DRZ400 VS RMX450Z Comparison and Reviews

[@13ratchet]

Like my buddy told me , the light that's twice as bright lasts half as long , words to live by .

[@skunkprints7952]

I think you did a phenomenal job reviewing these two bikes. I have had a DRZ for years and wish for more power like a “traditional 450 bike”. After watching your video I realized how right you are that the DRZ is better in too many important ways! Can you do a review of mods for your DRZ? Carbs? Exhaust? CAMS?

[@redpepper007]

I love my RMX450Z, road legal, lightweight and lots of power, with the big fuel tank I can go for hours easily without a need to refuel. Dump it somewhere deep in a swamp in the woods and not a big deal to pick it back up and keep on going. Can't compare to my buddies old enduro bikes with thick steel frames or those huge modern adventure bikes, first soft sand and they just dig in, can't lift it up easily after a fall and so on. Plus RMX450Z has both electronic starter and kickstarter, electronic fuel injection and no hassle with carburateurs, it can run without a battery or some wires missing. Real tough machine.

[@easternyellowjacket276]

Absolutely, a great bike. I just put the larger IMS tank on a couple of days ago. Taking it for a long ride tomorrow. Bike has been flawless for over four years. Love mine.

[@redpepper007]

@@easternyellowjacket276 mine already had the big gas tank when I got the bike, probably gives at least 2x the range as original small one.

[@fredericktressler9289]

Great comparison. I've been kicking around a companion to my '19 SM. I was considering a used RMX, but you've convinced me a DR-Z is a better option. The S model in the US appears to be similar to yours. I just wish that neat accessory package was offered here.

[@crooney82]

Totally agree. I rode a newer crf450x and loved it but the drz because the suspension is setup is perfect for off-road riding and the engine on the drz is better because it’s way less vibey and while still being fast it doesn’t beat you up.

[@BrokenSprocket]

Drz400 has it all.

[@DroidLocks6971]

I Want A DRZ400 sm or DRZ400 dual sport so daggone badly . Ive a new 2023 Honda XR150L And Its Fun But Just No Real Power Especially In 5th Gear

[@DroidLocks6971]

​@BrokenSprocket I Want A DRZ400 sm or DRZ400 dual sport so daggone badly . Ive a new 2023 Honda XR150L And Its Fun But Just No Real Power Especially In 5th Gear

[@crooney82]

@@DroidLocks6971 if you’re gonna ride it mostly off road just get an e or k version of the DRZ. Skip the S and the SM. They don’t have the power and they are a lot heavier.

[@TheAussieSamurai]

I bought my brothers rmx450z about 3 years ago and it was my first bike back riding for about 10 years but due to bugga all accessories I sold it again within 12 months and got an almost new drz400e and now after 2yrs of riding both single track enduro type rides and also loaded up adventure rides with camping gear I can't fault the drz, I love love love my yellow tractor! It handles everything I throw at it and some

[@BrokenSprocket]

DRZ400E all the way.

[@Mudjimba23AT]

Great vid mate after spending a couple of grand on my 400e's suspension its incredibly capable 👌

[@danielryle5596]

Great honest review! I have found the EFI on my European bike didn't like to lug and had a tendency to stall and flame out after throwing a $1000 at it buying a piggy back tuner such as a power commander, had mainly fixed this issue though there is still fuel filters and fuel pumps that require maintenance or replacement after so many hours I also have a klx 300 much like the drz will lug up hills well and is in its own league when it comes to reliability and having fun!

[@BrokenSprocket]

Thanks mate appreciate the feedback 👍. My KTM 350excf was great at lugging but it should be at the price you pay for it. The DRZ is a great bike for the money and a fun bike to ride.

[@easternyellowjacket276]

I wasn't gonna comment, but this is just a joke. I've been riding my 450RMX for four years and about 3000miles of northeast nastiness, and it's needed nothing but air filter cleaning, lubed suspension once a year and regular oil changes. Valves have always been in spec. The suspension is great and the power is phenomenally suited for the tighter trails I ride on in New England. It torques up anything. Bike has been absolutely bulletproof. Mods: I put a Rekluse in it and lighter springs. It's a fantastic bike (though I wish it were 20 lbs lighter). Oh, and I have it road legal too. The out the door brand new price here in the States back in 2020 when I bought it as a left over was $7000 US dollars. I wouldn't dream of touching a grossly overweight, underpowered, under suspended DRZ. To each is his own. 😮

[@jarrodwatson7933]

Sounds like you can't ride, mate! Put the phone down, stop bitching and go do some laps American

[@worstteammate4377]

3000 miles in 4 years? bruhhh i put that in 3-5 months. Now do that on RMX or any other plated 450. The slow DRZ will catch up while you're doing your 2nd top end. I ride DRZ to work the next day without anything done but a quick wash after 400km weekend ride

[@easternyellowjacket276]

@@worstteammate4377 Stop embarrassing yourself.

