Hello Folks,
After trading my 09 KLX250s for my 09 DRZ400sm, I now have over 300 miles under its collar. The similarities are the hard narrow seat that wears on one's butt. (The Suzuki is about 2% softer than the Kawasaki's seat.) The other similarity is the gearing. I'm sure both bikes do not have identical gearing, but they are pretty close. At 65mph, the DRZ400sm is definitely reving, and it doesn't have a tachometer, but it feels like it's in the 6,000-6,500 rpm range.
The difference between the Kaw and Suzuk is the 400 most definitely has loads of torque, and it should considering the bike has an extra 150ccs. There is so much low/mid range grunt, in 2nd and 3rd gear, the front tire literally skips across the pavement. Just a gentle tug on the handlebars, and the front wheel is in the air...one of the things I have fun with. Also, the front brake is very strong, not that the Kaw's brake was lacking. It's just that much stronger. The handling was very predictable and extremely stable on the Kaw, only giving way to the paranoia of cornering hard with on/off tires. The Suzuki of course has street radials, so not much paranoia, and is just as stable. I would wager the KLX250sf would be a good match for the DRZ400sm in handling department.
One final thing. The fuel mileage of the Suzuki is about 10 miles per gallon less than that of my previous KLX250s, (KLX250s got between 70-75 mpgs).
So there you have it. My unprofessional critique/comparison of my last two motorcycles.

 

Nice keep in touch.

 

Thanks for the info. I had considered the DRZ400S.
SlapDrum

 

Thanks bro. Good to hear you are enjoying your new ride.

As for the seat: www.renazco.com c'mon, you know you want one!

 

mmmm, don't wheelies and torque feel good!?
Congrats man, and thanks for the review... How would you expect the bikes to compare off road? The DRZ feel much heavier?

 

I wouldn't imagine both bikes having similar gearing. Isn't the DRZ400 a 5 speed?

 

That's correct. The KLX is actually less buzzy at highway speeds, because it has that extra gear. Maybe not quite as pronounced on the 09 due to the closer ratio between 5th and 6th though.

 

5th on the DRZ400(the S model at least) is actually a lower-revving ratio than 6th in the Kawi. IDK about the output ratio and of course there is a difference in sprockets, too. 6th on an '09 Kawi is .9something and on the DRZ-400S its something in the .8 range. LIke I said, probably apples-oranges since the difference in sprockets,not to mention the Kawi is meant to rev alot higher than the DRZ.

 

nah, that's not accurate. having owned two KLX's and my own DRZSM, I can tell you for absolute certainty that the DRZSM is terrible at highway speeds. It needs a 6th gear in the worst way and no way is it running the same rpms as the KLX at any highway speed. It's the main reason I sold my DRZ. If it weren't for the tranny, the DRZSM, imo, would arguably be one of the best motorcycles available today. Sure, you can gear it down but byebye torque. been there, done that. The engine and tranny is more suited for atv use, which is where it makes its most appearances. Suzuki, bring us an updated DRZ with a 6th gear please!!!

 

Tremor, yes, I do want a more comfortable seat, and I will check out www.renazco.com.
What I meant about the gearing being similar, my 09 KLX250s and the 09 DRZ400sm both rev like crazy at 65 mph. I know the Kaw was turning about 6,500 rpm, but since the Suzuki doesn't have a tack, I have no way of knowing the exact rpm. I can tell you both feel like they're reving quite high for the highway at 65 mph.
If I had purchased the DRZ400s instead of the "sm", I would say the Kawasaki is superior in the off-road zone or motorcycling. The DRZ is quite a bit heavier, and the additional horsepower/torque in the dirt does not make up the difference. I would definitely choose the KLX250s because of how light it is, and how easy it is to ride on tight trails.