XR400 vs YZ250X, shootout round 1!
ฝัง
- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 2 พ.ย. 2020
- Desert trail loop on the XR400 and YZ250X. Can an XR400 keep up with a newer bike? How closely?
2001 XR400, stock motor, White Bro's exhaust, upgraded fork springs, stock shock settings, oversize pegs, bar risers.
2017 YZ250X, Acerbis oversize tank, FMF GYTR Exhaust, RKTek head, Lectron carb, correct suspension springs for my weight.
Both bikes run clean, and have appropriate suspension settings for weight and riding style. I hope to do several comparisons in different terrain, the YZ will dominate in MX, no comparison needed, but what about in off-road settings? How well can the old XR compete?
Awesome job comparing the two! A friend of my had a 1985 xr350 in the east Texas forest and he was unstoppable!
The XR is a really incredible machine, if you don't need to clear tabletops and triple jumps, it can do everything else comfortably and reliably.
Thank you for that great video and comparing the xr400, may very well pick up one of these and quite impressed with his history and performance but also it’s versatility since you can ride on the road for a little bit as well as I understand. Thank you very much for your efforts great work👍🌟
Oh man this is an amazing side by side comparison
Excellent video, good job. You should carry a tow strap in that fender bag for when your buddies smash their radiators or overheat. Thumbs up to the little guy too
Both bikes look absolutely awesome! Congrats
Thanks, if I never got on a motocross track, I think I would just pick the XR. However, most certainly when hitting big jumps the XR is not in its element. I wouldn’t even try it. The only other place a YZ outshines it is an ultra Technical Enduro style riding where you’re jumping ledges and rocks.
If you were riding forest trails, or open desert trails all the time. You would be just as happy on the XR.
Both gorgeous bikes, I’d be hard pressed to pick between the two. I’d probably go XR so I can street putt too. Corner store, fishin hole, she’s a perfect ride.
Very true, if you’re going to trail ride AND do motocross, I would say that YZ is the bike to go with.
If you’re going to trail ride and go camping, fishing, run to the store, the XR is the way to go. But I do love both bikes
@@Bowstringdotcom the second option you mentioned is exactly what I want to do, if I can’t find a 400 I’d settle for an older 500 and especially a 350
@@Bowstringdotcom I used to race IT’s and I love the two stroke hit too but I better stay off of those, I know that YZX is a beast and more than I need. I’m not scared of the bike I’m scared of me
Great video comparison. I’ve been considering an older 400 just to use for a light-dual sport. This was pretty inspiring. Im very familiar with the 250 2smokes, but that old thumper did much better than I had expected....
I’ve found that the XR is always more planted in a corner (four strokes usually are) and can match or beat the YZ everywhere but an MX track, jumps that are over 30ft I personally would t touch on the XR, that’s the one place the YZ has an obvious edge, as well as a HP hillckimb. But for trail riding the XR can do anything the YZ can.
I've owned both and would take the XR any day over the 250 2 stroke. The XR is almost zero maintenance and so much easier to ride while requiring far less energy, no fuel mixing hassles etc... If I was 25 years old again I'd take the yz for the cool sound and superior jumping ability, the XR is best with the rear wheel on the ground, it can wheelie for miles.
The XR has a unique geometry for a heavier bike. It makes it very agile on tight single track despite it's weight. Both awesome bikes 👍
Absolutely agree, the XR was designed to be a quick turning bike for woods riding . And it does that very well. If you keep your weight and balance forward it is agile and predictable, if you sit back and try to wag the dog from the tail you’ll lose that fight and work hard while doing so.
@@Bowstringdotcom well put...you got to stay over the bars. I have an 04 XR400 for my woods bike and a Drz 400e street legal for everything else. The Dr is smoother and a little better sprung,slightly longer gear spread but the XR is noticably more nimble when the going gets tight so to speak...cool vid keep em coming 👍
Those XR graphics are awesome!!!
I Loved this comparison thanks HEAPS!!!. bummed about the helmet cam recording but still redeemed with the excellent time stats and side by side video!!! I love my XR400 but still always respect the 2 stroke bullets!
