Head to Head: Honda XR400R Vs Suzuki DR350

[@72timhall]

The design of the dr350 was assisted by Al Baker of xrs only Suzuki asked him what did xr250 owners want.He said bigger bore pumper carb fully adjustable suspension, oil cooler,etc.The dr350 was the end result

[@lanes58]

The XR400, does it all. Plus, it's by far, the sharper looking bike.

[@PSBEadventures]

Been riding a DR350S for 20 years. Haven't spent much time on a XR400, but they are both great machines and can't be rivaled with any bike you can buy right now. My 350 has been an absolute pleasure to own. Never made me walk and I've been thousands of miles from home on it, except the one time I ran it slap out of fuel.

[@thambu19]

You are absolutely right there is not a single bike today that rivals them

[@papatorr3669]

I'm pretty sure a DRZ 400 is on their level. Right?

[@PSBEadventures]

@papatorr3669 although I have respect for the DR400, for me, overall, it isn't even close to the 350. You'd need to ride both side by side to decide for yourself. It's hard to explain really, but for me the 400 just doesn't feel right on technical trails. It feels top-heavy or something. I'd rather have the 350 or 650 over it.

[@papatorr3669]

@@PSBEadventures Cool. I just brought home a project DR 350 SE yesterday. It's a '95 with 1100 miles on it. The seller picked it up at an auction and made money on me even though I only paid $850. It has a different front end on it as it has some thick upside down fork tubes. Needs turn signals, carbs cleaned, battery, side stand, center stand (?), Break and clutch cables, etc, etc. I had purchased a '95 DR650 intending to have it lowered, only to find out that I can't lower it. I should have bought a '96 or newer! I had sold a KLR650 as it was too tall and heavy, and the DR650 was my choice after much "research ." I'm 64 and only 5'4 so getting the right fit is important.

[@PSBEadventures]

@papatorr3669 I heard that. Yeah I run an 80 series tire most of the time on the back and have the longest Kouba link they have at procycle. Think it lowers it 2" or so. The 80 series back tire, the link and the low seat concepts really helps me reach the ground. I didn't know you couldn't lower the older DRs. Congrats on the 350!

[@edjacobson8480]

Have both. Love the Xr 400 because it wheelies so easy, and goes through deep sand like nothing else. The DR 350 is nice because it is a six speed, and still feels fairly light.

[@rodrigodepazos3771]

I have a DR 350 year 2000, it came with electric start, and really love it, great great bike!!

[@itspabloits5532]

My 1997 dr350se doesn’t have a kickstarter and the starter went out😣

[@rodrigodepazos3771]

@@itspabloits5532 that sucks, mine doesnt have either.

[@bruce8162]

Thanks for your time and all the information. These are the 2 bikes that I have been trying to choose between.

[@thambu19]

If i were to buy again ill definitely buy an XR400R. I would only buy a DR350 if i needed a bike with air cooled motor. I own a DRZ400 now and it is far superior in motor and suspension

[@utdesertghost199]

If you get the dirt model and street legal it you have a bike 30 lbs lighter than the street model and a pumper carb. I just finished a build on a 99 DR350 and absolutely love the bike, that later models had much better suspension with full comp and rebound adjustability front and rear. The xr looks like it has a slightly steeper steering angle. They're both awesome bikes.

[@ritesideofthefence5857]

Great stuff, I’m currently restoring an 03 XR400 now. Can wait to put it back on the trails.

[@ShaneZettelmier]