[@shauncarrington4197]

I like both bikes but i like more the DRz..the RMx had a 2 year run and the WR for a few years was the number one selling enduro bike in Australia and still sells up to this day in Australia..maybe that stands for something i guess,nice review..

[@DroidLocks6971]

I Want A DRZ400 sm or DRZ400 dual sport so daggone badly . Ive a new 2023 Honda XR150L And Its Fun But Just No Real Power Especially In 5th Gear

[@shauncarrington4197]

@@DroidLocks6971 hope you get that drz400..AMEN

[@jimo8119]

WOW, this was me. I had a much loved DRZ400e. Decided to buy what I thought was a new DRZ400e, a RMX450z. So in 2020 I sold my DRZ400e and bought a new RMX450z.After uncorking, and adding a tuner, adding a few goodies, it was ready. Yes the RMX was much faster but my problem was the lack of aftermarket for the RMX450z. I never got comfortable with the RMX450z. It was just too small.

[@BrokenSprocket]

Right on!

[@RUSTY-A-L]

Excellent video the RMX sold here in the U.S. until 2019 unchanged glad now I didn't buy one! I would like to see AJP put the DRZ engine in their chassis I bet it would be awesome!

[@FrankieWellman]

Thanks for this great comparison. I must say as a long time owner of several DRZ-400S,E, and SM models they are excellent bullet proof dual sport bikes. However, I am also an owner of a 2017 RMX-450Z and it is a far better bike than any of my DRZs. I do not miss the carborator issues filling my crank case with gas and all the other stupid carborator related issues. Don't get me wrong, I love the DRZ but I love me some RMX much better. I feel like the RMX-450Z is a modern day DRZ.

[@rodneyhinkley7910]

Thank you Broken Sprocket for a decent review for once ,The Drz400E is a good all rounder ,I've had two of them first one did 100,000 ks in that time one two valve adjustments the bike never let me down once except for flat tyres ,fautly battery ! Second bike was in the outback and riding with others and in a remote area we got dirty fuel the KTM with us was injected and it stayed there ,wasn't able to be fixed and was eventually trucked home with its rider ! Both Drz would run but rough ,fuel was filthy we tollerated it till we got to somewhere we could remove carbys and clean them and fitted new fuel filters and we where good to go ! The 450 guys bag drzs all the time but when it comes to years of reliability&,just servicing and ride on, What else can you say? but the 450 guys won't tell how much rebuilding they do because its an embarrassment, with the bike a out of action often , Drz400e model are 48 hp(s,sm 39hp) with some cam changes and a re jet they can do 60 hp ! Then you can fit various big bore kits to get more power but i like the stock reliability .

[@greggory448]

Thanks. For the great review. And not sugar coating it😊

[@MVDBR]

Good video Steve nice to see ya appreciating the mighty drz 🤘

[@BrokenSprocket]

Thanks mate 👍

[@oldfashionedwrx3574]

i bought a drz400e, for a few reasons PARTS PARTS, common parts, knowledge, the same bike for over 2 decades, good specs 400cc/short ratio 5 sp, can do road work fine and goes okay on highway without revving it to oblivion. mechanically simple, long service intervals, good reliability if treated well. I just ordered a tacho for mine as it shouldve come with one imo, $15 AUD RMX better than wr450 better wow, The rmz/rmx/wr450 are race bikes so much faster/for time trail stuff

[@6226superhurricane]

the rmx450z makes just over 40hp (peak) at the rear wheel which is right around what the drz400E makes. for the E model to make that sort of power with it's extra rotating mass it's making more torque. so the rmx power is more linear (builds quicker) the drz torque is more linear and power catches up at 9k rpm. the suspension on the drz400 E gets dismissed as being old and wrongly compared to conventional rod forks like dr's, xr's klr's etc. but they're actually adjustable rm cartridge forks same as most modern usd forks. and it has a fully adjustable showa race shock. they're soft for heavier riders or jumping but if they are sprung and valved for rider weight and use there is nothing wrong with them. they'll certainly handle more than what most riders are capable of. i think the drz looks better but i probably associate what the drz looks like with what it represents to me.