Honda, for us the hard core fanatics, DESPERATELY NEED to re-release these retro legends, just like the Ford Mustang and Chevy Camaro, not for need but at least for nostalgia!
I have already posted that if they did I would one of the first (out of 1000's) to line up for pre order sales.
Man Joe I’ve been saying the same thing for years. If they stamped out some low tech cheap to manufacture 80’s repops for $3500 new I’d be in line 2maro. Air cooled, drum brakes, shit bring it, we grew up on those beasts.
I’ll take the brand new 83’ CR480R thank you very much lol
After riding 2stroke bike since childhood. I am now 31 with a career and decided I wanted something more predictable.
After buying an xr 400 and doing some work I am in love with this bike
RAW but predictable pover is so well designed.
My family owns almost every xr size from 50 to 650. The 400 is everyone's favorite second up being the 600
Nice video well done sir
I just picked my Yamaha up and have put less than 5 hours on it since buying it. I have had a slew of 250 two strokes in the past, including a YZ250 MX model. I love them, but also absolutely love my XR. Having ridden the XR through the past year I am confident that in some trails it would have advantages over even the well tuned 250X. The 400 is so solid, there is a reason they are so legendary and demand high prices 20 years later. I think at least for this video the rough braking bumps and lack of berms in the corners was what gave the XR the advantage. I fully expected going in to be faster on the YZ, but came out even happier with the XR. It was easier to ride aggressive in rough terrain.
@@Bowstringdotcom they are definitely a do it all bike, if it ain’t broke don’t fix it IMO right? I’m looking for an XR350 as I had one in my younger days. Rode it to school and everywhere else, never a problem, with the bike or having a nice passenger 😉
Yup the midsize 4 strokes enduro / dual sport from the 80s were superb bikes and sorely missed
Miss my TT 350 from the 80s
114 kg for 31 HP
Low-end torque but raging in high RPMs
6 gears
2 seaters
If you have to add a 2 seaters, no other bike in the last 40 years could rival it
If you forfeit the 2 seaters part, yes for the XR 400.. but 10 kg heavier
Something to be said about that more liner throttle on the 400- Just twist and hang on- it just feels more manageable than the Instant hit of the 2 stroke.
I prefer 4T over 2 for my riding style .
I think your comparison was an eye opener for many.
Great job.
Four strokes simply make things easier for the rider. And are easier to ride near their limit and maintain control, in this simple little setting it was clear that the old trusty XR could do just that. Maintain traction and speed easier and be ridden harder and maintain control. I was surprised, I fully expected to be faster on the YZ.
I have a 2001 XR that only has 3500 miles on her. I added gold warp 9 wheels and a larger tank. Love her but really don’t ride her much. Spend more time on my AT these days
Have ridden basically my whole life. I owned this bike 20 years ago bone stock when I was poor and had no money for mods. I road all the time with my buddy on his xy250 2 stroke never felt like I was underpowered except I remember it was hard to get the front wheel up on demand with the stock bike here in Colorado. I remember needing to come off a rock or lip I felt like I needed to plan ahead. I Sold it for a 2002 450r a couple of years later ( what a piece of shit) After a ton of 450s lots of years and a couple of 650s in there as well I'm back on a xr400. Why??? Because with a few mods I believed it could be the perfect do it all dirt bike imo and I always wondered what a modded xr400 would be like because I never felt like I got the full potential out of my first xr400. So I did what Honda should have done when they sold it new. I converted it to E-start bored it to a 416 10.8:1 piston added a Mikuni pumper for better throttle response and re-sprung and valved the front forks , and re-valved the rear shock. The xr400 has excellent suspension when set up no need for inverted fork upgrades imo. If conventionals were good enough for Johnny Campbell and Scott Summers guess what they are good enough for me.. My xr400 is all business now. Throw on 14-48 gearing and the pumper carb it will hit just as hard as anything right off idle up to 15-20 mph and will climb a tree without any run up but also be very controllable in it's power delivery for the sketchy stuff or just wanting to ride slow. The engine braking is just insane and almost impossible to stall out with a 5.5 lbs flywheel. It's a rare combo for dirt bikes these days for sure. Don't let anyone tell you otherwise a well sorted xr400 can hold its own in the dirt and can become a serious weapon off road if your a good, confident, strong rider and don't ride it like a panty waste.