I love both but I’ll take the DR 350 myself. But it’s not really a fair comparison completely, the XR 400 is a trail bike meant for dirt and is geared a lot differently. It wasn’t designed as an Enduro so it’s gonna be way better off-road. The DR is a great bike because it’s got a six speed transmission and in the later years had the SE model which had an electric start. For someone who’s in the off-road in the XR is going to be a better bike but I think the DR will do better as an Enduro and dual purpose, it’s got a little wider range in the gears and will be easier to ride as far as shifting and traveling. I think most people would probably like the XR a little better as long as they aren’t driving a lot of distance at higher speed. Like you were talking about the titan low gear ratio on the XR 400 that’s what makes it a lot better for very technical stuff. Period the thing people do like about the DR 350 is that it had a good six speed gearbox so it still was low enough to do halfway decent off-road, the DRC 400 is the newer version of it and they put a crummy five speed in it, I heard would rather have a DR 350 any day then a DRZ 400. The 400 Suzuki DRZ is really only good if you’re moving, if you’re doing tight technical stuff it’s horrible. It’s still a great bike but it definitely needs a six speed and a better first gear if it’s going to be ridden on hills and rocks and technical slow speed stuff. What I wish they would do is come out with an XL 350 or an XR 350 L. From 84 to the late 80s they had an XL 350 and it was awesome but the kickstart only come in fact that’s kind of my dream bike would be a 1984 XL 350 but the Yamaha XT 350 and DR 350 Suzuki were pretty much the same but the Suzuki through the electric start on there and that made a big difference. For me I love the DR 350 SE, it’s just better equipped for the streets and just basic trail riding to drive anyway that’s easier. The XR 400s definitely more capable but the DR is easy, it’s capable enough for off-road if you’re not going crazy but it’s also great on the street. I think young writers and people who off-road more probably like the XR best but if you just want to cruise around and have a simple easy dependable bike it’ll do it all pretty well and you’re going to travel on it, I think the DR is great And that would be my choice but I’d keep the XR as well

[@thambu19]

Absolutely agree with you. What would be great to have today is a Lighter air cooled DR350 with better suspension. Will be a unicorn bike.

[@ShaneZettelmier]

@@thambu19 yup. I really don’t mind fuel injection but the rest of the Electronic stuff kind of bugs me. It’s definitely cool but I don’t wanna have to work on my bike all the time or have it serviced all the time. He’s old bumpers or simple air cooled engines and they just went forever. You change your oil you change your air filter and every now and again you do a valve adjustment and you’re good and I’ve seen Hondas with close to 100,000 miles on them, I doubt you’re going to see a lot of the newer bikes doing 60 or 80,000 miles. But a lot of bikes sell new technology and the hot new changes each year but they keep bringing the old thumpers back the TW 200 DRZDXL or XRL series like the XR 650 L and a lot of these bikes are pretty much unchanged since the 80s because they just work really well and they do a great job And they just keep doing it and it’s not constantly in for maintenance and adjustment. I’ll admit the newer bikes perform a little bit better but I’m not racing and I don’t care about a tiny bit of extra performance, I would rather have the durability. I would like to see a kick starter and electric start and maybe a little better suspension or more adjustable suspension and maybe even a little oil cooler but every manufacture has this gap, you have the 250s which are a little under powered and then you jump up to a 450 review and that’s great if you’re 150 pounds but if you’re gonna ride two up are you are a bigger person, the 350 was just about perfect, plenty of power can pull wheelies all day but not too crazy heavy or overdone, it was just a great middle range can I think of 350 or 400 is perfect for the dual sports, And yeah it’s heavier than a 250 but not that much heavier and with the extra power it’s definitely worth it. They could use some updates like better headlights and stuff like that but I’ll take a DR 350 SE anytime. I don’t think the suspension was that bad it was a little soft but I’m fine with that because I’m not out doing huge jumps or anything I just want to be able to drive and hit some trails and it’s plenty capable. I would love to see all the manufacturers come back with a simple 350 or 400. Kawasaki has the calyx 300 but it’s not really any more powerful than a 250 and was a little disappointing. I really wish Honda would do an XR 400 L, that would probably be pretty close to perfect.

[@dantownsend4920]

Great info, thanks for the decomp lever trick

[@kevinc8744]

Subscribed! Great comparison! Thank you

[@thambu19]

Thank you

[@TheBychu]

Just got mine DR350s 91' last thursday. Had very hard time to get it started (i only had 2t KMX 125 prior). Gonna try your starting procedure, hope it works. You got yourself two very decent, classic bikes, like them both!

[@thambu19]

Hello the procedure only works this way because i have a pumper carb installed on the Dr

[@TheBychu]

@@thambu19 what i meant was first finding TDC, then pulling decomp lever and lower the kickstarter a bit until "click". What i used to do was pull the lever first and as soon it clicks - kickstart. Not an easy job to start this lady for a newbie.