[@BrokenSprocket]

Thanks for the feedback. My RMX450Z had a Cherry bomb in it that made it more responsive and increased the power. It's not that the DRZ isn't good looking It's more that it's looks are outdated. At the end of the day I prefer to ride the DRZ and I think 450s are overrated.

[@6226superhurricane]

@@BrokenSprocket yeah none of those mx derived 450's make good trail bikes. you sort of end up with the worst of everything. it's not an mx bike, it's not an enduro bike and it's not a trail bike.

[@jimo8119]

Well, I just found a mint, almost zero hour 2007 DRZ400e ( the final year here in the USA ) . Should be picking it up this week.

[@macedonadam]

How much $? I am looking at one, a 2002

[@jeffpaxton9172]

Once the RMX was fitted with all of the accessories, was it still lighter than the DRZ?

[@easternyellowjacket276]

Yes. The DRZ is 317lbs.

[@adamblundell6402]

Mate another great video and i recognise 90% of those tracks as I live in buxton. Just one question though. Why did you get rid of your 350 and go for the drz? I would have thought the 350 would have done everything you needed?

[@BrokenSprocket]

Yes the 350 was a great bike but I will be doing more longer riding in the future and will need more of a do everything bike and the DRZ400E fits the bill.

[@adamblundell6402]

@@BrokenSprocket yeah that's fair enough mate. I would love a drz as a light adventure bike

[@take5th]

Does the RMX have the same gear ratios as the DRZ? Can’t be. I find the drz ratios to be both overlapping and lacking at the same time, off road. No way the Mx bike has the same internal ratios.

[@ignaciomateonunez3979]

Hello, very good video. Can the RMX engine be used to travel many kilometers on the road?

[@BrokenSprocket]

Short trips

[@ignaciomateonunez3979]

@@BrokenSprocket I would like to travel 735 km in 9 parts of: 97km, 105km, 78km, 118km, 42km, 24km, 155km, 100km, 16km

[@Resistculturaldecline]

Its the 400 well suited for a 100kilo rider, non-aggressive riding style ?

[@BrokenSprocket]

Yes

[@zbc6846]

Nice review, now I have a wr450f what year would you be referring to haha ??

[@BrokenSprocket]

My friend had a 2019 WR450F it's the worst bike I have ever ridden. He kept it for a short time and sold it to get a KTM he also thinks that it was shit.

[@zbc6846]

@BrokenSprocket haha ahh true mines a 2012 model first of the efi love and hate relationship I've had a lot of electric start issues and few stalling issues on technical terrain but when she's running best bike haha were those the issues you found riding the 2019??

[@BrokenSprocket]

@@zbc6846 Yes stalling on technical trails and then it doesn't start he tried so many different maps and even Yamaha had no answer to the problem. It was not a fun bike to ride and at the end of the day it should be fun on mater the bike you ride.

[@AdmissionGaming]

I just bought a drz400 for 11,790 😅 8000 is an absolute steal.

[@pablocastro9560]

Thanks it was very useful!

[@RAILWAY_FILMS]

question, do you find you have to add oil on the drz ? like when riding at highway speeds ??

[@BrokenSprocket]

No oil is used

[@jefftaswelder9154]

Love my DRZ 😂👍 as you said , easy to ride and plenty of power for me 😁 keep well mate and you need to go for a ride 😉🍺

[@BrokenSprocket]

Gotta love the DRZ. Thanks Jeff

[@phillippowell1740]

What happened to the KTM?

[@easternyellowjacket276]

He said it was the best thing when he had it. Guess that didn't last. Now the DRZ is the best thing ever. He used to say the RMX was awesome. So now the DRZ is the flavor of the day.

[@stavencapp]

2:22 8500 for brand new DRZ out the door? Man i miss those days. After covid hit and to this day they are currently $11790 RRP. to be fair the current RMZ450 is 14k, but for a bike that he remained unchanged for over 20 years, its stupid.

[@BrokenSprocket]

Yeah mate the price has changed and Suzuki know people will pay it.

[@ghpjerry]

In January, I purchased new a 2022 RM-Z450 for $7200 OTD, cash on the barrel head.

[@masterprediction7353]

I actually prefer a carburetor because I know I can fix it.