Amen brother! I would love to try a slightly overbore, high compression pumper carb XR. Maybe this bike will get there eventually. Getting a little extra snap out of the 400 would be awesome, it’s got enough power in almost every situation, but now and then that extra snap would be fun to have. Great summary
I’ve got the chance to pick up an extremely clean 99’ for 1800. I would love to get a yz250f (2007+) to goof off and maybe compete on someday (off-road only, no motocross, maybe some hare scrambles or some half-technical enduro, as much as a motocross bike can handle) but, being 16, in high school, and stuck with a teen’s budget, I figure I’ll get something bulletproof to start on (my second bike, but still improving my riding). I’m only 130 lbs but I’m 6’2”-6’3”. If I tried it and didn’t like the smooth role on from dead stop, for example the tendency the bike may have to need help pulling the front end up, would an easy mod such as the mikuni pumper bring in that much more response and torque? I plan on being a mechanic on engines such as these but I’m not ready to be boring out and modifying the case.
Wha’d ya think?
A pumper carb is supposed to be the best mod to get quick throttle response from an XR400, this bike doesn’t have one, and I’m ok without it, but I have ridden modded 400’s and they are really snappy
@@elia3043 Adding a pumper carb and getting it dialed in I have zero hesitation the bike responds as fast as I can wick the throttle. Makes a big difference in the woods and in technical terrain. Also I road the tour of idaho in August and I was in elevations 4500 ft to 11,200 feet I had zero problems and the bike still had lots of snap in all situations. I was pretty impressed as many say this is a weak spot for the mikuni vs the stock but I was not experiencing a single issue.
I am in the same boat. I've owned my 98 XR400 since summer of 99 when i turned 19. I put a pumper on it and geared it down one tooth in the front, did the rest of the "Gordon's Mods" and shes the perfect woods bike. I ride 90% sight singletrack that gets very snotty when it rains and its my go to bike. I love it so much that I bought a second XR400 a few years back that had very low miles and put a plate on it so i can explore more trails from my house. I also have a plated XR650R that is a monster and a brute, but I still run to my 400 when I know I'll be getting into any technical stuff. I've had the 650R on those same trails and I cant get out of first gear and much above idle, and dont get me wrong is still a blast to ride...especially on the open stuff, but the 400 is in its sweet spot constantly. Always surprises my riding buddies on their modern 10k bikes lol
bought one last week.
Nice video! I went to look at one This last Saturday morning. And possibly traded my yz for it. But it turned out to be a pile of junk. Was really misled. It was a really poor example of an xr400. I really need to try one that is all ready to go
Thats the bummer, finding one that isn't hamburger. Often people in my area want too much money for XR's that are trash heaps. I paid $2500 for this one, and I am into it now $3100. It was worth every penny of that to me.
@@Bowstringdotcom
That’s a heck of a price. It’s the same in my area. People want big money for XR’s that are beat down.
@@mkgizler5080 if you find a good one you’ll be impressed trust me, especially once you put a pumper and a cam n pipe on it. They will hang with anything with the right guy on it.
where did you get the tank decal sticker for the xr ? looks nice
eBay, I had to trim it a bunch, it was pretty big.
www.ebay.com/itm/Honda-XR250-XR400-96-04-Shroud-Graphics-Camo-White-XR-FREE-SHIPPING/293587888837?hash=item445b33aac5:g:I3oAAOSwXHRd5DXN
Love my 400 and xr350 but use 350 more because it has rarely hurt me and feel part of bike
And it is a 6 speed.
A couple videos of my mint 400
Cool video was curious are running the stock gearing in the XR?