[@thambu19]

@@TheBychu i think your procedure may also work as long as you bring the kicker back to the top before kicking down so you get the full length of the kick

[@trevorjameson3213]

The starting procedure he shows is correct for any DR350. I had one years ago, and he's showing the procedure correctly. Press the kick starter through until you feel resistance. Stop, and let the kick starter come back to the top. Now pull in the de-comp lever and let go of it. Then push the kick starter down about halfway or until you hear the de-comp lever click. Now return kick starter to the top again. Now you are ready to kick start the bike. Kick all the way through to the bottom of the stroke and don't jab at it, but give it a good, solid kick through. Bike should start. If not, repeat entire procedure. Once you get the hang of it, it's fairly easy.

[@stevehernandez20]

The only thing would add is that for the CV carb.. hold in the decomp and kick 5-7 times with no compression. It mimics the pumper carb. Giving it fuel. Get TDC and it will start. Own a 93 dr 350.

[@ensinitas]

i have a 99 dr350 and 2 mid 2000's dr400's. the 5 speed gearbox on the 400's is a real drawback...i find myself looking for 6th EVERY time i get on them. the 400's are going by bye. the old reliable 350 will never be sold

[@Itsjake908]

Wonderful, I’ll buy your 400?

[@jimsummerville715]

I have a 1990 DR350S that has the Rear 47 tooth dirt wheel and sprocket and front 13 tooth sprocket. It will pull wheelies like crazy. Parts are cheap and easy to find with E-bay. I'm also switching to a Dirt model rear shock and the first gen DR350 1994-96 dirt cartridge forks. With street legal knobby tires I believe I have a dirt bike that is 50 state street legal if I choose to street license in WA or OR and buy required 14 different ORV licenses in what state I'm ridding in that I'm legal on or off road in the USA.

[@kevinwebber2822]

Great review, very helpful, thank you very much!

[@gjavo6400]

Thanks for this video. I have a 1993 DR650 and love off-roading. As my confidence grows I takw more complicated routes and start to find the DR650 is too heavy and lacks in suspension (no regulation except preload on the shock). I like both the DR350 (6 gears, less weight and better suspension already than the 650) but the XR400 is my unicorn I think. Even less weight, even better suspension) and both can do highway at 90km/h what I do now with the 650 as well (to save knobbies) but man do I doubt about the kick start only... but seeing how easy you start them, I can do that. And what was very important to me is your comment on the XR bars being a bit further away, I'm a few cms taller than you. Both dead reliable and fairly low maintenance which is great for a hobby mechanic like me. Thanks! Hope to find a good XR400 some time! One close to me asks EUR3350 which is like $4K 😳 bit much for a 20+yr old bike...

[@smoknjoe73]

Awesome vid man thanks.

[@cb8506]

I own a ‘01 XR400. Love it. I am 6’4. The Dr350,DRZ400 all feel like bikes perfect if your 5’8. Cramped ergos for me and tinny motor. Like I can hear every tooth of the cam touch chain. The XR has so much usable torque its unbelievable. If your using either of these bikes on anything more serious than a gravel/dirt road, theres no choice, the DR is a non-factor. By the same token, no way am I going to pull out on the interstate with the XR, DR is better there. Well, I take a little of that back, neither belongs there really.

[@KwakaRallye88]

Had both. Preferred the XR off road and the DR on the tarmac. Both great bikes

[@TipoftheMittFlips]

Saw your question on FX evolution thought I’d give a fellow Michigander some sub support

[@thambu19]

Hi there thx a lot. When i am not dirt biking i am definitely thinking about the economy 😃

[@TipoftheMittFlips]

@@thambu19 when I’m not making money I’m thinking about making money 😂 I’m not a dirt biker but a buddy of mine is currently #1 mens division in the state and his cousin was #1 female in the world for a long time she’s retired raising a family now.

[@thambu19]

@@TipoftheMittFlips haha i like that phrase. Just subbed to your channel you have a cool one

[@germball96]

We have both. Both very good machines. The dr i find is better for the road. Plus 6 gears and xr 5 gears. The suspension i think is better on the dr. The xr definitely has more grunt and torque and more fun off road. Think if i had to keep one tho think it would be the dr as i do more road than off road riding

[@thambu19]

Great assessment. Definitely two very good bikes. Legends in their own rights.

[@929cosmodude]

xr400 is 125kg, in other markets the (dirt model) dr350 is 118kg with a pumper carb as standard and has fully adjustable suspension, makes this comparison a bit closer

[@thambu19]

I wish we got that model in the States

[@SuperGospelGangsta]

I’ve had crf450 and xr400. They’re both awesome but the 400 is so much easier to maintain.

