2019 SUZUKI DR-Z400S VS. 2019 K TM 500 EXC
C O M PA R I S O N
P108
Rennie's helmet was off, and I could see that "what-took-you-guys-so-long?" expres-
sion on his face. He and the Suzuki were warming up to each other, and Rennie's
fun-meter was beginning to show some signs of life. Sean's and mine, however,
were already very active; after all, we live for the dirt, so our fun-meter always shoots
straight to at least 50% no matter what we're riding. As long as we're throwing dirt and
making dust, we're having, at minimum, a good time.
We swapped bikes for the rocky descent, and we continued on our journey. Our
destination? Unknown. We had a basic idea where we were going, but we were just
winging it, really, which in my opinion, is the best way to enjoy a dual-sport ride.
As the miles piled on and we transitioned from morning sun to afternoon sun, it
became more and more apparent
that it really didn't matter anymore
which bike we were on. We really
weren't "testing" anymore, or on the
clock, so to speak. Instead, we had
simply turned into three guys out for
a dual sport ride. "Hey, Rennie, you
want to ride the DR-Z now?" "Yeah,
sure!" This would not have been the
case earlier in the day when we had
defaulted into "testing mode." After
all, that's what we do for a living, test
bikes. In all honesty, we all wanted
to be on the KTM at first. It was the
bike of choice for sure, and, yes, it
(Above) On the
pavement, the DR-
Z400S rider is smiling
under his helmet.
The KTM rider, not so
much. (Below) Our
biggest gripe with
theDR-Z is its 320-plus-
pound weight, which
can be overlooked
by its wallet-friendly
$6749 price tag.