Yes, the YZ is geared two teeth lower in the rear. The XR is stock, but I’ve decided to try the same two teeth lower rear on the XR and see how I like it.
I have two XR400Rs myself a 2003 and a 2004 both were already geared down when I got them one has 15 48 and 14 45 which works great for tight single track and steep hill climbs but when you jump back on the fire roads they are a little low. Funny how the xr200 and xr250 are 6 speeds and the xr400 and xr600 are 5 speeds. I also picked up a 1998 XR600r a few weeks ago and it has the stock gearing which feels fine for that bike. Also have a 07 YZ250 set up for trail riding as well.
Thanks for the info you have some really nice clean bikes.
Thanks for the info, I’m looking forward to trying the 15/47 out. 15/45 really is great for trail riding, and I haven’t had many complaints, but the 15/47 may give enough edge in really steep slow sections to be worth it. We will see. As is the stock top speed is just right.
Which do you personally like best? Overall
Also I respect that you know how to ride it into a corner on the rear breaks downshift come in skidding sideways , land in the berm and grab hand full throttle 💪. You need a fcr pumper carb off a new 450 trust me my 41 mm is insane made bike feel like twice the power !
I did ride one a while ago that had a pumper carb on it, it definitely was a whole new bike with that.
Man I think Honda made a big mistake not to keep updating these Xr's.
Would you ever consider selling your xr 400r
XR is No`1
I gotta fully squeezed out 93 xr 628r that will dominate 5002ts fcr pumper carb is were it’s at .
Love the vid but yz has advantage in the? desert 🤣😂 that’s were the xrs shine brotha
I’d love to see that, I’ve had two pumped up 650R’s and neither would beat my 99 KX500. The big bore thumpers have tons of power, torque and the like but still haven’t had a thumper come very close. The new Husky 450 is said to be the fastest 450 this year, I’m hoping to see one at Sand Mountain and see if the Ole 500 can hold its own.
@@Rakkasan-vr8xt I’ll show you once hardens up round here it’s mud season , click on my channel to see a short of what it even looks like , you’ll get it then 😜🤘
Tear that husky up!
Been there done that , elite motorsports is my company , we make things win there is no other option , make it happen .
Tbh if I made a video on what I did to it would go viral to all the xr guys out there change alot of ppls minds too , you’ll see🤘
@@Rakkasan-vr8xt this isn’t your average 600r brother lol
Is that virtue flatts?
No, this is Southeast Idaho.
You should spank the yz everywhere except a motocross track!
Pretty much, the XR carries speed with very little drama. I have the suspension resprung now to match my weight and skill level and the bike is unbelievable. If I could never buy another motorcycle and needed one to last my entire life it would be an XR 400 and I would be happy to have that outcome. The XR has some sentimental appeal that’s hard to match. But I’ll admit in 25 years of riding every bike available, the YZ250X is the funnest bike I’ve ever owned. Outside of a track it does also take the crown in seriously technical riding, less weight and more responsive because of it. Both Kings of dirt in their own ways.
Just put my 2003 XR400R on eBay.
Nice here’s mine mint 2003
th-cam.com/users/shortstbj2FDkErWk
@@markkus1134 Street legal?
But the XR is like 200lbs heavier?
Hahha. Not quite, a good solid 40-45 would probably be accurate. The place that extra weight really doesn’t matter is in a corner, bermed out or not. I’ve found that in about any corner, I can more quickly and confidently blast through (and be faster) than the YZ EXCEPT on dry dry ground with loose dirt on top. In that situation the XR will wash and that weight will topple you over every time you get aggressive. This little loop the XR corner speed made the slight advantage.
I should say, dry ground with loose dirt and a FLAT or sloping away/downhill corner it can get tricky, any berm at all and it sticks really really well.
@@Bowstringdotcom so, you're saying the XR tracks better, possibly because its heavier.
In a corner (like most four strokes) the front tire bites and grips, it carries more weight over the front and therefore sticks and is planted in a corner, the 2 stroke can burst out of a corner quick, but the four stroke can stick through one better.