[@coltonlynn2825]

How much faster is the crf

[@dirtydishwolf1633]

If you want to do this take those bikes out to red sands in Southern Alamogordo aka tarantula 100 we call it little baja 500 run fast as you want!

[@jaykarras48]

The dr isnt much heavier. Its actually lighter than my old 78 xl250S, by quite a lot actually lol. The dr350s is only 11lbs heavier. Not much considering its a 6 speed and has the cush drive which adds a bit of weight. The xr/dr are very similar and considering the Dr's a factory street legal motorcycle with 6 speeds, id say its a better overall bike and ive owned many xrs and xls. Im even considering trading my drz400sm for a dr350s bc its almost 50lbs lighter 🙄

[@npaidas]

what rear fender is on the DR 350?

[@paxtonspeed]

400 for the win!

[@garretshampine8511]

Xr all day long

[@Evil_Morty2000]

Xr400 vs xr650,which would you chose?

[@thambu19]

400 because its more nimble

[@davidmathew603]

XR400

[@palpinter4204]

Plated dirt bike vs real 50/50 dual sport.

[@3.v77]

Hi, can you tell me if any of these 2 bikes are alright starting bikes for an adult?

[@thambu19]

Yes for an adult they are both easy to learn on. The newer ones of DR came eith electric start too

[@3.v77]

@@thambu19 thanks

[@jatoba69]

What's the size of your rear sprocket on the xr ?

[@thambu19]

I wish i could say but it got stolen along with 15 other bikes in July

[@everlast2658]

Chalk and cheese.xr400 is a dedicated enduro bike.

[@maximusmeridius7255]

Lol who said 30lbs isn't noticeable 😂 yeah sure dude 👍 you must know so much about everything 👌

[@212driller]

I love my dr350. After owning the dr650 the dr350 is better in almost every way than the dr650.

[@thambu19]

I haven't had a dr650 but I can imagine why

[@trevorjameson3213]

I bought a new DR350S in 1991 and kept it until '05. It was a really great bike, both on and off-road. And the gearbox was great, the high 6th gear allowed for very easy highway riding. Anyway, in '05 I bought a new DR650 and I liked it a lot too, but it wasn't as great off-road. But it was really good as a street bike.

[@trevorjameson3213]

@@thambu19 If you ride more on-road, the DR650 is great because it's so good on the street. But it's pretty heavy for off-road riding. You can still do it but it's a little more work.

[@212driller]

@@trevorjameson3213 ideally we'd own both :)

[@PetterIvarsson]

I assume that the 350 is better when its get technical? Or do you think thats the case overall?

[@KimKim-oo2up]

Should have used the DR400 as a comparisson. Not its little brother.

[@timetable620]

Lol your gonna call one bike lighter than the other when your talking about only 30lbs. Your not gonna tell me you can feel that big of difference between 286lbs and 257lbs.

[@Icutmetal]

Absolutely. You can’t?

[@thambu19]

I could

[@timetable620]

@@thambu19 👍🏻

[@Icutmetal]

@@timetable620 How is 30lbs not huge when it’s over 10% of the weight of the bike and all that weight is on two wheels? Snowmobiles can hover around twice that weight and 30lbs would still absolutely be a big deal.

[@timetable620]

@@Icutmetal are we talking snowmobiles or tractors?

[@VictorZimbardi]

the xr has more power because it’s engine is 50cc bigger

[@thambu19]

It could be but it's still feeling lighter

[@BobbyHaynie-ot2yp]

Both junk no electric start kick start them in the winter you will know then

[@Truemann45]

Hey! Indian dude! I live in Michigan too. Where do you ride, mostly? Season is starting soon!

[@thambu19]

I really love Tomahawk, Evart and Geels. How about you

[@Truemann45]

@@thambu19 I like to trespass on easements c: but I'm gonna visit every major park this summer because I got a KTM 890 now. My gf is gonna ride my DR200. That's why I was looking at the XR400. As soon as she knows how to ride, I need to get her something faster so she can keep up! Xr400 or a bigger DR might be perfect

[@thambu19]

@@Truemann45 thr XR400 is amazing. But maybe much taller than the DR. Do take a look at Beta Xtrainer