[@BrokenSprocket]

It has its advantages for sure

[@masterprediction7353]

Do you know of any good air cooled, carbureted dual sports other than the xr650l?

[@patbrown4117]

Good review thanks

[@BrokenSprocket]

Thanks mate appreciate the feedback

[@michaelhammond4268]

Really looks like a DRZ400S to me. Taillight assembly and chain guard. DRZ400E don’t have a chain guard and don’t have tabs to bolt one on. Is this a S or a E?

[@BrokenSprocket]

It's a E Cape York edition 2019 I don't think you can get a S in Australia.

[@6226superhurricane]

drz400E is street legal in australia and as such has lights, switches, speedo chain guard etc. it's identical to the usa E model in terms of motor, cams,carb and power it has a full subframe and is slightly heavier due to the street legal stuff. (note it's not the same as california E which has an s motor and carb etc)

[@motoffroad]

Ciao amico ti seguo dall'Italia, mi ero iscritto tempo fa perché avevo una DRZ 400 però il modello S anno 2006 che ho tenuto diverso tempo, già quella era una gran bella moto da enduro, figuriamoci il modello E! Mi è piaciuto molto questo tuo video di comparazione con RMX 450 Z, grazie, molto interessante. Con la mia DRZ sono andato ovunque in offroad, poi l'ho venduta perché mi era tornata la voglia del 2 stroke ed ho preso una BETA RR 300 2019. Buon divertimento e saluti da 🇮🇹

[@BrokenSprocket]

Thanks mate appreciate the feedback 👍 my grandmother was born in Italy so I have a little bit of Italian history in me 🤏

[@motoffroad]

@@BrokenSprocket Hi, I also have several relatives from my grandparents who emigrated in the 70s who live in New York, Boston, Chicago, Toronto... Have fun with your offroad!💪🏻🙋‍♂️

[@DroidLocks6971]

I Want A DRZ400 sm or DRZ400 dual sport so daggone badly . Ive a new 2023 Honda XR150L And Its Fun But Just No Real Power Especially In 5th Gear .

[@BrokenSprocket]

The DRZ400E is great all round bike

[@DroidLocks6971]

@BrokenSprocket I wish I'd not bought this xr150l . I should of atleast got a crf300l dual sport but I didn't even know such a bike existed and the dealer didn't mention it either but I'd still prefer a DRZ400 SM OR DRZ400 DUAL SPORT even thought the crf300l dual sport has fuel I jection and a 6 speed transmission but the DRZ400 I've seen going 102mph . Ima trying to sell or trade this xr150l it's fun but just doesn't have the power

[@stevepark1930]

great video.

[@BrokenSprocket]

Thanks mate 👍

[@motolife3024]

I got my DRZ, 2015 for $7500 ride away in 2016.

[@BrokenSprocket]

That's a good price 👌

[@EricBanner571]

Drz400e Vs KTM350?

[@BrokenSprocket]

😆 That would be a unfair comparison.

[@v4vfr800]

New DRZ400E Cape York Edition $11790 ride away.

[@BrokenSprocket]

That's now I'm talking about 2016

[@v4vfr800]

Yeah just saying I can’t believe how much they cost now, I am pretty sure I had seen them some years ago for $7990.

[@BrokenSprocket]

My friend bought 2019 Cape York edition the bike that I have now for $9100 in 2019

[@PissTakeProduction]

@@v4vfr800 Currency is failing banks in US too. All fiat currencies true intrinsic value will go to ZERO.

[@stavencapp]

@@BrokenSprocket yeah, but the bike has remained unchanged, yet they have upped the price by close to 3 grand........

[@darylzampese1855]

Pretty sure it's an RMZ not RMX? RMX was the 2 stroke 250.

[@BrokenSprocket]

No it's a RMX450Z

[@johnmclaughlin4802]

👍

[@nvmcrider8475]

Sell both of them and get the Yamaha YZ250fx, it is better than either of those for trail riding and weighs much less than the DRZ.

[@BrokenSprocket]

No thanks

[@coburna5]

😂😂😂😂. You are new here, aren’t you?

[@jeffpaxton9172]

You have to be 6 foot 5 to ride a Yamaha. Doesn't Yamaha realize that most people are a lot shorter than that?

[@nvmcrider8475]

@@jeffpaxton9172 I’m 6’2’ and I did buy the lowering link for the rear end, it made a noticeable improvement in weaving around obstacles.

[@Jiffy_Squid]

SOUND SOUND SOUND!!!