I didn't ride the DR, but it is definatley more dirt oriented than the Dakar. Daniel (the DR owner) took the KLX for a ride and was impressed.

My Dakar has Metzler Enduro's which have maybe 40% tread remaining, the DR has Bridgestone Trailwings, and the KLX has the Trackmaster II's and it stayed in the lead in the sandy areas. Actually, the KLX did the best all around except the short span of paved roads where we cruised at highway speeds, not that it couldn't keep up but it was a little windy and Adam had a motorcross style helmet on. That duckbill puts a workout on your neck at those speeds.