KLX450, is like a ZX10 for the dirt. Hard edged, huge power, sharp brakes and geometry. Not ideal for someone new.
DRZ/KLX400 is a sweet bike. I've owned a YZF400, and still have a KTM530EXC in the toybox. I also had a KDX200. If I were to buy again now, barring the Kato, which is Dangerous Dave's as well, and I was looking 2nd hand, then I would be all over any decent DRZ/KLX 400. But, if I could find a mint KDX200, I'd probably take that. I owned the KDX at the same time as I had the KLX400 and would often change bikes at lunch time and ride the KDX200 for the afternoon.
Forget all the bullshit about two strokes being too much maintanance, it's the 4 stroke enduros like the YZF,EXC, that are highly strung nad need lots of maintanance and don't even go into a Honda as they are worse. If you rode the two stroke ALL season. Like EVERY weekend, it would need a piston and rings at the end of the season which can be done yourself in 2 hours. You might re nikasil the barrell, but that's probably only a few hundred. I think the last top end I did on the KLX cost maybe $600 going mad with really nice stuff. That's once a season if you ride EVERY weekend.
If you rode and enduro EVERY weekend, you would use $30 maybe more of oil plus a filter every ride. Plus, they dust up easily and the valves start leaking. Then it's thousands for the rebuild unless you are bloody handy.
The 4stroke in the middle is the DRZ/KLX. Naturally being the same bike, the KLX is the better one.
They still require and oild and filter change every 2nd or third ride, depending on dust levels. So are pretty cheap there. They also tend to do a lot more klms before they need the top ends done. WHen you do do the top end, then you can make it go like the 450 enduros, but still keep the ride it all day suspension. I never touched the stock suspension on my KLX except to set it up for me. It was standard springs and valving. The guys on katos and YZF's which were the hardcore enduro bikes, would never get away, but come early afteroon, they would all start falling behind. By the time we were back at the carpark, I was ready for another 100klms and they were shattered. As Aardvark attests, crashing is a certainty. Especially when learning. Sometimes when you crash you break the bike, sometimes you break you, sometimes both. As a learner you're going to be chucking it into the bushes with regular monotony. We all do. You will want to ride with others, as injury could be fatal solo and you'll want some people who know the tracks to show you around. So, you will try and keep up and you will crash. Make sure you have good gear and ambulance cover.
Having said all that, I have gone whole seasons where I rode all year, as in the crashes I had I got lucky and didn't hit anything/one. Then I had a few where I didn't!
But dirt bike riding is a hoot, insane fun. No speed limits, massive lurid slides at high speed on the faster single track, then hard braking berm riding in the tight single track. Hitting an unexpected erosion mound at 80klms an hour for the first time and landing 30 feet away and fluking it and staying on. The next erosion mound you hit, overconfident and you get it all wrong and face plant at 80 klms and hour, then slide and bounce along the fire trail till you stop. The greasy slimy wet clay up in our mountains that even standing up on the pegs and feathering hte throttle has it opposite locked past 90 degrees. That wicked set of single track you get to know and manage to back into every turn and slide and wheelstand out the other. It a Hoot!!
One tip.......Take "Allens Snakes" with you as well as your water and lunch. Snakes are a god send, when you are all waiting for the newbie and want a sugar hit for the next knarly hill.
