log and rock infested loop with 30 river crossings...

I can see exactly why he wants a DR. soft compliant, smoothish, capable but not preferable for serious off road but fine to jump on and flog 60kms to your mates for a 80km blast around some tight roads and tracks on sunday before stopping for a slap up feed at some distant landmark / outpost before hammering the crap out of it back home. having done this on my 2010 300 kato once or twice, the novelty wears off about the 5Km mark. the vibes the seat, the ride position etc. a dr fits the bill.

I've got to agree with John on this one, I owned a DRZ400E for eight years until I sold it to a close friend, much more capable than a DRZ400S though. I did a 330 kilometre off road ride in a day, extremely reliable, never put a spanner to it other than routine maintenance, electric leg and a great motor. Bang for your buck, these things are hard to beat, granted they're no Husky but do serve a purpose.
Tony.

 

[Houredout401]

Any debate of DS bikes is useless without knowing the type of riding you plan to do - you cant have it both ways. My two cents are think hard about what kind of riding you will do. If you are hardcore dirt, then the DR400, or any dual sport for that matter, will disappoint you. Wide open dirt roads, no problem. DRZ400 in snotty singletrack - good luck with that. Same goes for any DS, on the highway or roads that require more than 40mph. Just my opinion, but marketing people do a great job of making you think DS sport bikes are the solution, but in my experience, the compromises are too much and you are left with a bike that is neither excellent on dirt nor road.

Dirt roads/casual trail riding on non-snotty trails, and occasional non-highway road use, you will be ok, but have no illusions that you will like riding roads for any extended time on any bike that has a true knobby tire. And if you start dumping money into RM forks, and other mods, you have to ask yourself is it worth it. I don't know your budget, but if you are leaning towards more of a dirt rider, you should check out the 2013+ KTM500's.

 

[fran...k.]

Like stated there are a range of plateable bikes with some off road intent.
The ktm/husky which are essentially enduro bikes for folks that can't get a dealer plate or register in a favorable state. These generally come with the shortest warranty and the smallest pistons in the vertical dimension
dual sport
dual purpose
adventure
These ones often come with a one year warranty that can be bumped out to 4 years for not a lot of money. It is pretty easy to go to a site like bike bandit or rocky mountain atv and see what the insides look like and how much the pieces cost.

A 400 dual sport Suzuki http://www.suzukicycles.com/Product Lines/Cycles/Products/DR-Z400/2017/DRZ400S.aspx has a super moto version and judging from the tires they put on it the sport end is on the road. Suzuki seems to skip the dual purpose.

as to a comparison to a 77 360 husky it will have a much wider usable rev range and be a lot quieter. It will be heavier for sure. I have not rode one. It probably could go on group rides on the street, I know the 650 class dual whatever Jap bikes can keep up with sensible groups with normal bikes and some bikes with a passenger. I got a Yamaha xt250 a few years ago, new left over and It a well refined machine though the frame and forks are probably more flexible than a 77 husky with 35mm forks. It is lower than what you are looking at. It is a good explorer type of bike to find places to bring a dedicated off road machine on the pickup. Or be as close to a quad or atv and stay on 2 wheels.

advrider.com is pretty much the place to discuss this class of bikes that I am aware of.

 

[grouty]

I'd still ride the Husky over the Suzuki any day.

 

[suprize]

ok guys, lets review the first post. 1. he has a 360 for racing ..hard core..2. he wants a good trailer type bike to do soft roading A DR is excellent. he is not going take the DR racing ....he wants to know how different it could be ....not better worse or whatever.."just a bit of what can I expect" type info.

 

[MikeDi]

Aaaa the great dual sport debate. It's why I don't own one yet. Want one, don't know why but gotta have one...
Things I've learned.
I want a 4 stroke so I can gas and go.. But what 4 stroke is reliable and doesn't need a lot of maintaining. Not KTM, or any race type bike. So the DR motor is reliable, and so are Hondas.
Forget the KLR...
Need E start for sure.
for me, i could ride 45 mins to the trails, screw around for an hour, then ride home, so a DR or say XR650L may do the trick.
After all the mental masturbation and figuring out what is good for me, I'd probably by a used XR650L. Strip all the junk off of it and have enough power to ride some faster roads on the way to maybe some double track..
Also has enough power to to pack up and handle luggage and what not..

 

[Eurofreak]

After all the mental masturbation and figuring out what is good for me, I'd probably by a used XR650L.

. That's the beauty of the question-so many options. I'd get a Husky 610. I may at some point in the future. Because I have enough dirt bikes for real off road riding, a large bore dual sport will have more fun getting there on the roads-for me. An E-start Husky 410 would be great-I had a 410 and liked it except for kicking. A bit lighter and more dirt worthy than the DRZ.

 

[fran...k.]

ok guys, lets review the first post. 1. he has a 360 for racing ..hard core..2. he wants a good trailer type bike to do soft roading A DR is excellent. he is not going take the DR racing ....he wants to know how different it could be ....not better worse or whatever.."just a bit of what can I expect" type info.

You are reading a lot into the first, and the fourth one here that I do not see. I will go along with what you post after the ........
It is not clear if he wants a comparison for equipped with the same tires or as delivered new. It is unclear if he is contemplating a new machine or a used one. Should be able to take a test ride on a new one with a motorcycle drivers license.

 

[jimspac]

I have considered getting a 2003 DRZ400 after seeing a Dirt Bike article about setting up for serious trail and maintaining street legality. The 2003 responded very well with cost effective suspension mods. I think the newer models are heavier still so at that point I would consider a XR650L over a newer DRZ400.

I had few problems riding a Honda SL350 offroad back in 1976. It handled heavy duty trail use here in New England and embarrassed a few Husqvarna and Penton mounted riders as well. It's suspension was the issue, not it's weight. I never got stuck with it and only slid out once on it. It was not hard to lift the handlebar and get it up on wheels again. The DRZ because of the Liquid cooling hardware has a higher center of gravity and thus will feel heavier with the handlebar on the ground.

 

[suprize]

they are a camel allright, ive done plenty of riding on em and they are a good thing fwta. ive had to push one down a fast flowing creek for 200 yds as the owner had forgotten to reroute the carb overflows and as soon as they hit water, they would cause a vac in the carb and fuel would fill the engine..it was pretty heavy but manageable on the slippery rocks. simply poking them up under the tank turned into a yellow submarine "Yellow submarine.. we all live in a "...sorry got carried away